Subcategories

• Who We Are

  

  The Florida-Bahamas Synod is one of 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The territory of the synod includes the entire State of Florida and all of the Islands of the Bahamas. The  206 Congregations of the synod are grouped into three Mission Districts (North, Southwest, Southeast) which are served by three Assists to the Bishop. To facilitate additional community ministry, the congregations in each Mission District are also organized into smaller clusters called Conferences. There are 15 Conferences in the Florida-Bahamas Synod.

  The Reverend Edward R. Benoway is the current bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod. He is was elected in 2001 at the Annual Assembly of the Synod. Bishop Benoway, with the assistance of his staff, are responsible for carrying out the daily work of the synod under the direction of the elected Synod Council and Annual Synod Assembly.

  • What is a Synod?

    The Florida-Bahamas Synod is one of 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The territory of the synod includes the entire State of Florida and all of the Islands of the Bahamas. The  206 Congregations of the synod are grouped into three Mission Districts (North, Southwest, Southeast) which are served by three Assists to the Bishop. To facilitate additional community ministry, the congregations in each Mission District are also organized into smaller clusters called Conferences. There are 15 Conferences in the Florida-Bahamas Synod.

    The Reverend Edward R. Benoway is the current bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod. He is was elected in 2001 at the Annual Assembly of the Synod. Bishop Benoway, with the assistance of his staff, are responsible for carrying out the daily work of the synod under the direction of the elected Synod Council and Annual Synod Assembly.

  • What is a Lutheran?

     Lutherans are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin Luther (1483 – 1546). Luther was a German theologian who realized that there were significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic church at that time. On October 31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the door of Wittenberg University, titled “95 Theses” (to debate 95 theological issues). His hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.

    What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" became the name of the group that agreed with Luther’s convictions.

  • What is a Christian
    To define it simply, Christianity is one of the world’s major monotheistic religions. Christians believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings. We believe Jesus is God’s own son, sent by God to become human. As the son of God, Jesus is divine, but he was also a human being who lived among us on earth, over 2,000 years ago. Followers of Jesus are part of God’s people, whose heritage includes the Jewish people and the Christian Church throughout the world today.
• Being Church Together

  
  As people of God, it is important for us to constantly be engaged in relevant and helpful study and discussion of how we live together through our common faith in Jesus Christ despite our differences. Here you will discover a wide diversity of well educated, strongly held opinions and theological understandings while emphasizing a shared commitment to the common mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This is about being church together in the midst of disagreements.

  The intent of this site is to post and share significant offerings of perspectives by Lutheran teaching theologians and others of how we can be church together and continue in earnest dialogue with one another, challenging our thinking and partnership in Christ Jesus.

   

  In the weeks following the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, ELCA bishops from across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands responded with letters to their local synod leaders. Read what they had to say.
  

  • Words from Synod Bishop Edward R. Benoway
    Bishop Edward R. Benoway of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, ELCA, shares his pastoral words and advice for living together as ELCA Lutherans and the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.
  • Words from ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson
    ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson continues to lead our church by reflecting on the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in letters, pastoral remarks, and videos directed to the people in our congregations and in leadership positions.
  • Pastoral Words for Our Mission Together

    During times of division, clear and caring words from our pastors can help to ease the stress. Pr. Tim Smith (Boone, NC) and former ELCA Presiding Bishop Herbert Chilstrom share their perspective regarding the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly and how staying together is important for the ministry of the church.

  • Theological Reflection

    Part of being "church together" is understanding our differences and respecting the bound-conscience of the other. Several Lutheran theologians, including Dr. David Yeago (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary) and Dr. Timothy J. Wengert (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) share their personal and theological reflections on being a united church despite our differences.

  • Frequently Asked Questions
    Common questions often arise regarding the process and timeline of decisions made by the Churchwide Assembly, particularly those decisions made in August 2009 regarding human sexuality. This section will work to answer many of those questions.
• History