Table Talk Newsletter

Council President’s Corner

From June Table Talk

Pastor Beard and I attended the Synod Assembly in Walnut Creek on Saturday May 17. For anyone worried about the decline in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs in our country, the assembly was a very encouraging place to be. Diversity and Inclusion were front and center at the event.

It began with picking up our name tags at the check-in table. All name tags were replete with one's preferred pronouns. Then we heard an impassioned plea from Lutheran Social Services to contact our state and federal representatives to ask them to support food and health care programs for people experiencing poverty. They are under attack at both levels as they have never been before.

We heard a report from the new bishop on how he's settling into his new role. But to fully appreciate his position, I need to recount some events from an assembly I attended about 15-20 years ago. Among the resolutions considered that year, was one to allow openly gay/lesbian pastors to be rostered with the synod. It was possible for gay/lesbian pastors to serve churches in the synod. They just weren't formally recognized and could not vote at assemblies. This assembly also offered a workshop on working with people experiencing homelessness. The workshop had a moderator, but it became clear that two pastors from San Francisco were the most knowledgeable on the subject. It was clear they had been working closely with the unhoused for years. They had a deep understanding of the needs of the unhoused and could recite where food, clothing, shelter, and health care services were available for them. It also became apparent that these two pastors were among those who could not be rostered because they were gay. At that point, it was hard not to conclude that our church at large had a problem because we were ostracizing the most dedicated and knowledgeable people in one of Christ's core missions.

Fast forward 15-20 years and one of those pastors, Jeff Johnson, is now our bishop. In his address, he noted how bishops typically note their position by wearing a special ring. A colleague recommended he acquire one. He stopped into a neighborhood jewelry shop to evaluate the options. A male bishop with a husband is a unique situation. He opted not to select a ring at that time. Shortly after, he ran into a former bishop - someone who had been an adversary during the rostering of gay clergy debate. The former bishop raised the ring issue to Bishop Jeff and asked if he'd be willing to take and wear his. In a glorious act of reconciliation, Jeff accepted the ring - and it fit perfectly without adjustment.

The assembly's keynote speaker was a bishop-level leader in the Presbyterian church. (The assembly was held in a Presbyterian church due to last-minute electrical problems at the Lutheran Church in Walnut Creek.) She is a biracial lesbian woman. Among the highlights of her address was a focus on the Saturday after Good Friday and before Easter. This was a dreadful day when all seemed to have been lost. No one knew a resurrection was coming. We should be inspired to hope by that day.

Pastor Beard felt, "It was an inspirational gathering. We are going through a process of healing in our synod in many ways here and that call for reconciliation and love is paramount and very important here. And so, it was an uplifting gathering that lifted up the power of hope in all ways there."

Needless to say, synod assemblies can be very engaging events. All should consider experiencing them at some point.

Yours in Christ,
Cam Bauer