Report on Grand Canyon Synod Assembly
Submitted by Patty and Brian Clymer
We served as delegates for Lord of Grace at the Grand Canyon Synod Assembly held at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa on June 13th through the 15th. The theme of this year’s assembly was Embody the Word.
The main agenda item was the election of the bishop for our synod. Bishop Deborah Hutterer was re-elected to a six year term on the first ballot. Lay members and rostered clergy were also elected to serve as delegates to the national church assembly, and to positions on various synod committees.
A report on the synod finances was very positive. The synod is in a good financial position, due in part to the gifts received from the congregations in our synod.
Pastor Lars, who serves as the official photographer for the assembly, was honored for his 25 years as an ordained pastor, along with other pastors who had reached various milestones in their ministry. One pastor, at the age of 99, was honored for the 70th year of his ordination. Lord of Grace was also honored for its 25th year anniversary as a congregation.
One sobering note on the state of ordained pastors is the small number of graduates coming out of all our ELCA seminaries in the United States. There are not nearly enough pastors to meet the needs of our churches.
There was a talk by an ELCA pastor who is serving as a Federal Chaplain in the Air Force. He previously served as a pastor in the Grand Canyon Synod, and then felt called to enter the chaplaincy. He serves at an Air Force base in North Carolina. While he does lead worship services for the soldiers, he also goes with them on training missions and spends time with them as they complete their duties on base. He finds this is the best way to make meaningful connections with the soldiers.
We hope you will consider serving as a delegate to one of the future assemblies. We have found it enjoyable to connect with other churches, and encouraging to hear all the things that are happening throughout our synod.