Welcome to the 2025 Montana Synod Assembly
"Equipping for Hope"
The Montana Synod Assembly will be held in Great Falls, MT. May 30-May 31, 2025 at the Heritage Inn The theme for the assembly is "Equipping for Hope" This will be a Business Assembly and our ELCA Churchwide Representative will be Deacon Sue Rothmeyer, Secretary of the ELCA
Click here to register for the Assembly
Assembly Material Downloads
Draft Schedule
Pre-Identified Candidates for Bishop
This year, the Montana Synod implemented a pre-identification process to determine likely candidates to stand for election to the office of Synod Bishop. The pre-identification process has closed, and we are happy to announce those that have been pre-identified, presented as an alphabetical list by last name: (Click each name to download their biography)
As a reminder, pre-identification is not nomination. Those pre-identified must still be nominated during the first ballot of the Bishop’s election or their names will not be included on any future ballots.
This year, the Montana Synod implemented a pre-identification process to determine likely candidates to stand for election to the office of Synod Bishop. The pre-identification process has closed, and we are happy to announce those that have been pre-identified, presented as an alphabetical list by last name: (Click each name to download their biography)
As a reminder, pre-identification is not nomination. Those pre-identified must still be nominated during the first ballot of the Bishop’s election or their names will not be included on any future ballots.
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How to Submit Resolutions and Memorials to the
Montana Synod Assembly Submissions Now Closed Resolutions and Memorials properly submitted by April 1, 2025, deadline will be considered by the Resolutions Committee and presented to the 2025 Synod Assembly, if appropriate. Late resolutions may be considered up to April 15, 2025. Both resolutions and memorials are requests by a synod for action, but they are intended to address different issues, they address different bodies and they are processed differently. Resolutions are requests from synods to the Church Council or units or offices of the churchwide organization. Either synod assemblies or synod councils may originate resolutions. They are requests for consideration or action by the Church Council or by individual units or offices of the churchwide organization by way of the Church Council Executive Committee. Memorials address broad policy issues and are passed by synod assemblies for consideration by the Churchwide Assembly. Only a Synod Assembly may address a memorial to the Churchwide Assembly. It is important to note that resolutions and memorials are not to direct the churchwide organization to take an action because of the principle of interdependence of the three expressions of the ELCA (churchwide organization, synods and congregations). They are proposals requesting a specified action. Both memorials and resolutions are forms of main motions under Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (12th ed.), Section 10. Please use that as a guide during your drafting. All resolutions and memorials must not pose a conflict with current governing documents of this church. If a resolution or memorial will have an expense associated with it, how that expense will be paid must be specifically addressed in the proposal. |
Information on the Montana Synod Bishop Election
Submissions Now Closed Any ELCA member of a congregation in the Montana Synod may pre-identify one rostered Minister of Word and Sacrament (i.e., pastor) in good standing in the ELCA and submit their name. Names can be submitted to the Bishop Election Committee co-chairs using the within the allotted time beginning February 10 through March 30, 2025. The Bishop Election Committee will contact those pre-identified clergy to verify their willingness and eligibility to stand for election. If they are willing and eligble, we will ask them to provide biographical information and to initiate a background check via a link that will be sent to them. At least 30 days prior to the Montana Synod Assembly, the biographical information of all willing pre-identified candidates received by the deadline of March 30 will be distributed to all voting members of the 2025 Assembly by the Bishop Election Committee. Voting members may then download the biographical information if they wish to retain it. Since we will still conduct an ecclesiastical ballot at the assembly, persons pre-identified must also be nominated from the floor of the assembly during the first ballot according to S9.04 in the Montana synod constitution. Co-chairs: John Sheppard Kim Bloch Pre-Identification is now Closed |