September 1, 2016

SPECIAL EDITION

CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY 2016

ELCA Churchwide Assembly key actions

Voting members of the ELCA approved a number of key actions during the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in New Orleans Aug. 8-13. The 945 voting members elected William B. Horne II of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Clearwater, Fla., vice president of the ELCA. They voted to accept "Declaration on the Way," a unique ecumenical document that marks a path toward greater unity between Catholics and Lutherans. The voting members approved AMMPARO - the ELCA's strategy for Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities. The assembly also voted to unify the three lay rosters into one Ministry of Word and Service roster.

Learn more and read about additional actions taken by the highest governing body of the ELCA

The ELCA Introduces Vice-President Bill Horne

Bill Horne of Clearwater, Fla., was elected Vice President of the ELCA at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly. Bill shares about his background and goals as he begins his new role.

Churchwide Voting Members and Visitors Share their Experiences


	Kathy Neugent

Anyone attending Churchwide Assembly definitely experiences the awe and wonder of it all! You are consistently thrilled throughout, but it is also a very serious responsibility, a demanding experience and, at times quite overwhelming.

We asked our voting members and visitors to Churchwide Assembly this year to share their experiences and impressions with the synod. Their responses have been outstanding.

Clearly they departed Churchwide Assembly with renewed inspiration, pride for their synod and faith in the future of our church. The power of the Holy Spirit lies within.

We offer Prayers of Thanksgiving to each, for their service on behalf of the Upstate New York Synod, for being such wonderful representatives and for their ready willingness to share their thoughts with us.


Mardi Gras Bishop

CWA in New Orleans was a wonderful experience of witnessing the ministry of the ELCA not only within these United States but also around the world. We are the church together, one of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's focal points, was clearly witnessed in that place as we welcomed Lutherans, Full Communion partners and others from across the globe to our midst.

Lin and I arrived on Saturday afternoon as the Conference of Bishops met for opening Euchurist on Sunday at 1 followed by a meeting with the Synod Vice Presidents and Church Council. Following that gathering the CoB met to conduct some business and talk about resolutions and memorials coming to the floor. We also had a picture taken of the Conference which was, as some suggested, like herding cats. That evening we went to the Episcopal Cathedral in town for a choir concert by the National Lutheran Choir which offered a wonderful variety of choral pieces, hymns and song. They were spectacular and joined us again on Monday at the opening Eucharist for the assembly.

All in all it was a week of long days, much work done, meeting new friends and witnessing the power of the Holy Spirit in our midst as we move into the future God holds out for us. I look forward to hearing from those voting delegates who went at the Fall Assemblies so that they can share the excitement and realities of the gathering. On to 2019!

One final note; if you'd like to view some of the videos and pictures simply go to ELCA.Org and look for Churchwide Assembly Highlights under the opening page banner or follow this link.

https://www.livinglutheran.org/religious-news-and-social-issues/

Sue Osborne, Volunteer

(Bethany Lutheran Church, Elmira)

Volunteers are vital to any Churchwide Assembly. In 2013 and this year I volunteered as a microphone page. This requires attendance to all plenary sessions and a training session prior to the beginning of Plenary 1. The main responsibilities of this position are to insure that the speaker is eligible to vote, to ask the voting member which five options they'd like to do, to maintain a " first come" order in your line, and to adjust the microphone so that he/she is easily heard. Sixteen pages are necessary, a pro and con times eight. Please consider volunteering as there are many other options.

In all of the "stations" during communion, the non- alcoholic wine was kept on the table and not offered by an assistant. I have never experienced this and needed to ask for it.


	Leymah Gbowee

Leymah Gbawee, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was a memorable speaker during the Grace Gathering/Churchwide joint keynote speech. She was asked to comment on the Israel/Palestine conflict. A paraphrase: unless you are asked to intervene elsewhere, try to solve the many crises in your own country.

I was pleased to learn that the young adults filled the lunch bags from Thursday and distributed them to the homeless. What happened to the food that was not consumed at mealtime?

