Synod Council meets regularly three to four times during the year with special meetings held, often by teleconference, as need. The Synod Council is chaired by the vice president. The membership of the Synod Council includes the four officers of the synod and twelve voting members from around the synod, representing a balance of clergy and laity, geographical distribution, and age. Click here for the roster of the Synod Council and its committees.

Consultation of 3 November 2023

The Synod Council, convened Friday evening, 3 November 2023, with pastors and [vice] presidents of all but on of the congregations of the Eastern Panhandle Cluster of the Potomac Conference present. An invitation was issued to all the pastors of the Potomac Conference and the congregational [vice] presidents of the congregations of the Potomac Conference to participate in a consultation. Five guiding questions were included as part of the consultation:

1. What is happening in your congregation that makes you happy, excited, proud, hopeful, etc.?
2. What challenges, anxieties, fears, etc. are your congregation facing?
3. How are things going with the Potomac Conference (or Eastern Panhandle Cluster) and in intercongregational relationships and work?
4. What do you think our disposition toward Caroline Furnace be? What do you need to know to address this question?
5. Where do you see synodical and Churchwide expressions fitting into all this?

Summary of Actions, 3-4 November 2023

Synod Council, meeting on 3-4 November 2023, took the following actions.

Appointments

• To appoint to the Nominating Committee The Rev. Ruth Bullwinkle, Chair (MVMC), The Rev. Sean Smith (UOVC), Lois Gray (UOVC), Rick Losh (PC), The Rev. Tom Darr (OKVC), The Rev. Daniel Collins (PC), Cindy Murphy (MVMC), and Rachel Gensler Hall (OKVC), the Executive Committee being empowered to make any vacancy appoints if needed prior to the next regular meeting of the Synod Council.
• To reappoint The Rev. Jonothan "Jono" Adams, The Rev. Jason Felici, and Nancy Weeks to the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Campus Foundation for a term of three years.
  

Fiscal Actions

• To reimburse The Rev. Matthew Riegel for payments made to Portico for Gold+ coverage in CY2024 on a monthly basis by separate check, accounting the reimbursements to health insurance.
• To grant extension of the Community Lutheran Partners, Inc., fundraising appeal in the synod through the end of CY2023.

Polity Actions

• To direct the bishop to query the congregations of the Eastern Panhandle regarding the synod's status as a constituent synod of Caroline Furnace.
  

Roster Management Actions

• To renew on leave from call status on the roster of ministers of Word & Sacrament for The Rev. Michael Wright.

Scheduling

• To reschedule the next regular Synod Council meeting, originally scheduled for 24 February 2024, for 16 March 2024.