Claiming Our Hope: Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly 2024

This past weekend, Marion Lacey, Bill Nelson and I attended our Synod’s 2024 Assembly in Fresno, California. Our new bishop, Jeff Johnson and Synod VP, Simon Wong presided over the worship, elections, resolutions and other business. I’m happy to report that unlike some of our most recent assemblies, the event was uneventful and uncontroversial.

The keynote speaker for the assembly was the Rev. Rebecca Anderson. From her bio, “Rebecca Anderson is co-pastor at two churches in Chicago. She spends Sunday mornings at Bethany UCC, a 129-year-old neighborhood church, and Sunday evenings at Gilead, a queer storytelling bar church that she started from scratch with friend and colleague, Vince Amlin.” Through a series of lectures, Pastor Rebecca shared with us the power of storytelling to connect people to each other and to God. She said, “Everyone’s story is a God story; all people are loved by God and God is in everyone’s story.” Over the course of the weekend, she told us stories about her life and ministry and encouraged us to tell stories using prompts such as “I knew I had found my people when...,” “I (almost) never tell anyone about the time when I...,” “I though it was all over when...,” and “One of the most memorable meals I ever had was when...” What story would you tell using one of these prompts?  

The business sessions included the following: elections for members of Synod Council, delegates from our Synod to the upcoming Churchwide Assembly, and nominees for ELCA Churchwide Council.  Outgoing Synod staff members were recognized and thanked; and incoming staff members were introduced and installed. A resolution for Portico to explore healthcare options for pastors was passed. The Synod’s financial situation was address by Synod Council Treasurer, Scott Taylor. Many unexpected one-time expenses due to the turmoil in the Bishop’s office from the resignation of the previously elected Bishop and the actions needed to be taken by the interim Bishop to put things back in order, coupled with lower than expected giving by congregations resulted in a net loss of 1.2 million dollars last year. Under Bishop Jeff’s direction, a number of steps are being taken to get the Synod budget in order. First, spending including for staff and office space is being reduced. Then, a giving strategy is being developed which will focus on diversifying income streams as well as encouraging congregational giving. A new budget is being developed and will be voted on in September.

The weekend also included time for workshops. The first one I attended was “Hope in the Midst of Climate Change” where Dan Smith reminded us that creation is still happening and that our ethics should be shaped be the future vision of what God intended for creation. In the workshop, “Steadfast Hope in Palestine,” Pastors Gabriele Schroeder and Amy Kienzle shared their experience of working in Palestine and reflections of the current war in Gaza.  Pastor Ruben Duran presented the workshop, “Agile and Ambidextrous Congregations: Transformation and Hope Amidst Numerical Decline” in which he confronted the state of the church: declining memberships, declining number of pastors, and disconnection from our communities. Pr. Ruben encouraged congregations to stop trying to recreate the past and to suspend our assumptions about what works and what doesn’t; and instead to focus on the quality of our relationships with the communities in which we are embedded.  
All-in-all, I found hope in the uneventfulness of the event. I believe that moving forward, Bishop Jeff and VP Simon will be calming influences, and they will be able to help the Synod heal and move forward from the turmoil of the past few years.     
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-- Blessings, Pastor Sue