Western District Synod – Sharing One Cup, One Bread – A New Way of Doing Synod

A prominent topic during the current political season has been whether change is best enacted through legislation or inspiration. The 2008 Synod of the Western District was formed with the conviction that change in the church can be best realized through spiritual formation.

Prior to synod, the leadership of the district asked the congregations, in the context of worship, to give voice to their hopes and fears as well as identify the stories of scripture that speak to their experience of ministry today. They then sent their collective witness to the synod planning committee. All Synod delegates were also asked to read “The Missional Leader” by Roxburgh and Romanuk to help them understand the different process which we might engage in to find vision for the church.

This same leadership then gathered both synod delegates and other leaders from the churches across the district in multiple pre-synod meetings. In these regional gatherings the results of the congregational hopes, opportunities, and struggles were shared. The budget was presented. Additional teaching on the “Missional Leader” was provided. Most importantly at these gatherings permission was asked for and enthusiastically given to engage in a synod process that was very different in many regards from the past. So how was it different?

• Worship, the study of scripture, prayer, and fellowship became of primary importance rather than legislation.
• Narrative and testimony became the work of the body instead of crafting resolutions.
• Small groups collaborated to give voice to what they could agree by consensus should be the work of the church as well as offer up that which they value about our Moravian witness and call.

Yes this was a very different synod. Or as our PEC President, the Rev. David Wickmann remarked, “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile!”

Dr. Frank Crouch, Dean of Moravian Theological Seminary, led the synod through several Bible studies including the two most frequently mentioned passages by the congregations for our consideration, the parable of the mustard seed and Jesus feeding of the 5,000. It was from dwelling in these passages that our small groups crafted their vision for the church.

The Bishops of the Church present received the reports of the District Board, agencies, committees, and staff on behalf of the synod in a time of worship and laid hands upon these servants offering them both the blessing of the church and God for their faithful work among us and for us.

The final document of the synod was an Epistle to the church that included, as they were called by one, “The prayer journals” of the small groups.

Elections were held. A budget was thoroughly discussed and passed. Synod Chair, Rick Santee, did a magnificent job of balancing the new with the old, honoring both, and helping to assure that we did honor to the Book of Order and the good of the church.

A great blessing was provided to the Synod by the presence of the Rev. Cora Antonio, president of the Moravian Church in Nicaragua, Brother Gilberto Molina, the Provincial Administrator, and Clara Antonio, Cora’s sister. Their witness of courage and dedication in sharing the human suffering they are working to address in the aftermath of hurricane Felix was humbling for us. They provided another perspective on the struggles we face.

It was with joy that we received an offering of $3,000 at our closing worship service which will go toward Nicaraguan Moravian hurricane relief efforts.

Was this a worthy manner in which to conduct the work of the church? Was it good for the order? The process we engaged in is a work in process. There are those who can give testimony to the blessings or frustrations they encountered. We are grateful for the willingness of a District to intentionally place itself in a place of uncertainty in order to explore where God is at work in our midst.

Article by the Rev. Matthew Knapp, pastor of Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, served on the Synod Planning committee as a co-chair with the Rev. Maggie Wellert. Other planning committee members were Nancy Baldwin, Jeff Brandt, Cindy Fahey, Esther Glas, the Rev. Reeder Herrick, and the Rev. James Hicks.

Feedback Received

April 28, 2008

An Open Letter to the Congregations of the Moravian Church, Western District.

Grace, peace and mercy from God, our Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all.

I greet you in the name of our Risen Savior, our Conquering Lamb and Chief Elder, Jesus Christ.

I acknowledge the graciousness of God’s Spirit. I believe we have been abundantly blessed throughout the course of our most recent Synod experience. I praise the faithfulness and courage of the Western District Executive Board and the Synod planning committee for their prayerful, deliberate approach. I have been challenged, humbled, blessed, embraced, strengthened, and commissioned. I consider myself blessed for the privilege and opportunity to speak and listen, to learn and teach, to love and be loved through the Body of Christ at this Synod.

I believe that we have spent four days tending to the heart and soul of the Moravian Church. We have worked hard. We have laughed much. We have prayed often. We have sung songs from the depths of our beings. Through our time at Synod, something within us has been stirred; something has been brought into our presence. Christ’s church is stronger for our obedience, faithfulness, and restraint.

But, we are not done yet. We have only begun the work of our ministry. We have only seen a glimpse of the vision Christ has for us.

To that end, I believe we should re-gather next year–to continue to pray and sing, to continue to speak and listen, to continue to love and be loved by the warm embrace of our Savior. We must tend to the seeds planted at this Synod. We cannot wait for joint boards and pastors, for district boards and agencies to process, communicate, and embody the Spirit given to us. We cannot wait until 2012. We cannot wait.

It is an expensive proposition. The price of gathering is high, but the cost of not gathering is higher.

Centuries ago, on the border between the Czech provinces and Poland, Brother Jan Amos Comenius prayed that a ‘hidden seed’ would somehow survive the diaspora and plant and grow and flourish. For centuries we have assumed that we are the successful, thriving offshoot of that hidden seed. I’m afraid we have assumed too much. I’m afraid our bishops are preparing to pray that prayer again–that some remnant of the Moravian Church will survive in North America and will one day, by God’s grace, thrive again. I don’t want that prayer to be prayed.

I propose a conference of congregational leaders, pastors, and Western District staff, boards, and agencies. I believe we need more time to speak carefully, to listen clearly, to worship fervently. We need to return and report our progress–to celebrate our successes, to mourn our losses, to learn from our mistakes, to share each other’s burdens. We need the opportunity to reunite our Spirits in order to be further encouraged and compelled in our ministries.

I invite you to join with me in calling on the Moravian Church, Western District Executive Board to implement and execute a Western District conference per the Book of Order of the Moravian Church, Northern Province ¶911.(a).

Humbly, your Brother in Christ,
The Rev. Kerry D. Krauss
Hope Moravian Church

Good afternoon all,

I received an "open letter" from Hope, Indiana and Kerry Krauss this morning calling for "reflective" gatherings of the Church like April's Synod in Appleton on a more regular basis. OK - I approached this experience of Synod with a bit of skepticism, bordering on the cynical BUT emerged on the other side feeling very positive about the process and experience, actually leaving Appleton in peace! I began a long process of thought and prayer seeking discernment as to "why" and I believe I know. We (the church) did not violate our motto as most Synods of the past have by forcing discussion (sometimes very "heated") about social issues etc. over which we have no control; and there by violating our motto of unity in essentials freedom in nonessentials and love/charity in all things and alienating one side or another!

It's just possible that this past Synod's experience and format of worship, prayer, and spiritual communion could be calling us back to being church as the body of Christ. While I recognize that some business must be transacted for the "good of the order" there are perhaps areas and pronouncements that we should leave to the prayerful discernment of those who make up the more total membership of the Unity. In colonial days the Unity was registered and known as a "peace church" but did not condemn those who chose to enlist or take up arms! Perhaps our past is speaking and we've begun to listen!

Your brother in Christ,
Peace, Love, and Blessings
The Rev. Frank Jones