My Letter on the Sanctuary Resolution

Dear Members of Congregations and Leaders of the New England Synod,

Earlier this month the New England Synod gathered for its annual assembly in Springfield, MA.  There were 450 voting participants (300 laypersons/deacons and 150 pastors). Among the business items addressed included a resolution on the subject of Sanctuary. 

The purpose of this letter is to provide some clarification around that resolution.  Before reviewing the specifics of the resolution, I feel it would be beneficial to provide you some background information around process. Therefore, I have divided this communication into three sections:

  1. What is a resolution and how does it come before the Assembly?
  2. What authority does a resolution hold in the Synod?
  3. What does this resolution on Sanctuary mean?

What is a Resolution & how does it come before the Assembly?

As the highest legislative body of this synod, the assembly acts on multiple governance matters including, but not limited to: approval of an annual budget; and election of officers, members of the Synod Council and other Synod Committees. 

In addition, our rules and procedures provide the opportunity for members of this synod to offer resolutions. A resolution calls for an action—often a policy decision—that is concrete, specific, and within the power of the Assembly to implement.  (Note:  These should not be confused with ‘continuing resolutions’ which are amendments to the synods governing documents, namely its constitution and bylaws.)

The process for resolutions to come before the assembly is an open one. This is announced each winter by various means of communication. Anyone in the New England Synod (members of congregations, pastors/deacons, members of the Synod Council etc.)  may introduce a resolution by submitting it at least 45 days in advance of the assembly. 

Resolutions are then reviewed by the Reference & Council Committee, which is elected by the Synod Council. The Reference & Council Committee may adjust the language of the resolution, typically in concert with those who submitted it. Once an agreed upon version is drafted, the resolution is published in the Assembly Handbook (online) and in the Assembly Guidebook. The resolution is then brought to the assembly for consideration.

The resolution is brought before the assembly by the Reference and Council Committee.  This is then followed by discussion/debate on the “resolved” portions of the resolution. The Bishop, serving as the Chair of the Assembly, is charged with the task of managing the discussion/debate or as I like to say, “helping the assembly do its work.” My role is to ensure that a proper and fair process of debate/discussion ensues. This may include attending to any proposed motions, amendments, or questions of order.

What authority does an approved resolution have in our Synod?

A well-written resolution addresses a topic of concern that is a call for action, that is concrete, specific and within the power of the synod to implement.

‘Resolutions’ are brought to the assembly for the purpose of discussion in order to provide guidance to the ministries of the Synod and the Synod Council. No resolution passed at a Synod Assembly has any authority over congregations, members, or rostered ministers (pastors/deacons) of that synod.

One of the confusing matters to many people is what I like to call the ‘hybrid’ polity (polity is another word for church governance) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). What I mean is our “both/and” approach. We lift up a form of congregational autonomy….. while also agreeing to be in a connected system of congregations and synods. 

Many times, I am asked questions that carry with them many assumptions about authority. In relation to the topic of this letter, resolutions passed at a synod assembly do not have authority over congregations, members, or pastors/deacons. Rather, as noted previously, it is to provide guidance, and other specifics (depending on how it is written), to the Synod Council and ministries of the synod.

As to the authority of the resolutions over pastors and congregations, etc., there is only the authority of influence. That is why the language of resolutions is often to “encourage or invite.” 

As a separately incorporated entity, the congregation, the Synod and the ELCA are legally only bound by the actions of their highest legislative body with some exceptions.

What does this resolution on Sanctuary mean?

The resolution on Sanctuary was brought before the June 2017 Assembly. There was a period of discussion/debate during which two amendments were offered, one eliminating a reference to “this administration” and another adding the last resolved regarding immigration reform. Those were approved by the assembly, and then the amended resolution was adopted by the assembly. A copy of the adopted resolution is on the final page of this letter.

The practice of this Synod has been that all approved resolutions are brought to the Synod Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting (September 2017). Typically, there is a discussion about the resolution and what actions, if any, are called for by the resolution. That will be the case with this resolution. The Synod Council will review this resolution, and respond appropriately.  Since the Synod Council is the governing body that acts between Synod Assemblies (which occur once per year in June), it is appropriate to wait for that September Synod Council discussion before engaging in any actions. 

One suggestion that has been made, which we will investigate for future resolutions, is some kind of process that allows for the synod as a whole to have an opportunity to discuss proposed resolutions in advance of the assembly. I think there is merit to this point, and I’ll bring this to the Synod Council as well.

I recognize that some congregations and individuals are looking for clarity in the meantime. Therefore, I will offer my understanding of both this resolution as well as our church governance structure. Here are some options that congregations, individuals, groups etc. may want to engage this resolution, if they choose to:

  • Hold Sunday adult forum conversations or a series of evening discussion and consider inviting people from a number of different perspectives on this topic
  • Form a book study using either Welcoming the Stranger: Justice & Compassion in the Immigration Debate by Soerens & Yang” or They are Us: Lutherans & Immigration by Bouman and Deffenbaugh or another one of your choosing.
  • Invite members of a congregation to meet with nearby organizations that work in the area of refugee resettlement or immigration issues
  • Seek out elected officials to meet with and discuss this subject
  • Engage with organizations, congregations or others who are already involved in the Sanctuary movement, possibly contacting organizations that are named in the resolutioni.e. LIRS (Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services) has both persons who are knowledgeable in this area and also resources to share.  I will add here that any congregation considering becoming a sanctuary would do well to consult with legal counsel, as well as others with experience, before entering into such work.
  • Invite members of your congregation to advocate for immigration reform by writing to congress.
  • Study the ELCA Social Teaching Statement on Immigration https://www.elca.org/en/Faith/Faith-and-Society/Social-Messages/Immigration

As with all resolutions, this resolution uses language that includes “encourage, assist, coordinate, engage.”  It does not use language that includes “require, demand, expect.” 

In my personal view, resolutions are best used as opportunities to engage people at a point that best fits their starting point, and moves them forward. You and your congregation know that starting point best.

It is my hope that this letter provides some clarity for you and your congregation or ministry setting.

Sincerely,

 

Rev. James Hazelwood

Bishop

How Minimalism Discovered Me

“You are riding to Ohio?  On a bicycle?”  My dentist was almost speechless.  It was fun to reverse the typical pattern.  We all know what it’s like to be asked questions you can’t answer while in the reclining chair.

The plan was simple.  Meet my friend Kurt, pack up a tent, a sleeping bag, a change of clothes, an extra inner tube and ride.  He was riding to Minnesota, so I’d join him for the first part.  It was roughly 700 miles from New England to my son’s house in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

I’d done this kind of thing before, but I was sixteen for that ride across the Canadian Rockies.  Now, at 57, and off a bicycle for 25 years, this was going to be different.  But, I was up for the challenge.  I spent a year training, both at the gym, as well as on the roads of my home state in Rhode Island.

I didn’t know it at the time, but these would be the early steps of my introduction to minimalism.

For ten days, we road roughly 70 miles per day, most of it along the Erie Canal Bike Path until it dropped us at the edge of Niagara Falls, where we picked up the roads heading west.  We camped most every night, with the exception of a hotel stay during a vicious thunder and lightning storm.  The days and nights developed into a rhythm that consisted of the basics – riding, eating, and sleeping.  And there was a freedom to the simplicity.  I found there was no time to think about work, no desire to check my Twitter feed, no distractions from the simple push on the pedals.

Six months later I stumbled onto the word, the movement, a book and then a movie.  Minimalism.  Motivated to rediscover what is life when we strip all the crap out of it, my wife and I are on a journey toward simplicity.

Spring-cleaning this year allowed me to let go of half my clothes, shelves of books, and a purge of unused tools.  Next came a garage sale, a commitment to pay off our debts, I even parted with my motorcycle.  Some people felt sorry for me, but with each letting go, I was finding I had less weight around me.  Others were jealous, “how do you do it, I can’t let go.”

As summer roles around, I’m outside more on my bike.  The simplicity of the machine motivates me.  There are two wheels, hung on a frame, connected by a chain, and powered by me.  Rides are not exercise routines, though they are that, they are moving meditations.  There is the rhythm of the breathing, the consistent cadence of rotations, even the interruptions of gears shifting and clanging - again the freedom of simplicity.

Like many in our consumer driven culture, I live in the wilderness of temptation constantly.  The acquisition bug is my constant companion.  It even infects my two-wheeled vehicle of simplicity.  Magazines and websites to consider another purchase - a new helmet, a new jersey, a new bike, lure me.  I succumb from time to time, but what is different now is an enjoyment of the wrestling match.  In the past, I would just buy. Think about how to pay for it later. Now, the questions of need versus want, thrill versus value, instant gratification versus long term goals.  It may sound strange, but I look at things differently now.  The internal dialogue is rooted in something deeper, namely a desire to be focused, attentive and grounded.

Oh, I’m no monk, no stoic guru.  I’ve got my epicurean indulgences, which focus around fruits and vegetables, a fine grilled salmon and a glass of Chardonnay.  But, cooking and meal preparation is replacing the nearby Oyster Bar.  And yes, I’m still a lover of books, but our state library system is a delight, and quite the budget help.  Then there is an afternoon espresso, this cyclist’s main raison d’etre.  These indulgences now have more value, rather than mindless activities of consumption.

At a younger more idealistic age, I held a philosophy of living on less for the good of the planet, but that’s all it was - a philosophy.  Now, for the first time in my adult life, I’m finally finding an integration of my values and my lifestyle.  As I move along this journey of minimalism, it is the beginning of syncing up the ideal and the real that is most satisfying.  I’m finally starting to be the person I’ve always wanted to be, someone with integrity.

It’s this discovery that provides the greatest reward, and the bicycle is the tool to get me there.

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'If' by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, 

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, 

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: 

 

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: 

 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 

And lose, and start again at your beginnings 

    And never breathe a word about your loss; 

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you 

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 

 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, 

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, 

    If all men count with you, but none too much; 

If you can fill the unforgiving minute 

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Simplicity, Minimalism, Mr. Money Moustache and Financial Peace

This past weekend, we held a garage sale at our home.  The main purpose was to clear out stuff that we don't use, can't use, never used or just don't want.  That was the goal, and it was a success.  "One persons junk is another's treasure."  We cleared about $300, but the main point was to cleanse.

Lisa and I are in the midst of living in to a newer lifestyle.  During our sabbatical, we had a chance to investigate a relatively new phenomenon called "Minimalism."  The chief spokespersons, though there are many are two 30 something guys called "The Minimalists."  The best summary can be found in the the film Minimalism.  The trailer is below.

I commend the film to you.  You can find it easily on Netflix.

But this is not something new, as Richard Foster, the Quaker theologian, reminded us in his book The Freedom of Simplicity.  I stumbled upon it in a used book store, or was it a leading of the Holy Spirit or a form of Synchronicity?  Foster doers an excellent job of laying out the biblical and the historical precedence for a life of simplicity.  In short, this is our heritage as followers of Yahweh, Moses, Jesus, St. Francis, Luther and King.

A fellow pastor mentioned Mr. Money Moustache as a contemporary guy who is living in to this simpler lifestyle.  He's a quirky character, who made his bucks in Software Engineering, and now lives off what he made, BUT he only spends $23,000 - $27,000 a year.  

But, it was Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University that has helped me most with a plan.  Dave is an aggressive guy, and his theology is a little simplistic (big on Proverbs, short on New Testament) but his money planning is very clear.  I've found him helpful.  He doesn't mess around, largely because he encounters lots of people who don't take financial planning seriously.  I commend the course to you, with the warning that Dave makes lots of assumptions about couples being heterosexual, as well as his gender norms can be off (women like to buy clothes, guys like Home Depot)  A good summary of the course can be found in this profile article.

All of this has been put into a blender that mean's we are focused on paying off debts, saving for the future, simplifying our lifestyle, going to the library, getting rid of crap, spending time and money on people and experiences, oh, and enjoying the opportunity to be outrageously generous.