Returning home on Saturday, I sat next to a pastor from New Jersey. He has been ordained for forty years and this was his first time going to Churchwide. I could hear the renewal in his voice and in his words as he said, " I am proud to be a Lutheran. We are in good hands". Amen

James Osborne, Voting Member

(Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Elmira)

The basic program was well laid out and well organized. I did have a bit of trouble managing the "electronic device" that we had to use, while the electric voting machine was a snap. I think that the business end of the assembly was well prepared for us going in and the discussions surrounding those voting concerns were well managed. In other Churchwide Assemblies this was not always the case, ..... but then some of those past issues were very "hot" and open to a lot of interpretation.

The hotel and transportation to and from the Assembly Meeting Hall were as good as you could have expected. Having said all that, the important parts of the gathering remains the same when Christians gather.....lots of getting to know a lot of new folks and the experience of Worship. The getting to know other folks was enabled by the planning committee providing time at the meals for good food and good talk.

As to worship, that was as an old time teacher when evaluating a student's paper or report, he would not only grade with a score but also with a written comment. This old-time teacher would give those who put together the worship format and orchestrated all of the aspects that go into worship at 100 percent. The speakers, the music, and messages were "right on the money". The only very small glitch was at communion where my wife and I had to request the dealcoholized wine that was present but not in the hands of a person. A small, easily overlooked issue, as we are used to three people at communion, one with wine and one with juice and one with the bread.

One aspect that is often overlooked at these large gatherings is time for people to share experiences in Christ. Time that would encourage them to put themselves forward for the commitment of time, energy, and expenses to take on the task of voting membership or being a worker that helps get the Assembly up and running. The staff and volunteers were outstanding in their handling of unprepared and prepared issues in a professional and courteous manner. All-in-all a "well oiled team".

Finally, The "prayer partners" is a grand idea and I am happy that you put it forward before we got to New Orleans. I was able to share a bit of myself as a Lutheran Christian with my partner and why I feel strongly that the Church needs to be outside the doors of our home church. I now have a new life-long partner and friend in Dean who lives, farms, and raises pigs. He and his family live half-way across our country in Minnesota . We e-mailed each other before going to New Orleans and we found time to get to know each other and share views and stories. That was the blessing that was orchestrated by the Churchwide office and I hope that all of the others got to meet their prayer partners.

To sum up, with the exception of the storm on Saturday, New Orleans turned out well for sight-seeing and the work that we had to do in a relative short time and still share and grow in our Faith in Christ and in the greater Church...even to outside the United States. To quote the Bible....."well done good and faithful servant".

Mary Schwartz, Voting Member

(Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Clifton Park

I enjoyed my time at Churchwide Assembly.

I felt empowered to assist in making decisions for the national church and proud of my decisions.

It was exciting to meet Lutherans from all parts of the country, whether at mealtime or on the buses. What a God-filled loving group of people.

Meeting up with my prayer partner was a highlight. It was difficult to locate him, but finally did.

Accommodations were very good, transportation opportunities were good and drama was at a low! The food at the Center was filled with too many carbs, sweets, and sad looking salad. I would have appreciated more vegetables. It was several days before I realized that there was coffee offered during the breaks.

The first day was just too long. It was especially hard for those who were stranded by Delta. I know a snow storm would have done the same thing, but too much was attended to for the first day.

I enjoyed listening from the Bishops and Pastors from New Guinea, Liberia, and South Sudan. It is wonderful that we are working worldwide for a better world as Lutherans.

The workshop I attended was good but a bit boring. "Hands-On" stories were shared, but would have liked more. Some of the talking could have been shortened in length.

I would look forward to being able to attend in 3 years, if selected. Much more work needs to be done.

Sohail Akhtar, Visitor

(Trinity Old Lutheran Church, Eggertsville)

"It was a great opportunity and experience for me to attend the Churchwide Assembly and the Grace gathering. I am so grateful to Bishop John S. Macholz and Mr. Thomas Madden who made it possible for me to attend the wonderful gathering.

