Message from Bishop Gronberg

Dear Partners in Mission:

We find ourselves this week already in the second month of 2025, a year that promised to bring change and uncertainty and has delivered. The incoming administration has issued thousands of new executive orders, many of which will impact our ministries and communities. And we are unsure of what that all will be and mean. Our ministry leaders are reading, learning, and preparing to respond as needed, particularly responding to communities that are targeted by these orders. This attention includes those related to immigration processes and the way in which ICE interacts with houses of worship, as well as long established Lutheran refugee and humanitarian services that have had funds cut off (and on and uncertain) and are now the subject of social media attack.

A significant conversation that has arisen again in our nation is the role of pastors and preachers in relation to the political estate. Bishop Budde’s sermon on January 21 at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Diocese of Washington (D.C.) (often referred to as the “National Cathedral”) reinvigorated this conversation. Despite a long history of presidents being addressed in this space, Budde’s direct address to the incoming president asking for mercy has met with a strong response, including both much praise and great criticism. The criticism has ranged from the usual “don’t mix religion with politics” to outright accusation that Budde misrepresented the teachings of Jesus.

Reflecting on this, my experience as bishop now for 9 years, and in conversation with others has led me to two not-so-novel thoughts…

1. In general the complaints received about pastors and politics usually arise when the political ideology of the individual is challenged by the preached Word. In short, if I agree or the preaching doesn’t challenge my worldview, I don’t complain.
2. While admonishing pastors to not address political issues from the pulpit, the political estate, regardless of partisan ideology, has no restraint in proclaiming their interpretation of scripture and using the bible as justification for their decisions.

These thoughts lead to more questions, namely, who is allowed to speak and whose interpretation is valid? Preachers are trained in scriptural study and interpretation. They are taught to bring a way of seeing the world through the biblical lens and connect that to the lived existence of their parishioners. For Lutherans this is the framework of Law and Gospel.

If preachers refrain from acknowledging current issues in our world (I am not speaking of advocating for candidates, although many have), do not advocate for us to stand up for the marginalized as God does throughout scripture, do not remind us of our communal sinfulness, do not articulate the futility of seeking our own righteousness, then they are failing to preach in our Lutheran tradition.

Additionally, if the political estate continues to weigh in with their interpretation of scripture and the teachings of Jesus unchallenged, at some point the question will be if the Church is allowed to interpret scripture and preach the gospel. The Church’s thousands of years of wrestling with scripture while nations rise and fall will be forgotten. Christian Nationalism will arise in which the state is the arbiter of biblical interpretation.

So what are we to do? First and foremost we are to continue to gather for Word and Sacrament. We are to hear the Word proclaimed to us in the lectionary texts and the preached Word. We are to listen hard to scripture and experience how it convicts us in failing to follow even the first commandment, driving us to the need for the gospel. We are to learn and educate ourselves and our communities on who is impacted by the decisions of our leaders, including how the members of our NT-NL congregations are being affected by our leaders choices. We are to then speak when the political estate oversteps into the work of the church proclaiming the Word in its truth. Most of all we are to keep our eyes on Jesus and remember his command in Matthew 25:40 and his life giving death and resurrection.

#TogetherinMission, #Juntosenmision,

Bishop Gronberg

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Congratulations to the 2024 Graduates of Parish Lay Ministry Academy

Congratulations to the 2024 Graduates of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod’s Parish Lay Academy. Graduation Service was held February 1, 2025 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church sending forth with blessings the following graduates:

Elizabeth Arriago, Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria, Irving
Donelle Barnes, Advent Lutheran Church, Arlington
Luz Maria Cornejo, Iglesia Luterana San Gabriel, Alvarado
Tricia Huston, Calvary Lutheran Church, Richland Hills
Lisa Knox, Four Mile Lutheran Church, Mabank
Christopher McCaslin, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Greenville
Vivian McElliogot, First Lutheran Church, Longview
Pamela Steenblock, Grace Lutheran Church, Abilene
Martin Trejo, Iglesia Luterana San Gabriel, Alvarado

PLMA has graduated 225 students since 2002. Thirteen have gone on to be ordained, three more are in candidacy. Others serve as SAWLs and hospital chaplains. Many serve on Synod Council, Church Councils, as Stephen Ministers and Prison Ministers, and countless serve as teachers and assistant ministers. Please help us continue to grow strong leaders in our synod!

Information and registration for Spring Classes 2025 can be found here: https://www.ntnl.org/ministries/plma/description-registration/
Class size will be limited to 20, so please register soon.

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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:

February 9: Synod Council

Pastora Bañales:

February 2: San Gabriel, Alvarado
February 4-7: “Sowing in the Margins”, San Diego, CA and Tijuana, Mexico
February 9: Adviento, Arlington
February 9: Synod Council, Zoom
February 11: Poder, Latinx Young Adult Ministry
February 16-18: Latino Christian National Network Annual Gathering, Washington DC
February 20: NT-NL DEM Advisory Team Meeting
February 23: Poder, Latinx Young Adult Ministry
February 26-March 1: Fresh Expression Conference, Atlanta, GA

Pastor Fitting-Snyder:

February 9: Synod Council, Zoom
February 16: Our Savior’s, Durant
February 23: Faith, Flower Mound
February 25: First Call Pastors Check-In, Zoom