Metropolitan New York Synod,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Office of the Bishop
475 Riverside Drive,
Suite 1620
New York, NY 10115-0037
Phone: 212-665-0732
Fax: 212-665-8640
Website: www.metronysynod.com

Office of the Bishop
A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Bouman

Dear Partners in the Gospel, The Lord be with you!
I want to share with you the following items of concern and information in our life together as the Metropolitan New York Synod.

1. Background on our recent Special Meeting of the Synod Assembly
2. New staff person for vacancies
3. Ministerium
4. Feasibility Study
5. Annual one-on-ones between the bishop and congregational pastors

Background on our recent Special Meeting of the Synod Assembly
As you can imagine I have received a lot of feedback from within our synod and across the church concerning our recent Special Meeting of the Synod Assembly. My reflections on that meeting can be found on our website. Please keep the following facts in mind as you process this meeting:

+The spring assembly of the Metropolitan New York Synod memorialized the
churchwide assembly by a large margin to adopt the three recommendations
concerning human sexuality. That same assembly - not the bishop, not the synod council, but the assembly - resolved to discuss the effects of a negative vote at the churchwide assembly on any of the resolutions, should that occur. We voted to have this meeting.

+Consideration of having a non-legislative assembly was serious. In seeking
advice from many sources, including the national ELCA, we were told that people have a right to bring resolutions to an assembly of our synod. In its September meeting the Synod Council deliberated the nature of the Special Meeting of the Synod Assembly and concurred that indeed people had a right to bring resolutions before the assembly. They appointed the Executive Committee, which would meet in October, to be the Reference and Counsel Committee. By the time we had received the resolutions, it was too late to mail them out to everyone. They were put on the website. I regret that they could not be mailed. Many people came to the special meeting surprised that resolutions would be considered. Some saw them for the first time on that Saturday. Again, we truly regret that.

+We provided copies of the four resolutions to the Secretary of the ELCA. In informal conversation, he indicated the first two were less problematic
constitutionally than the third and the fourth. At our special meeting the first two were adopted; the third was forwarded to the Church Council for comment and direction; and we adjourned before taking up the fourth resolution. All through the meeting, people voiced concern that the Metro New York Synod not go its own way but remain within the relationships and guidelines of our national church.

+Nothing materially changed by passing these resolutions. We did not seek to change the synod or ELCA constitution. The restraint in disciplinary matters, which was urged by the second resolution, is already provided for in the constitution. Our synod voiced its hopes and convictions from within the church.

+ I repeat the appeal I made at the special meeting, that we remain united in our worship and service to the living God while we are not of one mind on this and other issues.

New staff person for vacancies
I am pleased to announce a one-year call of Pastor Dianne Loufman as Assistant to the Bishop for Vacancies. This is a half time position funded by a grant. Pastor Loufman served with distinction a congregation and school in Jersey City and was a leader in forming the Hudson County Coalition. She is an excellent trainer in outreach ministries. She will work with the vacancy management team of the Conference of Deans. Our goal is to make every vacancy process an opportunity for outreach, a time to strengthen the relationship between the congregation and its conference and synod, and to add an extra dimension of personal pastoral care and presence in this vulnerable time in the life of a congregation. At the end of the year we will evaluate this call.

The Ministerium
The recent spiritual retreat had the highest registration of any in our recent years. It was a wonderful time of prayer, spiritual growth, deepening friendships, and inspiring conversation about things that matter in our life together. We are most deeply the church in assembly. When we gather together in the name of Jesus we become what God intends, the body of Christ. I pray that the upcoming ministerium. (at St. Luke's Lutheran Church on West 46th Street in Manhattan on December 5 from 9 am to 3 pm) is a similar blessing to all of us. I want to encourage you to take with utmost seriousness the collegial nature of your call as a pastor of the church. This ministerium offers opportunities to pray and worship together; to grow in our understanding of stewardship through presentations of Bishop Margaret Payne (in a previous life she served as a stewardship specialist in our region); and a time of frank conversation with me about the life of our synod, our church, and our mission in the world. Unless I hear otherwise from you I expect and look forward to seeing you there. You can find a registration form on our website at www.mnys.org.

Feasibility Study
I want to thank all who have participated in, encouraged, or commented on the feasibility study for a capital campaign in our synod. We will be receiving a report of the consultants in mid-November. We ask your continued prayers as we seek God's will in the endeavor.

One-on-ones with congregational pastors
I have been feeling a growing desire to more present with you, my colleagues in ministry. I have resigned from several local and national boards and responsibilities. I have declined some invitations for speaking and teaching around the country. I want to spend more time with you. I have shared the following proposal for relational meetings with "~ the staff, the Conference of Deans, several local groups of pastors, and the synod council. They all enthusiastically encouraged me to go for it!
I propose that I meet annually in a 25 minute one-on-one meeting with every pastor of our synod, beginning with congregational pastors. The structure of the meeting will be as follows:

+ How is your soul?
+What is your goal for mission support and your plan for presenting it to your congregation council? How can we help you?
+What two or three programs or ideas will you implement to grow the ministry of your church? How can we help you?
+What is one thing you will do this coming year for your own growth, health, refreshment?

I propose that we write down these goals and that they become the basis for starting our conversation the following year.

For me this proposal offers the promise of mutual accountability, reconciliation where there has been estrangement, and joyful partnership in the vocation God has entrusted to us as pastors of the church. These meetings will take place during the coming year.

Finally, I continue to be grateful for your ministry, your encouragement, and your prayers. I pray for you often and thank God for each of you and the service you render for the living Christ.

In Christ,
Stephen P. Bouman, Bishop November 9, 2005