Out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of all involved, the Metro D.C. Synod will be hosting the 2021 Synod Assembly on Zoom from June 4 – 5, 2021. We will be hosting a Closing Worship Service on Sunday morning, June 6 at 10:00 AM that will be available to the entire synod. We are excited about the opportunities for increased engagement this new format will bring!
How to Register
A single congregation can choose to register multiple individuals at once, but each individual must have a unique name and email address for the form. Placeholder names may not be used for registration. Due to technical constraints, we cannot accept late registrations or registration transfers after registration is closed.
Cost to Register
$100 per Person May 2 – 15, 2021
No registrations can be accepted, changed or transferred to another person after May 15.
Attendee Training Dates Available
- Wednesday, May 19 | 7:00-9:00 pm
- Saturday, May 22 | 1:00-3:00 pm
- Thursday, May 27 | 7:00-9:00 pm
- Tuesday, June 1 | 7:00-9:00 pm
Due to the online format of this year’s assembly which will impact registration, voting, and every other component of the assembly we are asking that ALL attendees attend one training. Please choose as best you can during the registration process. If circumstances change you will be able to attend a different session. The New Voting Member Orientation on Friday, June 4th, will cover different topics.
Questions?
Questions can be directed to our Synod Assembly Team at
synodassemblyteam@metrodcelca.org.
Each year, the ministries and partners of the Metro D.C. Synod provide a report which highlights how God has been at work through out the year. The pandemic has truly changed how we do ministry so take some time to see what the learnings are and what to look forward to in the coming years.
By clicking below, you will be taken to a Google Table of Contents document, in which you click to view the reports available. This is a living document and will be updated as reports are received.
This past year has presented many challenges but we are grateful for the use of technology that can keep us connected and the mission of God moving forward! Thankfully, the Metro D.C. Synod is not the first to host an online assembly and we have learned a lot of from neighboring synods that we plan to incorporate including:
- Scheduled Breaks – Zoom fatigue is a real thing and we will be sure to allow time so you can stretch, refill your glass and step away from your device.
- Interacting with Others – With the ability to offer video content, musical breaks, and breakout rooms for small groups, you will not miss out on the fellowship time.
- Practice Makes Almost Perfect – We know technology does not always cooperate, so we plan to offer some pre-assembly sessions where you can practice voting, using various Zoom features and logging in on your devices. We also plan to have a help desk of volunteers available throughout the assembly for anyone having technology issues.
- Business as Usual with Some Surprises – Our last in-person Synod assembly in 2019 included a Bishop’s election, but this year the agenda will be more typical including reports from our ministries and tables, approval of a Synod Mission Spending Plan, elections to Synod Council and various committees, and the presentation of any resolutions.
We plan to also include some fun, interactive opportunities as well as spirit-filled worship opportunities and speakers throughout the agenda!
A complete draft agenda will be available in the coming months. In the mean, please review the outline for our time together.
Rozella Haydée White | Cultural Competency Session Presenter
Rozella Haydée White is the #LoveBigCoach, a public theologian, spiritual life coach, leadership consultant, inspirational speaker and writer focused on nurturing love that is life-giving, justiceseeking, and sustaining.
Rozella is the owner of RHW Consulting LLC, an agency focused on accompanying clients as they align their being, beliefs and behaviors in order to deconstruct and dismantle systems, structures, and social constructs that inhibit justice and liberation.
Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio | Sabbath Session Presenter
Ryan Bonfiglio is an Assistant Professor in the Practice of Old Testament at Emory’s Candler School of Theology. He also is the Director of The Candler Foundry, a new initiative designed to make theological education accessible and engaging for the broader public. Prior to joining Candler’s faculty in 2018, he taught at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA and served as the John H. Stembler Scholar in Residence at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. His teaching and research interests include the Pentateuch, biblical metaphors, Old Testament theology, and the role of the Bible in public life. He is currently working on a book on the biblical theology of Sabbath (Westminster John Knox). His wife, Jamie, is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and together they have an energetic 6-year old son named Leo. Ryan suffers from a life-long love of Philadelphia sports.
Rev. Kevin Vandiver | Transformational Leadership Session Presenter
Kevin Vandiver received his Bachelor’s Degree in 2011 from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. He then attended Duke University Divinity School in Durham, NC and graduated with an M. Div. in 2014. He is currently a Practical Theology PhD Candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary with a concentration in Homiletics.
A called and ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Kevin has served as Director of Family Ministry at Christ Lutheran Churches-Charlotte; was the Associate Minister of Youth and Young Adults at The Riverside Church in the City of New York; served as the founding Pastor and Mission Developer of the Christ Center at Transfiguration in Harlem; and now serves as the Assistant to the Bishop of The Metropolitan New York Synod, where he is responsible for supporting the life and care of 52 churches in the Metropolitan New York area.
Kevin is married to Dr. Marcia Janelle Vandiver, a prolific author, speaker, and professor, and they have one child, Ethan.
The synod assembly provides an opportunity for voting members and various units of the synod to present Resolutions or Memorials for consideration.
Resolutions adopted by the synod assembly will be acted upon locally or passed to the appropriate units of the ELCA for action.
Memorials adopted for consideration by the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will be forwarded to the Churchwide Assembly Memorials Committee for consideration and inclusion in the advance materials along with memorials from other synods of the ELCA.
During the Synod Assembly, we vote to elect rostered and lay leaders to Synod Council, Synod Committees and as Church-Wide Assembly voting members.
Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Synod Assembly, most Synod Council positions are open for election in 2021. We have staggered elections for 1 year and 2 year terms to be back on schedule for 2022.
Please pay close attention to the number of positions and number of years for each role.
Positions For Election and Terms
Synod Council Officers*:
Vice President (4 years)
Treasurer (4 years)
*must also complete a background check form available here.
Synod Council:
DC Conference Clergy Member (1 Year)
DC Conference Lay Member (2 Years)
Fairfax Conference Clergy Member (2 Years)
Fairfax Conference Lay Member (1 Year)
Maryland Conference Clergy Member (2 years)
Maryland Conference Lay Member (1 Year)
Montgomery Conference Clergy Member (2 years)
Montgomery Conference Lay Member (1 Year)
Potomac Conference Clergy Member (2 Years)
Potomac Conference Lay Member (1 year)
Virginia Conference Clergy Member (1 Year)
Virginia Conference Lay Member (2 Years)
At-Large Member – Minister of Word and Service (1 Year)
At-Large Member (1 Year)
Two At-Large Members (2 years)
Synod Women’s Organization (1 Year)
Youth Representative (1 Year)
Committee on Discipline:
Two Clergy Members (6 years)
Two Lay Members (6 years)
Consultation Committee:
Two Clergy Members (5 years)
Two Lay Members (5 years)
2022 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members (5 positions open)
ELCA Church Council:
Two Lay Woman (6 years)