Synod assemblies
gender couples, with any discussions respecting the bound conscience of those who may hold differing views favoring or opposing same-gender marriage; and to end immigrant fam- ily detention practices. A $66,675 offering will be shared by Lutheran Social Services to support children and women’s shelters in the synod and by the Lutheran Seminary Pro- gram in the Southwest to support its educational program. —John Dellis
Southeastern Minnesota, May 8-9, Rochester, Minn. Assembly partici- pants experienced a call to care for God’s creation. The theme was “For God So Loved the World” with a shared focus on caring for cre- ation and ending food insecurity. Through meaningful workshops, engaging conversations and a mov- ing keynote address by Tammy Walhof, director of Lutheran Advo- cacy–Minnesota, all were invited to
see the correlations between their lives of faith and the nurturing of the planet. —Emily Carson
Southwest California, May 8-9, West- lake Village, Calif. (https://guidebook. com/g/swca2015). The assembly gathered around the theme “Sacred Intersections.” Wyvetta Bullock, ELCA executive for administration, served as churchwide representative. Six leaders from the synod shared a sacred intersection in their life and ministry. The worship band was made up of people from five congre- gations. There was a digital intersec- tion through use of a mobile app, with live tweeting throughout the event. The app was downloaded 291 times. Videos on ministries happening in the synod were shown (
http://bit.ly/ generousvideos). The Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Choir from several Los Angeles churches brought amazing music into the ball-
room at the banquet on Friday night. Congregations brought their proces- sional crosses to be part of the wor- ship space. —Desta Goehner
Northwestern Ohio, May 15-16, Bowl- ing Green, Ohio. Voting members and Youth Gathering participants expe- rienced being “Sent with the Spirit” as they used their time and creativ- ity to pack 19,000 meals for the hun- gry; weave grocery bag mats for the homeless; and make cards for nurs- ing homes, blankets for foster fami- lies and posters celebrating special- needs ministry. In some 30 hours, this group—aged 10 to 80—finished synod business, celebrated compan- ion synod relationships with Luther- ans in Serbia (10 years) and Tanzania (20 years), and commissioned both youth to the Gathering in Detroit and a medical mission delegation to Tan- zania. — Sherry Krieger
Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly voting members lay hands upon Robert McNamara, pas- tor of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Casper, Wyo., as they say a prayer of thanksgiving for his 40 years of ordained ministry. The assembly took place May 1-3 in Salt Lake City, Utah, under the theme: “We are Church: Better Together.”
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Northwest Washington, May 15-16, Lynnwood, Wash. (
www.lutheransnw. org/2015-Synod-Assembly). The assembly theme “Can We Talk?” framed the worship, table conver- sations, breakout sessions and pre- sentations by Mark Lau Branson, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif.; Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, professor at Seattle University; and Christina Jackson- Skelton, executive director of ELCA Mission Advancement. Encour- aged to focus on what is life-giving, attendees learned to see the church and neighbor in new ways. Other highlights included an art display, “The Discombobulated Church,” by Trey Everett of the Minnesota Insti- tute of Contemplation and Healing, and a celebration of the synod’s new- est congregation, Church of Stead-
DALE HORKEY
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