Florida-Bahamas Synod

October 31, 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The Nominating Committee of your Florida-Bahamas Synod is preparing the slate of elections for the 2012 Synod Assembly.  In preparation for those elections, we ask your help in identifying nominees to fill these important positions.

Yours in Christ,

Pr. Tom Slater, Chair

Synod Council Representatives

The Synod Council sees to it that the mission and vision of the Synod are lifted up and carried forward.

• Mission: Share Christ, Make Disciples, Do Justice in the world.
• Vision: To be deeply rooted in Christ, firmly grounded in Word and Sacrament, and joyfully sent for the sake of the world.

            A Synod Council member shall be a voting member of a congregation of this synod. The term of office shall be three years. The Synod Council is the board of directors of the synod and serves as its interim legislative authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly.

The functions of synod council are:

• Trusteeship responsibilities on behalf of the synod
• Recommend program goals and budgets to meetings of the Synod Assembly
• Carry out the resolutions of the Synod Assembly
• Provide for an annual review of the roster of the rosters, receive and act upon recommendations regarding those persons whose status is subject to reconsideration.
• Issue letters of call to rostered persons
• Fill vacancies in elected positions until the next regular meeting of Synod Assembly
• Report its actions to regular meetings of Synod Assembly.

The Synod Council meets four times a year at various sites around the territory of the Synod.

Synod Treasurer

The treasurer may be either a layperson or an ordained minister and shall provide and be accountable for: Management of the monies and accounts of this synod; its deeds, mortgages, contracts, evidences of claims and revenues; and trust funds, holding the same at all times subject to the order of this synod.

• Investment of funds upon the authorization of the Synod Council.
• Receipt and acknowledgement of offerings, contributions and bequests made to this synod; collection of interest and income from invested funds; and payment of regular appropriations and orders on the several accounts as approved and directed by the Synod Council.
• The treasurer shall transmit the funds received by this synod monthly to the treasurer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for the general work of this church.
• Maintenance of a regular account with each congregation of this synod and informing the congregation, at least quarterly, of the status of this account.
• Rendering at each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly a full, detailed and duly audited report of receipts and disbursements in the several accounts of this synodfor the preceding fiscal year, together with the tabulation, for record and publication in the minutes, of the contributions from the congregations.
• The treasurer shall perform such other duties as are assigned by the Synod Council or the bishop, in the capacity of president of the synod.

Consultation Committee

Specific guidelines for the Consultation Committee are contained in chapters S11.02 and S17.01 of the synod constitution, and in chapter 20 of the Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The committee consists of 12 members, half of whom are ordained ministers, and half laypersons. Both are elected by Synod Assembly for a term of six years without reelection. The Consultation Committee assists the bishop, when requested, in efforts to resolve a situation by consultation. Members of this committee may not serve concurrently on the Discipline Committee.

Discipline Committee

Specific guidelines for the Discipline Committee are contained in chapter S11.03 of the synod's constitution, and in chapter 20 of the Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The committee consists of 12 members, half of whom are ordained ministers, and half laypersons. Both are elected by synod assembly for a term of six years without reelection. Terms are staggered to provide for the election of two clergy and two laypersons every two years. The Discipline Committee assists the bishop, when requested, and serves as a hearing committee and may make recommendations relating to discipline of an individual to the bishop and/or Synod Council. . Members of this committee may not concurrently serve on the Consultation Committee.

Churchwide Assembly Voting Members –August,2013, Pittsburgh, PA

Persons chosen as voting members of the Churchwide Assembly are given the responsiblity of doing the work of the Churchwide Assembly on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.   They are not sent to participate as politicized delegates from some regional or agenda-specific caucus, as may be the case at a national party convention. They gather around Word and Sacrament to represent and serve on behalf of all of the members of the congregations in all of the synods of this one church.

The ELCA Churchwide pays for each voting member’s travel, lodging and food while at the assembly

Churchwide Assembly

The Churchwide Assembly, according to ELCA churchwide constitutional provision 12.21., must:

• Review the work of the churchwide officers, and for this purpose require and receive reports from them and act on business proposed by them.
• Review the work of the churchwide units, and for this purpose require and receive reports from them and act on business proposed by them.
• Receive and consider proposals from synod assemblies.
• Establish churchwide policy.
• Adopt a budget for the churchwide organization.
• Elect officers, board members, and other persons as provided in the constitution and bylaws.
• Establish churchwide units to carry out the functions of the churchwide organization.
• Have the sole authority to amend the constitution and bylaws. Fulfill other functions as required in the constitution and bylaws.
• Conduct such other business as necessary to further the purposes and functions of the churchwide organization.

Assembly Vocabulary No Accident

It is important to note and remember that no delegates will be present for the assembly. Voting members are not delegates, as the term is used in the context of some meetings such as political conventions!

The terminology related to the legislative process of this church is no accident.

The words, “Synod Assembly” and “Churchwide Assembly,” rather than convention, and “voting members,” rather than delegates, were deliberately chosen for our governing documents. These words not only fulfill certain legal requirements but also reflect the ecclesial understanding that the three primary expression of this church—congregation, synod, and churchwide organization—exist and serve within this one church. The congregation does not meet in convention; the members gather in worship, carry out service, and assemble occasionally and properly for governance decisions and elections. The people of this church in each of the 65 synods are not sent as delegates from a given caucus; they are not gathered to act as some politicized delegates to a regional party convention. Rather, they assemble as duly selected members of this church with voting responsibilities for governance and elections on behalf of the synod. The Synod Assembly is just that, an assembly of the people of this church gathered around Word and Sacrament, some of whom have been granted the responsibility of being voting members of the Synod Assembly. The people of this church, when gathered as voting members of the Synod Assembly, have the responsibility of electing the voting members of the Churchwide Assembly. Persons so chosen are given the responsibility of doing the work of the Churchwide Assembly on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They are not sent to participate as politicized delegates from some regional or agenda-specific caucus at some national party convention. They gather around Word and Sacrament to represent and serve on behalf of all of the members of the congregations in all of the synods of this one church.

The vocabulary that we use both shapes and reflects our understanding of this church. When we recognize and understand that our “congregations find their fulfillment in the universal community of the Church, and the universal Church exists in and through congregations” (ELCA churchwide constitutional provision 3.02.), then our awareness of the significance of being voting members in a given assembly may grow. After all, as we declare of the “Nature of the Church,” the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America “derives its character and powers both from the sanction and representation of its congregations and from its inherent nature as an expression of the broader fellowship of the faith” (also ELCA churchwide constitutional provision 3.02.). Indeed, we together affirm and declare the primary principle of organization for our church, namely: “The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shall be one church” (ELCA churchwide constitutional provision 5.01.).

Travel, lodging and food expenses are paid by the ELCA for a voting member to this assembly.