2011 SD Synod Assembly – 6/10/11

Here's my live blog from day 1 of the SD Assembly - April 10th, 2011

5:41 pm

Time for dinner! Done for the night. I'll post some thoughts later and pick it back up in the morning!

5:35 pm

The hardest thing about being Lutheran is that we aren't a church of rigid conformity. That's part our struggle. It makes things more messy, but it is also a place of hope for us.

We claim that which is paradox. We find clarity in the dichotomy.

5:28 pm

"There is a lot that was good and important in that church and culture, but it is gone now...Hope is something that happens when everything is destroyed so that something new can happen."

"Maybe when we don't remember where we came from, we can become a new church."

- Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

5:18 pm

Ok, now she's right on track with where I was. She's calling out how we often hunker down and long for the past. When we do that, we draw into ourselves and claim a mentality of being under siege - interesting now how I'm right with her.

5:15 pm

I agree with the point she's going for, but I'm struggling with how she's get getting there.

5:13 pm

Bishop Eaton is losing me a little. Yes, the world is changing. I'm just not sure the past was as great as she remembers. Sure, there weren't activities on Sundays in the 50s, but it was also OK to discriminate based on race. Our past was just as flawed as our present is. It has never been and will never be a perfect world.

I feel that pretending there's something in the past that was better is used as an excuse to keep looking backwards rather than plowing a path forward.

5:06 pm

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton from the Northeastern Ohio Synod is speaking. We're done with business for the day. Dinner is next. If Bishop Eaton isn't careful she'll lose people to their daydreams of food.

5:02 pm

Resolution 5b was defeated 259-168.

5:00 pm

We're voting on closing debate for 5b. I spoke against the resolution. My rationale being that these sort of issues are not done overnight. Congregations and individuals have ample time to provide their input before issues come to votes at Church Wide. I feel that this process would allow members and congregations to be reactionary rather than involving themselves in the process before the vote.

4:40 pm

5b is now the main motion (the meat of which I posted below) and is open for discussion. I'm not a big fan of this motion in general, so I didn't really care which one went through.

4:34 pm

There is now discussion about which resolution we want. A guy who used to teach Parliamentary Procedure just asked if we're even on the right track with how we're handling this. I might need to go have a cigarette. I don't care until we're discussing the actual issue at hand (the gist of Resolution 5).

4:28 pm

5b was created to replace 5a (which I think was the original Resolution 5) by the Resolutions Committee and states:

Therefore, be it resolved - that the South Dakota Synod Assembly memorialize the 2011 Church Wide Assembly of the ELCA to institute a process of congregational ratification of future Social Statements and any changes to Vision and Expectations for pastors, associate in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.

4:23 pm

Resolution 5 dealt with allowing members/congregations the ability to petition actions taking by the Church Wide Assembly regarding Social Statements and Vision and Expectations. Once petitioned, issues would need to be ratified by ELCA congregations.

4:20 pm

Resolution 5 has been split into two parts, which will be known as 5a and 5b. I'm waiting for a copy to see what they look like.

4:17 pm

The resolution did not pass. We will not be asking Thrivent to change their method to distribute funds to congregations.

4:10 pm

Resolution 3 is up. It is a resolution asking Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to change back to their old system for allocating funds to congregations.

4:08 pm

Rev. Lance Lindgren is presenting the nominations. These votes will most likely all be voice votes and pass without issue. There will also probably not be any additional nominations from the floor.

4:02 pm

Jesus wants us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and house the homeless. That needs to be our focus.

Bishop Zellmer has finished his report.

4:00 pm

The Bishop worries about our Synod because there a lot of inaccuracies going out about the ELCA and SD Synod. One thing he wanted to drive home is that the Social Statement on Genetics will not tell you what seed company to buy from.

3:56 pm

Bishop Zellmer is committing that by 2015 there will be no hungry people in SD. We will have more hungry people in the next 24 months than we have now. We need to start working now because it isn't going to get easier.

"It is an embarrassment to live in the richest country in the world and have people going to bed hungry." - Bishop Zellmer

3:48 pm

There are opportunities to help with the clean up in Joplin, MO and there is plenty of work to do here in SD with the flooding and the dams opening up. There is going to be flooding downstream also. We have a lot of people to help because there is going to be a lot of extra hardship this summer. We are called to meet the needs of those around us and there will be no shortage of opportunity and need.

3:41 pm

Since last year's Synod Assembly 15 churches have left the ELCA from our Synod. There were some issues in Aberdeen at Holy Cross Lutheran. Final action by the SD Synod Council will be taken after the Synod Assembly.

3:35 pm

Bishop Zellmer shared about some of the blessings and struggles for the Lutheran Church in Cameroon. Lots of good done and a lot of work to do to make the lives of the people of Cameroon better.

3:12 pm

Bishop Zellmer is presenting our new Vision Statement for the SD Synod. This was originally going to be presented prior to lunch, but worship ran long. They also ran one of the new SD Synod commercials.

3:09 pm

Rev. Dr. Paul Hill used two clips from Gran Torino during his study. Not bad, but I'd be more impressed if he worked some Dogma or The Boondock Saints into a study. That'd get people thinking

2:52 pm

We've reconvened. First a story from Barbara Bunk then more from Vibrant faith before we get back to business.

2:14 pm

Resolution 1 carried via voice vote. Now we're taking a break.

2:11 pm

Rev. Bouman wrapped things up. Now we're acknowledging a 50th anniversary to a couple celebrating today (and they came to the assembly together!).  Now we're looking at resolution 1 to elect our Synod Council Members.

1:53 pm

Rev. Stephen Bouman's report is actually just a really good sermon with a great story. He's a phenomenal speaker.

1:39 pm

"The faith was sung to me before it was taught to me. And it was sung as a love song." - Rev Stephen Bouman

1:29 pm

We've also adopted the agenda. This is the smoothest anything will go all weekend. Time for the State of the ELCA address with a video from Bishop Hanson.

1:26 pm

We've been taught how to vote. Now is the time to approve the rules. My desire to move that we address Bishop Zellmer as "Big Dog B.Z." probably wouldn't have the support, so I'm not going to make the motion. The rules have been adopted.

1:17 pm

The first Bible Study/Devotion has wrapped up. It was an excellent job by Vibrant Faith Ministries. Now, we're going to practice voting. Prepare for questions about how far people drove, what kind of hot dish people like and when/how people became a Lutheran.

1:10 pm

Just had Luther's Study Bible referenced. Please go to page 1,553. There's a way to get people to pick it up

12:57 pm

The first plenary session is opening with a Bible Study by Paul Hill and David Anderson from Vibrant Faith Ministry. They're expounding on the Walking Wet theme of the Synod Assembly. Lots of good baptism discussion.