Letter from Synod Secretary Announcing 2021 Synod Assembly and Allocation of Lay Voting Members

Group 236

According to S7.13 of the Synod Constitution, “Notice of the time and place of all meetings of the Synod Assembly shall be given by the secretary.”

Congregations are reminded to consult their congregation constitution with reference to those sections pursuant to election or designation of lay voting members to a Synod Assembly.

The 2021 Synod Assembly will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5, 2021. All events will be held virtually.

All ministers of Word and Sacrament and ministers of Word and Service on the roster of the Synod are expected to be in attendance.

If you are rostered with the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod and cannot attend the assembly, you must send a letter to the Bishop addressed to the Secretary of the synod requesting to be excused.

Chapter 7 of the Synod Constitution deals with the Synod Assembly. According to that chapter, sections S7.21.c, S7.21.A92, and S7.21.02:

  • A minimum of one lay member elected by each congregation with fewer than 175 baptized members and a minimum of two lay members elected by each congregation with more than 175 baptized members related to this synod, one of whom shall be male and one of whom shall be female, shall be voting members.
  • The Synod Council shall seek to ensure that at least 45 percent of the lay members of the assembly shall be women and at least 45 percent shall be men. (S7.21.c)
  • For the allocation of lay members of the Synod Assembly the most current church body statistics are the basis for determining baptized members. To achieve the proper ratio, each congregation of 450 baptized members will be entitled to an additional voting member and another voting member for each full 250 members over 450. (S7.21.A92)
  • Congregations with a baptized membership which consists of at least 10 percent persons of color and/or whose primary language is other than English will be entitled to one additional member. That member will be a person of color or whose primary language is other than English. (S7.21.02)

Based on current congregational data (latest year of congregation report submitted is in parentheses following congregation name) and fulfilling the above stated sections of the synod constitution, I have determined the following allocation of lay voting members of the 2021 Synod Assembly (* indicates one additional member for congregations fulfilling S7.21.02, but only if that member is a person of color and/or whose primary language is other than English).

View Allocation of Lay Voting Members per Congregation

Registration and materials for the 2021 Synod Assembly can be found here. Regular registration closes on Saturday, May 1, while late registration closes on Saturday, May 15. No late registrations will be accepted after May 15. It is the responsibility of congregations and voting members to download their Assembly materials.

For your information:

  • In accordance with S7.27, elected members of the Synod Council are voting members
    of the assembly and may register in that capacity; and
  • Persons attending the assembly who are not voting members should register as a Visitor.

The Assembly draft agenda indicates that Assembly check-in begins at 4:30 pm on Friday, June 5. Orientation for new voting members will be held from 5:00 to 5:55 pm. The Assembly opens at 6:00 pm with seating of voting members to be deferred until Saturday morning, June 5, at 9:00 am. It is anticipated that the Assembly will adjourn by 5:00 pm. Closing Worship of the Synod Assembly will be an all-synod worship on Sunday, June 6 at 10:00 am.

Kevin D. Anderson
Secretary of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod