The morning began with speeches from the seven nominees for Secretary of the ELCA, each casting a vision for the work of the Secretary and the future of the ELCA.

The assembly considered the implementing resolutions and adoption of the social statement “Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Wellbeing of All.” Anthony Bateza and Phyllis Johnson, co-chairs of the Faith and Civic Life Committee, introduced proposed amendments to the statement and discussed recommendations for how “Faith and Civic Life” can be engaged and embodied across the ELCA.

Next, the assembly continued to consider amendments to the constitution, including an amendment to set a goal of 20 percent youth and young adults at Churchwide Assembly, and on Church Council, and churchwide boards and committees. This amendment sparked passionate and generative debate that began in the morning, and continued in the afternoon with the amendment ultimately passing.

After lunch, the three remaining candidates for Secretary of the ELCA (Bishop Matthew Riegel, Rev CeCee Mills, and Mr. Joshua Tatum) engaged in a Q&A, answering questions about their knowledge of the governing documents of the ELCA, their lens for interpreting those documents, and the experiences that have prepared them for this leadership. A fourth and fifth ballot were cast, and Rev CeCee Mills was elected as Secretary of the ELCA. Congratulations to Secretary-elect CeCee Mills!

The assembly also considered editorial amendments to the social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” Substantive changes to the statement will be considered at the 2028 Churchwide Assembly.

When the plenary ended, everyone gathered for evening prayer including confession and repentance for the sins of patriarchy and sexism, which was part of fulfilling an implementing resolution from the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, in response to the social statement “Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action.”

In the evening, many voting members attended a banquet celebrating the ministry of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Secretary Sue Rothmeyer, which included the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Rev. Susan Johnson, singing parody songs in their honor.