Synod Assembly

 

UPCOMING SPECIAL MEETING OF THE 2025 Assembly

In 2026, we are scheduled to host a synod gathering, not an assembly - more about that soon! However, there are business items to attend to before we hold our next assembly in 2027. So, as was shared prior to and during our May 2025 Northwest Washington Synod Assembly earlier this year, we will be recalling the 2025 synod assembly voting members to a special online meeting to attend to a few specific business items.*

This Special Meeting of the 2025 Synod Assembly will be held online on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 9am-12noon.

Following a welcome and devotion, we will address only these four items of business:

  • 2027 Budget approval
  • Election of Synod Vice President
  • Election of Synod Secretary
  • Election of a Synod Council Youth Representative

Note - this is not a mini-assembly - there will be no other reports, greetings, resolutions, or business items.

This email notification has also been sent to all who served as voting members at our May 2025 NW Washington Assembly. If any of your ministry site's voting members are unable to serve, your council may elect a new voting member who shall continue to serve until the next regular Synod Assembly. Please have your council president or pastor send that notification to Susan@lutheransnw.org at the synod office ASAP - by Monday, March 16, 2026 at the latest.

In early April an email with registration information will be sent to all 2025 Synod Assembly Voting Members (or their replacements.)

Registration will be required to receive the Zoom link.

There is NO COST for this meeting.

We look forward to gathering for this important business of the synod.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Synod VP Kay Edgerton (veep@lutheransnw.org) or Synod Staff member Susan Berg (susan@lutheransnw.org)

*NW Washington Synod Constitution S7.12-S7.14; 7.21.02

 

SUMMARY of the MAY 2025 SYNOD ASSEMBLY:

  • This was a two-day event, Friday, May 16, 1pm-8pm and Saturday, May 17, 9am-4pm, at the Edward D Hansen Conference Center in Everett
  • We gathered as a synod under the theme WOVEN INTO GOD'S STORY (Gal 3:26-29) for worship, receiving reports from our synod and churchwide leaders, holding elections, discussing resolutions, celebrating ministry anniversaries, sharing in conversation around our theme of being woven into God's story, and enjoying a few fun surprises. Additionally, we identified a person to serve as bishop for the next 6 years. For more information on the bishop call process, see this page on our website.
  • We welcomed Nick Kiger (Director for ELCA Mission Support) as our ELCA Churchwide Representative - to share ministry news and to lead our Bishop election process.
  • THANK YOU to the many volunteers who helped to make the assembly run beautifully and smoothly!

MEETING MATERIALS 

BISHOP ELECTION RESULTS

The Rev. Shelley Bryan Wee was re-elected May 16, 2025 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 16-17 at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Everett, Washington. She was elected on the second ballot, with 215 votes. The Rev. Priscilla Paris-Austin, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA., received 105 votes. We give thanks to God for both nominees and ask God's continued guidance for them and for our synod!

RECORDINGS of the PRE- ASSEMBLY ONLINE MEETINGS

Voting Members - if you were unable to attend the live sessions, please review these recordings:

  • Thursday, May 1, 7pm – Online Orientation Session - Recording
  • Sunday, May 4, 3pm – Online Bishop Nominee Forum Recording
  • Monday, May 5, 7pm – Online Budget Hearing - Recording
  • Wednesday, May 7 at 7pm – Online Resolutions Hearing - Recording

MORE DETAILS:

OFFERING AT ASSEMBLY

Thank you for you generosity! We gathered over $10,300. The offering will be divided equally among these ministries:

  • Lutheran Disaster Response
  • Bishop's Caring Fund - supports health and well-being of rostered leaders and candidates
  • The Synod's LiVE Project - lay ministry formation 
  • Synod Emerging & Strategic Ministries 

COMMITTEE & MINISTRY PARTNER REPORTS 

Reports submitted | videos shared at assembly from ministry partners are listed below:

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + 

Find minutes from previous assemblies HERE

 

Slideshow image
Downloads