Bishop Meggan’s Report to Synod Council – January 2026

On Dec. 9, 2025, after just over a year with a cancer diagnosis, synod Vice President Lisa Therrell died. Lisa lived life fully that last year, including a dream trip with husband Rich to Hawaii and serving as our vice president. Lisa had become a trusted colleague and I already find myself wondering “what would Lisa say?” or “how would Lisa approach this?” As noted in correspondence with you earlier I am thankful that Jeff Campbell has agreed to serve as our interim vice president, though he had a previous commitment and will not be able to lead our January meeting, so I’ll be doing that. We will honor Lisa’s life during opening worship of Synod Assembly and, assuming you follow the exec committee’s recommendation at our January meeting, install our newly elected vice president during closing worship Sunday of Synod Assembly. I am holding my grief gently while pressing on for the sake of the synod.

Our synod staff’s purpose continues to be to serve, accompany, and equip ministry sites and leaders of the NWIM of the ELCA so they can point to and participate in the gracious work of Jesus.

Since our synod council meeting in mid-September, I have visited the following congregations on Sunday mornings or for an installation: Troy Lutheran, Salem in Spokane (rite of welcome for UCC Pastor Ian Carr McPherson), Faith in Leavenworth (installation of Pastor Aaron Musser), Immanuel in Grandview, Grace in Cashmere, Faith in Caldwell, Grace in Wenatchee, New Day in Idaho Falls, King of Glory in Boise, Trinity in CDA, Riverview Retirement Community, Peace in Otis Orchards, and Lord of Life in Kennewick (installation of Deacon Karleigh Crepin). 

This fall, I also represented our synod at three bishops’ installations: Montana Bishop Ben Quanbeck in Billings, Presiding Bishop Yeheil Curry in Minneapolis, and SW WA Bishop Keith Marshall in Olympia. I also attended my final PLU board meeting and first ELCA Church Council meeting. I preached at the ecumenical Outdoor Ministry Connections Great Gathering at Lake Junaluska near Asheville, NC (and also spent time with Rebecca Smith and Maddie Glantz). I served on the Seminary Debt Reduction Task Force which gave its final report to the ELCA Church Council in November. I also sat on the 2025 LuMin strategic grant review team. First Call Theological Education for Region 1 (including Montana!) was in early November at Seabeck. Former D.C. bishop Leila Ortiz was a fabulous presenter. She’ll be the keynote speaker at Fall Convocation 2026 in Lewiston. I am writing this before my January trip to the Holy Land with other bishops and ELCA Churchwide staff but will report on it after I return. Every bishop is supposed to make that trip and visit a seminary during their term. I am scheduled to visit LSTC in Chicago in February with Bp Edison Albright from Wisconsin. 

Around the synod, we had a wonderful Bishop’s Fall Convocation in Richland with Dr. Anthony Bataeza. Pastor Liv put together a stellar Preach, Pray, Preside, and Polity retreat at the Grunewald Guild (see her report). We now have around 15 lay people in some kind of certificate program/formation. We started the retired pastor/deacon gatherings again (Riverview in Spokane Oct. 20 and looking to Boise in February). 

I was able to spend some good time with Pastors Ezekiel and Wilson during their Treasure Valley visit. We are all indebted to retired Deacon Heidi Cryer for helping them navigate the most challenging trip home (due to violence in Dar es Salaam after the national election) that any of us can remember. Tanzania was recently added to the list of countries “now banned from all immigrant visas and all tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.” This should not impact our people traveling to Tanzania this summer but could impact future visits to us by our companion synod guests.

I am grateful to Pastors Phil and Liv for being with Central Lutheran for their final worship service (when I was in N.C.). All Saints, Spokane is in the process of selling their building and deciding what’s next for them as a congregation. It was good to meet with their council in December. 

A huge part of the fall for our synod staff was implementing the United at the Font: Partnering for the Future events in Moses Lake, Clarkston, Pocatello, and St. Gertrude’s Monastery (ecumenical leaders). Our host congregations provided wonderful hospitality and though the days were long, our facilitators did a wonderful job leading; new relationships were formed and old ones were nurtured. I am still pondering all I learned at St. Gertrude’s from our full communion partners. Hopefully you read the news in the synod e-newsletter that we will receive a $30,000 grant from Wartburg’s CaSTLE project in 2026. 

And of course, December included correspondence with those in our synod impacted by the atmospheric river and other storms. Pastor Liv and I were on a call with other bishops and staff serving Washington, Lutheran Disaster Response, Ray Shjervan (our WA VOAD rep), and Holden Village. I’ll be back in touch with Ray after the Holy Land trip. 

As we look ahead to 2026, there seems to be a great deal on the calendar and a great deal to do. My goal is to make sure we keep Jesus Christ, whose coming we have just celebrated, at the center. I write this as much for my own accountability as for anything else. None of us needs more work for work’s sake. However, if in-person Synod Assembly, additional United at the Font events, more people in lay leadership formation and ELCA Candidacy (working towards ordination), and new ministry explorations can help us share the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, then that is work I am grateful to be freed by God’s mercy to do with this synod.

Addendum: Central Lutheran, Spokane’s Legacy – from Pastor Dave Kappus

Here is a listing of our legacy gifts. Pretty sure these are final numbers as banking business has been pretty much concluded.

The Central Lutheran Mission Endowment Fund with the ELCA Foundation will be sending quarterly distributions of about $600 each to five beneficiaries:

• World Relief Spokane
• Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery
• Northwest Intermountain Synod
• Mid-City Concerns
• Second Harvest Inland Northwest

If one of these beneficiaries ceases to exist, its share will be equally distributed among the remaining beneficiaries. Also, these same five beneficiaries will split equally the remains of the checking account upon closure. That one-time payment will amount to about $445.

Our Faith Forward Legacy Fund contained the proceeds from the sale of the building and was used to support Central’s general fund since 2022. Remaining funds in that account are being distributed as follows:

• Riverview Retirement Community (which Central helped start) – $50,000 to capital project for the “Central Lutheran Learning Center” which will be used to train and equip those called to serve residents in retirement and nursing facilities
• Lutheran Community Services of Spokane (I have served on their “Leadership Advisory Council” for many years) – $64,417.04
• Lutherhaven Ministries (which Central helped start) – $80,521.30 for general fund purposes
• Northwest Intermountain Synod – $16,104.26 for “Fund for Leaders” and other purposes as the Synod Council deems fit

Our Christianson Endowment Fund was given by member Warren Christianson for the express purpose of supporting Central’s general fund. In consultation with the remaining trustee, its remaining balance has been given to Lutherhaven Ministries to fund their “Leadership Initiative.” The Leadership Initiative captures what we have long loved about this camp. It is not just about a week in the summer. It is about walking alongside young people over time—nurturing their faith, encouraging their gifts, and helping them grow from campers, to counselors, to leaders in their communities and in the church. It is about forming disciples who know they are loved by God and called to serve with courage and compassion. A case in point was in the room as Donor Engagement and Events Manager Sarah Jones was once a young camper, then a leader in a certain pastor’s youth group (mine!), and now a camp staff member. The transfer of the Christianson Endowment funds of $417,000 to Lutherhaven to support this program (staff position and resources) will help keep Central’s legacy alive in the lives of young people who will lead, serve, and share the good news in ways we cannot yet imagine.