OPEN NOMINATION
At the 2022 Churchwide Assembly, voting members adopted a memorial concerning restructuring the ELCA’s governance. The assembly adopted the following action:
To direct the Church Council to establish a Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church comprised of leaders of diverse representation from all three expressions that, working in consultation with the Conference of Bishops and the Church Council, shall reconsider the statements of purpose for each of the expressions of this church, the principles of its organizational structure, and all matters pertaining thereunto, being particularly attentive to our shared commitment to dismantle racism, and will present its findings and recommendations to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in preparation for a possible reconstituting convention to be called under the rules for a special meeting of the Churchwide Assembly. [CA22.01.06]
NOMINATION PROCESS
The Church Council discussed the churchwide assembly action at its November 2022 meeting. It authorized the establishment of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC) to consist of no more than 35 voting members and directed the Executive Committee of the Church Council to initiate the process of forming the commission. [CC22.11.38.]
The nomination process is open until March 9, 2023. More information about the commitment and expectation of serving on the CRLC can be found below. Interested individuals who wish to nominate themselves or wish to nominate another person should complete and submit the nomination form..
The Executive Committee of the Church Council will serve as the nominating committee and will present a slate of nominees to the Church Council at its April 20, 2023 meeting for appointment to the CRLC.
Each synod is being asked to submit two nominees. From the nominees submitted by each synod within the regions of the ELCA, the ELCA Church Council will appoint two voting members from each region. (The South Carolina Synod is part of Region 9 which also includes the Caribbean, Florida-Bahamas, North Carolina, Southeastern, and Virginia synods. There are nine regions in the ELCA) In addition, a third voting member from each region will be appointed from the open nomination process facilitated by churchwide. Thus, 27 members of the Commission will come from the regions (9 regions X 3). Additionally, up to eight at-large voting members will be appointed from both synod nominations and from the open nomination process.
Each voting member’s role will be to represent the interests of this whole church while also bringing the perspective of the member’s geographical area and being mindful of other considerations. For a full description of the task, the makeup of the commission, and the time commitment required, click the Service Expectations button below.
The South Carolina Synod Executive Staff and Executive Committee have already prayed over, discerned and submitted two names to the ELCA to be considered. But there is still room for YOU to be nominated by someone or by yourself using the nomination form below.
