Indiana-Kentucky Synod ELCA

06/11/2026

It is VBS season! Thanks the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Indianapolis for inviting me, DEM Missy Schroeder to join them for dinner and amazing Rainforest adventures Wednesday evening. The catch phrase of the evening was, God is Love! It was great to see all the kids and adults from Resurrection and Mara Evangelical Church Indianapolis.

06/11/2026

PRIDE Month Stories of Welcome:

As we continue our observation of PRIDE month, we share a reflection from Pastor Robert Abner from his experiences as Campus Pastor at Grace Village, the campus ministry at Ball State University in Indiana. A letter he received is below.

A message he received from a UMC colleague is here:

I was talking with my niece who is a sophomore at BSU. She mentioned she grabs breakfast at a church on Wednesday’s en route to class.

She was telling me how much she loved this and was mad when she was running late and couldn’t stop. My niece has a fundamental-evangelical background, but started breaking away when she came out q***r. Her family system is a mess and she is not accepted by her mom’s family. It’s awful.

Anyway, when we were talking about my shift out of church leadership and her experiences with the church, her counterpoint was your Wednesday morning breakfasts. She said, with tears in her eyes, “They are so kind. No one in my church experience or church-going family has been kind.” She went on to say how much this means to her.

Then we discussed how the low bar for Christians should be kindness, and yet, as her’s and my gaping wounds prove, it is not. So, my friend, keep doing amazing work.

It does matter. Thank you for being kind to my niece. She’s very special to me.

06/10/2026

Our congregation, Mara Evangelical Church in Indianapolis (MECI), has been featured in the Faith in Action series by Living Lutheran!

The article shares MECI's inspiring journey into the ELCA, its ministry among Mara families in Indianapolis, and the ways this vibrant congregation is building community, nurturing faith, and welcoming newcomers.

We invite you to read the story and celebrate the ministry, dedication, and faith of the people of Mara Evangelical Church.

Read the full article here: https://www.livinglutheran.org/sofia/a-place-to-celebrate.php

06/10/2026

As part of assembly, we also had the opportunity to celebrate congregations across our synod that are marking significant anniversaries. These milestones represent years of faithful worship, service, fellowship, and ministry within their communities.

Each anniversary is a reminder of the generations of members, leaders, and supporters who have helped build and sustain these faith communities. Through changing times, these congregations have continued to share God's love, serve their neighbors, and provide places of welcome, hope, and belonging.

Those honored were:

25 years Cross of Grace Lutheran Church, New Palestine, IN

75 years Christ Lutheran Church, Hammond, IN
Faith Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN
Faith Lutheran Church, Jeffersonville, IN

125 years First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mishawaka, IN

150 years Immanuel Lutheran Church, Plymouth, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church, Middlebury, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church, Michigan City, IN
St Peter Lutheran Church, Dillsboro, IN

175 years St Paul Evangelical Crossroads Lutheran Church, Batesville, IN

06/09/2026

UPDATE: We're back up!

We are currently experiencing issues with our website due to an outage affecting our website provider.

As a result, our website is temporarily unavailable. We appreciate your patience as they work to restore service.

Thank you for your understanding.

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

DEM Missy Schroeder had a wonderful time preaching and worshipping with the delightful folks at Bethel Lutheran Church in Gary, IN. We were treated to pie and quiche as we celebrated wedding anniversaries. Thank you for your gracious welcome and hospitality!

06/09/2026

As part of assembly, we had the privilege of honoring our rostered ministers who have reached significant milestones in their years of faithful service.

These anniversaries represent decades of dedication to sharing the Gospel, caring for congregations, walking alongside people through life's joys and challenges, and strengthening communities of faith across our synod

Honorees celebrating 50 years of service:
Pastor Marcus P. B. Felde
Pastor John A. Roberts
Pastor Jeremy G. Russell
Pastor Steven C. Scott
Pastor Richard C. Stern
Pastor James M. Winjum

Honorees celebrating 25 years of service:
Pastor Margaret D. Dorwick
Pastor Donald K. Gray
Pastor Mark R. Havel
Deacon Mary E. Lasits
Pastor Kerri Manning McFarland
Pastor Mark R. Minnick
Pastor Freda S. Scales
Pastor Susan Z. Socha

06/08/2026

Pastor Priscilla spent a beautiful Sunday morning with the saints of Christ, Jeffersontown, KY yesterday.

06/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended Assembly!

We’ll be using this space, along with the E-News, to share highlights, key takeaways, and important updates from Assembly over the coming weeks.

To begin, please take a few minutes to watch this ELCA Churchwide report to assemblies from Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry.

Watch the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxWz_IMmV9s