May 1, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The Nominating Committee of the Florida-Bahamas Synod is preparing the slate of elections for the 2021 Synod
Assembly on September 17-19, 2021. In preparation for those elections, we ask your help in identifying nominees to
fill these important positions. In addition to Synod Council and Committee positions, we will be electing Voting
Members to the 2022 Churchwide Assembly to be held in Columbus, Ohio, August 8-13, 2022.
Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Synod Assembly, those currently serving in several roles were asked to continue
for an additional year. Thus in 2021, we have several positions open for reduced terms. We will also be striving to
achieve the Constitutional balance and election timing for the Discipline and Consultation Committees which will
require some adaptations in term years and classification of members for the next several elections. Unless specified,
Rostered Minister or Layperson can be either male or female.
We strongly encourage nominations to be submitted prior to the Synod Assembly so they may be included in the
Nomination Packet for Voting Members. This will also facilitate a smoother and more efficient voting process for the
34 open positions. The nominations form is available at https://www.fbsynod.com/nominations.
2021 Synod Assembly Elections:
1. Vice-President (in good standing for a four-year term)
Layperson
2. Secretary (in good standing for a four-year term)
Rostered Minister or Layperson
3. Synod Council Representatives
North Mission District – 1st Coast, Heart of Florida, Pinelands, Panhandle & Flagler-Volusia Conferences
Rostered Minister (in good standing for a three-year term)
Layperson Female (in good standing for a two-year term)
Southwest Mission District – Lake, Mid Gulf, Tampa, Sun Coast, Gulf Coast & Caloosa Conferences
Layperson Female (in good standing for a three-year term)
Layperson Male (in good standing for a two-year term)
PCLE* Rostered Minister or Layperson (in good standing for a two-year term)
*A person of color or primary language other than English.
Southeast Mission District – Miami-Dade, Broward-Bahamas, Tradewinds & Space Coast Conferences
Layperson Male (in good standing for a three-year term)
Rostered Minister (in good standing for a two-year term)
Youth – Any mission district (in good standing for a two-year term)
Nominees for the youth position shall be 15-17 years of age AND be a rising 9th through 11th Grader in
school at the time of election.
Young Adult – Any mission district (in good standing for a three-year term)
Nominees for the young adult position shall be 18 – 30 years of age.
After all the open positions on Synod Council are elected, the need for member(s)-at-large, if any, will be identified
and announced.
4. ELCA 2022 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members (in good standing for service August 8-13, 2022)
Southwest Mission District – 1 Layperson Female, 1 Layperson Male, 1 Rostered Minister
(Includes Lake, Mid Gulf, Tampa, Sun Coast, Gulf Coast & Caloosa Conferences)
Southeast Mission District – 1 Layperson Female, 1 Layperson Male, 1 Rostered Minister
(Includes Miami-Dade, Broward-Bahamas, Tradewinds & Space Coast Conferences)
North Mission District – 1 Layperson Female, 1 Layperson Male, 1 Rostered Minister
(Includes 1st Coast, Heart of Florida, Pinelands, Panhandle & Flagler-Volusia Conferences)
Each District is strongly encouraged to fill positions with a PCLE*, Youth (lay only) or Young Adult
(Youth – age 15 – 17 August 2022, Young Adult – age between 18-30 August 2022)
*A person of color or primary language other than English. May be Rostered Minister or Layperson.
5. Consultation Committee – 4 positions (in good standing for a six-year term)
Layperson Male Minister of Word & Sacrament Male
Layperson Female Minister of Word & Sacrament Female
6. Discipline Committee
4 positions (in good standing for a five-year term)
Layperson Male Minister of Word & Sacrament Male
Layperson Female Minister of Word & Sacrament Female
1 position (in good standing for a three-year term)
Minister of Word & Sacrament Female
2 positions (in good standing for a 1-year term)
Layperson Male Layperson Female
A completed Nomination Data Form must be received at Synod Office no later than August 1, 2021. The form is
available at https://www.fbsynod.com/nominations. After this deadline, the Nominating Committee will work to
assure that there are two nominations for each position. Additional nominations may be made from the floor of the
assembly. We strongly encourage nominations prior to the Assembly so nominee’s bios may be sent to all voting
members. Descriptions of the elected positions are below. Your prayerful consideration of these opportunities for
service is encouraged.
Yours in Christ,
Tracy Moffatt, Chair
Nominating Committee
Synod Vice President
This position shall chair the Synod Council and Synod Executive Committee. The Vice President shall perform
such other duties as are assigned by the Synod Council or the bishop, in the capacity of president of the synod. The
Vice-President shall be a layperson, male, or female, elected by the Synod Assembly for a term of 4 years and may be
reelected. Nominees will be asked to give 10-minute speech prior to first ballot.
Synod Secretary
This position shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Synod Assembly and Synod Council, attest all
instruments signed and sealed by the bishop, classify, and arrange all important papers and documents and deposit
them in the archives of this synod, and provide to the secretary of this church a certified list of the voting members
elected by the Synod Assembly. The Secretary shall be a rostered minister or layperson, elected by the Synod Assembly
for a term of 4 years, and may be reelected.
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.
Consultation Committee
The committee consists of 12 members, 50% Ministers of Word & Sacrament and 50% laypersons. They are
elected by Synod Assembly for a term of six years. Members of this committee may be called upon by the bishop when
there are indications that a cause for discipline may exist of a rostered minister or layperson and before charges are
made. The bishop may wish to resolve the situation by consultation and would call upon the consultation committee
for assistance. The Consultation Committee will advise the bishop as to whether the bishop should bring charges or
other recommendations for the resolution of the controversy that would not involve proceedings before a discipline
hearing committee. If requested by the bishop, members of the committee also may assist, as representatives of the
accuser, in the presentation of evidence and examination of witnesses before a discipline hearing committee. A
member of the consultation committee may not be a member of the Discipline Committee.
Discipline Committee
The committee consists of 12 members, 50% Ministers of Word & Sacrament and 50% laypersons. They are
elected by the Synod Assembly for a term of six years. This committee serves as a hearing committee and may make
recommendations relating to discipline of a rostered minister or layperson according to ELCA and Synodical guidelines,
to the Bishop or Synod Council. A member of the discipline committee may not be a member of the consultation
committee.
ELCA Churchwide Assembly August 8-13, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio
• Reviews work of churchwide officers and units and acts on their proposals,
• Reviews and considers proposals from synod assemblies,
• Establishes churchwide policy,
• Adopts a budget for the churchwide organization,
• Elects officers, board members,
• Establishes churchwide units,
• Sole authority to amend the constitution and bylaws.
Churchwide Assembly Voting Members
Persons chosen as voting members of the Churchwide Assembly 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, as may be the case at a national
party convention. They gather around Word and Sacrament to represent and serve on behalf of all the members of
the congregations in all of the synods of this one church.
The Voting Member’s lodging, food, and transportation are paid for by the ELCA. Sometimes there is a free
afternoon or evening, and then the dinner is the responsibility of the voting member.
Voting at ELCA Churchwide Assembly
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 fulfil 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 the members of the congregations in
all 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 fulfilment 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 each 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.).
