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2025 Synod Assembly Highlights
The Southwestern Texas Synod held its 33rd Assembly on Saturday, May 3rd at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church under the theme of “More than Enough/Mas que Suficiente.”
During our assembly, we heard a report on the state of the synod. Our Churchwide representative, Daniel Kirschbaum, Sr. Director, Young Adult Communities, brought a report and also preached. We received ecumenical greetings from the Rev. Dr. Raymond Bryant, Presiding Elder of the San Antonio District of the AME Church, and the Rev. Leyla King, Canon for Mission for the Diocese of West Texas, ECUSA. We also received recorded greetings from our companion synod the Lutheran Church in Costa Rica.
We celebrated the 75th anniversary of Cross Trails and took an offering for equipment for their planned new dining hall. We sang camp songs throughout the day.
We heard many stories of how God has been providing more than enough through our feeding ministries around the synod, and we were challenged to raise money for our “More than Enough” fund so that we can give away grants to synod feeding ministries. You can find out more information on this at www.swtsynod.org/more-than-enough.
We received the wonderful news that our 2024 income was higher than budgeted and that income exceeded expenses by $136,976. We passed a 2026-2027 budget with slightly higher income and expense projections.
The following persons were elected/reelected to synod leadership positions:
- Carol Semper – Synod Vice President
- Monica Buie – Synod Secretary
- Rebecca Guengerich – Leadership team Chair
- Pastor Cecilia Suknaic – Holy Experiments team Chair
- Synod Council Members:
- Pastor Gabriella Conklin
- Pastor Ryan Dockery
- Pastor Adam Varner
- Jason Miranda
- Mike Stallings
- Michelle Schlinke
- Ann Schwartz
- Graciela Conklin
- Cody Jones
- Rhyker Love
More information can be found at https://www.swtsynod.org/assembly
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Restoring the Soul…May - Mental Health Awareness Month
By Rev. Dr. Ricardo Jimenez-Reyes
(Bishop's Associate for Community Networks and Latine Ministry)
*Note: the Spanish version is below this article.
Each May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re invited to listen more deeply—to ourselves, to one another, and to God. It’s a time not only for awareness but for reflection and action. For people of faith, and especially in the ELCA, this is sacred work.
Our Lutheran tradition reminds us that every person is made in the image of God—imago Dei—and carries inherent worth. Our mental health does not define or diminish that truth. Whether we are in a season of stability or struggle, God’s grace meets us exactly where we are.
We proclaim a theology of the cross—a belief that God shows up in vulnerability and suffering. This means that Jesus is with us not just when things are going well, but especially when life feels overwhelming. In fact, that’s often where grace becomes most visible. Click here to keep reading.
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Restaurar el Alma…
Mayo - Mes de la Concientización sobre la Salud Mental
By Rev. Dr. Ricardo Jimenez-Reyes
(Bishop's Associate for Community Networks and Latine Ministry)
Cada mayo, durante el Mes de la Concientización sobre la Salud Mental, se nos invita a escuchar más profundamente—a nosotros mismos, a los demás y a Dios. Es un tiempo no solo de concientización, sino también de reflexión y acción. Para las personas de fe, y especialmente en la ELCA, esta es una tarea sagrada.
Nuestra tradición luterana nos recuerda que toda persona fue creada a imagen de Dios—imago Dei—y posee un valor inherente. Nuestra salud mental no define ni disminuye esa verdad. Ya sea que estemos en un momento de estabilidad o de lucha, la gracia de Dios nos alcanza tal como somos.
Proclamamos una teología de la cruz—la creencia de que Dios se manifiesta en la vulnerabilidad y el sufrimiento. Esto significa que Jesús está con nosotros no solo cuando todo va bien, sino especialmente cuando la vida se vuelve abrumadora. De hecho, es ahí donde la gracia suele volverse más visible. Click here to keep reading.
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E-votion by Pastor Steve Lunning
Pastor Steve Lunning is a retired Pastor in the Southwestern Texas Synod. In his pastoring days, he wrote a weekly E-votion, choosing a Bible verse from a Sunday text and wrote a brief article that asked a question, provided a challenge, and offered hope with a brief prayer.
The E-votion below, written by Pastor Steve is from the passage of John 13: 1-17. As you contemplate the Bible verse, reflection and questions, may you allow God’s Spirit to shift your way of thinking about how you can serve as a way of carrying the Gospel of Christ out into the world.
“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
It’s a reasonable question don’t you think? I don’t know about you, but if someone I admired offered to do a menial service for me, I’d be more embarrassed than appreciative. Like Peter.
