Just a week ago (August 21st) Bishop Momoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone (ELCSL) was with us as we celebrated our partnership globally and locally at Christ Lutheran Church and Preschool, Bishop presided over a liturgy that was full of joy and hope as Christ celebrated a new school year and blessed teachers from their day school.
It was also a day we celebrated the continued and growing partnership of Christ and Mt. Olive-Dallas. Crossing over the many human and geographic borders that separate Highland Park and South Dallas these two congregations have been building relationship. So grateful to see this and for the work of Pastor Ben Dueholm (Christ) who has been a critical leader. We also celebrated as we got word that noon that Vicar Veronika Czutor (who had just finished her internship at Christ) had been called that day to Central-Dallas. A congregation renewed and in renewal as they come together with Bethany-Dallas.
Such a joyful day ended with dinner with some of my staff, my spouse, and Bishop in Sundance Square in Fort Worth. Was a blessing to have Bishop with us and look forward to continuing to grow and build our ministry together.
Today however, I received word that just as we experienced flooding in the DFW area in particular this past week, Freetown, Sierra Leone has also been hit with rain and flood. Bishop is returning to Freetown and will continue to keep me updated on the impact on the ELCSL and how they are called to serve in this time. Grateful for the response of NT-NL Synod, ELCA congregations who I know will be generous in supporting the needs of our partners.
Partnership, building relationships, so we can better serve God’s people and proclaim the gospel #InMissionTogether #NTNL #ELCSL