Administrative Resources

Church administrators, parish secretaries, and church council members often have very broad skill sets and a very broad set of tasks on their plates. The Minneapolis Area Synod and the ELCA support administrators and councils by providing useful templates, a model constitution, and other resources, which can be found on this page and should help with concerns that might arise.

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Congregation Constitution Resources

Each of the church’s expressions – congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization – has a constitution. Constitutions help to ensure consistency of governance and doctrine among the various expressions of our church. Constitutions are updated at every Churchwide Assembly. It is recommended that ELCA congregations and synods review the adopted amendments as soon as possible to incorporate required changes and to consider recommended changes.

Amending a congregation’s constitution is important work. Because the process can be challenging, the ELCA and the Minneapolis Area Synod have prepared resources to assist congregations in this process. These resources should help with concerns that might arise. If you still have questions, contact Rev. Dr. Wondimu Sonessa.

Resources from the ELCA, Office of the Secretary

• ELCA Model Constitution for Congregations 2022 This document is a template, and must be used by each congregation.
• Amendments This document highlights the specific changes that were made to the model constitution from the 2019 version to the 2022 version.

Resources from the Minneapolis Area Synod

• Amending Your Congregation’s Constitution This provides general information (similar to the ELCA Guide) and a step by step process recommended as congregations prepare constitutions for Synod Council approval.