Nearly 400 voting members from Minneapolis Area Synod ministries gathered on May 2 and 3 for the 2025 Synod Assembly. The theme for this year’s Assembly was Church Together, drawing on Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: 

“Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many…
If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; 
if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” (1 Cor 12:26) 

Attendees reflected on our call to accompany our neighbors, the power and witness of prayer, and what it means to embody our identity as Church Together in Jesus.  

 

The Synod Assembly began with worship on Friday night at Bethlehem Lutheran Twin Cities, Minneapolis Campus. Participants enjoyed a variety of beautiful music and a powerful sermon by Bishop Jen Nagel on John 12:1-19, inviting the church to follow Jesus’ gentle instruction to his disciples, to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, to courageously and faithfully try a new thing. The evening ended with a social time and ice cream sundaes.

 

Saturday’s business took place at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Ramsey. Rev. Prof. Dr. Dirk Lange (Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations at the Lutheran World Federation and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Christian Mission and Professor of Worship at Luther Seminary) gave two keynote presentations throughout the day, lifting up the powerful witness of ecumenical reconciliation between Lutherans and Catholics, exploring the theological roots of prayer and baptismal community, and recalling the story of underground prayer meetings that formed the base of a resistance movement in communist East Germany in the 1980s. “It was this peaceful procession, streaming forth from the churches, walking out into the street, gathering people; it was this liturgical procession – a Kairos moment or, as Luther would have called it, a Gospel shower– that brought down an oppressive political, economic, social system,” said Professor Lange.  

 

Deacon Jess Liles (Director of Youth Gathering and Youth Ministry and ELCA Churchwide) brought an update from the ELCA Churchwide Office and shared information about the 2027 Youth Gathering that will take place in Minneapolis. There were also reports from Bishop Jen Nagel, Synod Vice President Felecia Boone, and Synod Treasurer Ross Eichelberger. 

 

With all the transition that has taken place on the Minneapolis Area Synod staff in the past year, there was a service of installation for the Synod staff members that included the active participation of nearly all voting members.  

This year’s Synod Assembly also included elections for both Synod Council and the Augsburg Corporation Governing Board.  

The following people were elected for Synod positions: 

  • Daykell Navarro, Nokomis Heights Lutheran (Synod Council) 
  • Emma Jorstad, Salem English Lutheran (Synod Council) 
  • Rev. Laura Laughlin, Crown of Glory Lutheran (Synod Council) 
  • Andrew Peterson, Family of God Lutheran (Synod Council) 
  • Michon True-Smith, Nativity Lutheran (Synod Council) 
  • Lizete Vega, St. Paul’s-San Pablo Lutheran (Synod Council) 
  • Rev. Erika Bryerwell, Holy Nativity Lutheran (Augsburg Corporation Governing Board) 
  • Jon Laursen-Roesler, Redeemer Lutheran (Augsburg Corporation Governing Board) 
  • Rev. Ian McConnell, Fabric (Augsburg Corporation Governing Board, 2nd term) 
  • Rev. Ashley Osborn, Valley of Peace Lutheran (Augsburg Corporation Governing Board, 2nd term) 
  • Rev. Mike Pancoast, Zion Lutheran (Augsburg Corporation Governing Board) 
  • Layre Pohlman, Central Lutheran (Augsburg Corporation Governing Board) 

Congratulations! Please pray for these leaders as they begin (or continue) their service.  

 There were nine resolutions/memorials brought to the Assembly this year, and all were adopted (with a few amendments).  

 


Additional highlights of the Synod Assembly were the inaugural performance by the Synod Youth Choir and a service project with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. The Youth Choir performed several songs and brought lots of energy and joy to our time together. They had the whole place clapping along! Lutheran Social Service is celebrating their 160th year of service and Assembly participants celebrated with them by donating supplies and packing 500 snack packs for kids at Freedom School and 200 menstrual kits for their Homeless Youth Outreach Program. 

Thank you to those that attended and those that kept the assembly in their prayers. it was a great time practicing being Church Together.

 

 

There were a few videos that we didn’t get to or that we thought might be helpful to share again. Please see the links of those videos below.