Statement from Bishop Bob Humphrey as ELCA Reaffirms Commitment to Combat Racism, White Supremacy
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Recent news of the brutal murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, point us to far too many others whose names we may not recall, but all of whom are beloved and for whom our Lord Jesus died a brutal death in the outskirts of Jerusalem.
I have joined the other ELCA Bishops in
an open letter
reminding us all of our calling and commitments: to confess sinful complicity, become Anti-Racist, denounce the lie of white supremacy and BOLDY stand up, speak out and act now! We must be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
In the midst understandable outpouring of anger, grief and frustration accumulated over generations, I do not condone violence, but I do believe this is a time for serious and systemic reform. I join our Presiding Bishop in calling our beloved church into a time of confession, repentance and change.
I also commend to you the powerful statements written by our Virginia Council of Churches Anti-Racism Pro-Conciliation
Team and
The National Council of Churches
with whom we share critical institutional ties to our siblings in Christ who are also Black, Indigenous or Persons of Color.
Please join in, and encourage participation among friends and members of your congregations, the many commemorations on June 17th, the 5th Anniversary of the Mother Emmanuel Nine murders.
And, please, “say the names” of these and other victims of racial violence in your daily prayers and conversations. May these atrocities and the resulting protests prompt us to create desperately needed change in ourselves, our church and our communities.
Dear siblings in Christ, we have a lot of work to do... As always, wherever you stand along the rich continuum of our Church and Synod... you continue in my prayers.
Bishop Bob Humphrey
Virginia Synod, ELCA
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Virginia Synod Brings the Heat with Virtual "Tongues of Fire" 5K
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This past Sunday as part of Pentecost we invited the Virginia Synod to participate in our first ever virtual "Tongues of Fire" 5k as we remembered all the ways the Holy Spirit blesses us and sends us out into the world. With 250 registered racers we're so happy to have shared in such an eventful race day across our synod! Some of our racer ran, walked, or jogged, others rode bikes, walked their animals (many dogs, and at least one chicken), or floated on their kayaks- a true abundance in creatively stewarding our bodies. Visit our
Facebook event page for more fun stories shared of how race day was spent in our synod. A special thanks to
The Rev. Rachel Manke for serving as our race coordinator as well as
The Rev. Colleen Montgomery and
The Rev. Kelly Bayer Derrick who wrote the prayer liturgy for use during the race.
For all those who participated
in this year's 5K we're hoping you will join us for a finish line celebration event on Zoom on
Thursday, June 4th at 6 PM
where we will celebrate our race, and distribute awards for our racers and cheerleaders!
Meeting ID: 938 1456 1991
Password: 131572
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George Kegley Retires As Virginia Lutheran Editor
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After almost 60 years,
George Kegley is retiring as editor of the monthly Virginia Lutheran newsletter following the latest June issue.
Bishop Bob Humphrey has shared that the 99-year-old publication will continue to share impactful long form storytelling in new and exciting ways moving forward. Kegley, a member of St. Mark’s, Roanoke, and a retired newspaper reporter, was the first layperson to edit the publication, starting in September 1960.
The Office of the Bishop wants to extend their great thanks and appreciation for the years of dedicated hard work and important ministry that George has provided. The stories of the Synod are unique and important to share as we live and serve our communities. Month after month George played a key role in sharing our stories throughout our Synod and with the national church publications as well. We also share great gratitude for the work of
Pastor Dwayne Westermann, who worked in partnership with George as part of the Virginia Lutheran's online distribution. Their partnership has left us richer in our ministry, and we look forward to continuing to share the good news of the church every day following the good example they set forth for us.
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Do You have an announcement, upcoming event or news story idea? Send it to Emily Pilat at
pilat@vasynod.org
and make sure to follow our
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The Virginia Synod is conducting a quick 4 question survey to determine which congregations received a PPP Loan and what resources you may be interested in having to support the application for loan forgiveness. Use the link below to complete the survey. Thank You!
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Virtual Youth Assembly 2020
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Attention Virginia Synod Youth who have just finished 7th-12th Grade, it's time to register for the Virtual Youth Assembly 2020!
Graduating High School Seniors and Parents can join in to the 3 PM Virtual Baccalaureate without registering for the Youth Assembly - please contact Dave Delaney at
delaney@vasynod.org no later than Wednesday, June 10th to get the Zoom link!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE (it really is a deadline this time!) is 10:00 PM, Wednesday, June 10th.
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Day of Remembrance and Repentance for the 'Emanuel 9' on Wednesday, June 17th, 2020
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On June 17th, 2015, Dylann Roof, a member on the rolls of St. Paul Lutheran Church – ELCA - in Charleston, SC entered Mother Emanuel AME church for a prayer meeting. He proceeded to shoot and kill nine of the people in attendance in an act born of white supremacy and racial hatred.
