Friday, September 27, at the conference of bishops was a long day of important conversations on a gray day of rain. We engaged issues of importance for leadership development, heard reports from our Presiding Bishop and our ELCA Secretary. We heard from our domestic mission team and discussed how best to steward the gifts of the church for the sake of evangelical mission and proclamation.
At noon I gathered with a small group of bishops in our committee relating to issues of justice. Particularly we discussed ways to make the 2019 churchwide decisions related to gender justice, repenting from institutional racism and white supremacy, and working particularly with our indigenous and first nations communities. This emphasis on justice comes from our understanding of the power of God’s reconciliation of Godself to us so that we can be reconciled to one another.
After a long day of meetings we gathered to celebrate the Fund for Leaders scholarships. In particular I celebrated with two NT-NL Synod, ELCA scholarship recipients, Kimberly Cooper who received a mission developer scholarship and Jonathan Lys who recoeved the first ever Ascension, Garland scholarship. A scholarship endowed by Ascension through funds from the sale of their property. Their decision to release that property now will annually fund a future leader for our church. Grateful for their faithful stewardship.
Included in this photo is one from last night (Thursday). We honored the World Council of Church’s Thursdays in Black campaign. This campaign is an emphasis to wear black on Thursdays until we have a world without rape and violence. Gender based violence is an epidemic in our world and we as people of faith stand for peace and justice. #NTNL #WCC #InMissionTogether