Perseverance seems to be a good word to sum-up the year, 2021. A great
amount of perseverance has been needed as we continue to live in and with the Covid-
19 pandemic and the disruption it is causing in the lives of many, including the
congregations of the Eastern Synod. Thank you for your willingness to serve as
Treasurer over the past year(s). Thank you for your ongoing perseverance and
commitment. You play a vital role and represent a key link between your congregation
and the Synod. As the New Year dawns, we will continue to walk this road together in
steadfast hope and faith in the love of God, and we pray, onwards to brighter days
ahead.
Back in October, you should have received a letter from Bishop Michael and
Synod Treasurer, Keith Myra, asking your congregation to remember the Synod in the
development of your 2022 budgets, and in the making of your annual benevolence
commitment. Thank you for taking this request seriously and for your continued effort to
remit your benevolence offerings in a consistent and timely manner. This has been so
appreciated. Some of you have also gone above and beyond your commitment goal
and the Synod is humbled and deeply grateful for the ongoing partnership with the
people of God who make up the family that is the Eastern Synod. Thank you for being
such generous givers and for supporting the ministry of the wider church.
This letter is meant to provide a gentle reminder to you to remit your 2021
benevolence offerings as soon as possible. The Synod will be closing its financial
books on January 21 st , 2022 and it is critical that we are able to include all offerings in
the 2021 totals. Observing this deadline is good and important for everyone as it keeps
your records in sync with the Synod’s records. There is also a tremendous amount of
work that takes place once the books are closed to prepare the Synod for its annual
financial audit. The timely remittance of your year-end offerings is key to the smooth
operation of these Synod processes. Again, the Synod is so grateful for your
attentiveness to these details and deadlines.
If you receive this letter having already put your final remittance cheque in the
mail, please accept our deepest thanks for your ongoing diligence. If you haven’t
already written and mailed the cheque, we would be most grateful if you could please
post it no later than January 14th, 2022 so that it can be received by the Synod Office in
Kitchener no later than January 21st .
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may
abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
We wish you God’s richest blessings for a safe, happy and healthy New Year!
Sincerely,
Rev. Christie Morrow-Wolfe
Assistant to the Bishop
PS – If you are not the treasurer of your congregation, you are receiving this because
we don’t have an email address in the ELCIC database for the treasurer. Would you
pass on this message to the treasurer and send their name and email address, plus
your congregation name and city/town, to ezehr@elcic.ca so Liz can update our records?
Thank you for your help with this!