Metropolitan New York Synod

The Metropolitan New York Synod Strategic Plan

Formally known as the "Claimed Gathered Sent" initiative, the Synod 2013-2023 Strategic Plan was adopted by the Synod Assembly in 2012 to be "an ambitious transformative measure that will allow us to proclaim the gospel in new, innovative ways in the ever-changing, fast-paced environment of our world. The ten-year plan is designed to ensure that the Lutheran church remains relevant--not only in the lives of the faithful, but among the communities we seek to serve."[6]

The three committees, entitled Claimed, Gathered, and Sent, each have a specific role in implementing the strategic plan. The Claimed Committee's mission is "To help people grow in their faith through interaction and engagement with the Lutheran Tradition", the Gathered Committee's is "To ensure that Word and Sacrament ministry is provided in the metropolitan New York area," and the Sent Committee's is "To network congregations, ministries, and leaders to proclaim the Gospel while responding to specific societal needs and issues".[7]

Since adoption, its implementation has included a number of measures to assist congregations and fund leadership development programs, and several measures to develop new ministries.[8]

The Wall Street Journal profiled these efforts in 2014, reporting on the Bishop's efforts to "find the places where [the church is] not present and reach out…whether that's on social media or elsewhere". According to the Wall Street Journal, such efforts include "speaking his mind on several hot-button social issues and [working] with area pastors to create alternative church services throughout the New York City area."[4]

Metropolitan New York Synod, St. Lydia's Dinner Church

Many of the synod's ministries have received significant media attention for innovations in worship.[4] Such ministries include St. Lydia's "Dinner Church" in Gowanus, Brooklyn, which has been widely credited with popularizing the "Dinner Church"[9] and "Micro-Church"[10] concepts, and Lutheran Church and Parables in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, which was profiled for its "Art Service" where churchgoers use paint and clay to tell personal stories.[4]

Other churches receiving significant media attention are Holy Trinity and St. Peter's Lutheran churches. In 2008, the well-attended Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church was the subject of a New York Times profile describing it as "New York's Temple to Bach."[11][12] St. Peter's, likewise, was the subject of a New York Times profile for its extraordinary Jazz Vespers service, and was chronicled, in particular, for its famed "All Night Soul" worship service. According to the Times, it "attracted more and more musicians as parishioners, congregants and performers - so many that the annual All Night Soul concert has become one of New York's most impressive gatherings of jazz talent".[13] Though the "All Night Soul" service was most popular in the early to mid-1980s, St. Peter's continues to offer some of the city's best jazz as a member of the Grand Central Station Partnership summer concert series, "Jazz on the Plaza."[14]

Metropolitan New York Synod All Saints / Todos Los Santos Lutheran Church

As part of the strategic plan, the synod has created a pilot project to assist individual congregations interested in merging with each other to form new "regional-churches"[15] equipped with the resources to minister to surrounding and neighboring communities. Congregations participating in the pilot project did so by voting to merge and participating in "round robin" worship service prior to the merger vote; thereby becoming acquainted with each other in advance.[16]

Among the most successful pilot projects are the merging of four individual congregations into a unified, "regional-church", All Saints / Todos Los Santos, capable of administering ministry to its Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods, and Augustana Lutheran Church in East Elmhurst with Grace Lutheran Church in Astoria, home to the #4 rated pre-school in New York City (Astoria Lutheran School).[17]

The English Language Center at Ascension Lutheran Church, Deer Park

The Latino community is: the fastest growing ethnic community in the ELCA; the largest growing ethnic group in the United States; and the largest minority community in the metropolitan New York area.[18]

In the Metropolitan New York Synod 14 Latino congregations are led by five full-time and nine part-time pastors, some of whom serve in a bi-lingual or tri-lingual context. These pastors come from eight different countries, and are assisted by 10 congregational or synodically-rostered deacons.[18]

Initiatives to support the development of this ministry include an English Language school run out of a Lutheran Congregation in Deer Park, Long Island where, with a sister group in Brentwood, church volunteers work with a partner to hold English as a Second Language classes on site.

For ten weeks each summer, senior high school students teach free classes twice a week.The program has become an internship that has helped many get into Ivy League schools. The program also offers GED, computer and citizenship classes and, with its sister organization, serves about 80 students a year.[19]

Metropolitan New York Synod Pastor officiates historic same-sex marriage ceremony

The national Lutheran church organization (ELCA) amended its marriage stance in 2009, voting to allow individual congregations to bless same-sex unions. Bishop Rimbo said, he himself went through a "complete reversal" on same-sex marriage in the late 1980s after working with a fellow church official who is lesbian, "It took lots of soul searching and conversion but I got there." He officiated his first same-sex wedding in June 2014.[4]

Metropolitan New York Synod Service for Justice and Reconciliation

In 2014 following protests in many U.S. cities, after the deaths of Eric Garner in State Island and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Rimbo initiated inter-faith discussions on how to end racism in America, entitled "A Service for Justice and Reconciliation.[20] Hundreds attended the inter-faith service where religious leaders offered guidance on racial issues from traditional texts.[20]

The 2015 Metropolitan New York Synod Assembly formally adopted and funded measures to continue "the Synod's commitment to address racism in the church and society" and directing that the Synod design, implement and fund racism training through which participants can "develop a common analysis, an anti-racist identity, and the knowledge that will assist them in addressing, confronting, and working toward the dismantling of racism".[21]

Metropolitan New York Synod participates in Climate March

The 2015 Metropolitan New York Synod also adopted a resolution "to divest from fossil fuels within five years".[22] The resolution was the culmination of work begun by the Synod shortly after the People's Climate March, a gathering of 400,000 people in New York City September 2014 of which the Synod was involved in organizing.[23]

In 2000, Bishop Rimbo personally came out in support of the practice of intercommunion, in which Christians of different denominations can receive Communion at one another's services.[24]