Dear sisters and brothers in the Regional Synod of New York,
As you know, I am a member of a group called the Council of Synod Executives, or COSE, which is made up of the executive leaders from each of the eight regional synods in the RCA. In many ways this group embodies the complexity and variety that exists within our denomination. COSE meets 2-3 times each year to conduct business, share information across synods, and collaborate on projects. A few weeks ago we met to discuss the current concerns facing our regions and denomination.
In light of the current high level of anxiety in our denomination, we members of COSE unanimously agreed that we needed to have a different kind of meeting from our usual business meeting. We wanted to deepen our relationships with one another. We met for three days to pray, to discuss the current reality of our denomination, to listen to one another, and to consider the future. It was intense, challenging, but also surprisingly fruitful. Out of that meeting, our council decided on a new course of action and created a statement to be shared with the entire denomination.
I invite you to read our pastoral letter (which describes how and why we wrote the statement) and statement (HERE)
The entire COSE team welcomes your questions and feedback at cose@rca.org or you may feel free to contact me directly at nylandal@gmail.com.
Together in Christ,
Amy Nyland