There is indeed, freedom in simplicity.

 

Four Ways to Increase Giving

Last Saturday, I spoke to the churches involved in our year long Stewardship training program.  That inspired me to make this short video summary of some of the major points.  I hope it is helpful for you as you work to help people be generous.

Four Ways to grow your generosity and stewardship in your church. I highlight four important tips for Christian Stewardship.
Subscribe to BISHOP ON A BIKE Here: https://www.youtube.com/bishoponabike

Resources mentioned in this video include:
Ask, Thank, Tell by Charles Lane  http://amzn.to/2q29q0w
Not Your Parent's Offering Plate By Clif Christopher http://amzn.to/2q02uTD
A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen http://amzn.to/2qNV4Uf
Enough by Adam Hamilton http://amzn.to/2pZLEEw

Bishop James Hazelwood on Social Media:
http://www.bishoponabike.com
https://twitter.com/bishophazelwood
https://instagram.com/jimhazelwood
https://www.facebook.com/bishophazelwood


DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, We’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

About this video:
In this video Bishop Hazelwood from Bishop on a Bike describes four ways congregations can grow their financial stewardship and giving, by helping people be more generous.

Talking Holy Spokes with Rev. Laura Everett

In this episode, I meet Laura Everett, author of Holy Spokes. We talk about her book launch party, Norwegian weather and bicycling in Boston. https://www.facebook.com/events/17608...

Launch Party is April 21 6-9 pm at the Dorchester Brewing Company

Buy her book Holy Spokes  http://amzn.to/2oskchF

Bowdoin Bike School http://www.bowdoinbikeschool.org
Rev. Laura's Blog https://reveverett.com/book/

Buy her book Holy Spokes  http://amzn.to/2oskchF

Subscribe to BISHOP ON A BIKE Here: https://www.youtube.com/bishoponabike

7 Mistakes During an Interim via Thom Rainer

www.thomrainer.com is a source of good church info.  I subscribe to his email.  This was today's and I thought I'd share it with you.

Seven Common Mistakes Churches Make When They Have an Interim Pastor

“Interim” sounds like a pregnant pause anticipating something down the road.

So when you put the adjective in front of “pastor” or “church,” it just feels like less than ideal.

It does not have to be that way. The interim period between two pastors can be a time of great benefit for churches. It is for that reason I encourage churches not to make mistakes common during this interim time. Here are seven of them:

  1. The church moves into a maintenance mode. To be sure, there are decisions and actions that need to be postponed until the new pastor gets on board. But neither the Great Commission nor the Great Commandment takes a vacation. There is still much work to be done. 
  2. The church allows the interim pastor to be a candidate for pastor. I know. I will get some pushback here. But I have seen so many disasters befall a church when the person in the interim pulpit gets favored status. The downside outweighs the benefits. 
  3. The process of finding a pastor becomes a “beauty contest.” Several candidates are paraded before the church or key groups in the church. Factions decide their favorite candidate. Tensions grow. Consider instead dealing with one or a very few candidates at a time. 
  4. The search process is handled poorly. To be fair, most church members and leaders have never been a part of a search process. They are doing the best they know how. Over the past several years, I have become a strong proponent of getting outside expertise and help. As William Vanderbloemen said on one of our podcasts, “The worst hire a church can make is the wrong hire.” 
  5. The church leaves personnel problems for the next pastor to handle. Don’t neglect making the tough decisions. If you delay these decisions, you are already setting up your next pastor to have problems and enemies at the onset. 
  6. The church fails to deal with sacred cows. Like the personnel issues noted above, don’t set up the next pastor for failure. If there are some sensitive issues to handle, do it during the interim period. Don’t wait. 
  7. The church fills key staff positions in the interim period. If at all possible, let the next pastor have an influential role in choosing staff members who will be a part of the leadership team. It is a much better alternative than moving forward and leaving the pastor with no say in one of the most important aspects of ministry. 

Simply stated, the interim period is a time of opportunity, not just a time of waiting. Make the right decisions and the church will be stronger in the near term and for years to come.