By Bob Hulteen
“Life Together” was the theme of the Minneapolis Area Synod’s 2022 Synod Assembly on Saturday, April 30, at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. More than 450 people, including 353 voting members from congregations, gathered to worship, listen to inspiring speakers, elect leadership on synodical bodies, and vote on resolutions addressing issues in the public square.
Archbishop Musa Filibus chatted with Bishop Ann Svennungsen about Lutheran University Nigeria.
The assembly was centered around three celebrations of major events within the synod. First, “Together We Rise” was a capital campaign with partners Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS), the Redeemer Center for Life, the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement, and the synod. With the conclusion of this $4 million campaign, LSS is renovating Christ the River of Life Lutheran Church in order include new services to the surrounding community. In addition, the two centers each received on-going contributions for continued ministry to the community and the church.
Second, Archbishop Musa Filibus, leader of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, joined the assembly virtually to celebrate the nearly $700,000 raised by the synod and the ELCA for the establishment of Lutheran University Nigeria. Archbishop Musa thanked those assembled for the opportunity that will be given to graduates of Lutheran secondary schools; they will now have much better access to a university education. “Education has been one of our pillars since the founding of our church, and you have been a part of that … as we try to fill an education gap.”
And finally, The Minneapolis Area Synod also celebrated a new congregation! Holy Cross Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis recently left the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. On November 18, 2021, members voted unanimously to join the Minneapolis Area Synod, and assembly voting members returned the favor, with a unanimous vote of acceptance. Representatives of the congregation were on the stage when the acclimation took place and witnessed a lengthy standing ovation from all those in attendance.
IN ADDITION, THE Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto, a New Testament professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and formerly a professor at Luther Seminary, led two Bible studies centered in the Acts of the Apostles. Riffing on the Dietrich Bonhoeffer-inspired theme, he reflected that “community is a matter of life or death.”
Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto leads a Bible study.
The Rev. Dr. Javier Goitía was the Churchwide representative. In addition to providing the devotion during the opening worship, he offered encouragement to the synod, especially for the financial commitment to the Churchwide office, Lutheran Disaster Response, and ELCA World Hunger. He expressed his excitement for the diversity of the synod’s developing congregations – Lao, Hmong, Latino, Deaf, Oromo, Swahili, and young adults. “That’s a party there,” he said to laughter. “And you are doing that all in the confines of your synod, as well as 11 missionaries around the world.”
“That’s a party there,” Rev. Javier Goitía said to laughter.
Ms. Felecia Boone was unanimously re-elected as the synod’s vice president. First elected in 2018, she offered that “life together was a beautiful theme after a time of being apart for so long” in her report to the synod. Although she approached the assembly with apprehension, she said, “I need this.” Other leaders elected to synod positions this year were the Rev. Bruce Kuenzel (Synod Council), Mr. Ba
After two years without synod assemblies, voting members sought opportunities to catch up, … even while wearing masks.
rret Lane (Synod Council), Rev. Nancy Carlson (Synod Council), Ms. Alejandra Fernandes (Synod Council), Ms. Katherine Hubbard (Discipline Committee), Rev. Miriam Samuelson Roberts (Discipline Committee), Rev. Eric Hoffer (Discipline Committee), Mr. James Strommen (Discipline Committee), Rev. Ian McConnell (Nominations Committee), Rev. Reggie Klindworth (Nominations Committee), Rev. Connie Tiede (Nominations Committee), Rev. Susan Olson (Nominations Committee), Mr. Pete Erickson (Nominations Committee), and Mr. Christopher Haug (Nominations Committee).
Assembly attendees also participated in a short worship service and raised an offering of $1,612.30 for the Leipzig District of the Church of Saxony in Germany in its support of incoming Ukrainian refugees.
Voting members also passed seven resolutions or memorials in addition to the one receiving Holy Cross as a new congregation of the synod. (Resolutions are actions taken by the synod; memorials are actions sent on to ELCA Churchwide for consideration at this summer’s Churchwide Assembly in Columbus, Ohio.) Climate change and environmental devastation was the topic of three of these actions. In addition, resolutions about the budgets for 2022 and 2023, supporting efforts banning nuclear weapons, and identifying ways to address concerns about addiction.