Faithful Leadership and Hope for the Future is Focus of Assembly

More than 160 voting members and 18 visitors gathered at Camp Mount Luther on June 6 for the 39th Annual Assembly. Guided by the theme, “Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow,” the assembly reflected on God’s faithfulness and the church’s mission for the future. Bishop Craig A. Miller led the assembly proceedings. The theme was inspired by a line from the hymn, “Great is thy Faithfulness” and on Psalm 37:28: “For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones.”

During the assembly, participants conducted synod business and approved several actions:

• Adopted the annual budget and salary, housing, and health benefit guidelines for rostered leaders.
• Directed Bishop Miller to contact the ELCA Service and Justice Home Area to implore them to appoint a missionary to serve the Lutheran Church of Liberia following the death of Rev. Brian Palmer.
• Sent a memorial to the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly to provide resources, educational materials, and opportunities for congregations and synods to engage their communities in affirming their ongoing ministries of service, accompaniment, advocacy, and worship, seeking to live out Christ’s reconciling love in all areas of life.
• Adopted the policy for the Leadership Education Fund.
• Elected Rev. David Byerly, Marianne Reier, and Tom Clark to three-year Synod Council terms.
• Amended the constitution, bylaws and continuing resolutions.

In addition to business sessions, attendees participated in worship, conversations focused on the mission of the church, and a keynote address. The Speaker was Rev. Amy Reumann, ELCA Senior Director, Witness in Society. She also shared a video greeting from ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry.

Greetings came from companion synod, the Kirchenkreis Ansbach-Wurzburg in Bavaria, Germany. Reports were given on the CaSTLE Project, CATALYST young adult ministry, the Go Tell It in the Mountains preaching initiative, Seafarers International House, and the Synod Youth Initiative. Also, the Camp Mount Luther Summer Staff were installed for their work.

Vice President Noah Roux gave an update on a resolution passed last year to review how to engage more effectively in ministry with declining membership. That resolution asks the synod to explore possible partnerships with other synods and other ways to do ministry in the realities of the 21st Century. The work on that continues and it is hoped some action steps will be ready for next year’s assembly.

On Saturday, during Eucharist, conference deans and secretaries were installed, and several rostered leaders were remembered posthumously for their service to the church: Revs. Stanley Bower, Joshua Knutson, Emil Engelman, Ronald Shellhammer, Roy Meyer, David Kistler, and Charles Brophy; Authorized Lay Worship Leader Gregory Berger. Offerings were collected for the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of PA.

You can read a transcript and view a video of the sermon preached by Pastor Jim Vitale at the Assembly Eucharist by clicking here: https://www.campmountluther.org/2026-synod-assembly-sermon/