Postponement Information & Notebook of Reports
June 17, 2020
Dear People of the Pacifica Synod,
As you know, the 2020 Synod Assembly scheduled to take place at California Lutheran University at the end of May was postponed due to COVID-19. We thought about rescheduling to August. However, we believe that the best advice will continue to deem it unwise to gather together in large numbers.
At a special Synod Council meeting held on Saturday, June 13 for the sole purpose of discussing this issue, the Council passed the following motion:
Due to the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic, Synod Council votes to postpone the 2020 Pacifica Synod Assembly to May 2021 and combine it with the regularly scheduled 2021 Pacifica Synod Assembly.
What Does This Mean?
(An excellent Lutheran question.)
During this time of physical distancing for the sake of the health of the neighbor, an assembly of the voting members of the Pacifica Synod is not possible in person.
We considered holding our assembly via Zoom. While this platform is being used successfully for smaller meetings, the expertise to conduct a synod assembly, in which everyone can hear and be heard to conduct the business of the synod is currently beyond our expertise. We need time for the synod staff and Assembly Planning Team to acquire the knowledge, skills, and technical equipment to successfully host an assembly on-line. The Synod Council has decided that the best way forward would be to plan now to hold the 2021 Pacifica Synod Assembly on Saturday, May 1 online either via Zoom with individual voting members attending from home, or at different satellite locations where smaller groups could gather (if allowed by public health regulations). If we use satellite locations, the locations will be connected with each other either through Zoom or another platform. This plan will allow time to obtain the necessary tools, expertise, and training for staff and voting members.
This decision was not made easily. We thank the Synod Council and staff for many hours of deliberation to find the best solution to a problem none of us could have foreseen.
Frequently Asked Questions may be found here. For additional questions, please reach out to your pastor, conference dean, or the Office of the Bishop.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Andy Taylor (he/him/his) Lori Herman, (she/her/hers)
Pacifica Synod Bishop Pacifica Synod Council Vice President
2020 Pacifica Synod Notebook of Reports
Despite the postponement of the assembly, we have prepared a 2020 Notebook of Reports to share with you. This document contains four of our usual assembly notebook sections and may be downloaded as a complete notebook or by individual section. Click the links below to download these items.
2020 Notebook of Reports – Full Version
Section 1 – Cover & Introduction
Section 2 – Congregations, Rosters & Anniversaries
Section 3 – Finance & Budget
Section 4 – Reports
