At the 2015 Assembly, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod articulated a new vision for what it means for the Synod, congregations and leaders to move Forward Together in Faith and launched a three-year capital appeal to allow us to live into that vision. The Assembly also heard that congregations’ mission support increased for the second year...
Category: 2015 Assembly
June 4, 2015
2015 Assembly Highlights
At the 2015 Assembly, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod articulated a new vision for what it means for the Synod, congregations and leaders to move Forward Together in Faith and launched a three-year capital appeal to allow us to live into that vision. The Assembly also heard that congregations’ mission support increased for the second year...
May 29, 2015
Forward Together in Faith Launches
Are we as a synod ready to make changes for the sake of the gospel? Are we ready to network, collaborate and share ideas? Are we ready to take risks and even fail? Are we ready to equip and empower congregations? The 2015 Assembly answered an enthusiastic “Yes!” to these questions from Forward Together in...
May 12, 2015
Bishop: Embrace Our Shifting Culture
Bishop Claire Burkat is excited about the sense of excitement and renewal she is hearing all around the synod. She is excited about what we are building together and the response to the Forward Together in Faith campaign. She feels refreshed that we are becoming less attached to bricks and mortar and more to building...
May 12, 2015
Outgoing Secretary Miller Honored
Bishop Burkat and Vice President Tracey Beasley honored outgoing Secretary the Rev. Raymond Miller for his 16 years of service to the Synod including as many assemblies and 80 Synod Council and executive committee meetings. “He may look quiet and unassuming sitting on the podium at Synod Assembly or taking notes at Synod Council, but he...
May 12, 2015
Joanne Carlson Honored at Last Assembly
The Assembly gave a long, standing ovation to Joanne Carlson, assistant to the bishop for global vision and events, who is retiring in July after coordinating 25 Synod assemblies. “Joanne has a truly missionary heart,” the bishop said of her service representing SEPA to companion synods in Tanzania and the Czech Republic. The extended Carlson...
May 12, 2015
Tanzania Missionaries Welcomed Home
Plant it. Water it. Watch it Grow. The theme of the 2012 Synod Assembly perfectly expresses the partnership of SEPA Synod and the Northeast Diocese of Tanzania. This fruitful partnership was spotlighted at the Assembly on May 9, as we celebrated The Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University (SEKOMU) and missionaries Susan and Tom MacPherson. Watch the session...
May 12, 2015
Bouman Shares ELCA Story
“When I was a young boy, I once went fishing with my grandfather in northern Wisconsin,” began the Rev. Dr. Stephen Bouman, and at one point his grandfather simply said, “‘the only death to be afraid of is already behind you in baptism’…and then he went back to fishing.” With that reflection Bouman, executive director...
May 12, 2015
VP: Congregations Doing “A Great Job”
“Despite fewer people who may be engaging in our churches, less money to work with, and closing of some of our congregations, we are still reaching out to change the lives of people and make a difference in our communities,” said Vice President Tracey Beasley. She raised up ministries that contribute to the work of...
May 12, 2015
Pastoral Transition Process Reviewed
The conversation on the floor of the 2015 Synod Assembly around the Report of the Resolution Task Force on Transitional Ministry was at times both encouraging and tense. A forum, attended by about 60 people later in the afternoon, offered the opportunity for people to discuss the transition process in more detail. While acknowledging that...
May 11, 2015
2015 Assembly Elections
At the 2015 Assembly, we elected the Rev. Karl Richard as our new secretary, and elected clergy and lay members of the Synod Council and the Churchwide Assembly. SYNOD COUNCIL TICKET #1 SYNOD COUNCIL, Secretary (2019) Karl Richard TICKET #2 SYNOD COUNCIL, Clergy (2018) William Rex Tyler Rassmussen TICKET #3 SYNOD COUNCIL,...
May 9, 2015
Richard Elected Secretary
Pastor Karl Richard loves history and scripture. He will utilize both in his new role as synod secretary, to which he was elected Saturday, May 9. “The secretary is not writing scripture, of course, but as we gather together I feel I would be recording the Acts of the Apostles of this day,” he says....
May 9, 2015
Forward Together in Faith: Networking
The Forward in Faith initiative will be empowered in part by a networking emphasis. Pastor Jim Goodyear of Gloria Dei, Huntingdon Valley led a discussion about networking, and synod voting members viewed special videos about successful networking enterprises in synod churches and beyond. They also had fun tossing balls of yarn around to begin the...
May 9, 2015
Forward Together in Faith: Communicating
So many communications channels are available today, and they all can be used to share the Gospel. And therein lies the challenge for the church, says the Rev. Keith Anderson of Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, author of The Digital Cathedral. Introducing the Communicating component of Forward Together in Faith, Anderson noted that fewer people know...
May 9, 2015
Congregational Giving Continues to Increase
Congregations’ mission support giving to and through the synod has been on a slight increase since 2012, Treasurer Janet Huber Neff, CPA, told the Assembly. In 2014, 81 of the synod’s 157 congregations maintained or increased their mission support, of which 50 percent is offered as support to the ELCA churchwide organization. Neff said as...
May 9, 2015
Forward Together in Faith: Innovating
Innovators have an innate ability to create something out of nothing; they have a passion for transformation, said the Rev Patricia Davenport, the synod’s Director for Evangelical Mission. Innovators are focused on meeting needs, solving problems. “Innovators are connected collaborators between church and community,” she said. Watch the session Davenport began by enumerating some of the...
May 8, 2015
Forward Together in Faith: Equipping
“Thanks to significant work by the people of the synod, God has cast a vision,” and now it is the time for the people of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod (SEPA) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to take on the work God is dreaming for them to do, said Jeff Kjellberg of Kairos Associates....
May 8, 2015
Forward Together in Faith Introduced
Ms. Ellen S. Daneke, St. Peter Lafayette Hill, Chair introduced the Forward Together in Faith campaign. Watch the session Dank called us a strong synod of people who let their voices be heard. She asked the following questions, and challenged us to answer “yes” to each (we did): Is SEPA synod ready to make changes...
May 8, 2015
Adopting a Budget for 2016
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod adopted in assembly today a $3,174,121 budget for 2016. In presenting the budget, the Rev. Karl Richard, chair of the Finance Committee, commented that this budget is not about dollars, but about people, and there are 3 million 170 thousand ways to touch them. This is our budget; it represents what...
May 8, 2015
Unlocking the Future
Bishop Claire Burkat invited worshipers at the 2015 Assembly’s opening Eucharist to keep our fear in perspective as we courageously meet the challenges of ministry in the 21st century. To do this we remember the promises of God and the gifts God gives to unlock the secrets of doing ministry in a rapidly changing world....
April 29, 2015
Synod Assembly Goes Mobile
Track your Synod Assembly experience in one place with the 2015 SEPA Assembly guide in the ELCA app. The guide is available for iOS and Android devices. Just go to your app store and find and install the free ELCA Organizations & Events app. Open the app and tap Get your first guide, then tap...
