Called:
2025 SD Synod Assembly
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
“Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
– Acts 2:42-47
Join us as we celebrate and remember all the ways that we are called as individuals, as a Synod, and as the Body of Christ to share the Gospel of God’s love and forgiveness with the world.
May 30 – May 31 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD.
Livestream on YouTube.
What to Expect
Thursday, May 29
2:00 – 5:00 PM – Displays Set Up
3:00 – 5:30 PM – Early Check-In
5:30 – 6:30 PM – Pre-Assembly Breakout Sessions
7:00 – 8:30 PM – Ministry Recognitions with dessert sponsored by Luther Seminary and Wartburg Theological Seminary.
Friday, May 30
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Displays Open
8:00 AM – Check-In Opens
9:15 AM – Opening Worship with Holy Communion
10:30 AM – Plenary 1
12:00 PM – Lunch and Conference Caucuses
1:00 PM – Plenary 2
3:00 PM – Break
3:30 PM – Lutherans Outdoors Annual Meeting
4:00 PM – Plenary 3
*Voting at this year’s Synod Assembly will take place via a secure online platform (vpoll.mobi). More information will be available below.
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Food Truck Service
Saturday, June 1
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Displays Open
8:15 AM – Morning Worship with Holy Communion
9:30 AM – Plenary 4
10:30 AM – Break
11:00 AM – Plenary 5
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 PM – Plenary 6
Close of the Assembly
*Times Subject to Change. See the proposed agenda, when available, for more details.
Registration
Regular Registration for voting members, visitors, and displayers opened on Monday, April 14, and will close on Monday, May 19, at 11:59 PM CT. Click here to register.
Late Registration ($50 late fee added) is open until Friday, May 23rd at 12 Noon CT.
If you have questions regarding registration, please contact the assembly registrar, Lois Borchardt, at 605-274-4025 or send an email to assembly@sdsynod.org.
Formula
For additional information regarding voting members, please reference Chapter 7 of the Synod Constitution.
Churchwide Representative
The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton was reelected to serve a second six-year term as ELCA presiding bishop at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Eaton is the ELCA’s fourth presiding bishop and was first elected at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
Eaton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the College of Wooster.
Eaton was ordained in 1981 and served three different congregations in Ohio before being elected bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod in 2006. She was reelected synod bishop in May 2013, shortly before her election as ELCA presiding bishop.
Eaton’s four emphases for the ELCA are: We are church; We are Lutheran; We are church together; We are church for the sake of the world. These four emphases are fundamental to identifying who the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is.
In 2015, under Eaton’s leadership, the ELCA underwent an extensive vision process to help this church journey faithfully and effectively together in the years ahead. The process resulted in Future Directions 2025, a strategic framework that helps shared leadership across the ELCA realize common aspirations and better face the challenges of this church.
In addition, with Eaton’s guidance, the ELCA launched Bishop Eaton’s Leadership Initiative, which encourages all ELCA members to seek out and inspire gifted people in our congregations and communities to consider a call to the ministry of the gospel.
As chief ecumenical officer of the ELCA, she represents this church in a wide range of ecumenical and interfaith settings. She is vice president for North America on the Council of the Lutheran World Federation and serves on the governing board and development committee of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and on the Religions for Peace USA Council of Presidents.
As presiding bishop, Eaton travels extensively, representing the ELCA in a variety of capacities. This has included a visit to a Syrian refugee camp; commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with Lutherans from around the world in Namibia; participating in an ecumenical service to commemorate the Reformation in the Lund, Sweden, cathedral with Pope Francis; visiting with migrants in Honduras; and attending the fifth consultation of women pastors and theologians in Tanzania.
Eaton’s husband is the Rev. T. Conrad Selnick, an Episcopal priest. They are parents of two adult children, Rebeckah and Susannah.
Guest Musicians: (2025 Information Coming Soon)
We are thrilled to welcome Peter and Brendan Mayer as our guest musicians this year.
Peter Mayer, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, has been with Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band for over three decades. Mayer also follows his own musical path with both national and international tours and has released 20 live and studio albums to date. Over his years in music he has been privileged to share the stage with many bright lights in the music industry including James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Don Henley, Dave Matthews, and many others.