In fact, the Grace of God was really in action during the whole Grace Gathering. My track was Peace Promotion and I attended the workshop on inter-religious relations and "what does it mean to be Lutheran in a multi-religious world" which was so meaningful. Furthermore, the services of Holy Communion were awesome.

During Grace Gathering, I interacted with many people and felt that, of course we are from different families, regions & cultures but in Christ our heavenly father is one and through Him we are all Children of God and the Grace of God cannot be confined, it's for all human beings.

The Lutheran Catholic Common Commemoration is the memorable step of Churchwide Assembly, which is the need of present scenario. The Grace Gathering and Assembly was so organized and no doubt it is a strong part of Christ's Body. Once again please accept my heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to attend and to learn a lot during Churchwide and Grace Gathering."

Rev. Gail Wolling, Voting Member

(Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, North Syracuse)


	Rev. Gail Wolling

In a cavernous room, where it was almost always too cold, 945 people worked hard to do the work of the church which often seemed too big to fully comprehend. Over the days we were introduced to issues which lay close to the hearts of members around the country, issues which gained an urgency because of others' commitment. We needed to consider how we as church might further God's work around the globe. It is hard to describe the depth of the information, the importance of the issues, the complexity of some of the differing positions. (and the parliamentary procedure!) It often felt overwhelming.

Several items stand out for me. We, the ELCA, have decided to publicly and strategically accompany minor migrant children (AMMPARO strategy). This is a commitment to work with and among the people and churches of Central America, to provide safety and a safety net for

children who must too often flee violence and extreme poverty. This initiative

remains with me as a significant shift in our perspective on our work in the world as a 98% white church and because it points to a different tomorrow for our life together as church, the most important piece of work we did.

The issue of injustice to our brothers and sisters of First Nations and African heritage was considered in several different ways. Increased dialogue with our Roman Catholic contemporaries has been achieved. New steps have been taken to define 'ministry' and 'ministers' in our polity with implications still unknown. These are the things that I most remember.

It was exhausting, thrilling, and frustrating. It was an opportunity to connect, learn and engage the church in its larger expression. I give thanks for the opportunity.

Rev. Pamela Hoh, Voting Member

(Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Loudonville)


Rev. Pamela Hoh

That last time I attended a church-wide assembly was over 20 years ago. I was at the Constituting Convention for the ELCA. The major difference I noticed between then and now was the number of lay people who were persons of color. I know we have a long way to go, but I was genuinely surprised and delighted to see so many lay persons of color in attendance. I was also surprised by how progressive folks were in their voting.

People were also respectful of one another. I myself (without realizing it) wound up talking with a woman who was the author of a memorial I was totally against. We had a great conversation. We could each see the viewpoint of the other, though neither one of us changed our position. Yet we really liked one another, enjoying one another's company throughout the assembly. Theological and ideological differences do not have to cause conflict and division. We can still be the church and agree to disagree, trusting the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.

This assembly reminded me once again why I became a Lutheran. Not having been raised a Lutheran, I loved how this church was one to follow it's words with action. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a living reality in the Lutheran church. She, the church, may not be perfect but she tries to follow as a disciple of Jesus Christ as authentically as possible. This church makes a difference in the world and I am grateful to be a part of it.

I loved the worship most days and the songs were wonderful. The national Lutheran choir (I believe that's the right name) is extraordinary. Beautiful, beautiful voices. I also really appreciated how the assembly was steeped in prayer and worship-it gave us grounding as a people of God. My worship and music trustee had asked that I collect each day's worship materials to bring back to her in order to share with our worship and music committee.

Also really appreciated the iPads. Great idea and ecologically responsible. So much easier to carry around and refer to when at the assembly. It took a bit to get the hang of, but once you did, you could really appreciate the ease that came from using it.

Very moved by the vote on the Ammparo Strategies. Would like to see this ministry further developed in Upstate New York. As a result of hearing this presented at the church-wide assembly I read the document "Our Communities in Crisis: A faithful look at the root causes of Central American forced displacement and the repatriation of children and families after the Summer of 2014." I had no idea this was going on and I'm sure many folks in our congregations have very little idea of the root causes with regard to why folks are trying to immigrate from Central America to other countries. This is a conversation we as a church need to have-this issue is not going away.

