The morning began with worship and Eucharist with a moving sermon by Rev. Dr. Wyvetta Bullock. The service also included the installation of our new Secretary of the ELCA, Rev. CeCee Mills.

As the plenary began, members of the assembly rose to name experiences of harm experienced over the week by both youth and young adults, and Indigenous Lutherans. The call for our church to do and be better was a powerful moment of truth-telling in service of reconciliation.

The assembly then continued to consider amendments to the governing documents including term limits on the Presiding Bishop, rules about lay Church Council members’ residence requirements, and a resolution asking for the creation of a social message on AI and Faith. The Reference and Counsel Committee also put forward resolutions honoring outgoing Bishops, ELCA Churchwide Staff, Church Council, Vice President Imran Siddiqi, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Secretary Sue Rothmeyer, the Grand Canyon Synod for hosting the assembly, and more.

This week has been full of highs and lows, moments of proclamation and joy, and moments of pain and struggle. But as we look back on what we accomplished over the past five days, there were many actions that were testaments to hope and a reforming and reconciling Spirit in the ELCA:

  • Electing Presiding Bishop-elect Curry and Secretary CeCee Mills
  • Embracing a common statement on the filioque in a move towards healing a 1,000-year-old division
  • Outlining clear social teaching as a church about our call to civic engagement for the sake of the common good
  • Speaking clearly against the genocide in Palestine and calling for lasting peace
  • Committing to continued reconciliation and reparation related to Indian Boarding Schools
  • Celebrating and giving thanks for the many years of faithful ministry by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Secretary Sue Rothmeyer
  • Raising nearly $18,000 for World Hunger
  • Proclaiming the Gospel for the life of the world in worship and our collective action together

Thanks be to God!

Now the task is to bring this good work back to our Synod and to our congregations. We will host a Churchwide Assembly Debrief Webinar on August 28, 6:30 p.m. (information will be available in the E-News shortly) and we will find creative ways in the coming months to revisit the important actions taken in community this past week. If someone from your congregation attended the Churchwide Assembly, be sure to give them an opportunity to share their experience in your community.

The next Churchwide Assembly is in 2028 in Des Moines, Iowa. And Presiding Bishop-elect Yehiel Curry will be installed at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis on October 4, 2025.* What an honor to host this exciting event in our own synod!

*A previous version of this post incorrectly said the date of the installation was October 24.