VOLUME 98 ISSUE 5 - SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER 2020 www.scsynod.com The South LutheranCarolina SYNOD ASSEMBLY MEETING VIRTUALLY TO ELECT A NEW BISHOP THE REVEREND GINNY AEBISCHER ELECTED AS BISHOP OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SYNOD Synod Assembly The Rev. Virginia Aebischer is elected Bishop of the ELCA South Carolina Synod he Rev. Virginia Aebischer was elected July 25 to serve a Tsix-year term as bishop of the South Carolina Synod of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church in Ameri- ca (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held July 25 online. The Rev. Virginia Aebischer was elected on the fifth ballot, with 280 votes. The Rev. Jacqueline Utley re- ceived 211 votes. The Rev. Virginia Aebischer has most recently served as Assistant to the Bishop with Bishop Herman Yoos. Bishop-Elect Aebischer grad- uated from Upsala College in 1983. Upsala College was a Lutheran col- lege in East Orange, New Jersey. She received her M. Div from The Lu- theran Theological Southern Sem- inary, located here in Columbia in 1989. She was ordained on Septem- ber 17, 1989 after receiving a call to Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Charleston, South Carolina. Bishop-Elect Aebischer will suc- ceed The Rev. Dr. Herman Yoos and will take office on September 1, 2020 with an Installation service happening on October 4, 2020. De- tails are still being worked on as the pandemic continues. The bishop serves as the synod’s pastor and is called to administer sacraments, preach, provide pasto- ral care, advise, ordain, advocate, interpret, and serve as the ecumen- ical officer. [ 2 www.scsynod.com By The Rev. Lisa Isenhower Synod Assembly Historic Assembly and Historic Election n an historic assembly, the South to allow this first-ever remote assem- ballot. These candidates were Virgin- Carolina Synod of the Evangelical bly. ia Aebischer, Ralph Hill, Jackie Utley, ILutheran Church met virtually to In the election of a bishop, the first David Coffman, Wade Roof, Patti Sue elect a new bishop. The Rev. Virgin- ballot, called the “ecclesiastical ballot,” Burton Pye, and Eric Fink. These sev- ia Aebischer, who currently serves as serves as the nominating process in the en addressed the assembly, offering Assistant to Bishop Herman Yoos, was South Carolina Synod. After nomina- information about themselves and the elected on the fifth ballot to serve as tions close, those who have been nom- gifts and skills they might bring to the the new bishop of the South Carolina inated have the opportunity to remove bishop’s office. Synod. Rev. Aebischer is the first wom- their names from the ballot if they wish. Only the top three candidates—Vir- an to be elected bishop in this synod. This year, 17 ministers left their names ginia Aebischer, Jacqueline Utley, and The election was historic on a in nomination. The second ballot can- Ralph Hill—moved on to the fourth number of levels. In the midst of the didates were Virginia Aebischer, Ralph ballot. Prior to that ballot, all three had COVID 19 pandemic, creative and Hill, Jacqueline Utley, David Coffman, an opportunity to answer two addi- careful planning in collaboration with Wade Roof, Patti Sue Burton-Pye, Eric tional questions, prepared in advance our churchwide leaders allowed the Fink, Shannon Mullen, Mary Ander- by the Bishop’s Election Committee. South Carolina Synod to meet virtu- son, Rhodes Woolly, Christine Stoxen, Of the top two candidates—Virginia ally. Through diligent training and Chris Heavner, Jon Heiliger, Eric Little, Aebischer and Jacqueline Utley—both preparation, participants were able to Thulie Beresford, James Henricks, and are women, and one is a person of col- “attend” the assembly via Zoom; vot- Gary Christensen. or. What a marvelous stirring of the ing was accomplished through Lumi. After the second ballot, the top Holy Spirit in our synod! [ Both pieces of technology worked well seven vote getters moved to the third ASSEMBLY GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS ARE WITH THE SYNOD COUNCIL REPORT ON PAGE 15 SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER 2020 3 Contents 2 Synod Assembly The South Carolina Lutheran is a publication of the South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The South Carolina Lutheran (ISSN 161-9748) is published 6 times per year at 2 1003 Richland St., Columbia, SC 29201. Subscription rates are $8.50 for congregational plan and $10.00 for individual subscriptions. 7 Rambling with Raymond Periodicals Postage paid at 1003 Richland 11 Good News From Our Congregations Street, Columbia, SC 29201 and additional mailing offices. 