Appreciative of the stance taken by the the assembly on "black lives matter." It will be interesting to see the report back to the assembly in three years.

I was also glad to see the "Declaration on the Way," document approved. It's been a long time coming and I was struck by how dedicated those involved to making this document a reality were. This hit me as a rather laborious task and one that would take a great deal of vision and determination to see through. I was glad to see how overjoyed and supportive the assembly was towards this group and the document as a whole.

I appreciated the displays by the church-wide offices on the various ministries they are doing presently. Each day the display changed and I learned something new. I collected the materials they had available and am now sorting through them in order to share them with the congregation. Some of these I plan on incorporating into sermons and other activities within the congregation.

The truth is I found the Churchwide Assembly illuminating and inspiring. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was certainly well worth the travel and time spent. I had planned on bringing knitting so I was never bored sitting through all the plenary sessions. I didn't need the knitting, for I was never bored. I found the whole thing fascinating. There was so much I learned and so much I want to learn more about as a result.

These are just a few of my reactions.

Rev. Lee Miller II, Voting Member

(Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo)


Rev. Lee Miller

Centered in worship. Hearts and minds challenged in legislative plenaries, stretched in workshops and Bible study. Celebrations of diversity and deepening relationships. Spirit led movements for peace and justice for indigenous peoples everywhere.

My one word description of ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2016 would be: FULL.

I am full. My heart is full after experiencing the joy of the "Declaration on the Way," the care with which people considered constitutional changes including the forming of the roster of Word and Service, and the passion poured out in memorials which repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, called for all leaders to engage in anti-racism training, and spoke truth to power in concern for Palestine.

I am full. Gumbo. Catfish. Crawfish. Alligator. Po-Boys. Shrimp. Sausage. Grits. The Musician's Club, Mothers, House of Blues. I am full of good food and good music.

Experiencing a Churchwide Assembly is awesome and inspiring. I pray clergy and lay folks who have never gone before, have this experience sometime in their ministry. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Patsy Glista, AIM, Voting Member

(Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Utica)


	Patsy Glista, AIM

Attending Churchwide Assembly, for me, was seeing firsthand how each one of us is indeed, connected to other faithful believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, across the ELCA and throughout the whole world. As a member of the Reference and Counsel Committee I had a taste of the work and energy that goes into moving resolutions and memorials brought to the assembly by voting members from synods across the ELCA to the plenary floor for debate, discernment and then action by the voting members. Our own Rev. Lee Miller put forth a resolution on racial justice. Work on this committee also meant early 7am meetings and missed opportunities to share lunch with my spouse, a visitor at the Assembly, and others from our synod, however, I met and worked with some wonderful folks and also got to meet and work with Tom Cunniff, the ELCA Associate General Counsel.

Some of the hi-lights included witnessing the moment we accepted the Declaration on the Way and the thundering applause that followed, attending the hearing about the Ministry of Word and Service prior to that proposals successful passage, and the wonderful variety of worship experiences especially the music provided at the last Eucharist worship by the New Orleans Jazz Band.

Sharon Hamilton, Voting Member

First Lutheran Church, Jamestown


	Sharon Hamilton

Worship was amazing, from worship leaders, musicians, sermons, liturgy, the variety, the excellence of preaching, the diversity and uplifting music, the multicultural infusion to the services created an inspirational and thought-provoking experience each day.

Social issues: Conversations, memorials and workshops: from environmental to humanitarian were of particular interest to me. The church positions on such matters strengthens and encourages me to be more proactive in my stance and actions in my daily life. It's interesting to me that most of these issues are not topics of conversations in my local area churches or at our conference meetings.


Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

This Assembly allowed me to see that Bishop Eaton was an extraordinary choice as Bishop at this time in ELCA's journey. She is a leader, a consensus builder, a woman of strength and courage, while at the same time is able to maintain her connection with her congregants with her sense of humor, ability to remain humble and her relatability.

