by Bishop Bill Gohl
Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things... – Psalm 98:1, ELW
With six bishop elections across this church over the last week, our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Conference of Bishops changed again. I say "again" since the last year has seen the Conference take a decidedly "younger" turn – incarnated in the elections of Kristin Kuempel, Erik Gronberg, Daniel Beaudoin and myself (and Michael Rhyne before us) after a spate of retirements that included a number of our predecessors who served this church in the COB for 6, 12 and 18 years.
Still, this weekend was a strong sign that the church is becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit moving among us in the elections of Patricia Davenport and Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, the first African descent women to be called as synodical bishops in the ELCA. Their new calls to serve among us as bishops of the church further help us reach our 1988 commitments to be a more diverse, inclusive and multi-cultural church. For those 30 years, we have been living into a commitment to become a church that would be at least 10% people of color or whose primary language is other than English – in these historic elections, the COB, representing this church's synodical leadership, becomes the most significant iteration of progress toward that goal. Though we're only speaking about 6 of 65 synodical bishops being people of color or whose primary language is other than English (7, if you include Wilma Kucharek, Slovak Zion Synod bishop, whose fluent Slovak is the primary language of her work); this is a big shift in a leadership body that has reflected, for a generation, the monolithic homogeneity of the ELCA.
Our presiding bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, speaking to Religion News Service from her office in Chicago said, "We claim, over and over again, what God is calling us to be is a diverse, inclusive, multicultural church. We've been stuck for over 30 years, and I hope this is the start of a trend where God opens our eyes to see the giftedness of people who are not of European descent." [source]
The first signs of the Spirit's movement were seen in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod (Philadelphia-area). For me, the "hallelujah moment" was felt in the lead-up to the electing ballot. Some might remember that in the ELCA, most synods ballot for bishops over the course of up to five ballots; the first is an ecclesiastical nominating ballot, the second is everyone from the first ballot who didn't remove themselves from consideration, the third is the top seven by number of votes, the fourth is the top three and the fifth the top two. In Southeastern Pennsylvania, the top seven and top three vote-getters included multiple people of color!
Not to diminish the election of Bishop-elect Davenport, but the multiple people of color on those ballots was a crossroads of history and hope for me and many who were watching from across the church and world. This wasn't tokenism or quotas at work, this was a church living more fully into the Pentecost moment where the richness of this church's ordained leadership was being raised up for the life of the church and world. To see Carlton Rodgers and Charles Leonard among the seven, and Pastor Rodgers among the three, gave a tremendous surge of hope throughout this church. The election actually took place on the fourth ballot, the assembly speaking clearly with one voice that Patricia Davenport was being called by God and God's people to be a bishop of the church for such a time as this.
Bishop-elect Davenport is eminently gifted for this work. An Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission in that synod, in some ways she follows the path that was beaten by her predecessor and partner in ministry, the Bishop Claire Burkat.
Though ordained ministry was a second career, Bishop-elect Davenport has served every expression of this church – churchwide, synodical and congregational – as both a lay leader and ordained pastor. With her late husband, Joel, she was a mission developer and pastor for a new start in that synod. Of her gifts for this new call, Bishop-elect Davenport said, "I am a devoted disciple, faithful steward and a humble servant of God who in my role as pastor accompany lay people in the ebb and flow of daily life. In my role as DEM, I supervise mission developers in forming new or redeveloping ministries, some have borne fruit and others have not, causing me to make hard decisions of termination for our process and mission plans to achieve our goals. All gifts are rooted in my faith exhibited in my resilience as I preach the Word, preside at communion, pray at beds or gravesides, jump rope with or cheer for our youth at football or basketball games; however, even more so my gift to speak truth to power in difficult situations of injustice." [source]
I’ve known Bishop-elect Davenport as a neighboring colleague during my own short tenure as bishop of our synod, as she has helped us with candidate placement in northern Delaware; I am so looking forward to knowing her as a colleague now in the Conference of Bishops. Hers is an important voice, may those of us with ears listen!
Meanwhile, over 900 miles away in the South Central Synod of Wisconsin, Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, a pastor in Beloit, Wisconsin became bishop-elect on the fifth ballot. Pastor Thomas-Breitfeld will succeed Bishop Mary Froiland, who is returning to parish ministry after having served a season of ministry as bishop. To be candid, there was some expectation that the Assistant to the Bishop, Pastor Steve Kottke, would be easily elected. While I know Pastor Kottke, as well - and I am grateful for his service in this church - I was overwhelmed with joy that the people of South Central Synod of Wisconsin called Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld to be their next bishop.
