Church Together. Gather Together.
Every voice matters. Our Church needs lay and rostered voting members to participate in Conference Assemblies in preparation for Synod Assembly in May. We gather in conferences for worship, connection, and some church business. Each gathering typically begins in a large group with worship, devotions, and conversation led by Bishop Jen Nagel and the conference deans. There is time for making connections with others in your geographic area and living out what it means to be church together. Attendees then meet by conference to do some pre-Synod Assembly work, like nominate people for Synod positions and discuss potential resolutions.
What are Conference Assemblies?
The congregations of the Minneapolis Area Synod are organized into 12 geographic conferences. These conferences are led by a dean, and rostered leaders of these congregations meet at various times throughout the year. In preparation for Synod Assembly, rostered leaders and voting members selected by their congregations come together in Conference Assemblies to consider nominations and resolutions/memorials that may be forwarded to Synod Assembly. Voting members may also nominate people for synod-wide positions and elect conference positions.
Who should attend?
These conference gatherings are open to clergy and lay participants from the congregations within the conference. Voting members from congregations for Synod Assembly in May are expected to attend. Your congregation should only send the number of voting members that are allotted for Synod Assembly. Visitors may attend. If you don’t know how many voting members should attend, you can look at the Lay Voting Member Assignment Formula (*updated January 22, 2025*) or the List of Voting Member Numbers by Church. (*updated January 21, 2025*)
Where and When are the Conference Assemblies?
Conference Assemblies are usually held toward the end of January or beginning of February. (According to the Synod constitution, they need to take place 60 days prior to the Synod Assembly.) Watch for information about the 2026 Conference Assemblies to come in Fall 2025.