Voting Members for 2022 Churchwide Assembly to be Elected at 2021 Synod Assembly

The next ELCA Churchwide Assembly (CWA) will be held August 8 – 12, 2022 in Columbus, OH, but synods will be electing their voting members at this year’s synod assembly.  

To be considered for one of the voting member positions, biographical forms must be submitted by Sunday, May 1, 2021.
 
We will have a total of 11 voting members - two of the eleven are automatically allocated to the synod bishop and vice president. The other nine will be elected at our 2021 Southeastern Synod Assembly and include

• 2 Rostered Ministers
• 2 Youth or Young Adults (under age 18 at the time of election OR ages 18-30 at time of election)
• 5 Additional lay persons

 
The Nominating Committee's goal is to nominate two to four persons for each position. The Committee will consider individual skills and qualifications, as well as our Synod's and CWA inclusivity goals. These goals address the balance between laypersons and rostered ministers, gender, status as a youth or young adult, and racial/ethnic background. Achieving some geographical diversity of nominees will also be a factor in the Nominating Committee's decisions.
Each voting member of our Churchwide Assembly shall be a voting member of a congregation of this church.
 
Please apply here. Questions about the CWA nominating process may be directed Questions may be directed to the Nominating Committee Chairperson, Ms. Joan Blanton, integralplanning@att.net or staff liaison, Rev. Karen Boda kboda@elca-ses.org  
 
Responsibilities of Voting Members of our Churchwide Assembly
 
The Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is its highest legislative authority. Its responsibilities, as described in constitutional provision 12.21, include the following:
 

1. Review the work of the churchwide officers, and for this purpose require and receive reports from them and act on business proposed by them.
2. Review the work of the churchwide units, and for this purpose require and receive reports from them and act on business proposed by them.
3. Receive and consider proposals from synod assemblies.
4. Establish churchwide policy
5. Adopt a budget for the churchwide organization.
6. Elect officers, board members, and other persons as provided in the constitution or bylaws.
7. Establish churchwide units to carry out the functions of the churchwide organization.
8. Have the sole authority to amend the constitution and bylaws.
9. Fulfill other functions as required by the constitution and bylaws.
10. Conduct such other business as necessary to further the purposes and functions of the churchwide organization.

 
Voting members are elected by Synod Assemblies to serve at the Churchwide Assembly. Their individual responsibilities are to:
 

1. Represent the interests of this whole church to facilitate its mission and ministry
2. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and approach the Churchwide Assembly's work with reflection and prayer
3. Participate in orientation, both that provided by the synod and that provided by the churchwide organization
4. Be present during the entire Churchwide Assembly, attending plenary sessions, worship, hearings, and other assembly-related activities
5. Study in advance the Pre-Assembly Report, particularly the reports of officers and the matters on which the Churchwide Assembly will take action
6. Listen to presentations and discussion and be prepared to participate responsibly
7. Exemplify servant leadership in words, life-style, and manner of leadership, recognizing accountability to the Triune God, the whole Church, each other, and to the Churchwide Assembly as a whole
8. Provide reports about the Churchwide Assembly to congregations and others within the synod