One of my goals as your bishop is to strengthen and renew our congregations to continue to be communities of Jesus who are equipped, empowered, and engaged to serve and love all. Within that renewal and building up of our congregations as communities of Jesus, I am also aware that we need to ask the question of why our worshipping communities do not always model our neighborhoods.
 
Throughout the four states within our synod, there are growing populations of Latinos and yet our congregations do not show this movement of growth. But I believe we can. One of our predominately Latino congregations, Sagrada Familia, had to close in late 2019. These members then merged with Amazing Grace Lutheran Church of Lawrenceville, GA. From the funds of the Holy Closure, our Synod Council created a “Strategic Initiative Fund”. The purpose of this fund is to assist our synod in helping to build communities of Jesus who equip, empower, and engage all to serve and love.
 
After a year of planning, dreaming, and visioning, our Synod Council approved at its September meeting to create a three-year position that will help build a Latino Ministry Strategy for the Southeastern Synod. Our Synod will use designated funds that the synod had from six years ago for a Latino Ministry Strategy, the Strategic Initiative Fund, and financial commitment from Amazing Grace Lutheran Church. So, this three-year position will be completely funded outside of budgeted funds. We will also be applying for grants and other funding streams so that this has life beyond these three years.
 
This position will be an Assistant to the Bishop for Latino Ministry Strategy and Associate Pastor of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, Lawrenceville, GA. Half of this position will be dedicated to Amazing Grace and nurturing their Latino Ministry Strategy and the other half of the position will help build and implement a synod wide strategy for Latino Ministry.
 
The Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, is a synod who accompanies.  Our Synod’s new Latino Ministry Strategy, with the help and guidance of God, will build mutual, sustainable, and intercultural relationships among Spanish and English-speaking parishioners and worshipping communities.
 
Through a spirit of collaborative, transformative, innovative, and participatory discipleship, we will celebrate and participate in God’s mission in the world and we will learn how to be an adaptable church in an ever-changing world. This strategy will work with our synod’s vision in reverse: engaging, empowering, and equipping individuals, families, and congregations to foster intercultural communities of faith and to explore the many possibilities that emerge from our glocal (local and global) church reality. Additionally, it will support raising up leaders within the Latino communities that are built to lead and serve in those communities and in this church.
 
It is my joy to introduce to you, The Reverend Justin Eller, who will be our new Assistant to the Bishop for Latino Ministry Strategy of the Southeastern Synod and serve as Associate Pastor of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia. Pastor Eller will begin his call on November 1st. For more information on Pastor Eller, his background and family, see Rev. Eller's bio below.
 
We look forward to welcoming Pastor Eller and his family to our Southeastern Synod and joining us as we build the beloved community of God together. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new strategy and how you can join in.
 
Journeying with you!
 
+Bishop Kevin L. Strickland