Brendan Mayer, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, has been building a following, laying his tracks in the music world. He released his first album, the “Getaway Car” EP, on Jimmy Buffett’s Mailboat Records, after touring a year with Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band in 2014. He has spent the last months working on his latest release, “Best at the Show,” which is due out this year. He performs regularly on his solo tours.
Brendan and Peter joined forces in 2017 to record their debut album, “Long Story Short.” With both songwriters contributing to the list, this collection of twelve songs showcases the father and son’s unique musical directions that, together, weave a unified sound with compelling lyrics and inventive melodies. The result is two voices turned into one with their bloodline harmony.
More Information on Friday Evening and the Online Voting Process at the Assembly (2025 Information Coming Soon)
Food Truck Friday at Synod Assembly
Rev. The South Dakota Synod invites you to join us for an evening of good food and great music on the Friday night of Synod Assembly (May 31st), featuring a free concert by the guest musicians for the Assembly, Peter and Brendan Mayer. The event will take outdoors at Augustana University by Morrison Commons. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local food trucks and vendors. A limited number of bag chairs will be available for a freewill donation from Church on the Street, or you can bring your own! Download an informational poster here.
The list of the food trucks that will be at the event is below. We encourage you to view their menus before attending to help the lines move as quickly as possible.
- Let Me Be Frank
- Berkes BBQ
- Featured $12 meal for the evening: cheesy hash browns, coleslaw, pulled chicken & pulled pork
- Hunny & Bunny Mediterranean Cuisine
- Curbside Delights (order online)
- Taquiera Juanita (menu)
- SDSU Ice Cream
Those who register for the Assembly will receive a voucher for up to $12 to use at the food trucks. Please note that no change will be given, and attendees are responsible for any amount over $12. Those registered will also receive a voucher for one free scoop of ice cream at the SDSU Ice Cream Truck, thanks to the sponsorship of the Mission Investment Fund and Portico.
Online Voting at Synod Assembly
You can view and download instructions on signing into VPOLL, the secure online voting platform we are using for the Assembly, here.
Assembly Materials (2025 Information Coming Soon)
Synod Assembly materials will be made available this year once again electronically. Download reports to your device to print or save or use the free Synod Assembly app. We will once again be using the free ELCA Guidebook App for all of our synod assembly materials.
Download the 2024 Synod Assembly App!
The South Dakota Synod Assembly Guidebook is now available to download on any smart device. Get the guide to access the most up-to-date information about our assembly, including schedules, quick links, materials and much more.
Get our guide by clicking here.
Android and Apple iOS users:
- From the link above, tap the “Download” button to download the free Guidebook app
- Open Guidebook and you can find our “2024 South Dakota Synod Assembly” guide
- OR, if you already have the Guidebook App installed, simply search in the “find guides” section for the “2024 South Dakota Synod Assembly.”
You can also download materials on the Synod Assembly page here.
Location
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
909 W 33rd Street
Sioux Falls, SD
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will once again be the host site for the 2023 South Dakota Synod Assembly. We are grateful to the volunteers and staff at Our Savior’s who graciously host us for this important work of the church.
For more information about Sioux Falls and places to stay, click here.
Synod Assembly Offering (2025 Information Coming Soon)
The Synod Council has designated the offering for the 2024 Synod Assembly to go to the Neighbors in Solidarity Ministries of the South Dakota Synod.
Solidarity is a commitment with others and a way of seeing, being, and acting. Solidarity means seeing and experiencing one’s own well-being as connected to the well-being of others and the communities to which they belong. Solidarity often involves people aligning themselves with others who do not have the same experiences. The principle of solidarity compels respect for the lived experience of all our brothers and sisters. Solidarity encourages us to share in our neighbor’s suffering and to participate in their liberation.
Across the South Dakota Synod, we have many specialized or supported ministries. Each of these ministries proclaims the Gospel and carries out the mission of our church in a specific way – sometimes working with those who have no home, sometimes building a new faith community, sometimes working with prisoners. We call these ministries “Neighbors in Solidarity” to celebrate that their work is our work, too. Jesus calls us to imagine our neighbors in a broad sense, and we stand together – in solidarity – with these ministries to share the love of Christ. These ministries are your ministries, because we are the body of Christ together. You can find out more about our Neighbors in Solidarity here.
