11/24/2014

Governing Documents Proposed Changes Letter to the Synod

Advent Blessings! As we begin a new Church Year and anticipate the coming of Jesus our Savior and Lord, I bring news from the Synod Constitution Task Force and Synod Council.

At my request, a Synod Constitution Task Force was formed to review and revise the mandatory constitutional changes required for synods by the ELCA. The Synod Council affirmed this request. The task force, led by Mrs. Linda Cregan, did a line-by-line review of the Southern Ohio Synod constitution and presented the changes to Synod Council, which recommended the changes to the 2014 Synod Assembly for adoption. The Assembly adopted those changes.

After Assembly, I requested the Task Force continue their work and review all of the governing documents of this synod by looking at the them through a missional lens and remove or modify provisions not required by the ELCA, in order to allow flexibility in addressing mission opportunities in this synod for the future. These changes allow us to work with the Visioning Team to be church together for the sake of the world. Everyone in the synod has an opportunity to be a part of the vision of the synod. By seeing our governing documents as opportunities for mission and structuring them in such a way that is useful, we make them relevant for whom we are as God's people now as we serve in the world today.

At the November 1st Synod Council meeting, the council discussed the proposed changes to the Constitution, By-laws and Continuing Resolutions. Those proposed changes are included in this packet. It is important that you read them and plan on attending one of the Q & A Hearings in February where you can address your thoughts and concerns. I am asking that if you have specific questions you wish to have answered, please email them to Mrs. Susan Barton-Nonno (sbarton-nonno@southernohiosynod.org), Mrs. Linda Cregan (lkcregan@sbcglobal.net) or Mrs. Barbara Klatt (ekbk97@sbcglobal.net) prior to the Hearings.

The locations and dates of the Hearings are:

February 3, 2015 @ St. John Lutheran Church, Zanesville, OH 7-9 PM

February 10, 2015 @ Epiphany Lutheran Church, Centerville, OH 7-9 PM

Everyone in the Southern Ohio Mission Area is invited to attend. Please RSVP by January 28, 2015. Click HERE to RSVP or visit our website at www.southernohiosynod.org and follow the links on the homepage.

The changes you receive in this packet will be voted on at the 2015 Synod Assembly at Capital University, Columbus, OH June 5-6. If there are any constitution or by-law changes to be removed from Enbloc please notify the Synod Office, in writing, by Monday, March 30, 2015. Changes may be emailed to Mrs. Susan Barton-Nonno or mailed to the synod office with the envelope marked Constitutional Changes.

This notice fulfills the required six-month requirement for proposed constitutional changes.

I want to thank the Task Force and Synod Council for their service and work on these documents. They are strong statements of who we are as Church and give us the opportunity to go into God's future providing strong witness to the Gospel.

Happy Reading!

Bishop Suzanne D. Dillahunt

Proposed Changes to SOS Constitution 11-24-14

Proposed Changes to SOS Bylaws 11-24-14

Proposed Changes to SOS Continuing Resolutions 11-24-14