The Conference of Bishops of the ELCA met Oct. 5-7 at the Hilton Minneapolis. The conference—an advisory body of the ELCA that comprises 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and the secretary—met following the installation of Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
In his report to the conference, Curry laid out his focus as he begins his term as presiding bishop. Reflecting on one of the ELCA priority areas—a connected, sustainable church—Curry said that, for the next year, he will emphasize a connected church.
“We need to connect,” said Curry. “As I begin to look at the work we’ve done over the last 10 years as a church, I [remember] the Bible verse ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. You abide in me and I in you.’ For the next year my focus and my message is going to be: Let’s connect.”
During the meeting, the conference:
- Elected Felix Malpica, bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, as vice chair of the conference and Jen Nagel, bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod, to the Executive Committee. Deborah Hutterer, bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod, has succeeded Curry as chair of the conference. Curry and Hutterer were elected to four-year terms as the respective chair and vice chair in 2023.
- Reviewed the ELCA Conference of Bishops relational agreement, which outlines the collegial nature of the conference. The agreement is reviewed annually.
- Discussed ways to communicate, engage in ministry and support one another amid the current realities of Christian nationalism, political and cultural polarization and dehumanizing political actions and rhetoric.
- Engaged in conversation about the conference’s role as consultants to the Task Force on Interdependence and Purpose, which was appointed by the Executive Committee of the Church Council during the fall meeting.
Read a full report of actions taken.
