For the Life of the World

Approximately 800 voting members as well as support staff, invited guests, representatives from seminaries, colleges, and universities, and staff from affiliated organizations met for the triennial ELCA Churchwide Assembly met in Phoenix, AZ, from July 28 – August 2. The Churchwide Assembly is the highest legislative body for the ELCA. Eight members of the Upper Susquehanna Synod attended as voting members: Bishop Miller, Pastor Chad Hebrink, Linda Everitt, Bev Hoffman, Jacob Craig, Pastor Karen Ward, Mark Giesen, and Noah Roux. Some of our voting members have shared reflections on their experience of the assembly.

Pastor Chad Hebrink (Grace, Berwick): One of my first impressions of the assembly was diversity of those gathered – both in ethnic and racial background and significant presence of youth and young adults. Many of those attending were very passionate in their positions on the topics being discussed and it was important to hear the various viewpoints. During the discussions, there was also a sense of confession and attempts at reconciliation and forgiveness after hearing responses from those with differing viewpoints or those who had been impacted by historic actions.

The assembly provided opportunities for both re-uniting with college and seminary classmates and former colleagues – many who I had not seen in 20+ years – and meeting new people during meals. I enjoyed discussions with a young adult from Connecticut, a newly elected synod bishop, and lay voting members from Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Pacific Northwest. Seeing how our Lutheran identity unites us across our various contexts was refreshing.

Bev Hoffman (Faith, Lewisburg): I found the assembly to be very educational, rewarding, and a wake-up call. There were 1200 people attending from all over the world: youth, visitors, deacons, lay people, pastors and bishops. We worshipped together, sang praises to the Lord and prayed together every day. It was a beautiful sight and uplifting to see the clergy, fully robed, processing in with doves and ribbons flying in the air. Baptismal waters were sprinkled on us, and we all communed together as one.

With a lot of deliberation and speeches we chose a new Bishop and Secretary of the ELCA. Before each election we sang a hymn together in English and Spanish followed by a prayer.

Numerous people spoke of the hardships they and their families endured over the years because of their race, sexual orientation, and beliefs. They spoke of just wanting to be loved, accepted, and treated like everyone else without being judged. Because we as Christians are to love our neighbors, love one another as God loves us, they were not asking us to agree with the lifestyle they chose: They too are Christians serving the Lord in many ways.

The Westboro Baptists were outside of the Convention Center when we arrived. We were told just to pass by and enter the building. Several members of the assembly donated money to Reconciling Works according to the amount of time the protesters were outside.

A large sum of money was given to feed the hungry. And believe me there were many homeless people living in the streets of Phoenix.

Everyone should have the pleasure to attend one of these assemblies. And I ask everyone to think about what it means not only to be a Christian, but to show it and live it For the Life of the World.

Linda Everitt (Zion, Sunbury): The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
When the ELCA Churchwide Assembly convenes, its voting members meet with confidence in God’s grace around word and water, wine and bread, to carry on their work on behalf of the entire church. Over the course of the assembly, voting members:

• Hear reports and review the work of churchwide officers, leaders and units.
• Receive and consider proposals from synod assemblies.
• Elect officers, board members and other leaders as specified by the constitution or bylaws.
• Establish ELCA churchwide policy.
• Worship together.
• Adopt a budget.
• Conduct other business related to the ELCA churchwide organization.

One of the first items was a land acknowledgment: The 2025 Churchwide Assembly was held on the original and ancestral homelands of the Hohokam, O’odham, and Piipaash peoples. We give thanks for their presence on the land since time immemorial. We also wish to recognize and honor all our Indigenous siblings who have and continue to call the land their home. When we gather for the Churchwide Assembly in 2025, let us remember the Indigenous peoples and tribal nations who were the first to love, pray, grow, celebrate, cry, drum, dance and sing upon the lands where we will be assembled.

Later in the assembly we were able to participate in a pow wow along with native Americans from various tribes and states in the U.S.

Speaking to the assembly after his election [to Presiding Bishop], Rev. [Yehiel] Curry reflected on his service in the ELCA. “I’m what a return on your investment looks like,” he said. “Perhaps I’m out there in one of you. I never saw myself as good enough, so for two years, I said no. I finally said yes. When I said yes, your support, this church’s support, of that ministry meant everything. So, if you want to know what your benevolence dollars look like, it looks like me. And I want to say thank you. Thank you for your investment.”