These are all highlights of my experience. There were negative aspects as well from the temperature at the convention center, the amendments to the amendments, the arrangements for our dinner together and lack of debriefing within our group.

This is a very brief summary of my experiences. I will be presenting a longer report of the week of events at the Hudson Mohawk Conference Ministerium meeting in September.

Rev. Becca Ehrlich, Visitor

Zion Lutheran Church, Clarence Center


Rev. Becca Ehrlich

I traveled to New Orleans for our Churchwide Assembly as well-but my perspective is bit different, since I didn't attend as a voting member for our Synod. I serve on the ELCA Renewal/Prayer/Revival Team, a team of about twelve people that travels around the country leading workshops and worship services aimed at spiritual renewal. We met as a team at the beginning of the week for our annual meeting, and then during Assembly we led the Morning Prayer services every morning (bright and early!) and staffed the prayer room. The prayer room had books on faith and spirituality, Scripture coloring pages, Bibles, a prayer wall where people could write their prayers, and a contemplation corner with icons and pillows. As a member of the team, we spent chunks of time in the prayer room, familiarizing people with the resources available and praying for people if they wanted individual prayer. People from all over the country came to the morning worship services and to the prayer room to pray and spend time with God in the midst of the Assembly business and busy-ness.

I also had the opportunity to serve Communion during one of the worship services at the Assembly, which was a great experience. Being on the Renewal/Prayer/Revival Team and assisting with Communion meant I got to go behind-the-scenes a bit and see some of what goes into running a Churchwide Assembly. So many people use their God-given gifts and skills to make the different aspects of this event happen, and I was blown away by the sheer amount of giftedness that exists in the ELCA. You could sense the Holy Spirit's movement in the discussions and decision-making, in the presentations, in the worship, and in people's interactions at the Assembly. God was truly present.

Tom Henry, Voting Member

(St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Baldwinsville)

It was a privilege to be able to participate in the 2016 Churchwide Assembly. It was my first experience at a national assembly and I appreciate the confidence of our Synod in electing me to attend. Aside from being in the August 8 Delta disaster and hanging out in airports for many hours, the week was excellent. Even that had a benefit in that I got to know my fellow participant Chris George better as we were on the same flight.

The most exciting and interesting part for me was the opportunity to both meet new people from across the country and get to know members of our own delegation better. My roommate was from South Florida and very active in Reconciling in Christ movement. Discussions of the day's events and some of the broader issues of the church in general with him were fun, productive and interesting. I enjoyed the chance to chat with folks over meals, in the hotel lobby, between sessions, walking around New Orleans, and, of course, at workshops and meetings. Many of my hopes, concerns, and love of the church are shared. It was at once reaffirming and also challenging as different perspectives and the light of different experiences within each one's faith journey were shared individually with me and publicly in the general sessions. The daily worship with these folks and about 1000 others was an experience in itself.

I was most impressed with the breadth of the ELCA and how we together as the ELCA are attempting to bring the good news of Christ into the world, mindful that our own communities are a significant part of the world also. There are difficult and divisive issues before us. This is to be expected. What is also to be expected is that we will work to resolve such things as injustice, racism, all sorts of inequities, and breeches with our fellow Christians as disciples of Christ first. While we as denomination work on these issues it is also plain that we as synod, conference, congregation and as individuals must also, using each other for support, ideas, and strength.

I certainly come away from CWA with a much greater appreciation for the wider church. I am also impressed with the talent and dedication we have within our own Synod. I trust we will continue to build relationships in both spheres so that we together may keep the message of the cross before the world and our own communities. Again, I am thankful for the experience and will certainly be glad to share my thoughts with others in other forums.

Meredith Cavanagh, Voting Member

Zion Lutheran Church, Athens

I feel I have been truly blessed by the opportunity to attend the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. I was honored with the responsibility of being a Young Adult Voting Representative for the Upstate NY Synod as well as a lay representative of my home congregation in Athens, NY. Taking place in New Orleans, this year's assembly was entitled Freed & Renewed in Christ. My experience felt so true to these titled words as being a part of this wonderful event most definitely freed and renewed my spirit as well as my eagerness to serve within this Church.

