The 2025 ELCIC National Convention is finally here, and delegates are beginning to arrive at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg.
Across the next four days, July 10-13, 164 voting members will be gathering, worshiping together, and discern issues affecting the future of our church, under the theme Rejoicing in Hope. Lay and rostered members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will be participating in the work of the church, its structure, and function. Alongside visitors, special guests, and volunteers, they will be participating in faithful witness, discernment, and the ministry of the ELCIC.
Rev. Katrina Vigen, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Vancouver, BC, and a National Church Council (NCC) member, is attending convention as a delegate. She shared her hope, heading into convention.
“I’m very excited about what will unfold, and I have no idea what the Holy Spirit will do. I don’t know that anyone does, except God, but I am very excited for whatever new possibilities and opportunities God is leading us into,” she said.
“Our faith gives me a lot of hope and gives me a lot of joy. There are so many places in the world where we can look at, for example, the climate crisis, and we can look at homelessness, and we can look at the opioid crisis, we can look at the wars in the Holy Land and in Ukraine, and in so many places, and feel despair. These are horrible situations, so it’s right to have those feelings, but grounded in Christ, we have hope that we know that’s not the end of the story. We know it’s just part of the story, and we know that the ending is resurrection, is life, and so that’s what we look forward to, and we have that because of our faith,” Rev. Vigen added, about what the theme Rejoicing in Hope means to her.
Alison Van Schaik, a delegate from the Eastern Synod, is attending her first National Convention. She was previously a youth delegate at the Eastern Synod Assembly in 2024. She explains what Rejoicing in Hopemeans to her, as a young adult delegate.
“It’s hopeful to me that the church is embracing us, and asking us our thoughts and opinions, and letting our voices be heard,” Van Schaik said.
“Young adults and youth are the future of the church, and it means a lot that the ELCIC is putting a focus on it, because where is the church going to be in 20 years if we don’t embrace the people who are young right now? We are the future of the church,” she added.
Van Schaik is one of 28 delegates aged 30 and under attending National Convention. Prior to the convention in 2019, the ELCIC set a goal of having 20 percent of the delegation be 30 years of age or younger. In 2019, there were 12 delegates 30 years and under. At the online convention in 2022, 14. At the special convention in partnership with the Anglican Church of Canada, nine. With 150 delegates this year, 20 percent would be 30 delegates. This means that with 28, this convention marks the closest that the ELCIC has come to reaching this goal.
Rev. Erik Parker, the worship chair for National Convention, said that he hopes people “feel grounded by the worship and in the gospel that binds us all together, and that it is the starting place from where we can move into our deliberation and discernment as a church.”
“The opening and closing worship were planned by Bishop Susan [Johnson]. She was the primary architect, so I think the services really do reflect her spirit of rejoicing that she’s carried with her through a lot of conventions. So, there is a lot of music,” he added, noting how the worship at convention will embody the theme.
Rejoicing in Hope reminds us that amidst all the change and uncertainty that surrounds us, there is much joy and goodness to be found in our hope—and our church has abundant hope! Hope is a way forward, and plentifully present as National Convention starts.
