We're all struggling with how to worship after Omicron. What's the right balance of precaution that will mean caring for one another and caring for our community? How scared should we be? How bold should we be? We thought we had a plan, and the Omicron sneaker-wave knocked us onto the rocks. Can we ever trust a plan again?

It's Women’s History Month, and I hope it goes without saying that women are capable theologians, religious thinkers, and ethical decision-makers. That’s why I’m so troubled by laws, like the one proposed in Idaho, that limit women’s ability to make the complicated ethical decision of whether or not to have an abortion.

There’s a story my parents tell about when I was four years old. I’ve come to realize it’s a particularly Oregon story. I’d grown up in Zambia, aware of race from a very young age. We had recently arrived in Portland where we were intending to live while my dad went to Western Evangelical Seminary. As we were driving to church one Sunday, I was looking out the window and shouted, “Mommy, where are all the Black people?”

"I'm worried about our church council. They're not making good decisions, and the church is declining," the voice on the other end of the phone spoke rapidly, as if they needed to get the words out before I cut them off or contradicted them. The day before, I'd had a similar conversation. That one began, "I'm worried about our pastor..."

If you spend any time with pastors or church leaders of any kind, it's not long before the subject will turn to worship and contagion precautions. "How is your church doing worship right now? Are you requiring vaccines? Are you checking? What about masks? Are you singing? Is anyone singing?"

“Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.” (CEB)

It seems like everywhere I go these days I run into churches where anxiety is high and conflict is boiling. If your church is experiencing anxiety and conflict, there is nothing wrong with you. You are simply living in difficult times, and responding in a way that is natural.

Pastoral Letter - October 10, 2021

Over the past several weeks we have been working with local church pastors, and community partners to assess the damage and immediate financial needs. To our knowledge, four of our conference congregations were directly impacted by the wildfires