“Oh Lord, Open my Ears:
Listening for God While Listening to Others”
Friday, May 10 to Saturday, May 11, 2019
Hope Lutheran Church
Palm Desert
On behalf of the Pacifica Synod staff and Synod Council, thank you to all who attended our 32nd annual Pacifica Synod Assembly in Palm Desert. Your participation and dedication to the ministries of and through this synod are a gift to this synod and the wider church. We especially give thanks for the village it takes to hold a synod assembly – especially the congregation of Hope Lutheran, Palm Desert for their tireless work and warm hospitality – and our Assembly Planning Team and the MANY on-site volunteers. Without you, our assembly wouldn’t be possible.
All participants were emailed a link to complete an evaluation about the assembly. We value your input! Please complete the evaluation at your earliest convenience. If you can’t locate the link, you may find it here.
POST-ASSEMBLY FINAL REVIEW PUBLICATION
Want to share the events and activities of the 2019 Pacifica Synod Assembly with others in your congregation? Download the Assembly 2019 Final Review. (Please be patient, this is a large file.)
Videos of most of the assembly business sessions and speakers may be found on our Synod YouTube channel.
ELCA ASSEMBLY VIDEOS
During the 2019 Synod Assembly, the following ELCA videos were shared. You have permission to use these in your congregation as needed:
Bishop Eaton’s Synod Assembly Video – http://bit.ly/SynodAssembly2019
ELCA 2018 Annual Report – http://bit.ly/ELCA-AnnualReport
SPEAKERS’ PRESENTATIONS
Dr. Brian Collins’ Friday PowerPoint Presentations may be found below:
The Art of Listening – Application & Practice (2019 Pacifica Synod Assembly)
PRE-ASSEMBLY REPORTS (A.K.A. “THE NOTEBOOK”)
The 2019 Pacifica Synod Pre-Assembly reports ready for download! Below are the links to download either the full assembly notebook as well as each individual section. Be patient if you are downloading the full notebook as the file is quite large. Be sure to check your print settings to ensure they are set to print duplex (two-sided) and in color (if desired.) If you would like to save paper, you are encouraged to download the notebook file to your tablet, laptop, or other device to view during the assembly. For those who ordered and paid for a notebook, yours will be in the mail to you by April 15, unless you’d prefer to pick it up at the Assembly. If so, please email Terri Robertson at terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org.
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Complete
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Cover
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Section 1 – Introduction
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Section 2 – Agenda & Rules
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Section 3 – Financial
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Section 4 – Nominations
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Section 5 – Reports
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2019 Notebook – Section 6 – Resolutions
ASSEMBLY SPEAKERS AND ELCA REPRESENTATIVE
We are pleased to welcome the following speakers and special guests to our 2019 Pacifica Synod Assembly:
Dr. Brian Collins
Assistant Professor of Philosophy at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks
Brian J. Collins is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA and also the Founder & Director of the SoCal Philosophy 
Academy. Originally from the Midwest (WI), Dr. Collins received his B.A. from St. Olaf College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. His primary research interests are in Ethics and Political Philosophy with an emphasis on ‘political obligation’ and the intersection of ethical and political philosophical theories. He teaches courses in Political Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Contemporary Philosophy – Existentialism, Philosophy of Religion, Social Ethics, and the Humanities Tutorial in the University Honors Program. He founded SoCal Philosophy Academy (https://www.callutheran.edu/philosophy-academy, Twitter: @SoCalPhilosophy, Instagram: socalphilosophyacademy) out of a passion for precollege philosophy and public philosophy. When he is not teaching/writing/researching/etc. he tries to spend as much time as possible with his family, being outdoors (surfing, hiking, biking, camping, skiing, etc.), listening to music, and enjoying good food and drink.
Rev. Dr. John Nunes
President at Concordia College New York, Bronxville
Dr. John Arthur Nunes has served as Concordia College New York’s ninth president since 2016. In his tenure he has overseen the design and implementation of a new multi-year strategic plan, a restatement of the school’s mission and values, and in 2018, a reframing of the college’s expanding academic programs into four distinct 
schools: The School of Health Sciences and Nursing, School of Education, School of Business, and School of Humanities. Under his leadership the college has continued its notable growth (The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac 2018-19 named Concordia College New York a Fastest-Growing College) to record enrollment. Dr. Nunes came to Concordia College from Valparaiso University, where he held the Jochum Chair, a university professorship supporting the study of Christian values in public and professional life. Prior to that he was the President and CEO of Lutheran World Relief, a $50 million organization with offices in 17 countries working to alleviate poverty and human suffering. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Mich.; a Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada; and both Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. An author of numerous books and articles, Dr. Nunes and Alberto García recently wrote Wittenberg Meets the World: Reimagining the Reformation from the Margins (Eerdmans, 2017). He is married to Monique Nunes, who serves the college as Senior Director of Student Experience. They are the parents of six grown children and an expanding entourage of grandchildren.
Kathryn Johnson
Director for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, ELCA Churchwide Office, Chicago
Kathryn Johnson comes to this Synod Assembly from the ELCA Churchwide Office, where since 2015 she has been Director for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations. 
She is a life-long Lutheran, and a lay person.
Before moving to Chicago, she served from 2007-2012 as Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs for The Lutheran World Federation’s office in Geneva, Switzerland and taught historical theology for decades at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. Her education is from St. Olaf College, Cambridge University, and Yale.
She loves to discover unexpected authors, meet friendly dogs, explore unknown places, and swap stories with friends new and old.
2019 SYNOD ASSEMBLY E-NEWS LINKS
- January 22, 2019
- February 1, 2019
- February 11, 2019
- May 6, 2019 – Final Assembly Details & Reminders
2018 PACIFICA SYNOD ASSEMBLY RESOURCES
Download the print publication – 2018 Assembly Final Review.
(Please be patient, this is a large file.)
Videos of the assembly business sessions and speakers may be found on our Synod YouTube channel.
2018 Synod Assembly Reports
Pacifica Synod Assembly 2018 Notebook – Complete Updated 04.30.18
During the 2018 Synod Assembly, the following ELCA videos were shared. You have permission to use these in your congregation as needed:
- “We are Lutheran” – Bishop Eaton’s Synod Assembly Video – https://vimeo.com/259213189
- ELCA 2017 Year in Review – https://vimeo.com/265782803