From my perspective, coming from a small rural congregation, gathering daily for worship with over 1,000 other Lutherans was an amazing experience. Not only did


	Christ Cathedral

we have Holy Communion every day, but we were also blessed with various types of cultures in each worship service: from local music to an interpretive dance performance; beautiful streamers and even umbrellas dancing in the air around the worship team processions. We further had a wide range of pastors preaching on matters very near and dear to our hearts as Church and as Community.

During the assembly, I was able to meet Lutherans from across the globe, acknowledging our various differences as well as our Unity in Christ. Not only were we surrounded by Lutherans at this gathering but also members of other religious groups that were welcoming us as we welcomed them. We had members of the local Native American Nation welcome us to their land, holding a ceremonial song and dance to the four directions to bless us and our gathering. We heard a Muslim speaker tell us of a success story between Muslims and Lutherans in a New York City worship space. We even had visiting Catholic leaders discuss with us our unity in Christ as they worked towards bridging the divide between our two Christian denominations.


Leymah Gbowee

I attended a workshop on Promoting Peace where Lutheran Bishops from El Salvador and Papua New Guinea talked about their struggles with keeping peace in their countries; went to a meeting on the state of our own Lutheran theologian schools in this country; and heard the keynote speaker Leymah Gbowee (a Nobel Peace Prize winning Lutheran woman from Africa) discuss her views on our world today. She believes the state of our world as it is today is a reflection of the issues within our Churches as they are today. She stated, we as Church should have more influence on our media coverage to show the world that the people who complain the most or yell the loudest aren't the only ones who have something to say about what is going on in our societies. It was an extremely interesting yet hard to digest presentation as Ms. Gbowee continued to bring us home to our-selves, our challenges, and advice for future ways forward.

Again, from my perspective, the highlights of legislation passed during the assembly consisted of a motion to bridge the divide between us Lutherans and Catholics in regards to our Faith principles; the passing of the AMMPARO Strategy, which sets in place a system to assist and accompany migrant minors that are in our country with finding protection, advocacy, and opportunities legally here in this country; and the vote to divest ELCA monies from Fossil Fuel companies that have business practices known to be harmful to our Planet - to name only a few key actions I felt particularly proud to be a part of. I was also able to witness people of a predominate race and culture discuss, tirelessly, how to make racial diversity in our congregations today a priority. As a bi-racial woman, I was further invited to a multi-ethnic conversation where I was able to meet with other Lutherans of various racial backgrounds to break bread and discuss how important we are as ethnically diverse and eagerly valued members of this Church and Lutheran Community.

The 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly was one of the most inspiring events I have witnessed. The reason for this is because as we look at our world today and see all the hatred and exclusion that is broadcast across our news headlines, for this week and for this event I was able to see God's people do God's work as He reached out His Hand to teach us how to be better neighbors to All people in All ways. Our keynote speaker, Ms. Gbowee, had many comments that were hard to swallow and difficult to accept; however, if what she believes is true about the world being a reflection of our Churches, it gives me so much hope that the ELCA is doing what it is doing for I have no doubt that God is hard at work in our Church. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this gathering and further for the opportunities God will present to me to continue to be a part of this Church in the days ahead. I do truly believe it is God's work in our hands.

I would like to thank Pastor Lauretta Dietrich for initiating the nomination process that propelled me to go to this assembly. I would also like to thank my home congregation as well as our synod for their prayers that kept us all safe on our travels to New Orleans. I further want to thank the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America for all the wonderful and blessed work that they do for it is a true inspiration. Above all, I thank God for His blessings, His guidance, and for His love. Amen.

Opening Session

Grace Gathering

Carlos Pena

Go behind-the-scenes with ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly.

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Kathy Neugent

Executive Assistant to the Bishop

Upstate New York Synod of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

kneugent@upstatenysynod.org

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