Bryan Penman sees the biggest challenge facing the ELCA as its greatest opportunity: offering a new, more resilient way of being church as congregations emerge from the post-pandemic era. “The older institutional structures of our church are hindering our mission,” he said. “The church that is emerging now will let our faith shine in everything we do.” Read the full article in Living Lutheran.

Penman, who was elected May 4 to serve as bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, has some firsthand knowledge of supporting this vision of an emerging church. In addition to serving as pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Conshohocken, Pa., since 2013, he has been co-director for evangelical mission in the synod since 2022. In that role he has been a driving force behind the synod’s “Love Revolution” proposal, operating with a grant of more than $1 million from the Lilly Endowment Inc.