“We need to come together no matter how many miles come between us,’ said Susan Pursch, chair of the SEKUCo coordinating committee, during the companion synod report to the Assembly.
The Assembly heard reports from both companion synods of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
After testing the assembly on their knowledge of the identity of the second companion synod and tossing t-shirts to the winners, the Rev. Michael Gutzler reported on our relationship with the Silesian Synod of the Augsburg Confession.
“With a deep appreciation for the Word of God and a pietistic spirituality, the Silesian Synod at one time, experienced serious oppression and a prohibition of being the church under communist rule,” said Gutzler.
When democracy returned in 1989, they began to rethink what it meant to be the church and looked for new and exciting ways to spread the Word in a population that is over 50% agnostic or atheist. They began to develop church-based social service agencies that support families with special needs children, elder care and more.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod is working to strengthen its relationship with the Silesian Synod by encouraging individuals to participate in “Friends of the Silesian Synod,” a think tank where they can learn about being the church in Central Europe. In 2009, they hope to send a delegation from our synod to the Czech Republic.
“Bwana Asifiwe! Praise the Lord!” said the Rev. Mark Singh-Hueter, of the Tanzania Companion Synod Ministry Team.
“Our companion relationship connects us to people and ministry in Tanzania in many ways,” said Singh-Hueter. “One is the Mwangaza Education partnership, a joint effort of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and the ELCA to address the challenges of formal and informal education in Tanzania.”
He then highlighted the October 2007 opening of the Sebastian Kolowa University College, to educate teachers of special needs students.
“It comes back to the people,” he said. “Our companion synod relationships allow us to learn from each other, work with each other, and have our faith and understanding broadened and deepened as we live out our calling as a global church.”