We didn’t win, but our entry got a prominent mention in the Roxborough Review for our inclusion of fresh pineapple. Adding fruit to spicy stews is something we learned from our African members. The sweetness cools down the fire of the chili.
This was our first year to enter the fairly new neighborhood tradition. We have grand plans for next year.
You haven’t tasted anything yet!
Redeemer is not closed: we are locked out of God’s House by SEPA Synod who claims to very much want a Word and Sacrament Church in East Falls — after working for more than a decade to destroy the Word and Sacrament church they already had here.
Meanwhile, Redeemer is still part of our neighborhood.
We are reposting some information which has a permanent home on the 2×2 web site on our Proverbs Page.
SEPA Synod Assembly convenes one week from tomorrow. We always hope that as a body, Lutherans can improve their policies and services to the many small congregations which make up their membership. As long as small churches are seen as prey to fund Synod’s budget shortfalls — limiting services (for which all contribute) to the clergy and larger churches — there will be inequity and injustice within SEPA.
The cannibalism of the church must stop for the good of all. 2×2 has visited 44 SEPA congregations. We’ve seen many of them facing challenges with little hope for help from the denomination they joined in the 1980s. Many feel alienated and wary of involvement with SEPA.
This is a weakness that can be fixed!
The Lutheran Church was founded by a man who called out to the Church of his era to end policies that took advantage of weakest members. Any Lutheran who claims today that leadership cannot be challenged is denying this proud heritage.
We hope that someday the many members of SEPA Synod will muster the fortitude to right the wrongs against Redeemer and other small congregations that have been victimized by intentional neglect (which Bishop Burkat terms “triage”).
The prevailing “wisdom” must be challenged.
We collected some wisdom from the heritage of our members—all of whom have been locked out of the Lutheran church and denied representation at Synod Assemblies for four years. The first section is a collection of proverbs from Africa—the majority membership of Redeemer. The last entry is a very old tale from the tradition of our European heritage. Enjoy!
A shepherd does not strike his sheep. For lack of criticism, the trunk of the elephant grew very long. When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful. The powerful should mind their own power. A clever king is the brother of peace. The house of a leader who negotiates survives. To lead is not to run roughshod over people. A quarrelsome chief does not hold a village together. Threats and insults never rule. He who dictates separates himself from others. A leader does not listen to rumors. If the leader limps, all the others start limping, too. Good behavior must come from the top. An elder is a healer. One head does not contain all the wisdom. A leader who does not take advice is not a leader. Whether a chief is good or bad, people unify around someone. The cow that bellows does so for all cows. A powerful leader adorns his followers. True power comes through cooperation. The chief’s true wealth is his people. Where trust breaks down, peace breaks down. If you show off your strength, you will start a battle. A leader should not create a new law when he is angry. What has defeated the elders’ court, take to the public. It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life. If your only tool is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail. Do not call a dog with a whip in your hand. Leaders who use force fear reason. To agree to dialogue is the beginning of peaceful resolution. If two wise men always agree, then there is no need for one of them. If you feast on pride, you will have no room for wisdom. When the village chief himself goes around inviting people to a meeting, know there is something very wrong going on. Other people’s wisdom prevents the king from being called a fool. Force is not profitable. Do not light a fire under a fruit-bearing tree. In times of crisis, the wise build bridges. It is easy to stand in a crowd; it takes courage to stand alone. Be sure you stand on solid ground before you stretch out to grab something. Be a neighbor to the human being, not to the fence. Calling a leader wise does not make him wise. A leader who understands proverbs reconciles differences.
Of course, there are a host of proverbs in the Bible!
We have one remaining proverb/parable from the tradition of our European members. Some little child should speak up and say, “This is sheer foolishness.”
______________________________
And so the Emperor set out at the head of the great procession. It was a great success. All the people standing by cheered and cried, “Oh, how splendid are the Emperor’s new clothes. What a magnificent train! How well the clothes fit!” No one dared to admit that he couldn’t see anything, for who would want it to be known that he was either stupid or unfit for his post? None of the Emperor’s clothes had ever met with such grand approval!
But among the crowd a little child suddenly gasped, “But he hasn’t got anything on.” And the people began to whisper to one another what the child had said till everyone was saying, “But he hasn’t got anything on.” The Emperor himself had the uncomfortable feeling that what they were whispering was only too true. “But I will have to go through with the procession,” he said to himself.
