Category: News

As a congregation and synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America we gather regularly for worship, witness, learning, service and support, There were approximately 300 total participants, including lay, rostered pastors and deacons, and guests involved in the 2022 Southwestern Texas Synod assembly, entitled Got Good News? Go with it! meeting in New Braunfels June 10-12. FELC voting members included Pastor Coffey, Michelle Lingo, and Andy MacLaren.  Others from FELC in attendance included Pastor Brad Fuerst (LuMin, Austin) and Pastor Tim Lincoln (Austin Presbyterian Seminary) and Cassie Smith was present as a regional coordinator for Reconciling Works, our ministry of welcome and advocacy with and for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. There are 115 congregations with over 33,000 baptized people as a part of our synod, A report from the assembly follows:

• $42,320.64 has been given so far to the Evangelical Mission Endowment fund, which provides services throughout the State of Texas to vulnerable settings like Platicas de Santa Sophia in San Antonio, Eagle Pass Frontera Ministries (that FELC currently supports with benevolence donations), and New Lutheran Apostolic Network of South Texas. To encourage gifts, Bishop Sue Briner and the synod staff has issued a challenge: every dollar donated to this offering before August 31, the synod staff will take one step! Visit the Give Tab at www.swtsynod.org for more info.;

• There were two memorials voted on during the assembly which encourage our churches and to a broader sense that all of us personally must reduce our greenhouse gasses and remain self-aware of how we can better sustain our planet for the future generations;
• Our own Bob Karli was recognized on his 50th anniversary of ordination to the ministry of word and sacrament in the Lutheran Church (July, 2021), to which we thank Pastor Karli for all his years faithful service. Pastor Karli served as the 4th pastor of FELC from 1984-2007;
• We were reminded that we all need to “Become the Beloved Community”, whereby we do not tolerate racism and work for a broader and more diverse group of participants in the life of our churches;
• All Creation Sings is a new, multi-cultural worship and music hymnal and resource of the ELCA, with new musical settings, which we at FELC already are using in recently singing newly composed hymns from that resource;
• The assembly was presented in multiple languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English;
• We were given reports by our Cross Trails Ministry, whereby we learned that 1500 people had already been served in 2022; Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville is 70 yrs young and Ebert Ranch in Harper is 40 yrs young. Cross Trails also hosts a Men’s Conference is Oct 21-23 at Camp Chrysalis. Go to crosstrails.org/news to learn how you can contribute and become involved;
• Lutheran Women in Mission is another way to become involved, through project Radical Hospitality. They need gift cards and your involvement; go to www.swtsynod.org to learn more;
• We attended workshops and directed conversation on collaborative ministries, the church’s role in a divided society and modeling deliberative dialogue for crucial conversations, and on migration ministries. All of these workshops provided resources that we have for our use and guidance, including facilitators willing to come to our congregation to offer training;
• We learned the value of One to One Story sharing guidelines, which we can all benefit from as we learn about others in our congregations and neighborhoods. This is a tremendous way to be in relationship and connection with others and gives all of us the opportunity to learn about one another. We were reminded that this can happen with multiple generations, not just our own age group!

Andy MacLaren plans to be at FELC Sunday, June 19th to provide any feedback or answer any questions. 

Respectfully submitted,

— Andy MacLaren & Michelle Lingo,

FELC Voting Members to 2022 Synod Assembly

andymaclaren@cs.com or michellelingojd@gmail.com

Our 10-year-old ice machine recently met its end. We purchased that machine with funds we raised for our Companion Cafe ministry that began in 2012. We are told 10 years is about the expected life span. During that 10 years, the church ice machine has been very helpful for many church events from hospitality to dinners, and much appreciated by church and child development center staff.

Now we have a new ice machine. We are grateful to our anonymous donor who covered the cost of the replacement. Thank you!

Feel free to use the ice as needed for church events. Please remember that nothing goes into the ice machine other than the scoop — no fingers, no cups, absolutely no glass! The ice scoop should always be placed back in its container on top of the ice machine to prevent contamination from the handle.

