Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Member church of the Lutheran World Federation

Adam Snook

An Easter Greeting from Bishop Michael

Posted: | Filed Under: Spotlight

Dear friends in Christ,

Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Risen Savior Jesus Christ!

The Lord is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to offer an Easter greeting to you! And I do so with a heart that is bursting with gratitude.

I am so very thankful for our rostered ministers, musicians and videographers for all that they have done to proclaim God’s word and strengthen the bonds that unite us over these long months of isolation.

I am so thankful for congregational leaders who have faced the challenges of this pandemic with great courage, creativity and generosity.

And I am so grateful to you, dear disciples, for your faithfulness in ensuring that the vital work of Christ’s church has continued and in many ways grown over the course of what has felt like a year-long season of lent.

Dear church, God has blessed and equipped us to be God’s faithful people in ways none of us would have thought imaginable and I have never been prouder to be counted among your number!

May God grant you, and those dear to you, a full and rich experience of the story of Easter, not a story that we Christians explain, so much as it is a story that explains we Christians!

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again!

https://youtu.be/acyxGVm64hs

Music is “Alleluia” by PianoDay on Audio Jungle.

Video recorded in the Schultz Chapel at the Eastern Synod Office. #myELCIC#easter2021

Pastoral Letter – March 2021

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID, From the Bishop's Desk, Uncategorised

Dear friends in Christ,

Grace and peace be to you from God our father and from our Lord and savior Jesus Christ!

In recent weeks many of us have been contemplating how and when our congregations might return to in-person worship. Some of us have already begun to physically gather. Others are contemplating a return during Holy Week. And many of us are, as yet, unsure as to when we might be able to return to our sanctuaries.

It seems timely, therefore, to reiterate some of the basic principles that I have shared with you in previous communications.

Read more →

Luther Board Appoints Rev. Dr. Kristine Lund As New Principal-Dean

Posted: | Filed Under: News, Spotlight

Dear Friends, 

I am absolutely delighted to announce that The Rev. Dr. Kristine Lund has been chosen to lead Martin Luther University College as our Principal-Dean; the first ever woman to serve in this position! While fulfilling this role in an interim capacity for the past year, she has shown herself to be an extremely perceptive and adaptive leader! These gifts will be much needed as Luther transitions into a post-pandemic future and I have every confidence that the Luther Board of Governors has chosen the right leader for this time in the life of our beloved school!

Official AnnouncementDownload

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lund into this new role, and carrying the entire Luther community in prayer as they continue their outstanding ministry. 

Bishop Michael Pryse

Worship Resources for Holy Week & Easter

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID, News, Uncategorised

Friends in Christ,

Once again, the Task Force for the Resumption of In-Person Worship has been collaborating with worship leaders across the Eastern Synod to develop resources to support your ministry during Holy Week and the Season of Easter.

Today, we are pleased to share another robust collection with you!

Read more →

1492 Land Back Lane

Posted: | Filed Under: Circle for Reconciliation and Justice

Many of us are aware of the occupation by Haudenosaunee land defenders at 1492 Land Back Lane at Caledonia, Ontario.  People living on or near the Haldimand Tract are encouraged to become informed about the history and the issues.  These are complex, but researching this story with care can help us to understand the reasons for the protest and their implications for relationship.  

There is a great deal of information online, but a useful beginning is a learning resource with links to some source documents and writings from a variety of views and perspectives, put together in the Fall of 2020 by Steve Heinrichs, Indigenous-Settler Relations director for Mennonite Church Canada.  It can be found here.