So he drew himself up and walked boldly on holding his head higher than before, and the courtiers held on to the train that wasn’t there at all. — Hans Christian Andersen
Redeemer's right to be represented at SEPA Synod Assembly was removed by decree of Bishop Burkat before 2009 Synod Assembly one week before the 2009 Assembly — before there was ever a hearing or vote of Synod Assembly. Redeemer appealed this decision but Synod Assembly did not vote on it. In fact, Synod Council didn't vote on this until June 2010. Constitutionally, Redeemer should have had a right to challenge that 2010 decision. Redeemer should have had voting privileges in 2009 and 2010. Redeemer never voted to close. There is no requirement for congregations to own buildings. Redeemer remains faithful in worship and mission. Since the only aspect of our appeal addressed by Synod Assembly was our property, Redeemer still has voting rights under SEPA's constitution.
Today is election day in Pennsylvania. We are expected to go to the polls as informed citizens to make wise decisions. Most of what we have heard for the last six months is what’s bad about the other guy.
Mud-raking in American politics is an old tradition. The best mud-raker wins. And so, one quality every presidential candidate must have is the ability to tear the figurative limbs from opponents.
Successful mud-raking gets leaders their way.
But there is a cost. The cost is to the spirit of the people, who go to the polls weary and uncertain that they are voting for the most capable leader . . . or the best-funded, best-organized critic.
Politics is part of American life. It’s also part of the Protestant Church. We elect our leaders. Unfortunately, our leaders have learned lessons from secular politicians. You can gain support by tearing down your opponents.
We don’t have campaigns between “hopefuls” so it is a field day for those in power. Opponents in the church can be anyone who challenges the status quo.
The techniques are more subtle in church politics. In the ELCA, each bishop has six years to plant innuendo, to ignore opponents’ good ideas, to neglect some churches and curry favor in others, to charismatically rally support. Every action is supported by well-chosen Scripture.
Who are the opponents? In the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, it can be the very churches who provide support — but not enough support in the leaders’ eyes. It can be clergy who speak against policy or who simply advocate for new policy. It can even be the congregational members who volunteer with no expectation of power, or recognition, monetary or otherwise. It can be congregations who have small memberships but more assets than SEPA.
Looking for faults becomes a habit. Finding faults (an easy job) can have rewards when powers (constitutional or not) are exerted.
American politics is wearying. Church politics is self-defeating.
Church politics are supposed to model servant leadership—also true of public servants — but in the Church we have the life of Christ as guide. In the Lutheran Church, the constitutions assign equality to each entity. There really is no power to wield. We are supposed to be partners in ministry.
Violating the intent of the constitutions makes immediate winners/losers—a situation which is unChristian. In the end the whole Church suffers. It takes awhile, but the erosion of spirit over a decade becomes obvious.
The Church relies on knowledgeable people doing the right thing. Abdication of that role leads to abuses of power.
And yet, in the Lutheran Church it is not uncommon to hear the best educated church leaders justify non-participation with “we elected the leaders; we have to support them.” This is nonsense—an abdication of responsibility. You don’t have to support a leader who is making bad decisions.
This is also an election year for SEPA. What kind of leader will you elect? One who finds fault with the congregations served and their volunteer members who dare to disagree? Or one who builds on their strengths and nurtures them in faithful service to God and His people?
Redeemer’s experimental congregational web site just tallied its 5000th first-time visitor.
Little Redeemer reaches more people every week than most large churches reach on Sunday morning.
Redeemer started 2x2virtualchurch.com in late February 2011.
The site was started as a mission vehicle when Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod (SEPA) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seized our property.
Redeemer knows that small churches are capable of big ministry. The internet seemed to be a perfect vehicle for a congregation with no church building.
By the end of summer 2011, 2×2 had only a few dozen visits. We were posting sporadically — a few times a month.
We began posting daily.
We focused on three strengths of the congregation: Social Media, Children in Worship and Multicultural Ministry. The site also includes commentary on issues facing many neighborhood congregations today.
We learned to create content with others in mind.
We write interdenominationally, but we don’t hide our Lutheran roots.
We link to other related sites and engage in conversation in other religious forums—all things encouraged in this new communications medium.
Statistics guide our content development.
At Easter we posted a short play, written and produced by Redeemer a year before our doors were locked. It was downloaded 150 times. We responded to this interest by posting a Pentecost resource for small churches.
