Conference Assemblies

2010 Conference Assemblies

Conference assemblies were held on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1900 7th Street Northwest, New Brighton. The Rev. Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran, Lake Geneva, Wis., presented the keynote.

What happens at conference assemblies?

We are a participatory church, one that organizationally lives out what we believe about the “priesthood of all believers.” And we live in a democratic culture where people expect to be able to express their ideas and have a hand in shaping those issues that affect them. Decisions about how we want to be church together in this synod begin at the congregational annual meeting, continue with conference assemblies and the synod assembly, the highest governing authority for the synod, and move to the Churchwide Assembly, the final governing authority for the entire ELCA.

Each congregation is charged with identifying and sending representatives to the conference assemblies and the synod assembly. These representative—called voting members—help determine ministry for the future of the Saint Paul Area Synod and for the whole ELCA. Since the Churchwide Assembly in August, many have asked how the decisions around ministry policies were made. The answer? The changes originated at the grass roots, emerging in local congregations, and the ideas were advanced over a number of years at conference assemblies, synod assemblies, and several churchwide assemblies, culminating in the action last August.

So if your congregation wants to have voice and influence, the process exists for participation! Just as interest in civic matters varies among individuals, so too does interest in church matters. Many congregations have a system for identifying representatives for these assemblies; others struggle to find people and wait until the last minute. Please educate your members about how they can become involved!