Official Notice
Thirty-Fourth Annual Synod Assembly of the Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

To: All Laity Voting Members, Ministers of Word and Sacrament, and Ministers of Word and Service of the Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Please be advised that the Thirty-Fourth Annual Synod Assembly of the Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will begin via Zoom, on two Sunday evenings, June 5 and 12, 2022, and will continue in person at Augustana College on Friday and Saturday, June 17 and 18, 2022.

Date of Notice: May 5, 2022

The Rev. Don Knowles
Synod Secretary

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Proposed Rules
for the 2022 Northern Illinois Synod Assembly
Proposed Rules of the Assembly Roberts Rules of Order (a simple reference)
Assembly Schedule
Plenaries and Forums

Sunday, June 05, 2022 - Plenary Session 1 via Zoom

  • 5:30 pm check-in and credentialing
  • 6:30 pm Plenary 1
    • Opening worship
    • Assembly business
    • First ballot for bishop

Sunday, June 12, 2022Plenary Session II via Zoom

  • 5:30 pm check-in and credentialing
  • 6:30 pm Plenary 2
    • Opening prayer
    • Assembly business
    • Second ballot for bishop

Monday, June 13, 2022

  • 6:00 pm Resolutions Forum via Zoom
  • 7:15 pm Budget Forum via Zoom

Thursday, June 16, 2022

  • 6:30 pm Bishop Nominee Forum - livestreamed at nisynod.org  

Friday, June 17, 2022 - Plenary Session III at Augustana College

  • 6:00 pm check-in and credentialing
  • 7:00 pm Plenary 3
    • Opening prayer
    • Assembly business
    • Third ballot for bishop
    • General ballot
    • Prayers of remembrance

Saturday, June 18, 2022 - Plenary Session IV at Augustana College

  • 7:30 am check-in and credentialing
  • 8:30 am Plenary 3
    • Opening prayer
    • Assembly business
    • Fourth ballot for bishop (if needed)
    • Fifth ballot for bishop (if needed)
    • Lunch
    • Closing worship with Communion

 

2022 Proposed Plenary Agenda
Bishop Election

Electing a bishop is one of the most important responsibilities in the life of a synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a key responsibility of the Synod Assembly. As an election, it is a process governed by the constitution, bylaws, and continuing resolutions of the synod; however, it is also a call process. As such, it involves discernment, from the perspective both of individual potential nominees and of the synod as a whole. Thus, engaging in prayerful reflection and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit are indispensable aspects of the process of nomination and election, regardless of the particular provisions in the synod’s governing documents. 

Timeline of Balloting

  • First Ballot - Sunday, June 5, 2022, during the 6:30 pm Plenary Session I (on Zoom)
    • If no nominee receives the required 75% of the vote on this first ballot, those who received a nominating vote on the ballot will be notified by the end of the day June 5.
  • Second Ballot - Sunday, June 12, 2022, during the 6:30 pm Plenary Session II (on Zoom)
    • If no nominee receives the required 75% of the vote on this second ballot, the top seven nominees (plus ties) will go forward to the third ballot. 
  • Third Ballot - Friday, June 17, 2022, during the 7:00 pm Plenary Session III (at Augustana College)
    • Two-thirds of the votes cast are needed to elect a bishop on the third ballot. If no nominee receives 2/3 of the votes, the top three nominees (plus ties) in terms of votes received will go on to the fourth ballot. 
  • Fourth Ballot - (if necessary) - Saturday, June 18, 2022, during the 8:30 am Plenary Session IV (at Augustana College)
    • Sixty percent of the votes cast are needed to elect a bishop on the fourth ballot. If no nominee receives 60% of the vote, the top two nominees (plus ties) in terms of votes received will go to on to the fifth ballot.
  • Fifth Ballot - (if necessary) - Saturday, June 18, 2022, during the 8:30 am Plenary Session IV (at Augustana College)
    • Fifty percent plus one of the votes cast are needed to elect a bishop on the fifth ballot. If there is no tie, the nominee with 50%-plus-one of the votes cast is declared elected. 

Please note: for voting members to be eligible to vote in each of the above ballots, they must be checked in and credentialed into the meeting (Zoom or in-person) before the starting time listed. 

