CWA Reflection: Rev. Matthew Metevelis
We continue our series of weekly reflections on the 2022 Churchwide Assembly with thoughts from Pastor Matthew Metevelis of Living Hope Lutheran in Las Vegas. Each week we share a 2022 CWA reflection on how we are church together by our synod voting members. View all our 2022 CWA posts here.
The ELCA stands right now between a storied past and an uncertain future. Voting members at the ELCA’s 2022 Churchwide Assembly gathered at a crossroads. We worshipped in the very room where our predecessor bodies merged in 1987. The real work of facing issues of racism and institutional structures as well as other pressing business filled our agenda. As we embraced the theme of “embodying the word” we were reminded of Luther’s work to translate the Bible took the gospel out into the world. The preaching, Bible study, and messages made me reflect that its not so much new words, or new techniques that are needed for this embodiment are new selves. The Word will now reach the world embodied in people called and renewed in their baptism to care for others, stand up to injustice, and proclaim the good news of God’s love for the world.
I will summarize the broad work of the assembly under three headings reform, repentance, and renewal. Reform has been a constant topic among Lutherans throughout social media and other platforms. The assembly passed a resolution to begin a long process of fundamental reform of the church through its governing structures. This authorizes the church council to make recommendations for a possible constitutional convention pending the deliberation of the 2025 assembly. The assembly passed other resolutions dealing with pay equity, rostering, the use of NDAs, LGBTQIA+ welcoming as well as updates to the constitutions and bylaws.
The church did hard work during the week. We heard a declaration to Indigenous peoples of the lands that we inhabit calling us to better understand issues that impact their communities and to seek restorative justice on their behalf in land acknowledgement and restoration. Also, in the wake of the events of the past year the presiding bishop Elizabeth Eaton offered a public apology to the congregation of Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina who abruptly lost their pastor during a special celebration. The apology was accompanied with a powerful re-commitment on behalf of the church to anti-racism. For me this activity was a powerful reminder that the church is not immune from the sins that poison relationships and institutional structures around us.
Despite the weighty issues that we faced I left with a profound sense of optimism for the church. We elected new leaders and officers. I was excited for a former member of our congregation now living in DC to be elected to the church council. Imran Siddiqui, who we elected to the vice presidency of the denomination, has a powerful story of coming to the Christian and Lutheran faith just ten years ago and in bold words affirmed his commitment to dealing with the many issues we discussed. As the church continues its work more new voices will be raised to confront the challenges that face us.
I remain thankful those who elected me and spent the week with me at Churchwide Assembly. The work of church is messy, frustratingly slow, and daunting. But the overall experience was powerful as I got to know colleagues, visited with old friends and made new ones, and worshipped in the midst of two-thousand powerful Lutheran voices singing. Bishop Hutterer was an excellent leader for our group with her strong knowledge of church language and policies and her work to connect us with our sister synod in Southeast Iowa, and our geographical neighbor the Rocky Mountain Synod. An invitation to hear a presentation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Holy Land and Jordan provided an evening that was both informative and inspiring.
The past and future of the church converged in one week for those of us at the assembly. As the world changes the church is changing too. But instead of shrinking from the challenges before us I heard and met people not afraid to speak hard truths and unwavering in their commitment to our church and its teaching. In the midst of anxiety I found a great deal of resolve in my fellow voting members. I kept thinking of Lincoln’s words from a note he sent to Congress in 1862 with the newly drafted Emancipation Proclamation:
“The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.”
We have a God who makes all things new too, including us.