As part of our outreach vision service to our neighbors, we are building a list of folks interested in participating in a FELC MOVE TEAM. We will be supporting families from Casa Marianella (Austin shelter for immigrants and refugees) to move into more permanent housing.

Our first “practice” move will be the move out of the vicar apartment at Austin Seminary on Sunday, June 26 after morning worship and hospitality.

If you can lend the occasional move, sign up at the link below.

When opportunities arise, we’ll send an email to the list to check availability.

No skill required!  Question? Drop me a line or call.

Thanks for lending a hand.

— Allen Jensen

512-554-7139 or allenjensen@gmail.com

Sign up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4CA5A823A13-felc

Bishop Sue Briner of the Southwestern Texas Synod has sent a letter to the synod with information about the situation with the bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod and the impact of these events on the whole church. Below is the bishop’s letter with links to relevant documents. The Listening Team Report in particular is informative and thorough.

June 2, 2022

Dear Friends in Christ:

While we would usually leave the business of other synods to themselves, we have discovered that the networked nature of our denomination sometimes results in the events in one synod rippling impacts into other synods, including our own.

As some of you are already aware, there has been great tension in the Sierra Pacific Synod regarding Bishop Megan Rohrer (they/he), the removal of a pastor, and subsequent related events. These events have indeed rippled out across the denomination since their initial catalysis in December and those ripples have found their way to our synod this week. This communication is intended to provide the clearest facts that we can procure about the situation and to explain the known impact to our synod.

The Basics

On December 12, 2021, Bishop Rohrer removed Pastor Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez and attended the service celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe which Nelson was scheduled to lead, placing Sierra Pacific Synod Staff in leadership of the event. The actions around this day disproportionately impacted a vulnerable ministry to the Latiné community in Stockton, CA as well as persons of color on the Sierra Pacific Synod staff. There is much more involved in the events of this day than can be mentioned here. To learn more of the details, we suggest looking at the Listening Team Report.

Almost immediately after the events of December 12th, the situation was brought to social media where the balance of truth and public opinion quickly became muddied and remained as such for several months. Over those months concerns about the events were brought to Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton who convened a Listening Team which held representatives of Churchwide, Bishop Rohrer’s, and the Latiné community’s choosing.

On May 27th Bishop Eaton returned with her decisions in response to the listening team’s report which was, at the time, confidential.

On May 28th the Latino Association of the ELCA, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, and the Listening Team all wrote dissent responses to Bishop Eaton’s decisions, urging the publicizing of the Listening Team Report and disciplinary action against Bishop Rohrer.

On June 1st, Bishop Eaton released the Listening Team Report which made available many previously unknown details as well as the Listening Team’s recommendations for moving forward. Bishop Eaton also is going to the Sierra Pacific’s Assembly, which is happening this weekend.

How This Impacts Our Synod

The initial events and the following responses have had repetitive negative impact on the Latiné community of the ELCA over the last six months. As a result, and after much discussion, the Latino Association of the ELCA has decided to act in solidarity with the Stockton, CA community that was most harmed by not being present at any more of the ELCA Synod Assemblies remaining this year. This includes Rev. Ruben Duran who had been scheduled as our ELCA Churchwide for Synod Assembly. We respect Rev. Duran’s choice to act in solidarity with his community and we grieve his absence from our assembly. Unfortunately, this means that our assembly will have no Churchwide representative. It also means that the workshop Rev. Duran was scheduled to lead at assembly has been cancelled.

Additionally, while we have not been the perpetrators of this particular trauma on a vulnerable and marginalized people, we do acknowledge that we exist in and benefit from the same systems which have allowed this harm to occur. We are taking the Listening Team’s recommendations to the Sierra Pacific Synod as though they were made to our own synod and are considering ways that we might learn and grow to be better institutional representatives of Christ in our territory. We are aware that these events playing out in the larger church have had an impact on the Latiné leaders in our own synod as well and are working to ensure there is adequate space, attention, and care for their responses.

