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October 8, 2025 A Letter from Bishops of the ELCA to the Church Beloved in Christ, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we write to you in this moment of national and global tension with clarity and conviction. Our faith compels us to stand where Jesus stands—with and for those whom society often seeks to exclude, erase, or diminish. Our shared confession that every person is created in the...

Dear Friends in Christ, Did you know that Clergy Appreciation Month has its roots all the way back in Paul’s letters to the early church? Paul encouraged believers not to grow weary in their ministry, and that same spirit of encouragement continues today through Clergy Appreciation Month. Gaining momentum in the 1990s (thanks in large part to Focus on the Family), October is now a time to recognize and appreciate our pastors, deacons, mission developers, musicians, Christian educators, and...

Dear Friends in Christ, As we enter November, many of our congregations celebrate the Feast of All Saints—a time rich in tradition across our synod. Some congregations honor the saints who have died in the past year by reading their names, tolling bells, lighting candles, or pausing in silence to remember those we’ve loved and lost. As a pastor, I always found this to be a deeply meaningful practice that connected me to the lives we touch through the church’s ministries. It may sound nerdy,...