July Note

From Pastor Ryan

On June 14 and 15, 5 elected voting members from SOTP and I participated in the worshipful, fun, and educational Northern Illinois Synod Assembly. SOTP is one of 140 congregations that make up the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA. The Synod Council meets four times each year to conduct the business of the church, but once each year, the Synod calls together clergy and voting members from each congregation to vote on some of the more significant items of business.

You may recall that, at our annual meeting, we elected Marcia Ball, Andrew Behm, Tim Bueschel, Julie Leonardi, and Josh Symbal to serve as our four adult and one youth voting members. The six of us made our way to Augustana College in Rock Island (Josh and my alma mater) accompanied by Donna Kelly who reported to the Assembly as chair of the Synod Nominating Committee.

I have been asked a few times if any important decisions were made at the Assembly. We always pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, elect people to synod positions, and other general orders of business, but when I’m asked that question, I know people are wondering if there were any big resolutions passed. As it turns out, there were some significant resolutions passed this year, and I want to share them with you all.

The first resolution is related to the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger. SOTP’s very own Becky Wright serves on the Synod World Hunger Subcommittee. A resolution was put forward and unanimously approved to encourage our congregations to increase our support with a giving event and intentionally include World Hunger in our directed giving. SOTP will be having a Christmas in July event beginning on July 6. The World Hunger Subcommittee will also be publishing new fundraising ideas for congregations on the Northern Illinois Synod website.

The second resolution is to have the synod appoint a task force to begin a year-long process of exploring what it will mean for the synod to become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Synod. The task force and the Synod Council will generate a Synod Welcome Statement to be presented to adoption at the 2025 Synod Assembly for the purpose of applying for RIC recognition.

For a bit of background on this resolution, Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation, since 1974, has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community. They have created resources for congregations, synods, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations to engage in the process known as Reconciling in Christ (RIC). Through the RIC process, congregations and synods begin a journey to create a more authentic welcome, customized to each community.

The resolution was approved with 90% support from the Assembly. It only applies to the Synod and not to its congregations. Each congregation will still have to complete its own RIC process if it chooses. Several of our congregations have already completed this process or are in process. The same is true for many synods.

The third resolution is related to a topic Pastor Roy has covered in his Sunday morning Bible study. Through the resolution, which passed with 94% approval, the Northern Illinois Synod absolutely repudiates Christian Nationalism, commits to upholding the principles of religious freedom and the separation of church and state, encourages the congregations and people of the Synod to use the resources We Are Christians Against Christian Nationalism from the ELCA Advocacy Network and explore the ELCA’s Social Statement: “Civic Life and Faith.”

Christian Nationalism has roots that go back to post-Civil War America but has gained a new momentum in that past few decades, especially with the emergence of the Moral Majority in 1979. Christian Nationalism is a broad political ideology that includes beliefs such as: the U.S. Constitution was divinely inspired and enjoys godly status, that Christianity should be a privileged religion in the U.S., that the U.S. holds a special status in God’s eyes, and that good Americans must hold Christian beliefs. This leads to antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiment, xenophobia, racism, and more. It doesn’t reflect the love that Jesus demonstrated or that he extends to us daily.

If you would like more information on Christian Nationalism, I encourage you to check out the resources listed above, and I also lift up a documentary, Bad Faith, streaming for free on tubi.

As you can see, Synod Assembly is a powerful event that not only lets you see how the church works. You become part of church decision-making that can have lasting effects far into the future. I encourage you to consider serving in this role next year. Simply let me know if you’re interested!

Peace,

Pastor Ryan

Email Pastor Ryan:  pastorryan@sotpmail.com