There are also potential impacts to our territory which have yet to unfold as the situation has not yet come to its completion. We anticipate that there will be more to be said next week and are paying close attention. It is also not lost that this situation involves recommendations for the removal of the first transgender bishop in the Lutheran church during Pride month and we will work to make space for the grief of the LGBTQIA+ community as well, and particularly those who are at the intersection of LGBTQIA+ and Latiné identities.

We are grateful for your patience as we see how things unfold and how our synod might continue to feel the impacts of these events. We ask that you pray for the Sierra Pacific Synod as they experience a very complex synod assembly, for all directly involved in the events in Sierra Pacific, for Presiding Bishop Eaton as she attempts to navigate the issue, and for our synod as we use this situation as an opportunity for our own learning.

In Christ,

Bishop Sue Briner

On Pentecost Sunday, June 5, the Spirit of God was among those gathered with First English Lutheran Church. The FELC Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF) hosted a festive hospitality and celebration as we learned more about supporting the educational programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). One of the HBCU’s is right here in Austin – Huston-Tillotson University. We also gave thanks for the witness of beloved FELC members Mrs. Zeta and Dr. Mel Sikes, both of whom benefited from HBCU’s. We learned about our connections with the Sikes legacy, HBCU’s, and heard from several speakers, including Pastor Regina Earls of Vision of Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church, our partner in ministry. Pastor Earls is a graduate of an HBCU. We also viewed a new lending library with racial justice books and other materials that will be part of our onsite FELC Second Readings Library.

We are invited to directly support Huston-Tillotson University, and we encourage you to invest now at: www.htu.edu Donor cards and pre-addressed envelopes are also available in the sanctuary and during Sunday morning hospitality time.

Our thanks to the RJTF for hosting this celebration, especially to Fred Woody for his excellent and caring leadership of this event.

For more information on advancing racial justice through FELC, contact: Barbara Schutz 512 694 6916; Barbara Wiederaenders 512 451 0684; Mari Ward 979 209 4527; Charlotte Gilman 512 332 6102; Derek Bridges 512 671 0918.  Visit: www.felcaustin.org/ministries/racial-justice

A Meditation on Psalm 77 after Uvalde from Pastor Michael Coffey

I have written a new blog post and I invite you to read it here:

http://www.ocotillopub.org/2022/05/refusing-to-be-comforted-meditation-on.html

— Pastor Michael Coffey

Advancing Racial Justice

Celebrating Zeta and Mel Sikes & HBCU’s: Pentecost Sunday, June 5 at 11:15 am

On Pentecost Sunday, June 5, the Racial Justice Team hosts a celebration in the Fellowship Hall during the “Hospitality Time” between the FELC and Vision of Hope African American Episcopal Church services. The focus will be on supporting the educational programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). During the celebration we will be honoring the memory of Zeta & Dr. Mel Sikes, both of whom were alumni of HBCU’s, and members of FELC. 

AND, follow this link for several upcoming ways to learn, advocate, and serve as we strive for racial justice: www.felcaustin.org/ministries/racial-justice

“During the last five weeks of this Spring, I facilitated an adult forum on the ELCA’s Social Statements – teaching documents which help churches facilitate conversation around vital social issues. Weekly, we gathered via Community Zoom to wade into another topic – discussing the death penalty, sexism, human sexuality, and the criminal justice system. These were not easy conversations as many held strong beliefs or had personal experience with these topics. Not only that, but we found ourselves in a time when heartbreak and suffering seemed the daily routine. It felt like we were carrying a new pain or injustice into the space each week. And yet, our brave conversation partners were able to create a space of vulnerability and openness. We held space for each other, leaned into our traditions of confession and lament, and wondered together about the needs of the church, the neighbor, and the world. Through these practices, we began to think more deeply about what it means to be a church who hears the cries of the suffering and responds in faith. It was an honor to co-create these moments of reflection and wonder with all who joined, and I know I will be carrying many of our insights and questions into my future ministry.

Folks also requested the PowerPoint be added to the website, so that PDF is attached.

2022 ELCA Social Statements Adult Forum

In Christ,

— Vicar Wes Isberner”