Synod Council Summary, Dec. 9, 2023

Synod Council Summary - December 9, 2023

The Synod Council gathered by Zoom on Saturday, December 9 for the final meeting of 2023. Notable actions of the synod council include awarding $14,198 in hunger grants to ministries within the territory of this synod that applied, renewing authorization for the Latino ministry in the Quad Cities, Iglesia Camino de Emaus, and designating 2024 housing allowances for the pastors compensated on the synod payroll.

Pastor Dan Kuckuck, Assistant to the Bishop, led the education session about how the Office of the Bishop accompanies congregations seeking or needing a different path forward. There are three main pathways a congregation may discern which include transformation with an internal change, partnership, or completion and closure. Each main pathway has further suggestions for how a congregation may move into the future. The Office of the Bishop shared ministry highlights. Val invited all to the upcoming Lutheran Day on the Hill – Presidents Day. Pastor Uthe gave a report on her recent sabbatical. Pastor Kuckuck gave a congregational transition update. Deacon Schuman shared the recent work of the Compensation

Guidelines task force and the Nominating Committee. Bishop Current reported information from the churchwide expression including Presiding Bishop Eaton’s request for leave granted by the Church Council and the appointment of Michael Burk as Presiding Bishop pro tem. At the fall Conference of Bishops (COB) gathering, Bishop Current was elected to serve on the COB executive committee as an at- large member and as the Region 5 liaison bishop to the Church Council through 2025. She shared that the staff met in December for an extended meeting to begin the planning for the 2024 Synod Assembly (May 17 and 18 in Coralville) with the theme “Listen God is Calling.” She celebrated the completion of the Synod’s 6-week ZOOM course using the “Now Is The Time” study and plans to encourage congregations in the synod to participate in this anti-racism study. Bishop Current also celebrated the inaugural Synod Authorized Ministry training and shared the plan for the Lay Ministry Education/SAM program that will launch in fall 2024 with the Iowa Synods and South Central Synod of Wisconsin.

The next meeting of the Synod Council is Saturday, February 10, 2024.