There are dozens of topics to share with our home congregations, and it’s very difficult to speak to just one. What kept surfacing in my mind, during the entire week, was the diversity of the assembly. There was such a variety of skin tones, languages, nationalities, religions, men, women, LGBTQ+, young, old, musically inclined, and on and on.

What was evident was the shared respect among us. Voting members had opportunities to question or comment about items brought to the assembly meeting. When you are in a room of 1,200 people, you expect that opposing opinions will bring some friction. However, what happened was respectful listening and responses. You might not agree with the choices of an individual, but you must respect and love each person as God so graciously loves you. Love is the greatest of all human qualities, and it is an attribute of God himself. Love involves unselfish service to others to show it gives evidence that you care. Faith is the foundation and content of God’s message; hope is the attitude and focus; and love is the action. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely. Because you understand how God loves. The 2025 ELCA Assembly, as a group, understood this kind of love. Remember that we are a community of believers united in faith and purpose. It is up to each of us to spread God’s message of love to all.

The first Council of Nicaea was convened 1,700 years ago, beginning the process of setting forth Christian convictions in what we know today as the Nicene Creed. The creed proclaims the life-giving truth of the triune God and our steadfast faith in Jesus Christ “for … the life of the world to come.” These convictions continue to live and breathe among us in word and sacrament.
Early in her tenure, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton set forth her own convictions to guide the members of the ELCA in understanding our unique identity, and these convictions have become a recognized way of articulating who we are:

• We are church.
• We are Lutheran.
• We are church together.
• We are church for the sake of the world.

We are church for the sake of the world — for the abundant life promised by God and fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for all creation.

We recognize the wisdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who said, “The church is the church only when it exists for others.” Our constitution’s “Statement of Purpose” boldly proclaims this commitment to be a people “called and sent to bear witness to God’s creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.”

Rooted in the ancient creeds, we are called to live boldly in service to a world longing for healing, justice and hope. We will continue to faithfully pursue God’s mission of reconciliation for the life of the world.

Mark Giesen (Trinity, Danville): When I got home from the Churchwide Assembly, I opened my suitcase and found a TSA slip: “Your checked bag has been inspected.” That felt about right. All week long I had been unpacking old beliefs, letting them be inspected, tested, and sometimes re-packed differently. The Assembly was inspiring, a little unsettling, and full of surprises.

I wasn’t even sure I could go because of my eldercare schedule with my folks, but my siblings stepped in and said they would cover. My work is especially busy in the summer, but my boss encouraged me to go. My lovely bride also said, “Go, go, go,” so I volunteered. I don’t fly often, but having an American Airlines pre-check and traveling with Bev Hoffman and Linda Everitt made it easier.

The first thing that struck me was the setting. Behind the pulpit stretched a 150-foot video screen with graphics, captioning, transcription, and videos. Technicians worked nonstop with sound and lighting. Everything felt like a professional production. Many of us whispered about the cost—quite literally millions of dollars for the entire assembly—while knowing the church’s budget is smaller each year. The complexity of the event was even clearer when one of the good technicians gave us a behind-the-scenes tour, which made me appreciate how much work went into it.

Speaking of technology, in Phoenix, on two occasions, we even rode in an autonomous (driverless) Waymo car—an exciting ride for sure.”

Worship Sessions
One sermon that stood out came from Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie. She spoke about “prophetic imagination,” quoting John Lennon: “Imagine all the people…living life in peace.” Lennon was called a dreamer, but he wasn’t the only one. She said Kirk Franklin imagines freedom from insecurity. Isaiah imagines swords beaten into plowshares. Ezekiel imagines dry bones coming alive. Mary imagines justice before her son is even born. John the Baptist imagines a society where people live with fairness and integrity. The preacher pressed us: it isn’t enough to whisper prayers at night—we have to risk them in the morning with our actions. “It is not enough to pray. We must become the prayers we are praying.”

Other sermons added to the challenge. One reminded us that love means sacrifice, quoting Marvin Gaye. Another named the sins we don’t like to face: patriarchy, misogyny, racism, and sexism. Bishop Eaton herself told a story of being asked, “Does your husband know you’re here?” The room groaned at the memory.

The bishop-elect of Jordan and the Holy Land preached from Isaiah: “Comfort, comfort my people.” He described suffering in the Middle East and reminded us that comfort isn’t about making ourselves feel better. “Comfort is not a noun—it is a verb. It is an action.” Too often people stay silent out of fear, but he urged us instead to act like the Good Samaritan—crossing boundaries, taking risks, and helping others.

Bishop Eaton also reminded us that you don’t have to be American to be Christian. The average Lutheran in the world today is an African woman. She said there are 13 million Lutherans in Ethiopia alone. Our US church is small compared to the global body. She called for “critical patriotism”—to be engaged citizens but never confuse nationalism with faith.

The Assembly also lifted up Indigenous voices. Every person who came to the microphone named the Native people on whose land their synod is located. It was a small act, but a steady reminder that the gospel calls us to truth, repentance, and repair.

Outside of worship, we spent long hours on elections, resolutions, and debates. Some votes were close, some outcomes surprising. I didn’t always understand the politics, but in the end, we elected a good bishop, and I trust God is in that. We also passed a smaller budget, which reflects both decline and financial strain.

Travel home brought its own stories. Our flight was delayed, and we missed our connection. The airline app sent dozens of passengers to hotels with no rooms, but we called (the old-fashioned way) around found the last available space in a hotel, a multi-bedroom suite we three could occupy at a Hampton Inn in Charlotte. We didn’t know our way around, but an ultra-kind hotel clerk drove us to Waffle House for breakfast, so from there we could get an Uber. At the Charlotte airport, beneath the statue of Queen Charlotte, we found we three were booked on different flights, but a diligent airline clerk managed to put us back together. For every glitch, there was a grace on the other side.

Just like that TSA slip reminded me, faith sometimes means unpacking what we carry and daring to repack it differently. I too pray for a world where prayer isn’t escape, but engagement. And I was reminded: I can’t be the only one. This is our call together.

Bishop Craig Miller: It was my great pleasure to attend the churchwide assembly with our elected members and, for the first time, as a bishop of this church. I enjoyed watching our members engage in the various actions of the assembly, especially seeing how attentive they were to presenters and those who spoke from the floor. Our synod vice president, Noah Roux, served as a co-chair of the Committee on Reference and Counsel. I felt pride on behalf of our synod as I watched him on the stage.

I will not repeat what others have written in their reflections; but I will add some thoughts about this, my sixth (I think) churchwide assembly. This assembly, as with other assemblies, was well-organized and offered a good balance of worship and business. As assemblies have gotten shorter in duration, however, I have noticed that we lose time for fellowship. This year, I missed the greater array of displays that used to nearly fill a hall.

Our church is changing. In addition to our new Presiding Bishop and Secretary, we will be seeing several staff changes in the churchwide office as people at various levels retire or move on to other calls. In addition, about one-third of the 65 synod bishops have been elected this year. I am both excited and anxious for what all this transition means for our work together. Witnessing the commitment of so many assembly participants in the work of our church gives me hope that we will weather these changes and continue to serve the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Here are a few highlights of actions taken during the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly:

• Elected two new officers for the ELCA. The Rev. Yehiel Curry was elected Presiding Bishop and The Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills was elected Secretary. It is interesting that three of our four ELCA officers will now be persons of color – in a denomination that has long had goals of diversity, despite having over 95% white membership.
• Elected over 100 people to the ELCA Church Council, various boards and committees, and directors of Portico, ELCA Foundation, and Augsburg Fortress.
• Adopted budget and spending proposals for the next three years.
• Heard from international and ecumenical guests, including the Bishop-elect Imad Haddad of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Adopted several resolutions, including:

• Updates to the ELCA Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions
• A resolution advocating for human rights, justice and peace for all Palestinians and Israelis that seeks to recognize the rights of the State of Israel and a sovereign State of Palestine and promote a just and peaceful resolution of the conflict.
• In recognition of the 1700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council of Nicaea (leading to the Nicene Creed), we received the 2024 Lutheran – Orthodox “Common Statement on the Filioque.” The addition of “and the Son” regarding the Holy Spirit has been a church dividing issue between Orthodox and Western Christians since 1054. The ELCA intends to lean into a fuller understanding of this issue and the promise of greater unity in the Body of Christ.
• Adopted the social statement “Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All” and adopted edits to the 2009 social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” The edits to the sexuality statement reflect changes in language and laws that have occurred since 2009, while allowing for additional study before considering any substantive changes at the 2028 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.