Message from Bishop Paul R. Swanson
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Dear Partners in Ministry,
On May 18-20, 2007, the 20th annual Oregon Synod Assembly will be meeting at the Hilton Hotel in Eugene, Oregon. We will gather around the theme, “On the Road Together in Christ!”

It is an important assembly as our 116 congregations care for the business of our life together. Accounts of our shared ministry and reports of our work done in agencies and institutions of our Church will be shared. It will be a celebrative time of worship, reflection, prayer and community.

The central activity will be the election of a new bishop for the Oregon Synod. As I have announced, I will retire at the end of my term which is July 31st. The new Oregon Synod Bishop will assume office on August 1st of this year.

Saturday, September 22, 2007 will be the formal installation of our new bishop (location to be determined). We are blessed to have the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Bishop Mark Hanson at our synod assembly this year. He will also be returning in September to install our bishop.

As we move through this Lenten and Easter season, I encourage your earnest and prayerful reflection for God’s presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit as we get ready to elect our future leader. The Bishop’s Election Task Force has been working hard assisting us in our reflection and discernment.

As we seek the one whom we will entrust with the “oversight” of the Church’s life in this part of the ELCA and move through this discernment process, we will be considering our synod’s future. Without a doubt we have opinions of our Church’s needs as well as viewpoints on the gifts and attributes we desire in a bishop. I certainly have my personal opinions and thoughts. There is no uncertainty in my mind that all of the above is important. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will collectively “call” the leader for this time.

My thoughts these days are around the need for all the persons of the Oregon Synod to be in PRAYER for assisting us individually and corporately to discern God’s direction for our future. From this point forward the most important activity we can be about is PRAYER!

I urge you to be earnest in prayer for our Church, our synod, your congregation, and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we move towards the election of our bishop. I recall a former bishop sharing with me that if a calling entity of the Church was not adamant and disciplined in prayer in the calling of a leader, “they deserved what they get.” Although the advice seems rather strident and harsh, it was his firm belief that without prayer, the process was usually without substance and depth and was political machinations at best.

As we continue the journey of the Oregon Synod, let us be fervent in our prayers and requests for God’s presence and guidance in our holy task of being the Church. We live in the promise of God’s abiding presence with whatever task we undertake. May we through our prayers…individually and as the body of Christ…give foundation and support to the election process of our synod and to the person we will entrust as a steward of our life together in Christ!

I eagerly look forward to the Assembly when we will experience God’s presence and activity through our prayers and actions! We truly “live in God’s amazing grace!”

Yours in Christ,
Bishop Paul