Message from Bishop Gronberg

Dear Partners in Mission:

I write to you from Phoenix, AZ where we are gathered as the churchwide assembly of the ELCA. It has already been an historic assembly and there is work yet to be done. However, thus far there have been highlights…

• Our time is centered in daily worship. Singing together with 900 others is a joy to behold and throughout our sessions we have centered ourselves through hymns and prayer.
• We have given thanks for the work of Presiding Bishop Liz Eaton and her 12 years of service and for Deacon Sue Rothmeyer’s 6 years of service as ELCA Secretary.
• We approved a memorial calling for peace in the Holy Land and particularly an end to the violence in Gaza. Affirming our commitment to our Lutheran siblings in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
• Budgets through 2028 have been approved. Recognizing the reality of declining mission support the budgets reflect year over year decreases in Churchwide spending.
• We have not yet but will elect a new ELCA Secretary.
• We elected Bishop Yehiel Curry (Metro Chicago Synod) as our next presiding bishop. He will be installed this fall and we give thanks for his willingness to serve.

For those who do not know, Bishop Curry is a person of African descent. He is the first person of that heritage to be elected to serve as Presiding Bishop of the ELCA. In his remarks after being elected he reflected on how his family, 30 years, found their home in the ELCA. And through the course of time he was encouraged to become a rostered leader and mission developer. As he stated, he is a living embodiment of the return on investment in leaders across our church. I have deep respect for Bishop Curry and look forward to his leadership.

Bishop Curry’s election was historic for the ELCA. But it is important that we remember our history and that the ELCA was the merger of the LCA, ALC, and the AELC. The AELC was the church body formed by those choosing to leave the LCMS in the 1970s. In 1984 they chose the Rev. Will Herzfeld to be their presiding bishop. In so doing he became the first person of African descent to serve as a presiding bishop of a Lutheran body in North America and was an instrumental part in the eventual merger that created the ELCA.

The reason for remembering that history is not to detract from the significance of Bishop Curry’s election. It is to remind us of our heritage and that in our past we have been open to the gifts of leaders of diverse heritage. Moving forward we as the ELCA can continue to raise up leaders that reflect the growing diversity of our communities. We honor and celebrate how God is working continually in our communities and the baptized people of God.

When I return from the churchwide assembly on August 2nd I will begin a leave granted to me by your synod council until September 2nd. Per synod sabbatical policy I could be granted up to three months of sabbatical leave. However, given the pace at which we are operating in our synod, my family’s schedules, and other considerations that length of leave did not seem feasible. But I am grateful for this opportunity to have time to work on several projects, help launch my kids into the new school year, and take some time for rest.

Please note during that time I will not be responding to email, text, or voicemails. There will be a response set up on emails that will inform you that any emails received during that time will NOT be responded to. So please be aware of that. Our synod staff is ready to step up in this time and they will be available to you. I am grateful to our synod council for this opportunity.

As school begins, we live into the heart of the summer August heat, I pray you will prepare and be ready for the fall and for all God is doing in our midst. We are…

#juntosenmision

Bishop Gronberg

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At Assembly this past spring in Lubbock, you heard Bishop Gronberg and others talk about the importance of raising up strong leaders in our congregations. I do believe they may have mentioned our Parish Lay Academy as a way to help you do that. In case you missed the PLMA display, let me bring these numbers to your attention. 

Since we began classes in Fall of 1999, we have had more than 220 people graduate from the Lay Academy! Fourteen of those students have gone on through candidacy and are now ordained Ministers of Word and Sacrament, including our own DEM Pr Irma Banales. Four more are currently in candidacy. Eight have served as SAWLs (Synodically Authorized Worship Leaders.) Seven are currently serving on Synod Council, including our Synod VP Don Heller. I first met Pr Jesus Escamilla when he was a PLMA student. He went on to be ordained, planted a New Mission, Iglesia Luterana San Gabriel, and he is now serving as a Dean of the Parish Lay Academy amongst other responsibilities! We have graduates that are serving as Hospital Chaplains, in Prison Ministry, and as Stephen Ministers. Countless others are serving as Assisting Ministers, as Bible Study Leaders, as Supply Preachers, and on church council. 

Other synods in the ELCA have used our program as a model to begin their own Lay program. I randomly discovered the Southern Ohio Synod giving us that credit. Last year, we were approached by several other synods asking to add students to our classes. Now we have a blend of Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin students participating in and sharing perspectives. It’s been wonderful! The classes are large and lively! Because of that, the instructors are energetic and asking for more classes! We are in a fun time in the history of the Parish Lay Academy.

Speaking of history, 2027 will mark the 25th anniversary of the first graduation held in 2002! Pr Jesus and I are in the very early planning stages, but I think there may be a party! Save the date!

Now I ask you: Are you feeling a call to leadership in your congregation? Would you like to strengthen and grow in that capacity? Pastors, do you have members in your congregation that would benefit from the Parish Lay Academy? Enrollment is open for Fall 2025 classes. The good problem that we have is that we may have to limit class size, so read about the program, and if you feel the call, the application and registration links may be found here: https://www.ntnl.org/ministries/plma/description-registration/  Don’t forget that we offer classes for English speakers, and we also offer a Spanish speaking tract!

Now, read that first paragraph again. Notice the various directions the Holy Spirit has taken our graduates to serve in our synod! Most certainly, we are Together in Mission! Juntos En Mision!

Gratefully,

Jeanne Heggen

PLMA Dean (along with Pr Jesus Escamilla)

NT-NL synod staff are excited to engage in-person on Sundays for worship. As good stewards of time and travel dollars, we will be utilizing online meeting formats in our new hybrid reality when possible. If you would like to schedule a meeting with the bishop or Synod staff please contact them directly.

Bishop Gronberg:

Aug 3- Sep 1: Sabbatical

Pastora Bañales:

August 4-8: Vacation
August 5: Rostered Women Leaders online Course: “Stepping Up to Supervision”
August 10: Immanuel, Killeen
August 11: Spanish Leadership Missional Training Planning Team
August 12: Rostered Women Leaders online Course: “Stepping Up to Supervision”
August 14: Spanish Leadership Missional Training Planning Team
August 17: Hope, Springtown
August 18: Stewardship of Life Institute (SOLI), Zoom
August 19: Rostered Women Leaders online Course: “Stepping Up to Supervision”
August 22-24: Conferencia Latina Annual Couples Retreat, Cedar Hill
August 28: Dallas Area Interfaith Meeting
August 28: DEM Advisory Team Meeting
August 31: Emanuel, Dallas

Pastor Fitting-Snyder:

August 7: Region Four Consultation
August 10: Resurrection, Plano
August 17: Holy Trinity, Lebanon PA
August 28: First Call Pastors Check-In, Zoom