Other Important Dates for Bishop Election

  • Monday, June 6, 2022, NOON - All rostered ministers of word and sacrament nominated to be bishop must go to the synod website to accept or decline their nomination. Only those that accept the nomination will receive a link to authorize a background check and to fill out biographical information which will be available to voting members. Those who neither accept nor decline by the deadline will be placed on the 2nd ballot with no bio.
  • Tuesday, June 7, NOON - All rostered ministers of word and sacrament that accepted the nomination must turn in their biographical information and background check authorization.
  • Thursday, June 9, 2022, NOON- The official ballot for Bishop is placed on the website along with the candidates’ biographies and confirmation that a background check has been authorized. Voting members are asked to read through the biographies and conferences are encouraged to meet, in order to prepare to vote on the second ballot for synod bishop. 
  • Thursday, June 16, 2022, 6:30 pm - A forum with the final seven (plus ties) nominees for bishop will be livestreamed. The Synod Council Vice President will host the event and ask each candidate a series of predetermined questions. The order of questioning will be determined by lot.
Proposed Resolutions

R-1:  A Call to Celebrate and Support Lutheran Campus Ministry in the Northern Illinois Synod 

R-2:  A Memorial to Uphold the Dignity of the Office of Ministry 

R-3:  Calling for A Just Transition to 50% Reduction in US Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030 

R-4:  Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery 

Resolution 1 Resolution 2
Proposed Rostered Minister 2023 Salary Guidelines
Proposed Salary Guidelines
Celebrations

Special Anniversaries of Rostered Ministers

Rostered Ministers Retirements

  • Pr. Wayne Derber - July 1, 2021
  • Pr. Keith Forni - July 1, 2021
  • Pr. Thomas Schattauer - July 1, 2021
  • Pr. Gene Vincent - July 1, 2021
  • Pr. Wendy Popp - September 1, 2021
  • Pr. Terrie Wilder - May 1, 2022

Special Anniversaries of Congregations

  • Bethany Lutheran Church, Leland - 175 years
  • Bethesda Lutheran Church, Morrison - 125 years
  • Christ Lutheran Church, Belvidere - 25 years
Welcome!
Rostered Ministers New to the Synod

  • The Rev. Phillip Potaczek
  • The Rev. David Russell
  • The Rev. Chrissy Salser
  • The Rev. Amanda Dahlseng-Monroe
Photos and More Information
In Memoriam
Rostered Ministers who died June 2021-May 2022
  • The Rev Orlyn Huwe 1934-2021
  • The Rev. Dr. Robert Linstrom 1927-2021
  • The Rev. Dennis Hill 1952-2021
  • The Rev. Amy J. Nyman 1941-2022
  • The Rev. Robert D. Peterson 1935-2022
  • The Rev. Henry J. Grishkowsky 1929-2022
  • The Rev. Philip O. Laurin 1934-2022
Photos and Obituaries
Letter from ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton
Read in English Read in Spanish
Reports of Staff and Synod Council Officers

Report of Bishop Jeffrey Clements

Report of the Synod Vice President

Report of the Secretary

Minutes of the 2019 NIS Assembly

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Report of the Synod Council

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Report of the Treasurer

Report of the Director for Evangelical Mission

Reports of Committees and Subcommittees

Candidacy Committee

Congregational Life Committee

Global Mission Committee

Ministry Support Committee

Outreach Committee

no report

Social Ministry Committee

Creation Care Subcommittee

Racial Justice Subcommittee

World Hunger Subcommittee

Reports of Conferences

North Conference

Northeast Conference

no report

East Conference

Central Conference

South Conference

Southwest Conference

West Conference

Northwest Conference

Reports of Colleges, Seminaries, and Campus Ministry

Augustana College - Rock Island, IL

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Carthage College - Kenosha, Wisconsin

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Grace Place at Northern Illinois University

Grand View University - Des Moines, Iowa 

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Luther College

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Lutheran Campus Ministry of Illinois

Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago and Wartburg Seminary 

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Wartburg College - Waverly, Iowa

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Reports of Agencies, Institutions, and Organizations

diakonia™

ELCA Federal Credit Union

Written Report picture_as_pdf

ELCA Foundation

ELCA Fund for Leaders

ELCA Mission Investment Fund (MIF)

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Jenny Lind Chapel

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center (LOMC)

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI)

Lutherdale

Mosaic

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Portico

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Region 5, ELCA

Written Report picture_as_pdf

Rockford Area Lutheran Ministries (RALM)

no report

Synodical Women’s Organization - Women of the ELCA

Assembly Committee Appointments
Assembly Committees