A Monthly Newsletter of the Southwestern Washington Synod – ELCAFebruary 2026  Synod StaffFind Synod Staff Contact Information HERESynod EventsFind Upcoming Events HERETransitionsFind Congregations in Transition HEREOn The Road With the Staff ArchiveFind out what our staff has been doing throughout the year HERE In This Month’s Edition:A Word from Bishop Keith MarshallOn the Road with the StaffMinistry Voices “In the Spotlight” – Ministers in Specialized Settings (MISS), Rev. Dr. Dianna CoxMinistry Voices “A Word from Vinland Lutheran Church” – Rev. Paula BurchillELCA Churchwide – A letter from Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry to the U.S. Congress A Word from the BishopOne of the great […]

View as Webpage    February 5, 2026Dear Beloved Friends in Christ,No matter how you slice it, things in our country are pretty dire. News headlines focus on the revelations of men in power who were connected with a known pedophile, on American citizens being killed on the streets by federal agents, on the continued rise of costs for basic necessities, on the arrests of people with brown skin—citizens, immigrants, or refugees—by agents wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves. It’s a lot. But it’s not the first time in history when similar events have taken place. Sadly, we humans have […]

 Beloved Members of the Southwestern Washington Synod,I find myself at a loss for words in this moment. I sit shocked and heartbroken,crying out to God, asking where we are to turn in a time as our divisionscontinue to grow and what has become normalized is so shocking andstartling. As your bishop, I find myself deeply concerned for our hearts, ourcommunities, our families, and ourselves.Along with the violence and hate we see on display daily, I am concernedto what extent that level of dehumanization and desensitization has takenhold among us. I am troubled and concerned that violence, hate, andrhetoric have become […]

 January 21, 2026  Synod ResourcesAdministration, Compensation Guidelines, Constitutions, Financial, Personnel Policies, Pulpit Supply, Immigration, TransitionLatest Letters and Press Releases from the Synod and ChurchwideOrdination AnniversariesJanuary 2026Rev. Carol L. Schneider10 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 16, 2016Rev. Ralf Kalms40 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 26, 1986Thank you for your faithful service to the people of God!  Administration This and That2026 IRS Mileage Rate is 72.5 centsMid January the ELCA portal will open for the 2025 Annual Congregation Report – please expect an email from ELCA Churchwide soon!MarketplaceMessiah Lutheran in Vancouver has several communion ware items […]