Peer Ministry Training: Equipping Youth and Adults for Christ-Centered Relationships Mark your calendars for an exciting day of learning, growth, and leadership development at the upcoming Peer Ministry Training on September 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Silverdale Lutheran Church in Silverdale, Washington. Peer Ministry is people ministry. It is the practice of…
On Sunday, May 17, we are excited to have our new Southwestern Washington Synod Bishop Keith Marshall visit St. Mark. Bishop Marshall will preach during worship and be available at coffee hour to share updates about the synod and the ELCA. Rev. Keith Marshall was elected as our new Bishop at the 2025 Synod Assembly…
Bishop Curry Issues Statement on Iran War MARCH 4, 2026 Dear siblings in Christ, They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4). In our Lenten journey, we are reminded of our dependence on…
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 divisions continue to grow and what has become normalized is so shocking and startling. As your bishop,…
Learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17). Alongside our siblings in Christ in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota and all who have been impacted by aggressive immigration enforcement and violence by federal law enforcement agents, I mourn the shocking shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an…
January 7, 2026 Dear siblings in Christ, There is concern across this church about the Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. military action in Venezuela and what has or will follow. I believe that this Sunday’s celebration of Jesus’ baptism, and our own, can provide understanding, guide our prayers and promote faithful action at this time. The…
We welcome our new Southwestern Washington Synod Bishop Keith Marshall! He was elected to serve a 6 year term during our Synod Assembly on June 13-14 at the Olson Auditorium at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Siblings in Christ of the Southwestern Washington Synod, Grace and peace to you all! As I officially begin serving…
The Rev. Yehiel Curry was elected July 30 to serve a six-year term as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly being held July 28–Aug. 2 at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Convention Center.
Curry was elected on the fifth ballot. There were 799 votes cast, with 400 votes needed for an election. Curry received 562 votes, and the Rev. Kevin Strickland, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Synod, received 237 votes. Curry is the first Black presiding bishop of the ELCA.
Speaking to the assembly after his election, Curry reflected on his membership at Shekinah Chapel in Riverdale, Ill., where he eventually became a lay mission developer while he participated in the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program, which prepares individuals for ordained ministry in the ELCA, with a focus on emerging ministry contexts like ethnic-specific, multicultural, rural and inner-city settings. He spoke to the assembly about his initial hesitation in accepting that first ministry role.
“Perhaps I’m out there in one of you,” Curry said. “I never saw myself as good enough, so for two years, I said no. I finally said yes. When I said yes, your support, this church’s support, of that ministry meant everything. So if you want to know what your benevolence dollars look like, it looks like me, and I want to say thank you. Thank you for your investment.”
Curry has served as bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod since 2019. He previously served as mission developer (2009-2012) and pastor (2012-2019) of Shekinah.
He received a Bachelor of Arts from Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., in 1995 and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) in 2013. LSTC is one of seven ELCA seminaries.
“Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.” —Galatians 6:10 Dear church, Today the U.S. Congress passed a budget package that will have a monumental impact on many in the country and on our ministries and communities. The scope of the…
Watchfulness and Response A Message from Bishop Rick Jaech January 28, 2025 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Dear Members of the Southwestern Washington Synod, As citizens of the United States and as followers of Christ,…