Synod Assembly Report
From Jennifer Debner and Georgian Hadley, congregational delegates.
On Saturday, June 5, we zoomed into the 2020-2021 ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod (MCS) Assembly, a virtual event. The theme was Good Stewards (aka Good Stew), which was lifted up throughout our time together. We found the assembly to be restorative, encouraging, and celebratory, with communal worship and music, uplifting testimonies and stories, celebrations of ministry milestones, and a faithfully hopeful view of the future.
As stated in our voting member handbook, we were gathered together in faith, as representatives of the congregations of our synod to conduct necessary business and celebrate our shared mission: In Jesus’ Name. Proclaim the Gospel – Make Disciples – Do Justice.
Highlights for us included reports on how well MCS did in 2020 despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the efforts of the Synod Council working towards doing justice, the integrity of and the positive attitude of the synod and ELCA staff and their thorough professionalism, and the good administrative and financial state of the synod, including the ability to help financially struggling congregations, during such trying times. MCS was ranked second of the 65 ELCA synods in mission support in 2020. We also heard about Synod efforts to welcome new congregations, and to manage the graceful closure of congregations ending their ministry.
After a bumpy start, the Zoom platform worked very well with excellent technical support. Voting during the plenary, including for synod officers and for delegates to the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly went amazingly smoothly. And while we couldn’t greet each other in person, there was a lot of personal reconnecting happening through individual chat correspondence.
Please take time to view the MCS assembly video, and read the written reports of our synod bishop, officers, and organizations as well as the ELCA report. Review the financial reports. The links are listed below. The report of the secretary gives a good overview of who we are and how we work as congregations together in the Metro Chicago area.
Thanks be to God for the amazing ministry we share across the expressions of our church body and through our international partners.
Here's the link to the recorded assembly.
Note that due to technical delays, the assembly actually begins at 38.27 minutes into the link.
Click here for a PDF containing the Book of Reports.