The 33rd Assembly of the Southwest California Synod took place Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5 and was held virtually, with live and recorded input from across the synod territory. Voting members from almost every synod congregation participated using Zoom and the LUMI voting platform, with audio-visual support from Big Dog Sound.
Interim Bishop Murray Finck presided over the assembly and the Rev. Nikki Fielder was chair of the Assembly Planning Committee. The Rev. Phil Hirsch, Executive Director of Christian Community and Leadership of the ELCA, presided over the Bishop's Election, and three teams of translators translated the proceedings into Spanish, ASL, and Mandarin. Many thanks to the SWCA Synod Council and Vice-President Randall Foster; the Nomination, Bishop's Election, Reference and Counsel, and Planning Committees; the Assembly Worship Team; the synod executive and support staff; and a team of translators, volunteers and Help Desk workers for making a virtual assembly possible.