But then, service is like that. Unlike charity, a gift from abundance, service is a gift from the
heart. It changes the server and the one being served.
You and I live in difficult and challenging times. Some folks feel exultant. Some folks feel
ashamed. Other folks feel angry and still other folks feel scared and hopeless.
Do you remember the WWJD bracelets? Well, What Would Jesus Do in times like these? I may be all wet, but I think Jesus would look for opportunities to serve, knowing that service can change hearts even when it seems minds can’t be changed.
Dear God, help us follow Jesus’ example of service. Help our service change hearts. Amen
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Our 2025 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members
The ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the primary decision-making body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a process of communal spiritual discernment. When the ELCA Churchwide Assembly convenes, its voting members meet with confidence in God’s grace around word and water, wine and bread, to carry on their work on behalf of the entire church. This year, our voting members are:
- The Rev. Sue Briner, Bishop
- Leigh Ingram, Vice President
- Rev. Lea Walker Clark
- Rev. Caleb Jeffers
- Michael Riggs
- Lee Schnelle
- Camila Powell
- Lorie Garcia
- Owen Powell
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In Discernment:
Shepherd King, San Antonio
Hope, San Antonio
Good News, San Antonio
Good Shepherd, Bastrop
St. James, Ganado
Gethsemane, Austin
Christ the Victor, Victoria
Faith, Beeville
Holy Cross, Austin
MacArthur Park, San Antonio
Iglesia Luterana San Pablo, San Antonio
Immanuel, Comfort
Call Committee Formed:
St. Paul, Mason
Christ, Cherry Springs
Interviewing:
Abiding Love, Austin
St. Paul, Nordheim
Called:
First English, Austin – Pastor Katie Rode, Southwestern Texas Synod
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Of Condolence
Condolences to Pastor Caleb Jeffers at the death of his father.
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Of Comfort
Prayers for our Roman Catholic siblings at the death of Pope Francis.
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April 2025 Mission Support Memo: Stories Bring Us Together
The April 2025 Mission Support Memo reflects on the Northwest Intermountain Synod Council Retreat at beautiful Lutherhaven Camp. Throughout the time together, council members and synod leaders meditated on our stories and sought to embody the stories that God has entrusted to each of one to hear, empower, and share. Explore the memo to find out ways we can connect with councils, leaders, and congregations. Also, learn about how you and others can join on May 8th in a online session to wonder about "Why People Give: Love Letters to Our Church.”
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ELCA Worship News
The April edition of Worship News is now available! Read it here.
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Meet the Worship Faculty of LSM 2025—Join Us In Person or Virtually This Summer!
Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is delighted to announce the 2025 Worship Faculty of The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program, led by Cantor Chad Fothergill (LSM 2000). These gifted and highly respected leaders will guide students and the broader LSM community through a rich tapestry of sacred music experiences during morning and evening prayer, rehearsals, concerts, and more.
Whether you can join us in person or tune in from afar, we invite you to be part of this vibrant, creative community that nurtures the next generation of church musicians and breathes new life into the future of sacred music.
Learn more at LSMacademy.org.
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For All People, Without Exception
In 2019 the Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA made several proclamations, among them that:
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The love of God is for all people, without exception, and we proclaim it;
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The justice and mercy of God are for all people, without exception, and we proclaim this; …
To live this out, the Office of the Bishop Staff, studied the Dismantle: An Anti-White Supremacy Lenten Devotional. To wrap up our study, we talked about our understanding of the term White supremacy and how our understanding had been deepened or challenged during the season of Lent. These are the some of the phrases that stood out to us:
- “White supremacy is racism and we condemn it;
- In this country, white supremacy and anti-Blackness are woven into the fabric of who we are.
- Just as correcting BIPOC people’s grammar — “speak proper English” — is white supremacy in action, so is trying to hold the “accuracy” of biblical translation.
- Our siblings of color and their cultures don’t have the luxury of slow change
We ended by each identifying the next step in our personal journeys of learning and unlearning about issues of equity and justice. These are some of the steps staff identified:
What’s next for you in your journey of learning and unlearning? Email me.
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This Mother’s Day: Sign on for Life
Use Mother's Day to join Israeli and Palestinian mothers to say stop the killing of our children! Women Wage Peace, an Israeli peace group, and Women of the Sun, a Palestinian peace group, have jointly issued "The Mother's Call, a plea to stop the war, bring the hostages home and to start negotiations for a just settlement. Sign it at https://mothers-call.org/.
Have a table in your narthex with a laptop to sign. Put it in your newsletter. When all we here is hopelessness from there, bring the good news that there are people of faith and courage working for a better tomorrow for our children. View the flyer here.
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