14 We Are Covered Copyright © 2020 South Carolina Synod, ELCA. All rights reserved. Duplication in whole or in part in 14 Official Acts any form is prohibited without permission from the publishers. Printed in the U.S.A. 15 Synod Council Highlights Editorial/Business/Circulation 16 Parish Paper South Carolina Synod, ELCA 1003 Richland Street 20 Calendar Columbia, SC 29201-2407 Telephone: 803-765-0590 Fax: 803-252-5558 Website: www.scsynod.com Bishop The Rev. Dr. Herman R. Yoos III Assistant to the Bishop The Rev. Virginia S. Aebischer Vice-President Lexanne K. Graves, Deacon Secretary The Rev. W. Osborne Herlong Treasurer Copyright information about THE PARISH PAPER, found in this issue: Our syn- Raymond L. Hendrix od’s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES (1) permission to provide copies ©to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Editor Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site. (2) permission for each con- Neal F. Fischer [email protected] gregation within our jurisdiction (a) to photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) to post them on its Web site, and (c) to quote sentences and paragraphs. Congregations Subscriptions within our organization to which we distribute THE PARISH PAPER do NOT have permission (a) to delete the Tiffany Pieters [email protected] copyright notice, (b) to re-write, paraphrase, or change the wording of sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give ANY THIRD PARTY—other than our staff and constituents—permission to photocopy or reprint (in any Publication deadlines are listed on the back page of quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale). each issue. 4 www.scsynod.com Synod Assembly Behind the Scenes Photos Top Left: Raymond Hendrix and Deacon Lexanne Graves Middle Left: Kelley Mintz, Rev. Ginny Aebischer, and Raymond Morris Bottom Left: Victoria Flood, Churchwide Representative Top Right: Rev. Mike Watson and Jenny Spearen Bottom Right: Neal Fischer SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER 2020 5 Synod Assembly By Beth Fulmer Keynote: Faith in a Secular Age r. Andy Root discussed a very dif- ficult problem with some inter- Desting observations. What does ministry look like now in today’s world? Along with many people in this era, he broached the subject of ministry and technology and how they intertwined. He said that ministry was not technol- ogy; however, technology “framed our imagination.” According to Root, every- thing is a problem and there is an answer to every problem. Technology is a sci- ence that answers every problem. With that said, how do we pass faith on to the next generation? What is new that will produce spiritual growth in this age of technology? Pastors have always struggled and the problems have shifted dog had died. Extremely upset, the boy (Bonhoeffer lived in the early 1900’s.) and differed over time; however, in ages fell into the arms of Dietrich Bonhoeffer Andy Root is a professor at Luther past, there was always the understanding (a Lutheran minister). The young child Seminary. He has written several books; that God was real; people believed that wanted to know where his dog was now. one of which is “The Pastor in a Secular they interacted with something beyond Bonhoeffer consoled the boy by holding Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer what they could see and feel. For many him close, listening, and letting him cry. Need a God” (Baker Academic, 2019). now, that belief is non-existent. Root also had other narratives to make He was a fascinating speaker who iden- Root told some interesting stories, the point that giving a person space and tified many questions that pastors in this one of which was about a boy whose listening were often all that was needed. day and age are asking. [ You are invited to the Installation of The Reverend Virginia S. Aebischer as Bishop of the South Carolina Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Sunday, October 4th, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. The service will be available by live stream. We invite you to attend through our Facebook page, YouTube channel, and our website. 6 www.scsynod.com Finance By Raymond Hendrix Rambling with Raymond A summary report on the Synod’s financial operations for the first six months ack in February 2020, Charlene of 2020/2021. closed the books for the fiscal Byear ended January 31, 2020, and This year Last year gave me a copy of the monthly financial Mission Support $ 1,094,932 $ 1,219,749 statements. While reviewing, I noticed Other Revenue** $22,560 $68,693 that all the elements (items) of the report were good and the fiscal year ended 2020 Investment Income $32,166 $86,387 was probably the best year in a long time. Expenditures ($1,074,226) ($1,276,478) Then came February when the news Revenue over Expenditures $75,432 $98,351 started reporting that the COVID-19 vi- rus had traveled from China to America ** Other Revenue includes subscriptions to The South Carolina Lutheran, rental income, registra- and the rest of the world.