Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Member church of the Lutheran World Federation
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!
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Dear members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada,
We write to you today out of ongoing concern for domestic violence in our country and within our church. Especially troubling is the recent rise in domestic violence. The realities of the COVID-19 pandemic have made those living in difficult and dangerous situations only worse while at the same time limiting access to family and other support systems.
We know that this is an uncomfortable subject for some people to discuss and too often this has stopped us from speaking out. But we must speak out and advocate for those who are living in these dangerous situations.
Social isolation and current lockdown measures have led to this dramatic increase in domestic violence. The UN describes this as shadow pandemic alongside COVID-19, “a pandemic within a pandemic.”
In a survey last year of 376 staff and volunteers working at transition houses, shelters, immigration centres and other social agencies coast-to-coast, almost half said they noticed changes in the prevalence and severity of violence. 82 per cent said the violence had increased and got more frequent. A fifth said abusers’ violent tactics changed and control over their victims increased, including a sharp uptick in cases of strangulation. There have been “many more cases of strangulation and serious physical assaults leading to a higher risk of lethality,” said one worker surveyed.
As a member of the World Council of Churches, the ELCIC joins with other churches in lifting up Thursdays in Black—a weekly reminder of our commitment to end gender-based violence including domestic violence (www.oikoumene.org/what-we-do/thursdays-in-black). You are invited to join in this campaign by wearing black on Thursdays and posting on social media your commitment to ending gender-based violence.
In November 2020, Thursday in Black Ambassadors issued a statement urging both awareness and protection from the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and gender-based violence. “Gender-Based Violence is not only physical, it is emotional, mental and even structural,” said the ambassadors. “We know that violence against women and girls occurs virtually and literally in every strata of society: in households, at school, in religious spaces and in the workplace. And with ongoing physical restrictions due to the spread of the coronavirus, violence against women and girls has intensified. The resolve to end Gender-Based Violence must remain strong.”
National Bishop Susan Johnson and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) also released a joint video in November 2020, speaking out against domestic violence.
“This isn’t just a role for church leaders. All of us are all called, through our baptismal vocation, to this work,” said the leaders. “Jesus Christ calls each Christian, and the whole church, to denounce and stop the beating, sexual abuse, raping, and killing that take the lives and safety of people everywhere. All of us can encourage greater awareness, support the work of organizations that provide safe spaces, and advocate for preventative policies at all levels of government.”
As a church we are called to journey in solidarity with those who are experiencing hurt, brokenness or exploitation. Our 2011 Social Statement on Human Sexuality calls on us to, “deepen our awareness of the root causes of sexual injustice and exploitation…[and] advocate for policies, practices and resources that uphold dignity and address particular issues surrounding sexuality.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence you can find resources for help here: https://endingviolencecanada.org/getting-help-2/.
We encourage you to reflect on your own sense of discomfort around this issue and adopt practices that nurture your courage and wisdom for action. We also encourage all leaders and faith communities to maintain a list of relevant resources in your area.
It’s time for all of us to break the silence and speak up against domestic violence. Our hope and prayer is that you will join us in speaking up, advocating for better services for victims, and speaking out against male privilege that allows domestic violence to flourish and to remain hidden.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Susan Johnson, The Rev. Dr. Greg Mohr, The Rev. Dr. Larry Kochendorfer, The Rev. Dr. Sid Haugen, The Rev. Jason Zinko, The Rev. Michael Pryse
The Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Martin Luther University College (Luther) are pleased to announce the gift of a Synod-owned, century old home in Waterloo, Ont., to Luther.
“We are deeply grateful to the Synod for this generous gift,” said Rev. Dr. Kristine Lund, the school’s interim principal-dean. “The home, which houses the Delton Glebe Counselling Centre, is an instrumental part of our work to provide mental health services to students and the broader Waterloo Region community.”
The centre, named after the late Rev. Dr. Delton Glebe, an esteemed former principal-dean, delivered more than 9,700 client sessions in 2020.
Rev. Michael Pryse, bishop of the Eastern Synod, said that he and the Synod Council are delighted to help strengthen Luther’s community service through this gift.
“The Glebe Centre, in addition to providing important training for students in Luther’s Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy programmes, has also become a vital service ministry to the community,” said Bishop Pryse who, in his role as bishop, serves as a non-voting (ex-officio) member of Luther’s Board of Governors. “By making this gift, the synod is helping to ensure the longer-term growth and stability of this wonderful educational and service ministry.”
While Luther is governed by its own board, the school is an arm of the Eastern Synod. Launched in 1911, Luther is the founding institution of Wilfrid Laurier University. Through its academic programs, Luther helps form rostered and lay ministers for service in the church and prepares citizens to serve their communities as psychotherapists, spiritual care workers and in numerous other vocations.
Contact:
Rev. Adam Snook, Assistant to the Bishop, Eastern Synod, asnook@elcic.ca
Mirko Petricevic, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Martin Luther University College, mpetricevic@luther.wlu.ca
New Book: “Not Counting Sundays – A Lenten Journey of 40 Days”. David Kaiser who is a retired ELCIC pastor began to write poems for each day in Lent while working at the Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong in 2002. A few years later, he asked Frank Armistead, also an ELCIC pastor and an artist to create illustrations. This book combines Frank’s artwork and David’s poetry in a meditative journey through the 40 days of Lent, reflecting the 40 year journey of the Israelites through the wilderness. It is a rather unique resource for the Lenten season.
While the book is for sale, David would like as many people as possible to have access to it. Attached here is a PDF copy of the book for you. If others might appreciate this, please feel free to send the PDF on to them.
When you open the PDF in a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat, the book will display best if you set the View -> Page View to Two-Page View and turn on Show Cover Page in Two-Page View.
Printed copies are available through Blurb.ca at these links: softcover NCS or hardcover NCS . They can also be ordered for reduced cost by sending an email to David.Solheim@sasktel.net, or DavidKaiser@hotmail.com but shipping time might be longer.
The synod’s Task Force for the Resumption of In-Person Worship has been working since June, 2020. Our initial mandate was to provide resources to enable congregations to assess their own situation and to develop protocols so that they could safely resume worshiping in-person. For some congregations, that meant coming to the difficult decision not to resume in-person worship. For others, in-person worship resumed and then had to pause due to lockdowns in Quebec and Ontario. Public Health guidelines and regulations vary, not just provincially, but also by region.
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Climate Justice – Call to Action!
If you are a youth (children and families are welcome!) or young adult who is passionate about the environment and climate change, please see the infographic below and click the link to participate in a brief survey.
The Eastern Synod Youth and Young Adult Ministry Committee is helping to build a network of youth and young adults who would like to engage the church in some climate discussions and assist the ELCIC in working towards the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Come and join the conversation!
You can find the brief survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NDT8VPM
If you have any questions, please be in touch with Rev. Christie Morrow-Wolfe, Assistant to the Bishop (cmorrow-wolfe@elcic.ca) or Sophos Slessor (skslessor@gmail.com), YAYA member and a representative on the ELCIC’s Task Force for Carbon Neutrality.