Headline News
(8 May 2025)
Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care
"Listening with Love" is designed to equip faith leaders
(both lay and clergy) with practical skills and
perspectives to provide Christ-centered, compassionate,
effective pastoral care with those in congregations and
communities who are struggling: from trauma, health
issues, mental illness, loss, financial issues, addiction,
etc. The upcoming session will be held 17 May 2025
at St. James Lutheran Church, Uvilla, WV. For more
information, visit our Education
for Clergy & Laity page.
Synod Council Synopsis
Synod Council met 26-26 April 2025, holding two
consultations in addition to doing business. For details,
review the Synod Council
Synopsis.
Synod Assembly Registration
Open!
Registration is now open for Synod Assembly 2025! Synod
Assembly will convene 31 May 2025 in Morgantown, WV. Click here
for details and registration.
Deadline for Resolutions & Memorials Approaching
Though the deadline is not until May 11, it is wise to
make submissions well in advance. Click here
for rules and procedures related to resolutions and
memorials.
Who's Your Congregational Lay Voting Member? It Might Be
Your!
Per our rules, those elected by their respective
congregations to serve as lay voting members of the Synod
Assembly remain lay voting members until replaced by their
congregations or otherwise disqualified. If you have been
a congregational lay voting member in the past, you may
still be (if your congregation has not formally replaced
you). Review our roster of congregational lay
voting members to find out.
Report of the Nominating Committee
The report of the Nominating Committee has been posted
thirteen days ahead of schedule. You may access it from
the Nominations page.
Proposed Constitutional Amendments Before Synod Assembly
2025
Synod Assembly will consider amendments to the
Constitution of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod.
Six-month notice was given per the rules, but we repost
them here.
Proposed Amendments to Governing Documents Before
Churchwide Assembly 2025
Churchwide Assembly 2025 will consider a series of
amendments to the governing documents of this church,
including the Constitution for Synods and the Model
Constitution for Congregations. The proposed amendments
are posted on our Polity page.
Church Council Responds to CRLC
The Church Council of the ELCA received the report of
the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church at its April
meeting. You may review its response, including actions
taken and matters being forwarded to Churchwide Assembly
2025 on our CRLC page.

Bishop Eaton's Easter Message
Bishop Eaton's Easter message has been posted on Youtube.
Click here to
view.
Camp Luther Registration Open
Camper registration for Camp Luther 2025 is now open.
Visit our Camping & Outdoor Ministries
page for access to Camp Luther's online registration. You
will also find there access to Caroline Furnace and Camp
Agapé information.
Liturgy and Worship Appointments for Easter
Looking for guidance on how to decorate your church for
the Easter season? Trying to figure out whether to sing
the Gloria or the Dignus est? Search no
longer. Our worship aids, accessible through our Worship
page, contain a wealth of information and some tips.
Of special note would be the guidance on the use of the
Paschal candle during the Easter season. While it burns
for the next several weeks, there are rules as to when it
is extinguished for the last time. There are also
practices surrounding lighting it and extinguishing it on
any given day during the season by which the Paschal
candle supports our Easter devotion. Visit our Paschal Candle
page to learn more about these specifics and plenty of
other items from the origin of its name to its incising.
Jeff Allen Retires from WVCC
After nearly two decades of dedicated leadership with the
West Virginia Council of Churches, The Rev. Jeff Allen has
retired. His tenure as Executive Director was marked by a
steadfast commitment to ecumenical collaboration, social
justice, and compassionate service, leaving a lasting
impact on churches and communities across the state. Allen
has been accorded the title Executive Director
Emeritus, and to further honor his ministry and
legacy, a newly established endowment fund at the United
Methodist Foundation of West Virginia will support child
health initiatives and other vital activities of the West
Virginia Council of Churches. For full story and
information on how you can contribute the endowment, click here.
Scouting
Scouting for Children in Foster and Kinship Care — Free
An initiative allowing children in foster and kinship
care to join scouting programs for free and paying for
associated costs, including uniforms and field trips has
been launched in West Virginia because children in foster
and kinship care can benefit greatly from structured
programs that teach life skills, build confidence, and
create a safe, caring environment. Learn more on our Camping & Outdoor
Ministry page.
Chaplains Sought for Jambo 2026
Jamboree returns to West Virginia in 2026, and chaplains
are being sought. Visit our Camping & Outdoor
Ministry page.
Scouting in the Lutheran Church
National Lutheran Association on Scouting is holding an
event this July for anyone who would like to learn more
about scouting and how to connect it to the life of
Lutherans and their congregations. Click
here for more.
Network in the East
A three-day gathering in Gettysburg for congregational
youthworkers (staff and volunteer) is being offered 7-9
August 2025. Details the synod's Youth
page.
Call Openings
We have one MSP active at the moment. We also have some
settings in which a call could be considered without an
active MSP. On top of that, there is potential for
contract appointments. With several clergy vacancies
across the territory, there are opportunities for clergy
interested in serving in the WV-WMD Synod. Visit the clergy
page to find out what's available (or will be
available once the MSP is completed).
If you haven't checked out the members portal...
Don't forget to take a peek of the members
portal (click the button at right near the top of
this page). It's not password protected. We only call it
the "members portal" because it's mostly stuff that deals
with the internal workings of the synod. Visitors looking
for more general information about the synod, will
probably find the "guest portal" more interesting.
Synod
Website Updates
The synod website updates frequently (as in often) and
irregularly (as in not on a particular schedule). Click here (or on the picture at
right) to find out what has been recently updated.
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