Members of the Mohawk family drum circle, who are members of Lutheran Church of the Wilderness, Bowler, Wis., lead worship at the East Central Synod of Wisconsin Assembly. They are members of the Stockbridge-Munsee band of the Mohican Tribe.
recognition of Raymond W. Bartels’ 70th ordination anniversary; and the baptism of James Justin Walker, son of ELCA pastors Justin Walker and Jessica Rivera-Walker. The baptism was greatly celebrated, as Rivera-Walker had had a difficult pregnancy. —Sue Sprang
East Central of Wisconsin, May 20-21, Green Bay, Wis. The theme was “Listening Deeply to the Voice of the Other.” At a pre-assembly event, participants heard the history of the African American community and
institutional racism in Appleton, Wis. Judith Roberts, ELCA program director for racial justice, addressed racism and white privilege. Members of the Stockbridge-Munsee band of the Mohican tribe from Church of the Wilderness in Bowler, Wis., led worship based on their powwow service. —Paul Heykes
Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast,May 19-21, Houston (
GulfCoastSynod.org). John Nunes, president of Concordia College-New York, led the assembly in reimagining
spirituality from the edges, taking note that those liminal spaces where we find ourselves are places to experience spiritual growth. Attendees participated in service projects that included volunteering at a food bank, making no-sew blankets and cards of encouragement, and working with organizations that work with the homeless. They launched an ELCA World Hunger Campaign, with a goal to raise $500,000 by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. —Andrea Martínez
Northwestern Ohio. May 19-21, Findlay, Ohio (nwos-elca.
org.church). Assembly and Youth Gathering participants celebrated the 18 years of service of retiring Bishop Marcus Lohrmann while anticipating the election of a new bishop. Speakers reminded participants of the ever-present love of God that meets us all at the foot of the cross. —Sherry Krieger
Metropolitan New York, May 19-21, Tarrytown, N.Y. (
mnys.org). Under the theme “Confronting Racism through Connection, Commitment, Courage,” participants shared personal testimonies on race and discussed steps that could be taken toward racial justice. Kelly Brown Douglas, professor at Goucher College, Baltimore, and an Episcopal priest, discussed theological insights on how racism shapes culture and our response as Christians. —Rebekah Thornhill
Jufeng Tan (left), Zebediah Rose and Chris Nord of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod volunteer at the Houston FoodBank during the assembly.
40 JULY 2016
Northwest Washington, May 20-21, Everett, Wash. (
lutheransnw.org/2016-Synod- Assembly). The ELCA Glocal Team led the assembly in music, worship and workshops. “Glocal” takes the best of what we have learned from our global missions
Photo: Larry Bose
Photo: Paul Heykes
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