The Central/Southern Illinois Synod met on June 6 via Zoom, where God dwelled with us as we conducted business and listened to what God is doing across the synod.
Our assembly theme comes from Ephesians 4:11-12, “He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” and reflects the living out of our baptismal calling:
- to live among God’s faithful people
- to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper
- to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed
- to serve all people, following the example of Jesus
- to strive for justice and peace in all the earth
Guests: Dr. Ryan Cumming, ELCA Director of Theological Ethics, brought us the report of the ELCA and shared a message from Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry about how we are connected to each other and our communities through Christ. This and other video reports shared with the assembly are available in a playlist on our YouTube channel.
We also welcomed Mr. Mark Stutrud, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. In addition to his report to the assembly, Mark shared that he is retiring at the end of February 2027. We thank Mark for his leadership and faithfulness and wish him well in retirement.
Business: There were only two elections this year. The assembly re-elected the Rev. Christine McNeal as the synod secretary and elected the Rev. Darla Ann Kratzer, the Rev. Youngshim Mason, and Ms. Kay Wolken to six-year terms on the Consultation Committee.
The assembly also adopted the proposed budget for 2027 and approved three resolutions: 1) establish an endowment fund in support of campus ministry; 2) amend our Constitution and By-Laws based on recommendations adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly; and 3) recognize Marion Medical Mission as a ministry of our synod. The budget and resolutions are available at CSIS-ELCA.org/assembly.
Synod Days: While we gathered online for the business session, in-person activities are still important to our life together as a synod. Worship, fellowship, celebration of anniversaries, and “Spirit Lab” breakout sessions will be held in each conference later this summer and fall as part of Synod Days, which are open to all disciples in our synod and are not tied to Synod Assembly participation.
Synod days will be held on the following dates and locations:
Northwest Conference
- Sunday, Aug. 23, 2:00-7:00 p.m.
- Lake Hill Winery, Carthage
West Central Conference
- Saturday, Aug. 29, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Our Lord’s Lutheran Church, Maryville
Northeast Conference
- Saturday, Sept. 12, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- St. Paul Lutheran Church, Pontiac
Northern Conference
- Sunday, Sept. 20, 1:30-6:30 p.m.
- Bethel Lutheran Church, Bartonville
East Central Conference
- Sunday, Oct. 4, 2:00-7:00 p.m.
- Grace Lutheran Church, Champaign
Southern Conference
- Sunday, Oct. 17, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Marion
Further information and registration are coming shortly.
THANK YOU! A heartfelt thank you goes to St. John’s, Springfield, for serving as the host and “broadcast” location for the assembly; to Conrad Mayer, technology coordinator at St. John’s, for his time and expertise; and to Kim Geitl, Leslie Gumm, Lois Moorman, and Alex Ruth for volunteering their time to assist the staff.
Next year: The 2027 Synod Assembly returns to an in-person event and will be held June 3-5 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield.
This recap is available as a bulletin insert for your community of disciples: color, black and white.