Much of our traffic comes from our ongoing exploration of Social Media topics.
Our Multicultural series did not attract as much attention, but it was reblogged — linked from other sites—more often. This tells us that there is intense if not broad interest.
Several seminaries posted articles from our website for discussion. One of our recent posts was broadcast by a retweeting engine.
We now have more than 80 followers who subscribe daily via Facebook, Twitter or direct email feed. An additional 30-80 visitors per day represent every state in the Union and more than 70 countries with just shy of 1000 visitors a month. As that number continues to grow, we expect to have between 12,000 and 20,000 readers by the end of our second year.
Our highest international traffic comes from Canada, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium, South Africa, and Australia. Traffic is growing in the mid-East and Africa.
There are interesting, inexplicable spikes in readership. One day we had 26 readers in the Bahamas! The very next day we had 16 readers from the Netherlands.
We hear regularly from small mission congregations in Pakistan and Kenya and support one another with ministry ideas and prayer.
We are encountering Christians from many denominations — some of them represent very large ministries. We learn of interesting projects and try to help by providing links. A college student in Texas, who has created a ministry recycling VBS materials, gets a few daily visitors from 2×2 links.
Redeemer may be one of the most active and growing congregations in Southeastern Pennsylvania—even if we are shunned by our own denomination. SEPA justifies its actions in East Falls with accusations of lack of mission focus. There is no lack of mission focus at Redeemer. We are just using a very wide-angle lens!
We will be glad to make a presentation to SEPA Synod Assembly on our growing experience in web ministry. Just contact us!
Redeemer is not closed; we are locked out of God’s House by SEPA Synod.
Who gives out those ribbons to committees as they are about to go to work? Shouldn’t the blue ribbons be given after the work is done and the decisions have proven to be wise? Or does the ribbon automatically make the decisions wise? Chicken or egg?
East Falls is still reeling with the news that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese has determined, with the help of a Blue Ribbon Committee, that the parochial school children of St. Bridget’s in East Falls should no longer walk to their neighborhood school but should hop on buses and head to a brand new (well, somewhat renovated) school three neighborhoods away—if you take the most commonly traveled route, Henry Avenue. (East Falls, Wissahickon, Roxborough, final destination Manayunk)
A new name has already been bestowed on this school. There won’t be any fighting over existing names and no debate among vying factions. St. Blaise it is. (Read what has happened since!)
There! Turn in your blue ribbons, committee members. Thank you for your service.
The Blue Ribbon Committee was entrusted with the fate of every Catholic School in the Archdiocese, most of which face economic challenges. They originally announced 40-some closings but changed their Blue Ribbon minds on more than a dozen of their decisions after protests were staged and appeals heard.
You have to wonder why the Blue Ribbon Committees don’t listen to the people before making Blue Ribbon decisions.
St. Bridget’s in East Falls has not fared well in the reconsideration process. They wrote letters, signed petitions, solicited the support from the community council and government representatives—as if Blue Ribbon Committees give a hoot about the views of elected officials. The Catholics of East Falls are left at this point with little but the knowledge that they tried. And we hope they keep trying. (Redeemer is in your corner.)
Why Manayunk?
The Blue Ribbon Committee reports that the parishes of Manayunk have already experienced loss and they don’t want to inflict more on them.
It’s East Falls’ turn to suffer.
Sounds familiar to us at Redeemer, just up the hill from St. Bridget’s.
Redeemer once heard the same reasoning. It was 1998. There were three struggling Lutheran Churches in Roxborough. None in Manayunk. None in Wissahickon. And then there was little Redeemer, sitting on a prime property (owned and paid for by the people of East Falls) with a healthy endowment.
In moves SEPA Synod and the Lutheran bishop with an attempt to close Redeemer.
Bishop Almquist appointed his own version of a Blue Ribbon committee. He called them “trustees.”
“Ministry in East Falls is not good use of the Lord’s money,” one Synod official said.
“We want to merge the churches in Roxborough into one riverfront church,” said another. Redeemer’s assets were to fund the project. Redeemer was never consulted.
Some even dared to invoke the Resurrection parallel. Redeemer should die so that the churches of Roxborough might live. When in doubt turn to Scripture.
Only Redeemer was not dead.
