The Perspective from Two First-time Voting Members

Peggy and Barrett Everhard, members of Holy Trinity, Leesburg, Va., are attending their first synod assembly as voting members.

"Being here moves you from being inside your own sphere... to a larger picture."

After attending the first day of the assembly, the parts that have impressed them the most are the addresses by the Rev. Amy Thompson Sevimli, Assistant to the Bishop, and Ms. Kristin Glass, ELCA representative and ELCA Director for Young Adult Ministry. Both spoke on ways to reach and bring in young adults to the church.

“I’d like to go back and get that movement going in our church,” Peggy said.

How will they describe to other members of their congregation what happened at the synod assembly? Barrett said he would tell people it is a gathering of all congregations in the synod to discuss initiatives and the paths we should be taking to move us into the future.

“Being here moves you from being inside your own sphere in your own church to a larger picture,” he said. “It’s a bigger picture of what’s going on with all the churches together.”

Peggy is on the congregation’s council and will most likely report on the synod assembly at the congregational meeting coming up in June.