July 27, 2022
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. --Philippians 1:3-6
Dear Members and Friends of the Pacifica Synod,
This Sunday, July 31, will be my final day of serving as your bishop. I want to thank you for the honor of serving in this call. Thank you for the many prayers that I know were said on my behalf, both during services of worship and at times of private devotion. I relied on them, and they were helpful in doing my task. Thank you for the ministry that you have accomplished, for the ways you have shared the love of God with each other, your neighborhood, the surrounding community, and the world. Thank you proclaiming Christ crucified and risen from the dead for the sake of the world.
I want to say a particular word of thanks to those who have served on Synod Council over the past six years; for those who have served on Mission Funds, Finance, Strategic Planning, and other teams; for those who have led workshops at Synod Assemblies and Theoasis Gatherings; for all who have shared their talents with the greater Synod. Special thanks to Lori Herman and Nicolette Rohr, our Synod Vice Presidents. It has been an honor to learn from and serve alongside them.
Thanks also to our staff: Rev. Hitoshi Adachi, Rev. Dennis Laherty, and Bishop Brenda Bos who served for a time with me, and to our current staff: Rev. Tom Goellrich, Rev. Terry Tuvey Allen, Rev. JP Sabbithi, Terri Robertson, Carol Youngman, and Rachel Line. They have worked tirelessly to help our congregations, institutions, agencies, candidates, First Call Pastors, and others to receive all that is needed to do the work God puts before us.
As I leave, I would encourage you to do the following: preach the gospel, share the good news of the unconditional love of God for all creation. love one another, showing the world how you can speak the truth in love with one another in order to embody the love we have received from Christ Jesus our Lord. Serve your Neighbor, trusting that the Holy Spirit is already at work outside the walls of the church, and as we serve our neighbors, we will catch glimpses of Jesus reaching back to us through them.
Finally, thank you for praying for Bishop Dave Nagler as you have prayed for me. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be with him as he uses his gifts and skills to further the proclamation of the gospel and God’s call for justice. He is greatly qualified for this work, and I am looking forward to seeing how the Synod grows in faith and love through his leadership. I can’t wait to see the results.
Thank you again for the honor of serving you this last six years. My prayer for all in the synod is that God will continue to guide us as we share God’s hope and help with a world in need.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Bishop Emeritus Andy Taylor
Pacifica Synod, ELCA