There was a plan made by the Lutheran version of the Blue Ribbon Committee. Redeemer was supposed to submissively fund this venture — which was never likely to work. The three congregations in Roxborough, the largest geographic neighborhood in Philadelphia, were too different. It might have been possible, but there was no unification plan short of ordering Lutherans to do as the Synod says, which doesn’t work very well. Those pesky constitutions keep getting in the way.
The Lutherans of East Falls successfully fought this folly, but the memory of our advocacy for our own ministry in our own neighborhood (the Lutheran way) festered in the minds of SEPA Synod leadership. Pastors disappeared. SEPA Synod began the death watch.
Ten years. That ought to do it.
In 2008, a new bishop moved in again. This time, there would be no fooling around with any attempt at working with the Lutherans of East Falls — which by now was an almost entirely new membership. Bishop Claire Burkat asked for action against Redeemer from the Synod Council—having never met with leaders of Redeemer. Then they waited nearly five months with not a word to the congregation that they were assuming control.
When the cat jumped out of the bag, Redeemer fought back.
The Bishop visited our property with a locksmith. Redeemer turned her away. Fort Sumter.
Bishop Burkat used the committee angle, too. She didn’t call it “blue ribbon.” That probably wouldn’t fly among Lutherans, who believe in the equality of lay and clergy leadership. She named trustees. She simply announced by letter that the trustees were replacing the elected leaders of the congregation — the names of which she didn’t bother to check.
The name change trick was invoked. When Plan A—to sell the property out from under the congregation—failed, the talk turned to closing the church for a few months and reopening under a new name, this time with a synod-approved council.
If only the people of East Falls could have been relied upon to vote the Bishop’s way! Then all this would have been unnecessary.
So take notes, Lutheran bishops. Blue Ribbon committees carry more clout. Forget the constitution. Just find a few loyalists, give them Blue Ribbon status, be clear about the game plan, and declare your work done.
Blame the committee if things go wrong.
Oh, and those three churches in Roxborough. Grace and Epiphany are closed and Bethany soldiers on alone.
Two members of Redeemer vied among 18 East Fallsers for top chili recipes. One of our entries was a dish that became a staple at Redeemer socials after we had a short time with a vicar from Puerto Rico. He asked us to make a favorite chili-like dish of his native Puerto Rico — sancocho, which combines beef and a larder-full of vegetables and even fruit. The spices used, we were to learn as our membership grew among native Africans, were similar to those in African cooking. This was all part of our journey as a growing community of faith and quite a deviation from the blander cuisine of Redeemer past! Yes, sancocho uses more than salt and pepper! For the cook-off we called it Sweet and Sour Chili because it had pineapple in it.
While locked out of our church, Redeemer intends to remain active in our community.
We are not closed; we are locked out of God’s House by SEPA Synod.
This is an election year. We as a nation will elect a president—a decision we must all live with for four years.
It is also an election year in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod (SEPA) Synod of the ELCA. SEPA will elect a bishop for a six-year term and congregations will live with that choice for more than half a decade.
We will take less time preparing for this choice.
The Church has a history of cloistering leaders. Clergy may know one another. Most lay leaders have little knowledge of the names presented to them on the floor of Synod Assembly.
People, today, want to know who their leaders are and what they stand for. We want to know this every day, not just at election time. There was a time when this was difficult. Communication was expensive and unwieldy. This is no longer an excuse. Church leadership can and should interact with church members on a daily basis. This should be a joy not a drudge.
There are long traditions of leadership by intimidation and fear in the Church. It didn’t start out that way, but it goes back centuries. The Reformation tried to address this but even today this leadership style rears its head in defiance of the Christ’s message of love.
In the business world, people have a choice. They can work for a company or they can leave.
It’s a bit different in the Church. People want to stick with their faith and their congregational community. It’s all wrapped up in their relationship with God, their understanding of who they are, and their personal and family faith journeys. When dissatisfied, they aren’t likely to look for a new Church as a first option.
In other words, they care.
That’s a good thing—a treasure!
As SEPA Synod prepares for its 2012 Annual Assembly, the topic is worth consideration.
SEPA Synod delegates need to carefully examine the relationship between synod leadership and the congregations—the only reason synods exist.
The relationship between the synod and its impressive list of rostered leaders is more difficult to analyze but just as important. Each question asked below might also be asked by each rostered professional leader.
Perhaps its best to start by examining the relationships between congregations, their elected leaders and synod leadership.
Do you know one another? Are you working together — interdependently — as the operating constitutions require? What do you know about the names on the ballot? What do they stand for? What do they know about you?
