GPC Update 9

Advice to General Synod

17 July 2015
Dear LCA pastors,

God willing, all who attended General Pastors Conference in Hahndorf will have returned home safely now. Sincere thanks for the effort you made to attend and for active participation.

It was certainly a conference with a difference, as we worked together using a small group discussion/dialogue approach to listen to each other’s stories in regard to the ordination matter, reflect on the LCA’s teaching per the Theses of Agreement, and consider the proposals referred to the conference for advice.  There will be a lot learnt from this new approach including ways to improve it in the future. From my point of view, I believe it was a spiritually more healthy way of being pastors together for the sake of the Lord and the Church.

In the last session the conference adopted a communication to the Church as its advice in regard to the ordination proposals referred by General Church Council. As requested by the conference, the College of Bishops has now added some commentary and done some minor edits to take into account relevant points raised in the plenary discussion prior to its adoption. We have now received this from the College of Bishops, and conference secretary Mark Vainikka has forwarded it to General Church Council, along with a covering letter reporting other aspects of the conference as well.

You can download this document here:

GPC advice to the Church (with College of Bishops commentary)

General Church Council will very shortly publish GPC’s advice to the Church in a package of communication, which will include the proposals and other information relevant for delegates and Synod. Please use this in your sharing of the outcome of GPC. Remember that this is the agreed communication from GPC (adopted almost without dissent) and should be the story we tell others.

In regards to elections at conference, please note that GPC is passing the names of Dr Andrew Pfeiffer and Pr Neville Otto to General Convention as nominations for the LCA Assistant Bishop election to be held there, and that Pr Mathew Ker was elected as the next GPC secretary, with Dr Stephen Pietsch and Pr Matthew Thomas re-elected as additional members of the next GPC Planning/Program Committee.

Again, thank you for your attention to the conference – you who could not attend as well – and particular thanks to you who contributed behind the scenes. Please facilitate the best participation by General Convention delegates and keep its preparation in your prayers.

God’s peace through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Greg Pietsch
Chair
LCA General Pastors Conference