January 2022 Newsletter
January 2022 Newsletter
This Sunday - MLK worship
Join us this Sunday, January 16 at 4pm at Berkeley Hills Lutheran Church or online for a worship service celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bishop Abraham Allende will be presiding, and Rev. Lamont Wells will be preaching. Masks are required for in-person attendance.
For the livestream and resources for further engagement, visit swpasynod.org/mlk2022. The service will also be available on YouTube.
Reflections from Bishop Allende
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod,
It is a joy to be among you for the next two months as I fill Bishop Kusserow’s chair while he in on a two-month sabbatical.
It is, for me, a homecoming of sorts.
In case you haven’t read it elsewhere, I spent my formative years in this area, first in Sewickley, when we first arrived from Puerto Rico; then in Clairton, where I graduated from high school before receiving my Bachelor of Science in Education at California State College (now California University of Pennsylvania).
For most of my adult life, I have called Northeastern Ohio home. My circuitous route to ministry was preceded by careers in education, broadcasting, and a stint in the front office of the Cleveland baseball team.
And, oh by the way, God decided that being a pastor was not the only way I would serve the church. In 2014, just as I was contemplating retirement, I was elected bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod. And even after retirement, God felt that serving as Acting Bishop of Southwestern Pennsylvania would keep me busy and not bored.
As I discussed with Bishop Kusserow how I could be of help in this synod, the conversation led to the idea of a commemoration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He suggested that I meet with the Authentic Diversity and Justice Working Group, and they responded with enthusiastic support for such a service.
The commemoration on Sunday, January 16th at Berkeley Hills Lutheran Church is the result of several fruitful months of planning.
But the work doesn’t end there. The AD&J group will continue to find ways to honor the memory of Dr. King with several events, activities, and programs throughout the rest of the year. It is what we are called to do by virtue of our baptism. Our baptismal vows entrust us to work for justice and peace.
When Martin Luther King first arrived in Montgomery, AL, he was just 27 years old. But when Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus, King found himself in the middle of a boycott that needed a leader. He quickly became the face of the Civil Rights Movement. But that struggle was the work of many people, not just King. And as the church, we are invited into that struggle.
In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King has a message for the church:
“If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.”
We cannot remain silent in the face of injustice. My hope is that our worship service in commemoration of Dr. King will inspire you to seek ways to fulfill those vows we all made at our baptism and strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
The Rev. Abraham D. Allende
Acting Bishop
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
National Day of Racial Healing
As part of the adoption of the “Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to the People of African Descent,” a request was made to name a Day of Repentance for congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization to observe annually. The day named is the Tuesday in January following the national observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This Tuesday is already observed by several organizations as the National Day of Racial Healing which originated in 2017 under W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation efforts.
Resources for observance of the National Day of Racial Healing on January 18, 2022:
Worship resources from the ELCA
Faith & Spirituality resources from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Looking ahead
This weekend's worship service celebrating the legacy of Dr. King is just one way our SWPA Synod will be engaging with anti-racism and justice work this year.
Anti-Racism Training
Alongside our partners in Region 8 of the ELCA, the Authentic Diversity & Justice Working Group will be offering anti-racism training opportunities, both in person and online. Check the AD&J webpage or keep an eye on this newsletter for more details in the coming months.
Support for Congregations
Members of AD&J are happy to come alongside congregations who wish to facilitate conversation and learning in their setting. A curated list of recommended books, movies, studies, and other resources is available here.