Richard Johnson
- ALPB Administrator
- ALPB Contribution Leader
- Posts: 6778
- Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Each will have five minutes.
Eaton: Bp. Svennungsen just said she'd like to have a beer with us, so I think we'll be leaving in a few minutes. . .
In 2009 we made a decision that was very difficult and costly. I think it was the right decision, but I don't think we've fully grieved it. I thank you for your faithfulness when so many decided they could not longer be part of this body. One of the collateral damages is that the hermeneutics of suspicion have infiltrated our church. We saw that in the discussion about folding ballots. Hanging chads has come into the church! My prayer is that we might grow to trust one another again, to see in one another a sinner for whom Christ died, redeemed. We need to start to trust each other. It's us, for heaven's sake, it's not the government! I want to make sure that those who believe that our decision in 2009 was not correct also have a voice and a place in this church. As immigrants we were insulated form the American religious experience; now we need to reclaim the Lutheran heritage of ambiguity as long as we agree on Christ crucified, that we are sinner and saint, set free to serve the neighbor. That is not the American Protestant message, but we need to reclaim it. In the end, all we have is Christ and Christ crucified.
Hanson: I'm often asked about favorite Bible story. I return to the night when Jesus appeared uninvited to the disciples behind locked doors, breathed on them the Holy Spirit, and then sent them back into the world that crucified Jesus. That's were we are--sent back into the world. Let's become more fluent in the language of faith with Carlos the pizza man and Mary Margaret at Starbucks [he mentioned them in the the Q & A, too]. Think about it: 25 years ago when this church was formed, we had not one global companion church, not one intercommunion partner, we didn't know about the internet. We haven't begun to imagine the possibilities that the Spirit is giving to us. Faith means sharing story of Jesus, but also fighting malaria, caring for creation, etc. Together we face the challenge: how will we prepare leaders that reflect the church God is calling us to become. Creating a climate of trust must be our priority. We are not a poor church; look at the leadership with which we are blessed, the power of the gospel. How about if we become the Evangelical Pentecostal Lutheran Church in America?
Svennungsen: When I visit congregations, I talk about the interdependence of the three expressions of the ELCA. Sometimes we have this corporate picture of the church. But if I am to believe the LIFT report, I must see that synod and churchwide are here to support the congregation, the place where the gospel actually meets people. What would it be like if we saw that throughout the church, and got rid of that organizational model altogether? I see this as a vocational discernment process. Why might I be called to lead this ecology of the church? I've had lots of experience leading congregations, ecumenical agencies, Fund for Theological Education, Texas Lutheran University, the synod. I lead by pulling together a team, one of my greatest strengths. I don't think there is a perfect leader. All the leaders before you today are extraordinary and faithful. How do we see ourselves building teams that complement and help us be effective? I also bring a life story shaped by a theology of the cross. I know loss. I'm a breast cancer survivor; I'm the parent of a down syndrome child who's now fighting leukemia. I trust in the theology of the cross; we learn, grow, God holds us and will never let us go.
Crist: Bp. Hanson spoke about being a Pentecost church. I'm in love with the Pentecost story of believers gathered together, beleaguered, and the storm coming in and transforming them. Suddenly new languages are coming out of their mouths. Outside was the world, the world which had not previously been inside, that did not previously understand the language the disciples spoke. But then they began to hear in their own languages. We are gathered here and we have our language, our procedure; but we are empowered through our baptism, by water and the Holy Spirit, to go out to "the other" in our society and speak in the language of "the other"--to reach out, be vulnerable, take the risk to speak to "the other." Who would that be for us? It is different in every context. Where I live, the other in part is the Native people who have lived there for thousands of years and whom we are not engaging through a Lutheran apology. It's all the unchurched "spiritual but not religious." Who is it where you live? You are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out and listen, learn the language of the other so that the good news may be proclaimed in Jesus' name.
The assembly sang "Beautiful Savior." Then VP Pena explained the voting procedure (being done by machine). After prayer, the assembly voted. The results:
Total ballots: 919 Necessary for election (2/3): 613
Eaton 345
Hanson 271
Crist 171
Svennungsen 130
Marty 1
Lundblad 0
Lose 0
Top three proceed to next ballot. That will happen this afternoon, after further Q&A.
Observations: This is an interesting turn of events. The top three stayed the same (Svennungsen just didn't rise, and to some was viewed as just another church bureaucrat). But Eaton catapulted, and quite dramatically, from third place to first. My sense is that she came off as the most serious and thoughtful--the one who was substantive, aware of the lack of trust across the church, the one who didn't tell compelling and sympathy-engendering personal anecdotes. Unless things change dramatically over the next few hours, she seems likely to be our next presiding bishop.
Interesting to note that now all three top candidates are graduates of non-Lutheran divinity schools. This would not in itself be a terrible thing, except that two of them are Harvard.
(roj, MDiv Yale '75)
Pena proceeded to explain the common ballot (that's voting for all the non-officer positions--church council, board members, etc.). The ballot is due later today.
Memorials committee was then called up; chair explained their work.
Eaton: Bp. Svennungsen just said she'd like to have a beer with us, so I think we'll be leaving in a few minutes. . .
