All actively serving rostered ministers (pastors and deacons) are voting members at Synod Assembly. They do not count towards your lay voting member limits.
Retired rostered ministers who wish to attend as a voting member must contact the synod office prior to registering. Learn more by visiting the “Retired Rostered Minister Voting Information” tab below.
The number of lay voting members your congregation elects depends on the number of baptized members reported on your 2023 congregational report form A. We encourage congregations to choose voting members who will represent a range of age, ethnicity, and gender whenever possible. Use our handy chart to see how many voting lay people your congregation can register for Synod Assembly. This page also includes some helpful FAQs about voting members
All congregations may elect at least two lay voting members to the Synod Assembly.
Congregations having 750 to 1,249 baptized members may elect a third lay voting member. Thereafter an additional lay voting member may be added for each additional 500 baptized members of the congregation (e.g. at 1,250 members, 1,750 members, etc.).
All congregations may add one voting member to the number allotted if that additional member is a youth or young adult (30 or younger when elected).
Registration will open in February
In accordance with the bylaw adopted at the 2022 assembly, the number of retired rostered ministers serving as voting members shall not exceed 15% of the retired roster. All other retired ministers rostered in this synod shall be advisory members to the Synod Assembly, with voice, but not vote. For 2025, the number of voting members from the retired roster is 22 (15% of the 148 retired rostered ministers in the synod as of 12/31/24).
Retired rostered ministers serving under contract in transitional ministries are automatically granted voting privileges.
Retired rostered ministers who are not serving under contract in transitional ministries must contact Mary Romskog in the synod office by March 31, 2025 prior to registering. If there are more than 22 retired rostered ministers who express interest in serving as a voting member, we will conduct a vote, allowing you, as the retired rostered ministers, to decide who will be the voting members.
If we reach the limit of 22 retired rostered ministers with voting privileges, additional retired rostered ministers are welcome to register as non-voting members and are allowed to speak on all matters before the assembly.
A draft agenda will be available soon.
Please check this page for updated information that will assist you as you prepare to attend Synod Assembly.
Here are a few tips to get started:
Materials and information will be shared directly with voting members at the email address you provide when you register. This includes information for voting during assembly. If your email address changes or you are not receiving information starting in May, please contact us immediately.
Synod Assembly work includes being informed about the resolutions, rules, constitutional amendments, elected positions and more that will be presented. We strongly encourage you to take the time to read through the information and be prepared for discussion and voting during assembly. Learn more by visiting the Resolutions tab and the Nominations and Open Positions tab and accessing the files that will be available at the bottom of this page.
Assembly Rules – coming soon
Constitutional Amendments – coming soon
Open positions for nominations will be posted soon. Please note: Gender non-binary or gender non-conforming people can be nominated to serve in any roles designated for gendered representation.
Use this fillable pdf or our online form to submit a nomination form.
One of the most important things we do at synod assembly work is to worship together. This is a time to ground us in the word of God, bring us together as the body of Christ, and help us prayerfully reflect and prepare for the work ahead.
Our Synod Assembly worship service, scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 30, 2025 at the Brookfield Conference Center, is open to everyone. You do not need to be a registered member of the assembly to attend worship.
Tyra Dennis, Worship Leader
Tyra Dennis, better known as “Tyralucia,” was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has always been drawn to the stage by her talents: singing, composing music, playing the piano (as well as 11 other various instruments), acting and writing. The singer, songwriter and musician has accomplished so much and continues to excel beyond expectations, from performing with the greats such as Chaka Kahn, Stevie Wonder, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Jackson Brown, Ray Charles and Slash from Guns and Roses while still being in high school to having a key role in developing and starring in the first Apple iPod commercial Tyra’s work spans across all music genres and audiences. Tyra has also always made it important to share her blessings with others and does so, among other music and philanthropic efforts, with Music Mayhem; a full service entertainment company specializing in music production, artist development, talent management and event curation which she founded in 2012. She has also opened for Grammy winner Eric Bellinger during 2014’s Stand Against Autism Benefit Concert, which was one of her philanthropic efforts. She has worked with the likes of Ike Turner, YoYo, Herbie Hancock, Izzy The Kidd, Symbolyc One, Andre Merrit, First Born, Soaky Siren, Kevin McCall and more. Not only did she perform with those acclaimed musical masterminds, she also recorded an upbeat swinging version of “Let The Good Times Roll” with Ray Charles and Slash from Guns and Roses.
Since 2016, Tyra has been able to show her passion for worship and love for Christ by becoming a worship leader within the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) when answering the call to serve at Another Level Ministries. She has lead the music for many events, including but not limited to Western States Youth Gathering (WYLE), Theoasis (SYC Synod), Synod Assembly (SWC Synod), ELCA Gathering, Extravaganza and more. She is honored to use her gift in a way that elevates God’s kingdom and gives back to the one that has given her everything.
Assembly Offering
Information Coming Soon
Our Synod Assembly dinner is scheduled for Friday, May 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Dinner tickets are included for all registered members and will be available for individual purchase in the near future.
Rev. Khader El-Yateem, Keynote Speaker
The Rev. Khader El-Yateem is the Executive Director of the Service and Justice home area of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Pastor El-Yateem has served as assistant to the bishop and director for evangelical mission with the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod. Prior to joining the synod staff, he served as pastor of Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., a congregation he started as a mission developer in 1995. El-Yateem also worked in patient relations at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn from 2010 to 2017 and was chief financial officer at Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem from 1990 to 1992.
Born and raised in Bethlehem, El-Yateem received his Bachelor of Theology from Bethlehem Bible College in 1989 and his Bachelor of Theology and World Religions from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo in 1991. He received his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Seminary) in 1996.