The bishop-elect has served a myriad of ministries as associate pastor, co-pastor, pastor, campus pastor, interim pastor and senior/lead pastor. I first came to know Pastor Thomas-Breitfeld and her husband Pastor Fred Thomas-Breitfeld when they were presenters at a learning event that Arwyn and I took part in for white pastors serving congregations with significant African descent populations. In these last years, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing both Thomas-Breitfelds though our participation in the African Descent Lutheran Association, of which they have both been champions. I am excited that she will be a colleague now in the Conference of Bishops; she brings a collaborative spirit and a multi-cultural vision that will enliven this church!
Bishop-elect Thomas-Breitfeld is gifted and tested, she is collaborative and has a godly vision of what the church can and should be. Of her gifts for this new call, the bishop-elect said, "I come to this process with a deep sense that God has gifted me to love and serve God's diverse people. I bring the gift of shepherding God's people as they walk in a discipling journey towards God's beloved community. I bring the gift of accompaniment, walking with the people of God in our synod: teaching. preaching, celebrating the sacraments and listening to them as we seek God's direction in our lives together. I bring the gift of a missional focus that moves us to respond positively to Jesus' call to go into all the world (to cradle Lutherans such as myself and to those on the margins) inviting all to God's table of grace. I bring the gift of speaking the truth in love, helping people to critically look at who we are and where God is calling us to be. I bring the gift of being passionately, and intentionally, anti-racist and multi-cultural - believing water is thicker than blood which make us one baptismal family. I bring the gift of administration to enable us to effectively conduct the synod's business." [source]
The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, assistant professor of preaching and worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky, was quoted by RNS as having said the elections signify a poignant moment for the denomination: “This is a turning point for the ELCA. It is incredibly important that, at a time when our society needs to see women of color reach the highest levels of leadership, that it’s the church where this is happening."
The words of the Psalm from this last Sunday just keep reverberating through my mind and heart, even as they resound around this church in the calls of Bishop-elect Davenport and Bishop-elect Thomas-Breitfeld: "Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things, whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory! Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing!"
I am reminded of my late grandmother, who well into her 90s summed up her excitement for the many changes she had witnessed throughout her life: "How sweet it is to stand on the edge of tomorrow." In these new calls for Patricia Davenport and Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, a glimpse of "tomorrow" has finally come. It has been a long road, and there is still a long way to go in this church that we love; still the long arc is continuing to bend towards justice - and for today, it is marvelous.
Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things, whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory. Lord, you have made known your victory, you have revealed your righteousness in the sight of the nations. You remember your steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the voice of song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy before the king, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world and those who dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, who comes to judge the earth. The Lord will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. – Psalm 98, ELW
Our presiding bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, speaking to Religion News Service from her office in Chicago said, "We claim, over and over again, what God is calling us to be is a diverse, inclusive, multicultural church. We've been stuck for over 30 years, and I hope this is the start of a trend where God opens our eyes to see the giftedness of people who are not of European descent." [source]
The first signs of the Spirit's movement were seen in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod (Philadelphia-area). For me, the "hallelujah moment" was felt in the lead-up to the electing ballot. Some might remember that in the ELCA, most synods ballot for bishops over the course of up to five ballots; the first is an ecclesiastical nominating ballot, the second is everyone from the first ballot who didn't remove themselves from consideration, the third is the top seven by number of votes, the fourth is the top three and the fifth the top two. In Southeastern Pennsylvania, the top seven and top three vote-getters included multiple people of color!
Not to diminish the election of Bishop-elect Davenport, but the multiple people of color on those ballots was a crossroads of history and hope for me and many who were watching from across the church and world. This wasn't tokenism or quotas at work, this was a church living more fully into the Pentecost moment where the richness of this church's ordained leadership was being raised up for the life of the church and world. To see Carlton Rodgers and Charles Leonard among the seven, and Pastor Rodgers among the three, gave a tremendous surge of hope throughout this church. The election actually took place on the fourth ballot, the assembly speaking clearly with one voice that Patricia Davenport was being called by God and God's people to be a bishop of the church for such a time as this.
Bishop-elect Davenport is eminently gifted for this work. An Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission in that synod, in some ways she follows the path that was beaten by her predecessor and partner in ministry, the Bishop Claire Burkat.
