The Rev. Daniel G. Beaudoin, Findlay, Ohio, was reelected June 3 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the ELCA.
Read More
The Rev. Scott Alan Johnson, Fremont, Neb., was elected June 4 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the ELCA.
Read More
Cybercriminals don’t just focus on “the big guys.” Whether you have 10 employees or 10,000, human error is easily exploited by cybercriminals, and in fact a large percentage of cyberattacks are caused by human error or behavior.
Therefore, employees need to understand why protecting sensitive information is important and how to recognize threats. Here are four things you can do to keep your organization cyber-safe. Learn more at cisa.gov.
Read More
The Four S’s That Keep Church Leaders Awake at Night, a new e-book by Kenneth Q. Tan, a partner at CapinCrouse, delves into four key topics — sustainability, succession, structure and security — that leaders must address to prepare their churches for the challenges and opportunities presented by this ever-changing landscape. This free e-book includes checklists, best practices and discussion questions for your leadership team.
Read More
The Conference of Bishops (COB) met Sunday evening; Bishop Megan Rohrer chose not to attend. I shared that I am initiating the discipline process immediately, including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light. The COB strongly affirmed this decision. This process will take time, and I will provide updates as appropriate. I ask for your continued prayers for this church.
Read More
For rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts in Mexico following Hurricane Agatha…
For survivors, victims, and loved ones affected by recent mass shootings across the United States…
For safety, justice, and freedom from fear for all who live with the threat of gun violence in their communities…
For homes, communities, nations, and international relationships to be filled with peace and understanding…
For our Jewish neighbors as they celebrate Shavuot and the gift of God’s law to Moses…With thanksgiving for the gifts of LGBTQIA2S+ people in the church and across our society…
For an end to homophobia, transphobia, and gender-based discrimination…
Fund for Leaders alum Meredith Kesely has served as the head pastor at Abiding Presence in Burke, Va. since 2010. In 2021, the congregation called Kelsey Kresse, another Fund for Leaders alum, to serve as its associate pastor. Both pastors reflect on their leadership journeys and the ways Abiding Presence is fostering future leaders. Your support for Fund for Leaders will allow more pastors like Meredith and Kelsey to say “yes” to God’s call. ELCA.org/FundforLeaders25
Read More
The Rev. Rachel Eskesen, Area Desk Director for Europe, introduces three people she met on her travels in Eastern Europe. They represent the work of ELCA partners in the region that are accompanying refugees from Ukraine. For more information about Lutheran Disaster Response and the ELCA’s work in Eastern Europe, visit: ELCA.org/Ukraine.
Read More
The Rev. David C. Nagler, San Diego, was elected May 20 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Pacifica Synod of the ELCA.
Read More
Recent research about Gen Z from the Springtide Research Institute suggests that a combination of three things leads to young people, aged 13-25, feeling like they belong in school: being noticed, named, and known by a community. Paying attention to someone, noticing rather than ignoring them, increases that person’s sense of connectedness. Greeting someone, holding the door for them, blessing them after a sneeze—all are simple ways to notice.
Read More
New treasurers or congregation members responsible for paying their church’s monthly Portico bill should check out three new videos available on EmployerLink to illuminate our billing process. Look for these updated videos in the “What to Do” tab on the “How to Work With Us” page.
Read More
We share a video highlighting Fund for Leaders scholar Wanda Frenchman, who helps lead the Native American Urban Ministry in Phoenix, Ariz. which was founded by her mother, Mary Louise Frenchman.
Wanda is participating in the TEEM program at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. This allows her to pursue rostered ministry while she continues to lead her community in Phoenix.
Read More
After listening to the concerns of this church, careful review of the report of the Listening Team and other accompanying documents, consultation with outside legal counsel, and prayerful reflection and discernment, I have decided not to bring disciplinary charges against Bishop Rohrer.
While I am not inaugurating formal disciplinary processes at this time, there remain enough serious concerns that influence Bishop Rohrer's ability to remain impactful in their role that I have asked Bishop Rohrer for their resignation, which I believe to be in the best interest of all parties involved. Leer también en español…
Read More
In the wake of mass shootings, Lutheran Disaster Response shares how LDR, the Upstate New York Synod and the Southwest Texas Synods, and other organizations, are responding. Ways to be part of the response are also shared.
Read More
I grew up a Lutheran, having built a deep connection to God from a young age. However, like many of us I am sure, I have struggled with my faith over the last few years, especially these last two years. It seemed like the life I planned out was turned upside down and twisted without a moment’s notice. “New” things kept appearing everywhere I looked, and I felt incredibly lost, stuck in an uncontrollable void of questions and uncertainty
Read More
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America grieves with the families of the 19 students and two teachers killed in Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Mass shootings in this country over the past two weeks have deepened the wounds of grief and sorrow. This follows the racially motivated shooting of 10 people in Buffalo, N.Y.; the shooting in Laguna Woods, Calif.; and the 27 other school shootings that have occurred in 2022. Many of the shooters have targeted children and older adults — some of the most vulnerable in our society.
Read More
For a long time, no one in Tulsa’s white or black communities talked about the massacre that destroyed the Greenwood district in May 1921. Those who were there remembered. A few kept the memory alive. But most simply chose to forget. Shrouded in silence for decades, it lay there in the heart of the city, eating away at it like a cancer.
Read More
On May 2-5, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, National VOAD, held its annual conference in Baltimore, MD. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is a National VOAD member and has been a strong player in the VOAD movement.
National VOAD is a coalition of community-based, faith-based and nonprofit disaster response organizations throughout the United States.
Read More
For victims of the the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and for their loved ones…
For all people, families, and communities affected by gun violence…
For local, state, and federal lawmakers, that justice, peace, and safety may prevail…
For students and graduates at the end of this school year (especially local institutions)…
For families searching for infant formula to feed their children, and for affordable access to safe, healthy nourishment for all people…
For families and friends remembering loved ones who died while serving in the United States armed forces on this Memorial Day weekend…
For peace between nations and an end to war across the globe…