Last summer, at our Churchwide assembly, the ELCA voted and approved a resolution to set aside June 17th as a Day of Remembrance and Repentance for the Emanuel 9. Acting on this resolution, the Virginia Synod’s Tapestry team is hosting a Zoom meeting on
Wednesday
June 17th, 2020 at 7:00 PM for a time of remembering the Emanuel 9, an action step to take, and a prayer.
For more information on the upcoming Tapestry meeting and supporting resources for the Day of Remembrance and Repentance,
click here.
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Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival on Monday, June 20th, 2020
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The
Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is hosting a virtual march taking place on June 20th. The Poor People’s Campaign is a revival of the historic Martin Luther King Jr.- led movement of the same name organized 52 years ago. It is a non-partisan fusion coalition movement rising up; a new and unsettling force challenging our nation’s distorted moral narrative. It seeks to unite tens of thousands of people across the country in 40 states including Virginia and is led by Rev. Dr. William Barber, a North Carolina civil rights activist, and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-director of Union Theological Seminary’s Kairos Center. Instead of hosting a live march on June 20th in Washington D.C., the march will be hosted on line. For more information you can visit:
www.poorpeoplescampaign.org
The Tapestry team hopes that congregations will join in the Poor People’s Campaign virtual march on
Monday June 20th, 2020, and from there commit to engaging the issues of racism at least once a quarter. This can be done in many ways including book studies, viewing a movie and discussing it, or in in-depth anti-racism studies.
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Church Together for the Sake of the World: Virginia Synod $250 Daily Bread Matching Grants
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Because of COVID-19, the number of individuals experiencing food insecurity has risen steadily in Virginia. To assist congregations as they respond to this increasing need, the Virginia Synod will be offering
$250 matching grants to support community feeding ministries
. Thanks to generous donations to the Virginia Synod Disaster Relief Fund, the Synod will be able to
offer 20 grants beginning on June 8, 2020
. The grants will be funded on a first come, first serve basis. The grants will provide a dollar for dollar match up to $250.
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Caroline Furnace Camp at Home
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Camp at Home
($0-50) is an exciting online Summer Camp! With Camp at Home, you can see your favorite camp counselors and chaplains, spend time with your "cabin group", and join in on fun activities - all from home! PJs are optional. We can't wait to meet your pets. Bring your own snacks.
Camp at Home will have live, small group "cabin time" once a week, plus large group and pre-recorded praise breaks, fun activities that you can do at home, Bible studies, BYOL (bring your own lunch) community time, FAITH5, and daily vlogs from our Program Directors, Andy and Caroline. Long story short, Camp at Home is guaranteed to be lots of fun!
Registration for Camp at Home is now open. Participate in Camp at Home at no cost, and sign up for Camp in a Box if you'd like to get fun camp surprises and activity supplies delivered right to your door! Camp in a Box is $50.
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Impact1890 Program Update for 2020
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Normally at this time of the year, Impact1890–A National Lutheran Program would be announcing the time period during which grant proposals could be submitted for next year’s grants. However, this is far from a normal year. Impact1890 will not be awarding any new grants for 2021; only those organizations that were awarded a one-year grant for 2020 will be considered for a follow-on grant in 2021.
We recognize that organizations serving the needs of older adults are facing difficult times. Current financial resources are strained, as are longer-term investments. Some organizations are busier than ever; others have had to close their doors and furlough staff. All organizations are concerned with the health and safety of their staff members and the clients they serve. The National Lutheran family, while financially viable, is experiencing these same strains as we strive to provide the best care possible to residents, guests and clients in a time of uncertainty.
Please be on the lookout in the spring of 2021 for an announcement regarding 2022 Impact1890 grants. Any questions or inquiries should be directed to grants@impact1890.org.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kathryn Baerwald,
Executive Manager Impact1890, LLC
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Crumley Archives Spring 2020 "Archival Survey"
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The Spring 2020 Edition of the "Archival Survey" is available from the Crumley Crumley Archives. To get up to date on the latest happenings with issue 30,
click here.
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Summer Internships for College Students
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The
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
is looking for volunteers to work with us on our "Civic Engagement Summer" - we have 3 different opportunities: student interns, volunteers, and team captains. With this effort, we're hoping to increase voter turnout among congregations and activate folks in our network this year. This will be mostly virtual and we're looking for a geographically diverse set of folks.
Please share this with people in your congregation!
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Join the 75,000 More! Face Mask Challenge
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When Lutheran World Relief launched the 75,000 Face Mask Challenge less than a month ago, they knew the compassionate response would be overwhelming – and that good people like you would meet the challenge. They just had no idea you’d pull it off so quickly. Thank you!
As COVID-19 continues to make its way around the world, the poorest communities stand to bear the heaviest burdens. Cloth masks are a first barrier of defense, and the need is only increasing. To reach even more people in dire need, Lutheran World Relief is collecting 75,000 more masks! How many will you make to help stop the spread? Sign up for more info.
www.lwr.org/masks
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