The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the primary decision-making body of the church. This assembly gathers every three years. Voting members are chosen locally from across the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. There will be around 900 voting members.

In 2022 we will meet at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Over the course of the assembly, voting members will:

  • Worship, pray and sing together
  • Hear reports and review the work of churchwide officers, leaders and units
  • Receive and consider proposals from synod assemblies
  • Elect officers, board members and other leaders as specified by the constitution or bylaws
  • Establish ELCA churchwide policy
  • Adopt a budget
  • Approve some constitutional amendments.
  • Conduct other business related to the ELCA churchwide organization.
  • Vote on two important statements: The Women and Justice social groups statement and the Declaration of Our Inter-Religious Commitment policy statement

Gulf Coast Synod Voting Members to the 2022 Assembly:

  1. Ashley Dellagiacoma
  1. Aimee Elles (alternate for Kristen Kruger, who was unable to be present.)
  2. Deidre Hayes
  3. Hannah Norem, young adult voting member
  4. Chris Markert (alternate for Gabriel Marcano, who was unable to be present.)
  5. Diane White
  6. Tom Wildrick
  7. Michael Rinehart, Bishop
  8. Robert Rivera, Vice President

Expenses: Registration, travel, lodging and food expenses for voting members will be covered by the assembly.

Travel: Gulf Coast Voting Members must book flights with Direct Travel.

Lodging: Our hotel will be assigned to us by the event a month or two prior to the assembly.

Materials: The assembly is paperless. All materials will be distributed digitally through the ELCA Events app.

Bible: There will be several small group Bible studies, so bring your favorite Bible.

Registration will begin in Spring of 2022.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod office at 281-873-5665.

Recommendations are brought by the ELCA Church Council, which meets three times a year. They follow up on previous actions of the previous assembly, and are the legislative leadership between Churchwide Assemblies.

Memorials: Voting members will also consider memorials. These are not gifts in memory of someone. They are actions brought by one or more synod assemblies calling the church to certain actions. Information on this year’s memorials will probably be up on the web page by summer of 2022.

Resolutions can be brought to this body by voting members. A Reference and Council Committee consisting of assembly voting members reviews all resolutions. In some cases they will encourage the assembly to accept or reject it. They may decide that the resolution is in violation of our constitutions, or they may send it to the assembly with no recommendation whatsoever.

More information will become available as the year goes on. Feel free to peruse information from former Churchwide Assemblies.

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The 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly

August 5-10, 2019

Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The 2019 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was held August 5-10, 2019 at Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Center. We begin with an orientation at 1:00 pm on Monday, August 5 and conclude at noon on August 10. Click the link in the previous sentence for more info.

The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the primary decision-making body of the church. This assembly gathers every three years. Voting members are chosen locally from across the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. There will be 927 voting members.

Over the course of five days, voting members were able to:

  • Worship, pray and sing together
  • Hear reports and review the work of churchwide officers, leaders and units
  • Receive and consider proposals from synod assemblies
  • Elect officers, board members and other leaders as specified by the constitution or bylaws
  • Establish ELCA churchwide policy
  • Adopt a budget
  • Approve some constitutional amendments.
  • Conduct other business related to the ELCA churchwide organization.
  • Vote on two important statements: The Women and Justice social statement and the Declaration of Our Inter-Religious Commitment policy statement

Gulf Coast Synod Voting Members to the 2019 Assembly:

  1. Lynnae Schatz
  2. Angela Bell
  3. Dennis Meszaros
  4. Ephraim Danforth
  5. Adriana Johnson Rivas
  6. Kerry Nelson
  7. Diedre Hayes
  8. Caleb Parks
  9. Michael Rinehart, Bishop
  10. Robert Rivera, Vice President

Travel: Gulf Coast Voting Members booked flights with Direct Travel June 5, 2018.

Materials: The assembly is paperless. All materials will be distributed digitally through the Guidebook App.

Bible: There were several small group Bible studies, so bring your favorite Bible.

Registration began in Spring of 2019.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod office at 281-873-5665.

Recommendations are brought by the Church Council. They meet two or three times a year. They follow up on previous actions of the previous assembly, and are the legislative leadership between Churchwide Assemblies.

Memorials: Voting members will also consider memorials. These are not gifts in memory of someone. These are actions brought by one or more synod assemblies calling the church to certain actions. Information on this year’s memorials will probably be up on the web page by summer of 2019.

Resolutions can be brought to this body by voting members. A Reference and Council Committee consisting of assembly voting members reviews all resolutions. In some cases they will encourage the assembly to accept or reject it. They may decide that the resolution is in violation of our constitutions, or they may send it to the assembly with no recommendation whatsoever.

2019 Videos

CWA19 Voting Member Welcome and Introduction
https://vimeo.com/elca/review/339605035/f3ddb9e7b6

CWA19 Parliamentary Procedure
https://vimeo.com/elca/review/339605212/17f07ff609

CWA19 Ecclesiastical Ballot
https://vimeo.com/elca/review/339605133/19a164e7cd

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The 2016 Churchwide Assembly

August 8-13, 2016

New Orleans

The 2016 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was held August 8-13, 2016 at the New Orleans Convention Center.

2016 orientation video: https://vimeo.com/151067896

Gulf Coast Synod Voting Members to the 2016 Assembly:

  1. Andrew Bell
  2. Angela Bell
  3. Curtis Bradbury
  4. Tracey Breashears Schultz, on Reference and Counsel
  5. Rene Garcia
  6. Bill Mintz, on Reference and Counsel
  7. Evan Moilan, Vice President
  8. Candy O’Meara
  9. Michael Rinehart, bishop
  10. Kami Wagner

Materials: We received all materials on an iPad.

Here’s a screenshot of the first day from the Guidebook app.

Leymah Gbowee speaking at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly

President Samuel Ndanga-Toue of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic

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The 2013 Churchwide Assembly

was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The 2013 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was held August 12-18 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2013 Voting Members from the Gulf Coast:

  • Mike Button
    Adriana Johnson
    Jen Kindsvatter
    Alex Norden
    Evan Moilan
    Bonnie Parker
    Terry Richter
    Michael Rinehart
    Ryan Dockery

    • Materials: all materials on an iPad.

    CLICK HERE to check out a 13-minute video by David Swartling.

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    2011 Churchwide Assembly

    August 15-19, 2011

    Marriott World Center, Orlando, Florida

    Theme, Freed in Christ to Serve. The text for this assembly was from Galatians 5:

    For freedom Christ has set us free …

    only do not use this freedom as an occasion for self-indulgence,

    but serve one another in love.

    2011 Voting Members from the Gulf Coast:
    1. Judy Biffle
    2. David Hollrah
    3. Pat Keen
    4. Tim Lenz
    5. Evan Moilan, Synod Vice President
    6. Robert Moore
    7. Philip Oestreich
    8. Bonnie Parker
    9. Michael Rinehart
    10. Pamela Tamburello
    11. Edward Wang

    Materials: We received all materials on an iPad.

    Bible: There will be several small group Bible studies, so bring your favorite Bible.

    ELCA Churchwide Assembly Website

    Theme

    Registration

    Schedule

    CLICK HERE to check out a 13-minute video by David Swartling.

    Our synod was one of several synods that participated in a pilot program to use iPads for the assembly, instead of the flurry of paper. Previously, there was a notebook of 3-4 inches of paper.