An Important Synod Update from
Bishop Suarez
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Greetings from my home, north of Tampa! It has been a few weeks since my last Synod update. The truth is that not much has changed since then.
We are still asked by the local authorities to stay home for our own safety. This has been a very busy time for our pastors and deacons, as they now have to use technology for ministry. For some, it has been very difficult, because this is a new ability that they have to learn. For others, even those who are more familiar with the digital world, this technology still it has many components that have required loads of patience.
Not everyone responds the same way to being home all the time. Some keep busy and are able to be very productive; others have to deal with the anxieties of a new way of doing things.
Please, let us pray for those victims of abusive relationships and those who are most vulnerable: children, the elderly, and women.
That leads me to the question: when can we get back to worship in our church buildings? Although I cannot give you a definitive answer, I would like to point you in a direction...
+ Bp. Pedro
Rev. Pedro Suarez, Bishop
Florida-Bahamas Synod, ELCA
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The Florida-Bahamas Synod Congratulates Courtney Noya
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Congratulations to Courtney Noya, a recipient of the 2020-2021 ELCA Fund for Leaders Full Tuition Scholarship. Courtney is a member of All Saints Lutheran Church in Lutz.
Courtney plans to attend Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Prior to beginning her theological education, Courtney was a Young Adult in Global Mission in Mexico in 2018-2019.
The ELCA Fund for Leaders scholarship program supports students of tremendous promise attending ELCA seminaries. By making seminary more affordable, the ELCA Fund for Leaders enables more future ministers to go to seminary and helps them graduate with less debt, empowering those whom God calls into ministry to go and serve as the church needs and the Holy Spirit leads.
Please keep Courtney and other seminarians in prayer as they prepare to serve the Lord as church leaders!
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St. Paul’s Lutheran Gets Creative to Celebrate Member’s Milestone Birthday
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St. Paul’s Lutheran in Clearwater wouldn’t let the coronavirus pandemic prevent them from celebrating a long-time congregation member.
On April 11, St. Paul’s wanted to mark the 90
th birthday of member Janice Fernow. Because of COVID-19, they couldn’t gather in Kinports Hall to sing and rejoice, as they normally would have done. Instead, many members in about 15 vehicles assembled and paraded past Janice’s apartment to celebrate.
The parade included couples, singles, children, older members, and new members together. They honked, sang, waved homemade signs, and carried balloons along their parade route.
After the parade, celebrators stood six feet apart to sing Happy Birthday to Janice. Neighbors also came to their porches and balconies and joined in the celebration. Some neighbors filmed the event and provided the video to Janice later.
The celebration was a boisterous, loving, and safe way to celebrate a beloved member!
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Retired Florida-Bahamas Synod Pastor and Wife Recovering from COVID-19 Together
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After returning from a trip, Anita Unrath began feeling ill. Her symptoms included a fever, fatigue, and a dry cough. On March 20, the same day Anita’s fever finally broke, she tested positive for the coronavirus.
Luckily, Anita has been recovering steadily. She seems to be part of the 80% of patients who develop only mild to moderate symptoms. Her husband Tom, however, has had a tougher battle.
A retired pastor from Messiah Lutheran Church of Cocoa, Tom was diagnosed three days after Anita. He’s been battling the disease for several weeks and went to the emergency room recently, where he fortunately tested negative for pneumonia. Tom also has multiple sclerosis and asthma, and the coronavirus has worsened the symptoms of his preexisting conditions.
Thankfully, Tom is beginning to feel better. As of this week, he’s optimistic that he’s in the final stretch of the disease. Anita is also finding ways to use her experience with COVID-19 to help others. She’s interested in donating her plasma, as researchers continue to study whether plasma from people who recovered from COVID-19 could help other patients.
For now, Anita continues to care for her husband as he recovers from COVID-19.
Please continue to pray for those recovering from COVID-19, both in our community and around the world.
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Right now, it's more important than ever to remain connected to our congregations in prayer and ministry.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod wants to hear about ministry success at your church during COVID-19! We especially want to see photos of ministry in action!
If you have a ministry story to share with us, please submit it to our Communications Specialist at marinae@fbsynod.org. If you've shared a ministry story on Facebook, you can also tag the Florida-Bahamas Synod Facebook page in the post!
We encourage all congregations to submit photos and stories, regardless of how big or small the successes may seem! If you have experienced ministry success during COVID-19, let us know!
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Join the 75,000 Face Mask Challenge
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COVID-19 is threatening vulnerable communities, and Lutheran World Relief urgently needs cloth face masks. How many will you make to help stop the spread?
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ATTENTION All Pastors and Leaders:
Your Synod is in the process of requesting a grant from FEMA to support our Food Pantries and requires vital information.
If you have not already done so, please provide the following information on Food Pantries hosted by FBS congregations:
Church/Location/Point of Contact/Number of Families Served Monthly/Current Operational Status
Please send this information to Jim Habermehl at JimH@fbsynod.org.
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Church Leaders: Be Sure to Submit
Forms A & C
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The ELCA Office of the Secretary is reminding all church leaders to submit Forms A & C soon. The 2019 data will be used to allocate voting members for the 2022 Churchwide Assembly.
About 2/3 of our congregations have submitted Forms A & C. If you have not submitted your forms yet, please do so soon!
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Click on the calendar icon to see more
events on the Synod calendar
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Registration is open for the Region 9 Rostered Women's Gathering, happening Nov. 2-4, 2020 at the Embassy Suites near the Atlanta airport in Atlanta, GA. This event is for rostered pastors and deacons who want to spend a few days in fellowship and learning with other rostered women from region 9. Bishops in residence for the event include Bishop Idalia Negron from the Carribean Synod and Bishop Susan Briner from the Southwest Texas Synod.
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September 26
- Bishop's Visit, Lord of Life, Miami
October 10
- Bishop's Visit, Advent, Melbourne
*Rostered ministers are invited to vest and process at installation and ordination services. Red is worn for ordination, color of the day is worn for installations.
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Stay in the Know!
Our Synod regularly updates our website with current COVID-19 resources for leaders. Right now, you can find information on the Paycheck Protection Program, Pandemic Precautions, Tips for Kids, and more by visiting our website.
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April Update from Portico Benefit Services
People of God, these are interesting times to be in ministry. As you master many new skills and carry concerns about your people, your church’s finances, and your own family, please know that Portico is here to walk with you. Portico plan members, sign in to myPortico for these timely resources:
A new
hub on myPortico details financial and health resources specifically related to COVID-19, including:
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updates on how the CARES Act can provide financial relief for congregations
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telemedicine and emotional health support options for ELCA-Primary and ELCA Medicare-Primary plan members
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answers about managing or adjusting flexible spending accounts
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financial resources from the ELCA Retirement Plan Recordkeeping Services Provider, Fidelity
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perspective on the investment markets and how we navigate volatility
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ways to remain emotionally grounded as retirement account balances fluctuate
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resources Portico offers to help you through these uncertain times
*Communicator note: if you prefer to print out web links, please use these:
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