by Jennifer Hockenbery
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The 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly: “For the Life of the World” concluded on Saturday, August 2nd. I was able to be present to represent Women of the ELCA alongside our Churchwide Executive Board President, Myrna Wells-Ulland. Board members Lori Garcia, Gwen Edwards, Pastor Tracy Williams, Maria Lokensgard, and Sheena Foster were participants in the Assembly in various roles. I met many former churchwide board members and former and current SWO presidents. Women of the ELCA is such an important part of the whole church!
Assembly participants were excited to see our Impact Report and Video! We sold over a hundred pashminas and Just Love long-sleeve shirts to voting members whose teeth were chattering in the air conditioning, and we kicked off our Salt Campaign!
We were thrilled to watch the election of Bishop Yehiel Curry, current Bishop of Metro Chicago, as Presiding Bishop. His installation will be October 4th at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minn. We were also excited to witness the election and installation of Secretary Lucille “Cece” Mills. Secretary Mills instantly committed to being present and to preaching for us at our Triennial Gathering in Des Moines, Iowa in July, 2026!
There were a number of important memorials and constitutional changes passed. Notably, a goal was set to have 20% of voting members at the Assembly and Church Council members be youth or young adults under 30. The voices and witness of the young people at the Assembly on this account and on other issues was remarkable.
The social statement, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” was updated to reflect changes in U.S. law, specifically naming publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-sex relationships as marriages and updating language that reflects an understanding of the diversity of what constitutes a family. Further review of this document will be ongoing as the people of the ELCA consider the ethics of human sexuality for all people regardless of gender identity.
The social statement on Faith and Civic Life was approved. In a notable moment, the Women of the ELCA’s resource, Called to be Political was held up from the floor of the Assembly as an important document that will help congregations and individuals live into the new social statement.
Many memorials were passed. One close to the hearts of Women of the ELCA is the Memorial calling us to education, prayer, and advocacy concerning Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
The 2024 Lutheran-Orthodox Common Statement on the Filioque was officially received. To learn more about this see What the filioque? Creeds and Community – Women of the ELCA. At all the worship services, participants said the Nicene Creed as it was originally written in 325. In the third article of the creed, worshippers said, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Giver of life who proceeds from the Father. Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified.”
All in all, it was a wonderful Assembly, an important time for ELCA Lutherans to connect and to discern together. One of the important messages we heard and are called to preach came from the theological reflection of Rev. Dr Chad Rimmer, Rector and Dean of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Lenoir-Rhyne University. “God is love. And love has two moves. Love creates and love reconciles.” For the Life of the World…to come – Journal of Lutheran Ethics. Let us all go forward in the love that is God.
Dr. Jennifer Hockenbery is interim executive director for Women of the ELCA and editor of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics.
You have wonderful incitements and I happy you are in this role for us.