What do your leaders believe?
Do your members have a voice? Under Lutheran polity, you are supposed to! It’s a precious Lutheran concept that clergy and laity have equal leadership standing.
Do your elected leaders listen to the people they are serving? Is there two-way communication?
Is there a plan for reversing strong downward trends—or will that be presented after a six-year decision is made?
Are your lay members comfortable with synod leadership? Must all communication go through your pastor? Are your phone calls returned? Are dates for meetings mutually agreed upon? Are they scheduled within a month of request?
Is there trust?
What is the synod’s vision for moving forward? Is every congregation included in the vision?
Does SEPA treat every congregation and its leaders with respect and dignity — as valued members of God’s kingdom? Are elected congregational leaders treated with respect?
Is your only interaction with synod when there is a leadership change? When was the last time a bishop visited your congregation just to listen and get to know you?
Do you know what your leaders are doing in your name and in the name of God?
The choice of bishop is pivotal to the image of our Church. Let’s do this carefully.
No stone was rolled away at Redeemer this year. Maybe next year!
Nevertheless, Redeemer members gathered in front of the church, read the Easter Story, and prayed before heading to a member’s home for Easter fellowship. We had three new attendees this year, which has been steady growth since the lock out.
Please keep in mind that Redeemer members still live in fear of SEPA leadership. Not all will agree to be in a photograph—very sad commentary on the state of ministry in SEPA Synod of the ELCA.
(Our sign, which Bishop Burkat couldn’t wait to have torn down and destroyed as she pretends to honor the memory of Redeemer, will continue to live on as a witness to our ministry through the magic of Photoshop!)
We had a wonderful Easter — no thanks to the church!
Kenneth J. McFayden lists ten losses to the church in an article posted on the Alban Institute Roundtable.
On this Good Friday, as the members of Redeemer approach a third Easter locked out of their house of worship by SEPA Synod, we examine McFayden’s list.
Loss of Members: Redeemer was growing. 52 members had joined within the 18 months prior to SEPA’s interference.
Loss of Centrality: Redeemer was an integral part of our members’ lives. Our membership had quickly assimilated to its changing demography—not always possible, but accomplished seamlessly at Redeemer—a tribute to good leadership.
Loss of Pastors: Redeemer had difficulty getting the attention of SEPA in calling a pastor. Redeemer believes this was intentional neglect, a way of purposely creating conditions to allow synodical interference. Nevertheless, Redeemer had many good relationships with pastors who supplied our pulpit regularly and long term. We had asked to call a rostered Lutheran pastor and had reached agreement on terms. Bishop Burkat ignored the congregation’s request.
Loss of Traditions: Redeemer never lost its traditions, even when accepting new members. We embraced many new traditions but never asked any existing members to sacrifice what was important to their faith—again, a tribute to good leadership.
Loss of Structural Support: This was a challenge for Redeemer made all the more difficult by SEPA. Bishop Almquist’s administration encouraged Redeemer leaders to resign and refused to give attention to the congregation’s wishes to call a pastor. Bishop Burkat worked with Epiphany, a congregation in covenant with Redeemer, to break its covenant and close, thereby removing pastoral services from both congregations and forcing Redeemer to restructure its council with ten days notice. Eventually, Bishop Burkat simply declared Redeemer’s council to not exist — by letter, not by any process of mutual discernment.
Loss of Status in the Community: Redeemer always had the respect of the community and was a leading force in interdenominational initiatives. This was made difficult by SEPA locking the building for three years to both members and the many community groups who enjoyed easy access to our facilities. Now SEPA is working in our community supposedly toward opening a new church at Redeemer — one that would exclude Redeemer members from full participation.
Loss of Stability: Redeemer had worked very hard on creating a plan to assure a stable future. We were working with many new members and it takes time to develop giving and stewardship among the newly churched, but we had a solid stewardship outreach in place as well as plans for supporting our ministry with our school and other outreach projects. We’d stand our ministry plan next to any SEPA congregation’s. Our plans were ignored.
Loss of Confidence: Redeemer remains confident even under intimidating circumstances.
Loss of Energy for Ministry: Never a problem at Redeemer! How many other SEPA congregations would still be functioning after five years of multiple and personal lawsuits?
Loss of Identity: We know who we are? Do the churches that voted to take our property know us? Did Bishop Burkat take the time to know us? (The answer is NO!)
