By Beki Greenwood, Recording Secretary
It was a mild, mid-November weekend as members of the General Council arrived in our nation’s capital for their annal fall hybrid meeting. Looking forward to two full days of meetings on the horizon, members trickled into the hotel following a fifteen-minute ride from the airport (passing several of our national monuments) and settled into their spacious hotel rooms. Early arrivals were invited by Rev. Sage Cole to attend a Be Love, Be Honest, Be Useful gathering hosted by the Helen Keller Spiritual Life Collaborative at nearby Melissa Donaldson’s house—a collaborative’s board member. Greeted by a buffet of Indian cuisine, several General Council members enjoyed an evening of good food, good conversation, and fun games. Others who were unable to attend this gathering found other local gems of cuisine to enjoy close to the Dupont Circle area of Washington, DC. A perfect way to rekindle connections and get ready to work together to make decisions together for the Swedenborgian Church of North America.
The Royal Sonesta hotel is conveniently located two blocks away from the Swedenborg House on Q Street—the new home of the Church of the Holy City and the Washington, DC society. What a treat to walk over and be warmly welcomed by Rev. Rich Tafel and Jimmy Cox, the longtime facility manager of both the former church building and the current. Both were eager to share the five-story walk-up with the Council.
With the high-quality technology the Swedenborg House has set up, we were able to hold a seamless hybrid meeting with our General Council members from afar. The council discussed a variety of topics from the 2026 budget, to visions for the virtual future, to how we can better support our congregations, and many more in between. We heard reports from Spiritual Questers (Our Daily Bread), the Messenger, Spiritual Sunshine (swedenborgiancommunity.org), and from the dean of the Center for Swedenborgian Studies. They shared with us their plans for 2026, the forward movement of their programs, and their goals for the next year. It was possible to hear reports from California, Missouri, and New Zealand! Our modern technology is so amazing.
Another piece of the fall meeting is the liaison reports from each member. Each general council member has a few churches they reach out to a couple of times a year to check in and offer support from the council, and check if they are looking for help in any area of their ministry or congregation. It seems like a small thing, but it keeps everyone connected in our special community. General Council members may have information on things like grants and funds that a society may not know they can request, or other avenues of unexplored assistance. They are reaching out to you to be an ear or a hand, whatever you may need. Everyone’s reports are read, and any issues that may have come up are discussed. It helps everyone stay in tune with the vibe of the denomination.
After a full day of business, council members went out in the local area to enjoy dinner and fellowship together at Lauriol for some Latin American cuisine. It is always a treat to get to spend some quality time with our like-minded colleagues and friends. Washington, DC did not disappoint, and we all enjoyed a lovely evening together.
The second day of meetings started with a budget presentation by treasurer Jennifer Lindsay for 2026. She presented a well-thought-out plan for the year with limited changes made by the council. Kei Pang and Pastor Paul Deming then shared a presentation on the conservancy plan for the St. Louis Garden Chapel followed by a slideshow put together by SCYL Youth Director Kurt Fekete on the teens adventure in England this past summer. We were then joined by members of the Washington, DC society to share with us their journey to the vision of the new space and how it’s going so far. It was a delight to participate in proof of concept by hosting our meeting!
Towards the end of the day the council emotionally received Karen Conger’s resignation after ten years of serving as recording secretary of the SCNA. We can’t thank her enough for all of her dedicated service to the Swedenborgian Church.
The next meeting of the General Council will be held virtually in March.
Read the full issue of the January/February Messenger.
Meet Beki Greenwood
Beki Greenwood is an active member of the Fryeburg New Church Assembly, Helen Keller Spiritual Life Collaborative, and the newly appointed Secretary of the Swedenborgian Church of North America.