In 2009 we made a decision that was very difficult and costly. I think it was the right decision, but I don't think we've fully grieved it. I thank you for your faithfulness when so many decided they could not longer be part of this body. One of the collateral damages is that the hermeneutics of suspicion have infiltrated our church. We saw that in the discussion about folding ballots. Hanging chads has come into the church! My prayer is that we might grow to trust one another again, to see in one another a sinner for whom Christ died, redeemed. We need to start to trust each other. It's us, for heaven's sake, it's not the government! I want to make sure that those who believe that our decision in 2009 was not correct also have a voice and a place in this church. As immigrants we were insulated form the American religious experience; now we need to reclaim the Lutheran heritage of ambiguity as long as we agree on Christ crucified, that we are sinner and saint, set free to serve the neighbor. That is not the American Protestant message, but we need to reclaim it. In the end, all we have is Christ and Christ crucified.
Hanson: I'm often asked about favorite Bible story. I return to the night when Jesus appeared uninvited to the disciples behind locked doors, breathed on them the Holy Spirit, and then sent them back into the world that crucified Jesus. That's were we are--sent back into the world. Let's become more fluent in the language of faith with Carlos the pizza man and Mary Margaret at Starbucks [he mentioned them in the the Q & A, too]. Think about it: 25 years ago when this church was formed, we had not one global companion church, not one intercommunion partner, we didn't know about the internet. We haven't begun to imagine the possibilities that the Spirit is giving to us. Faith means sharing story of Jesus, but also fighting malaria, caring for creation, etc. Together we face the challenge: how will we prepare leaders that reflect the church God is calling us to become. Creating a climate of trust must be our priority. We are not a poor church; look at the leadership with which we are blessed, the power of the gospel. How about if we become the Evangelical Pentecostal Lutheran Church in America?
Svennungsen: When I visit congregations, I talk about the interdependence of the three expressions of the ELCA. Sometimes we have this corporate picture of the church. But if I am to believe the LIFT report, I must see that synod and churchwide are here to support the congregation, the place where the gospel actually meets people. What would it be like if we saw that throughout the church, and got rid of that organizational model altogether? I see this as a vocational discernment process. Why might I be called to lead this ecology of the church? I've had lots of experience leading congregations, ecumenical agencies, Fund for Theological Education, Texas Lutheran University, the synod. I lead by pulling together a team, one of my greatest strengths. I don't think there is a perfect leader. All the leaders before you today are extraordinary and faithful. How do we see ourselves building teams that complement and help us be effective? I also bring a life story shaped by a theology of the cross. I know loss. I'm a breast cancer survivor; I'm the parent of a down syndrome child who's now fighting leukemia. I trust in the theology of the cross; we learn, grow, God holds us and will never let us go.
Crist: Bp. Hanson spoke about being a Pentecost church. I'm in love with the Pentecost story of believers gathered together, beleaguered, and the storm coming in and transforming them. Suddenly new languages are coming out of their mouths. Outside was the world, the world which had not previously been inside, that did not previously understand the language the disciples spoke. But then they began to hear in their own languages. We are gathered here and we have our language, our procedure; but we are empowered through our baptism, by water and the Holy Spirit, to go out to "the other" in our society and speak in the language of "the other"--to reach out, be vulnerable, take the risk to speak to "the other." Who would that be for us? It is different in every context. Where I live, the other in part is the Native people who have lived there for thousands of years and whom we are not engaging through a Lutheran apology. It's all the unchurched "spiritual but not religious." Who is it where you live? You are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out and listen, learn the language of the other so that the good news may be proclaimed in Jesus' name.
The assembly sang "Beautiful Savior." Then VP Pena explained the voting procedure (being done by machine). After prayer, the assembly voted. The results:
Total ballots: 919 Necessary for election (2/3): 613
Eaton 345
Hanson 271
Crist 171
Svennungsen 130
Marty 1
Lundblad 0
Lose 0
Top three proceed to next ballot. That will happen this afternoon, after further Q&A.
Observations: This is an interesting turn of events. The top three stayed the same (Svennungsen just didn't rise, and to some was viewed as just another church bureaucrat). But Eaton catapulted, and quite dramatically, from third place to first. My sense is that she came off as the most serious and thoughtful--the one who was substantive, aware of the lack of trust across the church, the one who didn't tell compelling and sympathy-engendering personal anecdotes. Unless things change dramatically over the next few hours, she seems likely to be our next presiding bishop.
Interesting to note that now all three top candidates are graduates of non-Lutheran divinity schools. This would not in itself be a terrible thing, except that two of them are Harvard.
(roj, MDiv Yale '75)Pena proceeded to explain the common ballot (that's voting for all the non-officer positions--church council, board members, etc.). The ballot is due later today.
Memorials committee was then called up; chair explained their work.
---
Elections in a closed group are always interesting; ecclesiastical ballots can be fascinating (especially to this LCMS observer, since we don't do that in our churchbody).
Looking at the vote totals from the first three ballots, it is noticeable how both Hanson and Crist fell from the 2nd ballot to the 3rd ballot:
Hanson: 440 369 271
Crist: 53 272 171
Eaton: 23 87 345
Svennungsen: 10 36 130
It looks like there had been some initial coalescing around Crist (+219), but then she lost ground(-101). Hanson has been losing votes on each ballot: (-71), then (-99). And as Pr. Johnson noted, the Eaton movement was nearly meteoric: (+64), then (+258).
Who knows how the Svennungsen voters will break? The trend for either Hanson or Crist would have to dramatically change for either of them to be elected.
Pr. Johnson and others present at the Assembly:
(a) Would it be possible to gauge the "mood" of the room both as the vote totals were announced and then during the time between sessions? (I'm curious if there is a palpable vibe of change, even if no one is agreed what the needed change is.)
(b) What is the required vote percentage for election on the 4th ballot?
