Our Bishop

This coming July 11–13 our church will gather in Regina for the 17th Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. I am looking forward to our National Convention with a spirit of joy and anticipation—and I hope you are too!

Our convention theme this year, Called to Journey Together: The Ministry of Reconciliation, underlines one of the important aspects of our work together as a church —reconciled relationships. The theme is built on 2 Corinthians 5:18.

Together we will reflect on reconciliation with creation and on our journey towards right relations with Indigenous Peoples and with people of other religions. As we gather to worship, study, pray, sing, have fun, learn and do the business of our church, we pray that God will help us deepen in our discipleship and commitment to God’s mission in the world as we are strengthened to be ministers of reconciliation.

This is the second convention with 150 delegates elected by synods. Our agenda is full and offers a number of exciting opportunities in addition to our business sessions. One of the highlights will be the presence of Rev. Dr. Martin Junge, general secretary of The Lutheran World Federation.What a privilege and joy! We will also have guests from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church. There is a lot of business to cover, several theme presentations, opportunities for small group discussion, elections and more!

For the first time we will be using a Code of Conduct for Participants in Events Organized by the ELCIC. The Code of Conductis very much related to our convention theme. The expectations it lays out will keep us from the need for reconciliation and the process it follows provides a way for us to work for reconciliation.

We will need to work together to accomplish all that is before us but in the end we trust that God will work through us to make decisions that will strengthen the mission and ministry of our church.

If you will be attending convention, I look forward to greeting you. If you are not attending, I invite you to participate in otherways: subscribe to Countdown to Convention (email info@elcic.ca with Countdown to Convention in the subject line) to learn more about what is happening. You can also follow us on social media—Facebook (facebook.com/CanadianLutherans), Instagram (instagram.com/canadalutherans) and twitter (twitter.ca/ELCICinfo), or join us through the livestream (elcic.ca/In-Convention/2019-Regina/).

Convention will also include a number of elections. My term for National Bishop is up for election. I shared with our National Church Council at our March 2019 meeting that I am prepared to let my name stand for another term. This election will mark the first time we use our new procedures for when the National Bishop is eligible for re-election, the first ballot will contain only one name in a yes or no vote of the incumbent. There will also be elections for treasurer, secretary, National Church Council and Court of Adjudication. Delegates will prayerfully consider who God is lifting up to lead the church for all of these elections.

It has been an honour to serve you as your National Bishop. I love our church and I’m proud of what we do and what we stand for! We pray fervently, we work for justice passionately, we face challenges head on, and we embrace the future with hope. We give thanks to God for the grace we have received and strive to share that grace with the world in great need. Soli Deo Gloria!

Please join me in praying for our church as we prepare to meet in National Convention.

National Bishop Susan Johnson
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada