Synod Assembly 2025

Details

Start:
May 29
End:
May 31
Event Categories:
,

2025 Synod Assembly: God Is Calling ...

The 2025 NC Synod Assembly is set for Thursday - Saturday, May 29 - 31, 2025.

Each May, the North Carolina Synod comes together for a time of worship, learning, and fellowship. Every other year, this gathering also includes conducting important synod business. Voting members selected from each congregation join pastors and deacons to make key decisions, including approving the budget, electing synod council members, and, this year, selecting a new bishop.

Register by Saturday, March 15 for early registration rates. Late registration is open until May 15.

Synod Assembly 2025 copy 2

Electing a Bishop

This process of electing the next bishop is overseen by the North Carolina Synod Council in conjunction with the ELCA Office of the Secretary and ELCA Presiding Bishop. Synod Council-appointed committees are working to put the details of the election process in place and to plan for the transition from one bishop to the next.

Provide Input to help the synod council build a Ministry Site Profile—
One key step in our discernment is the creation of a synodwide Ministry Site Profile (MSP). A similar document is used by congregations in the call process. This document will allow the synod council to provide a snapshot of the synod's life now, to name the synod's hopes and dreams for the future, and to note gifts needed in a bishop. Share your input by January 31. Your responses will provide feedback to the team working to create the document. Once it is approved by the synod council, it will be shared with the whole synod as a tool for our holy listening to the Spirit.

Share Your Input by January 31
image
As you pray even now for God's spirit to move, be aware that any Word & Sacrament minister on the Roster of the ELCA is eligible for election. Pastors, might the Holy Spirit be calling you?

Details

DATES: 
Thursday, May 29 - Saturday, May 31, 2025

LOCATION: 
Koury Convention Center
3121 W Gate City Blvd
Greensboro, NC 27407

HOTEL:
Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel

 
Use this link to reserve your room at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel.

Key Dates
Early Registration: March 15
Regular Registration: April 15
Late Registration: May 15
There will be no onsite registration. Please register by May 15.

Pricing 
Voting Members—
Early Registration (by March 15): $250
Regular Registration (by April 15): $300
Late Registration (by May 15): $350

Guests—
Guest w/ No Meals: $100
Guest w/ Meals: $175
 
There will be no onsite registration. If you do not know your lay voting members, but want to lock in an early bird price, you can simply register a leader and then fill out a name change form when they are confirmed.
 
Hotel—
The hotel rate is $147/night for the NC Synod Block. Use this link for the hotel block to access this rate.

Retired rostered ministers can attend synod assembly as either a voting member or a guest.

Voting Member: register as a voting member. Retired rostered ministers qualify to register as voting members by being rostered* in North Carolina; and therefore, do not need to be included in a count of voting members from a congregation.

Retired rostered ministers should NOT serve as voting members of their congregation. The synod constitution requires that at least 60% of the total voting membership at the assembly be lay people. To meet this requirement, each congregation must send their designated number of lay voting members.

Guest: A retired rostered minister may choose to register as a guest. If registered as a guest, you will not be able to vote.

[*If you are not rostered in the NC Synod, you will need to attend as a Guest.]

The bishop of this synod shall be elected to a term of six years.

The Bishop’s Transition Committee, chaired by Deacon Tammy Jones West, will manage pieces of the transition from one bishop to the next, including a celebration of Bishop Smith's ministry and the installation of the newly-elected bishop.

The Bishop’s Election Committee, co-chaired by Pastor Josh Copeland and Allison Runge, will manage the particulars of the bishop’s election at the 2025 NC Synod Assembly. The guidelines for the election of a bishop are much different than the other elections that will take place; those will be managed by the Assembly Elections Committee.

Read more.

Who do you contact with specific questions?

Nominations—Pastor Phil Tonnesen
Resolutions—Deacon Wendy Roberts
Pre-Assembly—Pastor Cassie Overcash
Hotel, meals, special accommodations—Lexi Barnhill
General assembly questions—Pastor Danielle DeNise

Conference/Cluster Meetings

Each voting member and rostered minister coming to Synod Assembly should attend one of the three pre-assembly Conference/Cluster meetings.Cluster meetings are an opportunity to learn about elections that will take place at Synod Assembly, to practice voting with your phone or tablet, and to receive resolutions that have been submitted for the assembly's consideration.

Sunday, April 6, at 4:30 p.m. in Hickory
Sunday, April 6, at 4:30 p.m. in the Triangle
Monday, April 7, in the evening via Zoom

Locations will be confirmed in early 2025.

Cluster Meeting

Assembly Agenda

Thursday, May 29

9 a.m. - Noon  Pre-Assembly
Noon  Check-in Opens
2 p.m.  Assembly Begins with Opening Worship
3:30 - 4:45 p.m.  Session One
5 - 6:15 p.m.  Session Two

Friday, May 30

8:30 - 10:00 am  Session Three
10 – 10:30 a.m.  Break
10:30 – Noon Session Four
Noon - 1:30 p.m.  Lunch
1:30 – 3:30 p.m.  Session Five
3:30 - 4 p.m.  Break
6 p.m.  Dinner on Your Own
7:30 p.m.  Celebration & Reception for Bishop Tim and VP Diana Haywood

Saturday, May 31

9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Session Six
10:30 - 10:45 a.m.  Break/Hotel Check-Out
10:45 a.m. - Noon  Session Seven
Noon - 1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. - 3 p.m. Session Eight

Pre-Assembly

This year’s pre-assembly event will be led by Pastors Ray & Ruth Ann Sipe, directors of Lutheran Disaster Response Carolinas.

It will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, May 29, at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Participants will learn about disaster preparation, response, and recovery including participation in an immersion experience. Cost is $30.

If you are attending Synod Assembly, registration for Pre-Assembly is included on the Synod Assembly registration form. If you plan only to attend Pre-Assembly, please use this Pre-Assembly only registration.

LDR-LDRC_horiz
Pre-Assembly 2018
Pre-Assembly 2018

Assembly News

Electing a Bishop—Give Your Input

Read More

VP Haywood Appoints Two Committees

Read More

Vice President Haywood on the Synod Bishop’s Election

Read More

You're Invited

A Worship Celebration honoring the retirement of Bishop Tim Smith will be held at St. John's, Salisbury, on Saturday, March 29, at 2 p.m., followed by a reception.

SAVE THE DATE—All Are Invited!
Worship Celebration & Reception Saturday, March 29, at 2 p.m. at St. John’s, Salisbury

General Information

2025 Voting Member Change Form

This form is ONLY for use if you have already registered your Voting Members at Assembly and need to make a change. The synod office will make the change in our system once we receive the request. Your replacement voting member MUST have the same status as the member you are replacing. (EX. A lay voting member cannot replace a Rostered Minister or vice versa.) If you have any questions regarding your change, please email Lexi Barnhill or call the office at 704-680-9569.

Visit Link

2025 Who Votes at Assembly

View Document

Assembly Elections

This year the assembly will elect a Bishop, Synod Vice President, Synod Secretary, Discipline Committee, and members of Synod Council. The 2025 Nominations Committee will accept nominations through March 3, 2025.

2025 Who Votes at Assembly

View Document

Nomination Form

This year the assembly will elect a Bishop, Synod Vice President, Synod Secretary, Discipline Committee, and members of Synod Council. The 2025 Nominations Committee will accept nominations through March 3, 2025.

Visit Link

Assembly Resolutions

Resolutions and memorials submitted by the deadline—Saturday, March 15—will be posted on the assembly webpage after review by the Reference and Counsel Committee.

2025 Assembly Resolution Submission Form

When you’re ready to submit your resolution or memorial, complete this form.

View Document

2025 Assembly Resolution Worksheet

This worksheet will help you understand resolutions and memorials along with instructions for submitting a resolution/memorial for consideration at this year’s assembly.

View Document

Assembly Financials

Information concerning the NC Synod audit, proposed 2026 and 2027 budgets, proposed Mission Support formula, and proposed Compensation Guidelines are assembled by the synod staff and Synod Council Finance Committee and approved for an Assembly vote. These documents will all be available on the assembly webpage in April following the March Synod Council meeting.

Compensation Guidelines Narrative—2025 Approved

This document gives additional insight into the Compensation Guidelines for rostered ministers of this synod. This was approved by the NC Synod Council on October 5, 2024.

View Document

Start typing and press enter to search

Start typing and press enter to search