Though ordained ministry was a second career, Bishop-elect Davenport has served every expression of this church – churchwide, synodical and congregational – as both a lay leader and ordained pastor. With her late husband, Joel, she was a mission developer and pastor for a new start in that synod. Of her gifts for this new call, Bishop-elect Davenport said, "I am a devoted disciple, faithful steward and a humble servant of God who in my role as pastor accompany lay people in the ebb and flow of daily life. In my role as DEM, I supervise mission developers in forming new or redeveloping ministries, some have borne fruit and others have not, causing me to make hard decisions of termination for our process and mission plans to achieve our goals. All gifts are rooted in my faith exhibited in my resilience as I preach the Word, preside at communion, pray at beds or gravesides, jump rope with or cheer for our youth at football or basketball games; however, even more so my gift to speak truth to power in difficult situations of injustice." [source]
I’ve known Bishop-elect Davenport as a neighboring colleague during my own short tenure as bishop of our synod, as she has helped us with candidate placement in northern Delaware; I am so looking forward to knowing her as a colleague now in the Conference of Bishops. Hers is an important voice, may those of us with ears listen!
Meanwhile, over 900 miles away in the South Central Synod of Wisconsin, Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, a pastor in Beloit, Wisconsin became bishop-elect on the fifth ballot. Pastor Thomas-Breitfeld will succeed Bishop Mary Froiland, who is returning to parish ministry after having served a season of ministry as bishop. To be candid, there was some expectation that the Assistant to the Bishop, Pastor Steve Kottke, would be easily elected. While I know Pastor Kottke, as well - and I am grateful for his service in this church - I was overwhelmed with joy that the people of South Central Synod of Wisconsin called Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld to be their next bishop.
The bishop-elect has served a myriad of ministries as associate pastor, co-pastor, pastor, campus pastor, interim pastor and senior/lead pastor. I first came to know Pastor Thomas-Breitfeld and her husband Pastor Fred Thomas-Breitfeld when they were presenters at a learning event that Arwyn and I took part in for white pastors serving congregations with significant African descent populations. In these last years, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing both Thomas-Breitfelds though our participation in the African Descent Lutheran Association, of which they have both been champions. I am excited that she will be a colleague now in the Conference of Bishops; she brings a collaborative spirit and a multi-cultural vision that will enliven this church!
Bishop-elect Thomas-Breitfeld is gifted and tested, she is collaborative and has a godly vision of what the church can and should be. Of her gifts for this new call, the bishop-elect said, "I come to this process with a deep sense that God has gifted me to love and serve God's diverse people. I bring the gift of shepherding God's people as they walk in a discipling journey towards God's beloved community. I bring the gift of accompaniment, walking with the people of God in our synod: teaching. preaching, celebrating the sacraments and listening to them as we seek God's direction in our lives together. I bring the gift of a missional focus that moves us to respond positively to Jesus' call to go into all the world (to cradle Lutherans such as myself and to those on the margins) inviting all to God's table of grace. I bring the gift of speaking the truth in love, helping people to critically look at who we are and where God is calling us to be. I bring the gift of being passionately, and intentionally, anti-racist and multi-cultural - believing water is thicker than blood which make us one baptismal family. I bring the gift of administration to enable us to effectively conduct the synod's business." [source]
The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, assistant professor of preaching and worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky, was quoted by RNS as having said the elections signify a poignant moment for the denomination: “This is a turning point for the ELCA. It is incredibly important that, at a time when our society needs to see women of color reach the highest levels of leadership, that it’s the church where this is happening."
The words of the Psalm from this last Sunday just keep reverberating through my mind and heart, even as they resound around this church in the calls of Bishop-elect Davenport and Bishop-elect Thomas-Breitfeld: "Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things, whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory! Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing!"
I am reminded of my late grandmother, who well into her 90s summed up her excitement for the many changes she had witnessed throughout her life: "How sweet it is to stand on the edge of tomorrow." In these new calls for Patricia Davenport and Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, a glimpse of "tomorrow" has finally come. It has been a long road, and there is still a long way to go in this church that we love; still the long arc is continuing to bend towards justice - and for today, it is marvelous.
Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things, whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory. Lord, you have made known your victory, you have revealed your righteousness in the sight of the nations. You remember your steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the voice of song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy before the king, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world and those who dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, who comes to judge the earth. The Lord will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. – Psalm 98, ELW