June 16, 2025 in Bishop, Bishop messages, News
June: Ponder Anew What the Almighty Can Do
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
A Message from Bishop Bryan Penman
Dear beloved siblings in Christ,
This month we find ourselves at the intersection of solemn remembrance and sacred possibility. On June 17, we mark the commemoration of the Emmanuel Nine—faithful saints gunned down during Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Just two days later, we celebrate Juneteenth, the day when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally heard of their freedom—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. These dates are more than moments in time; they are reminders of how long justice can tarry, how deep racism can wound, and how persistent the Spirit must be in calling us toward freedom, equity, and beloved community.
As I reflect on these moments, I also think about where we are in the life of our church. We have just concluded another synod assembly season, during which the Spirit moved across our wider church to raise up seventeen new bishops as 22 of our synods held bishop elections. That is no small thing. What’s more is that in just a few weeks, we will gather as a Churchwide Assembly to elect our next Presiding Bishop and Secretary—two of the highest offices in the ELCA. This is a powerful season of discernment, responsibility, and, yes, hope.
I celebrate that we are beginning to see more diversity in our leadership: more LGBTQIA+ bishops, including some who were once extraordinarily ordained outside of the traditional paths. This is holy progress. And yet, as one of our Latino colleagues recently shared through a striking meme, watching these bishop elections can feel a bit like this:, and it’s a picture of an eraser taking the color from our ELCA logo, leaving it just black and white. While I trust that the Spirit is at work raising up these new colleagues, at times, it can feel a little like as much as we have come some way, we still have far to go.
In many of our bishop elections this year, I was struck by the power of words—how they can uplift, and how they can inadvertently exclude. In New Jersey, the choice was between a gifted, non-native English speaker and a candidate with a PhD in English literature. Both faithful. Both called. And yet the subtle dynamics of language, comfort, and perceived “polish” often shape our discernment in ways we don’t always recognize.
I rejoice with Bishop-elect Compton’s call to lead. And at the same time, I hold in my heart the wisdom Bishop Davenport once shared with me—that sometimes leaders remove their names from consideration not because they aren’t called, but so that others might have the space to be seen and elected. What does it mean to truly make room at the table—not just in spirit, but in action?
As we dream forward as the church God is calling us to become, I wonder:
How might we cultivate and nurture leaders from historically underrepresented communities—not as tokens or symbols, but as bearers of the gospel with unique gifts to lead?
How might we rethink our discernment processes so that language, culture, and credentials don’t become unintentional gatekeepers to the Spirit’s call?
And how might we, as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, become a living witness to the God who raised the oppressed, who set captives free, and who calls forth life even from the tomb?
Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is not freedom denied—but it is still delay. The witness of the Emmanuel Nine reminds us that the cost of discipleship can be high, especially for Black bodies in sacred spaces. Let us honor their legacy by deepening our commitment to becoming a more diverse, inclusive, and justice-oriented church—not someday, but today.
In Christ’s liberating love,
+The Rev. Bryan Penman, Bishop
Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA
