WV-WMD Synod Assembly 2025 |
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The Synod Nominating Committee, having been appointed by the Synod Council, is charged, under our governing documents, with nominating two people for every position to be elected by the Synod Assembly (with some exceptions as outlined in those same governing documents). The list of positions to be elected is published 120 days prior to the Synod Assembly. The Nominating Committee, by publishing this list, solicits nominees for various positions to be elected by the Synod Assembly. 30 days after said publication, the public input phase closes, and the Nominating Committee begins its work in earnest. 10 days prior to the Synod Assembly, a list of nominees (those nominated by the Nominating Committee) is published. Additional nominations may be made from the floor of the assembly at the appropriate time during the proceedings and according to certain rules. A technical clarification: officially, the Nominating Committee nominates during the assembly proceedings. The public input phase is not, technically, a time when nominations are made. In fact, what the public does during the public input phase is not nominate but rather recommend to the Nominating Committee folks to be considered for nomination by the committee. This is important from a parliamentary standpoint although we will admit that we have colloquially called this submission for consideration a nomination. There are a few exceptions:
The standard "Nomination Public Input Form" (what we have called, in the past, a nominations form), is accessible from this page. Please think about folks who would do a good job in any of the positions to be elected and nominate them. You may nominate yourself. Some special instructions on completing the form are to be found toward the bottom of this page. The list of positions to be elected was posted 28 January
2025, and the online input form was active on that date,
notice of this information being publicized with a posting
on the web (here), an announcement and direction to this
page via the Synod Facebook page, The Bishop's
Roadshow, and emails to clergy (with instruction to
disseminate to their respective congregation councils),
leadership of vacant congregations, and conference deans
on the same day. The public input phase is now open.
Conferences, congregation councils, and voting members
were invited to submit recommendations to the Nominating
Committee during this public input phase that closed 2
March 2025. Congregations are invited to assist in publicizing the positions to be elected directions for submitting recommendations to the Nominating Committee. This webpage may be shared. Additionally, a copy ready bulletin insert is provided (at right). The report of the Nominating Committee will be published
21 May 2025, 10 days before Synod Assembly. It will list
all the nominations that will be formally made by the
Nominating Committee at Synod Assembly. The publication of the list of nominees by the
Nominating Committee is not the end of the nominating
process. Voting members of the Synod Assembly have the
right, under our rules, to nominate from the floor (for
all elections except that of the bishop in which an
ecclesiastical ballot is used). Again, there is no rule
preventing a person from nominating him/herself. Per our
bylaws, nominations from the floor are to be accompanied
at the time the nomination is made with a completed bio
sheet and enough copies for distribution to all voting
members (125 copies would suffice). A blank form will be
provided on the website with the publication of the
Nominating Committee Report 10 days prior to the Synod
Assembly. Finally, the first general ballot has provision
for write-in votes for each position to be elected. |
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We will be electing 10 positions this year. The
Nominating Committee is responsible for nominating for all
these positions except for that of synod secretary. Under
our rules, that is a total 17 nominees. Scroll down for details such as duties, term, term limits, and special eligibility criteria. Information on submitting a recommendation to nominate is found at the bottom of the page. Special note on eligibility: the minimum
eligibility criterion (as defined in the Constitutions,
Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA) for
all elected positions is to be a voting member of a
congregation of this synod or to be clergy on the roster
of this synod. Unless noted otherwise, all voting members
are eligible for all positions to be elected. For example,
just because there is a designated youth member to be
elected to synod council, nothing prevents someone else
who is a youth by ELCA definition to be elected to any of
the other position for which the individual is otherwise
qualified. Likewise, just because there is a clergy person
to be elected for the designated slot for Churchwide
Assembly, nothing prevents another clergy person from
being elected to the young adult slot, assuming that
person is under the age of thirty-one, or to the person of
color and/or primary language of then English, assuming
that person meets that criterion. Synod SecretaryPer our governing documents, †S8.32. The secretary shall: The secretary sits as a member of the Synod Council,
therefore the duties outlined under Synod Council (see infra).
The secretary also sits as a member of the Synod Executive
Committee. In addition, there are items scattered
throughout the constitution, bylaws, and continuing
resolutions related to the work of the synod secretary. It
is important that the secretary have internet access and
email. Since our constitution states, "The Synod Council
shall nominate at least one person for secretary;
additional nominations may be made from the floor"
(S9.06), the Nominating Committee does not offer a
nomination for this position. Floor nominations for this
position may be offered.
Synod CouncilPer our governing documents, †S10.02. The Synod Council shall be the board of directors of this synod and shall serve as its interim legislative authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly. It may make decisions that are not in conflict with actions taken by the Synod Assembly or that are not precluded by provisions of this constitution or the constitution and bylaws of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. S10.03. The functions of the Synod Council shall be to:
In practice, Synod Council meets face-to-face four times
a year. Special meetings are frequently handled by
teleconference, or, though unlikely, face-to-face. The
face-to-face meetings are typically held on Saturdays and
usually on the I-79 corridor between Morgantown and
Clarksburg. We have been known to hold the periodic
Friday-Saturday retreat and meet in other places. It is
incumbent upon Synod Council members to study materials
prepared for the meetings and to be in attendance unless
good cause may shown for the absence. It is helpful to
have access to email and a teleconferencing platform (e.g.,
Zoom or a phone). The Synod
Council Handbook helpfully explains some of the
expectations for Synod Council members.
* CBCR/ELCA 5.01.F19. It is the goal of this church that at least 10 percent of the voting members of the Churchwide Assembly, Church Council, and churchwide boards and committees be youth and young adults. The Church Council shall establish a plan for implementing this goal. For purposes of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA, the term “youth” means a voting member of a congregation who has not reached the age of 18 at the time of election or appointment for service. The term “young adult” means a voting member of a congregation between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of election or appointment for service. Consultation Committee
The Consultation Committee plays a role in both conflict
resolution and discipline. Though rarely activated---some
have served their entire term without being activated—when
it is, the work is challenging, demanding good listening
and observational skills, analytic ability, a commitment
to justice and equity, prudence, the ability to maintain
discretion and confidentiality, and an understanding of
human nature. It is helpful to have access to email and a
teleconferencing platform (e.g., Zoom or a phone).
To learn more, visit the Consultation Committee page.
Discipline Committee
The Discipline Committee has never been activated in this synod, but, should it be, it will serve as judge and jury in matters of alleged misconduct by clergy, laity, and congregations of this synod. The work is challenging, demanding good listening and observational skills, analytic ability, a commitment to justice and equity, prudence, the ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality, and an understanding of human nature. To learn more, visit the Discipline Committee page.
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Submission of Nomination Public Input FormIn accordance with B9.01 and B9.02 of the Bylaws of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod, the public input phase opened (officially) 31 January 2025 (though positions were posted 28 January 2025) and closed 2 March 2025. |
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