06/19/2012

SynodFest 2012 Summary of Events and Assembly Results

The Southern Ohio Synod’s SynodFest 2012 was a huge success with over 500 people attending the various events offered June 6-10, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The highlight for most was the outdoor worship, picnic and concert on Friday, June 8 at Nisbet Park in Loveland, Ohio. Bishop Callon Holloway and guest preacher, The Reverend Joseph Livenson Lauvanus from Haiti engaged in a dialog preaching format on the warm and sunny amphitheater stage in front of an estimated 320 members of the Southern Ohio Synod, including numerous youth groups who came out for the commissioning portion of the evening. A great picture of this part of the worship service is available on the synod website and on our Facebook page. The Rev. Jonathan Eilert presided and was accompanied by the Prince of Peace Praise Band, which included The Rev. Grant Eckhart and many talented musicians from the church. A meal was shared among all of those in attendance and then Peder Eide took the stage and had people of all ages on their feet for some wonderful worship and praise music.

Other events during SynodFest included:

• The ELCA Glocal Event hosted by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Cincinnati and organized by The Reverend Shelley Nelson-Bridger.
• The Rostered Leaders Event with guest presenter, The Reverend Dr. Pete Steinke who spoke on family systems within the congregation to a group of approximately 80 Rostered Leaders.
• Dwelling in the Word training for lay leaders. This group of 44 are sharing with their congregation and families what they have learned about dwelling in God’s Word. They, along with others from their congregations, will meet up again in the fall to share, learn and explore new ways to dwell in the word and seek God’s preferred path.
• Service projects with Habitat for Humanity Thrivent Builds, Mathew 25: Ministries, Graceworks and Vida Eterna Mother’s Ministry.
• Workshops on a range of topics for lay and rostered attendees.
• Lutheran Day at the Reds, which turned into Lutheran Night at the Reds when ESPN decided to include the Cincinnati Reds versus the Detroit Tigers in the opening line up, moving the game from 1:10 pm to 8 pm. 107 Lutherans cheered on the Reds (or maybe the Tigers) into the evening hours.
• Brand new Vendor Fair with 20 vendors providing goods and services to individuals and congregations. This group will be back next year and more vendors will be added!

And, of course, Assembly was held on Saturday, June 9 from 9 am until 12:30 pm. This was the first time a half-day Assembly was held. The agenda was tight, but Bishop Holloway kept the schedule on course wrapping up just a few minutes before the set end time. The ELCA representative was Mr. Kenneth Inkseep.  A copy of his presentation is on the Assembly Info page of the SynodFest section of our website.

The following actions took place during the Assembly:

• 2013 Fiscal Proposal—Passed
• 2013 Proposed Compensation Guidelines—Passed
• A Call to Peaceful Resolution of the Conflict with Iran—Passed
• Resolution to Recognize the 100^th Anniversary of Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio—Passed

The following people were elected to the Synod Council with terms expiring in 2016:

• The Rev. Jonathan Bull—Northwest Conference Clergy
• The Rev. Alexander Sumo—Central Ohio Conference Clergy
• Marjorie Ellis—Central Ohio Conference Lay Female
• The Rev. Brian George—Muskingum Conference Clergy
• The Rev. Dona Johnson—At Large Clergy

The following people were elected to the Trinity Seminary Board of Directors:

• Kimberly Chatman
• Scott Krizner

The following people were elected as voting members to the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly:

• The Rev. Kevin Dudley—Central Ohio Conference Clergy
• Kathie Skamfer—Central Ohio Conference Lay Female
• The Rev. Patricia Badkey—Cincinnati Conference Clergy
• James Matthews—Cincinnati Conference Lay Male
• The Rev. Steve Kimm—Dayton Conference Clergy
• Jane Lane—Dayton Conference Lay Female
• The Rev. Donna Kraus—Muskingum Conference Clergy
• Steven Schnittke—Muskingum Conference Lay Male
• The Rev. Leslie Fox—Northwest Conference Clergy
• Kenneth Wells—Northwest Conference Lay Male
• The Rev. Brian Dillahunt—Scioto Conference Clergy
• Kara Mendenhall—Scioto Conference Lay Female
• Michael Wood—At Large Lay Male
• Julia Konkler—Young Adult Lay Female
• John Werzinske—Young Adult Lay Male
• Deaconess Carmen Colón-Brown—Person of Color/Primary Language Other Than English

Special thanks to the 50+ committee members and the 25+ volunteers who made SynodFest 2012 possible and an event worth repeating. A date and location for SynodFest 2013 has not been set, but look for “Save the Date” information this fall.