Redeemer “lost” nothing. We had much taken from us. There is a difference.
That’s why no service was ever held in East Falls to “celebrate our ministry” and “mourn the loss” of this congregation.
The loss is among SEPA leadership. It’s a loss of integrity and conscience.
The impact of our loss will be felt across the denomination as time moves forward and SEPA leadership now has a mandate to exercise powers not given them in their constitutions.
The losses imposed on us cloud our vision of the wondrous cross. We are left this Good Friday repeating the words of Psalm 22.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? …
Why are you so far from saving me,
But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
Usually, the despair of Good Friday is quickly replaced with the joy of Easter. Redeemer will remain locked out of God’s House by SEPA Synod.
“Why don’t ‘you people’ just find another church and stop all the anger?” a pastor asked one of our ambassadors on a recent visit.
That would make life so easy—if only victims would not fight back when they are bullied.
We assure the people of SEPA that Redeemer does not like being angry. Sometimes anger is appropriate.
Jesus became angry at the sight of the moneylenders defiling the Temple. For the last four years, Redeemer has watched those with financial interests in our property behave in similarly greedy and self-serving ways in our sacred space.
Anger is not fun. The alternative — to ignore anger—is to deny our sense of worth, our passion, our community…and not least…our faith. SEPA demands we mothball our memories and our heritage and that we break our friendships and connections with the community where we still live. We are expected to hide our light under a bushel and become passive pew-warming Christians in some other place than our own community.
SEPA discredits the volunteer hours that went into making Redeemer grow in the last ten years. Our documented successes go unrecognized; they collide with SEPA’s prejudice and true goals — acquisition of our assets.
The resulting conflict was needless. Despite reports to the contrary, there was NO forum for mutual discernment, NO long period of working together, NO consideration for the elected leaders of Redeemer.
There WAS ample abuse of the constitutional processes.
Lawsuits could have been avoided. Financial challenges could have been minimized. There were numerous paths to peace. SEPA leadership chose aggression at every turn.
In another synod, a congregation much smaller than Redeemer appealed a similar synodical decision to close. Their story is much like Redeemer’s, complete with a locksmith raid. But comparisons end there. Their Synod Assembly supported the congregation. This congregation is still small but has started community outreach that is funding their church well. They have been helping Redeemer.
Redeemer, easily five times the size of this church, had similar plans which by now would have been quite lucrative and supporting an exciting ministry in East Falls.
Instead Bishop Burkat continues to create a widening wake of hurt, anger and destruction.
Lutheran constitutions and government depend on the understanding that laity and clergy are equals and the organizations within the church are interdependent. Lutherans are supposed to work together.
This cannot happen as long as SEPA Lutherans stand on the sidelines and watch in silence as member churches endure abuse.
Back to the pastor who advised us to just stop being angry.
Why don’t we just find another church?
Our answer. We’ve been vagabond Lutherans for nearly three years. We’ve reached out to 43 of SEPA’s 160 congregations. We’ve visited. We’ve left contact information. We’ve written letters. We’ve made some friends along the way, but the fact is . . . none of the congregations still within the ELCA have reached out to us. No active pastor has visited our members to offer any kind of pastoral care. (Two retired pastors have helped.)
SEPA, the conflict is in your hands. You could turn this around at May’s Synod Assembly by demanding your leadership work to reconcile with the Lutherans of East Falls.
We repeat a wonderful quote all congregations should take to heart.
People should not have to find a church. The church should find them.
Join Bishop Ruby Kinisa as she visits small churches "under cover" to learn what people would never share if they knew they were talking to their bishop.
Undercover Bishop will always be available in PDF form on 2x2virtualchurch.com for FREE.
Print or Kindle copies are available on Amazon.com.
For bulk copies, please contact 2x2: creation@dca.net.
Contact Info
You can reach
Judy Gotwald,
the moderator of 2x2,
at
creation@dca.net
or 215 605 8774
Redeemer’s Prayer
We were all once strangers, the weakest, the outcasts, until someone came to our defense, included us, empowered us, reconciled us (1 Cor. 2; Eph. 2).
2×2 Sections
Where in the World is 2×2?
On Isaiah 30:15b
Be calm. Wait. Wait. Commit your cause to God. He will make it succeed. Look for Him a little at a time. Wait. Wait. But since this waiting seems long to the flesh and appears like death, the flesh always wavers. But keep faith. Patience will overcome wickedness.
—Martin Luther
