The 29th annual Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly was called into session by Bishop Mark Holmerud at 1 pm on Friday, June 3 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. ELCA Presiding Bishop, The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton joined us as the ELCA Churchwide Representative and keynote speaker. Luke Hanson, YAGM Rwanda Alum (currently Development Officer for Concordia University, St Paul) was our Bible Study Leader. Some highlights of our time together are pictured below:

29th Annual Synod Assembly – June 3 – 5, 2016 – Grand Sierra Resort, Reno “We Are Church Together”

Assembly Recap

Bishop Mark Holmerud opens the Assembly.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton invited us to participate in the ELCA process Forward Together in Christ. To participate in this process, download the toolkit, watch a video with Bishop Eaton discussing this process and learn more online. www.elca.org/future

Luke Hanson shared with us his experience as a Young Adult in Global Mission in Rwanda. Using the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch, he shared that his faith was formed in a way different from any other during his time in Rwanda. He thought he was going to be Philip and teach, instead he was the Ethiopian, and received the Gospel in a new way then returned home rejoicing.

Thank you Dennis Jones for your service as Synod

Secretary

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Of the 547 individuals present at Assembly, 432 were voting member. Of the voting members, 272 or 63% were lay and 160 or 37% were clergy. Thirty six were persons of color and 10 had a primary language other than English. Closed captioning was available for those with impaired hearing, as well as English to Spanish translation services. Assembly chaplains were Pr. Ned O’Donnell and Marcelle Schaefer, AIM.

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Celebrating Ordination Anniversaries

Associates in Ministry 15 Years: Marcelle A. Schaefer Ordained Clergy 65 Years: Gerald O. Pedersen 60 Years: David L. Hurty, Everett R. Kalin 55 Years: Charles H. Lewis 50 Years: Bruce A. Murphy, Fayette Massingill, H. Rodney Platte, Ivan E. Larsen Kenneth M. Bancroft Jr. , Ronald D. Thoreson 40 Years: Charles B. Urban, John L. Freesemann, John S. Goldstein, Stephen E. Carlson 45 Years: Larry K. Nelson, Ronald R. Zoesch 35 Years: Robert J. Willse, William E. Wong 30 Years: David A. Schick, Susan L. Scott, Victor S. Berg-Haglund 25 Years: Beate J. Chun, Bradley J. Keyser-Boswell, Dawn M. Teuthorn, Laurel E. Alexander, Lori W. Keyser-Boswell, Michael E. Harvey, Robert M. O’Berg, Roy D. Poland, Sharon D. Lubkeman, William D. Knezovich 20 Years: John W. Beckman, John W. Beckman, Matthew A. Smuts, Peggy L. White, Theodore D. Niemi 15 years: Barbara K. Foltin, John P. Bost, Steven G. Blair 10 Years: Annemarie J. Burke, Julie M. Webb, Krista T. Vingelis, Megan M. Rohrer, Sandra O. Decker 5 Years: Amanda B. Truchinski, Cindy G. Carroll, Kimberly A. Swenson, Nathan R. Winterhof, Sara L Pearson

Celebrating Congregational Anniversaries

50 Years: Faith Lutheran Church - Pioneer, CA Grace Lutheran Church - King City, CA Lutheran Church of the Incarnation - Davis, CA St. Philip’s Lutheran Church - Carmel, CA Trinity Lutheran Church - Pleasanton, CA University Lutheran Church - Palo Alto, CA 25 Years: All Saints Lutheran Church - Cupertino, CA Thanksgiving Lutheran Church - Santa Rosa, CA

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Elections Synod Council District A Lay Male Tony Burns District B Lay Female Sherrill Hines District C Clergy Pr. Teresita Valeriano District D Lay Male Randy Preshun District E Lay Female Paula Barton At Large Member Gail Kiyomura Synod Secretary Jeff Pennington 2016 Dean Elections District 1 Pr. Pam Schaffer-Dawson District 2 Pr. Ned O’Donnell District 3 Pr. Leslie Welton District 4 Pr. Charlane Lines District 5 Pr. John Kuehner District 6 Pr. Manda Truchinski District 7 Pr. Raymond Waespi District 8 Pr. Sylvia Mueller District 9 Pr. Krista Vingelis The 2016 Churchwide Voting Members were blessed and commissioned at the Friday night worship service by Bishop Eaton. Pr. Clark Brown Pr. Cindy Carroll Pat Cash Bp. Mark W. Holmerud Gail Kiyomura Linda Lownes Pr. Tuhina Rasche Nick Riner Stephen Rosendale Andrew Stevens Pr. Patricia Vargas Elaine Whitney

RESOLUTIONS PASSED Resolution 2016-1 Regarding ELCA World Hunger Resolution 2016-2 Regarding Sierra Pacific Synod Compensation Guidelines Resolution 2016-3 Regarding Growth in Mission Support Resolution 2016-4 Regarding U.S. Aid to the State of Israel Resolution 2016-5 Regarding Corporate Social Responsibility in Palestine and Israel Resolution 2016-6 Regarding the Racial and Ethnic Ministries For the full text of the resolutions, see the Assembly Handbook or the Guidebook App The Assembly adopted a 2016-17 Budget which showed anticipated total revenue of $2,229,590 expected expenses totaling $2,432,998. In addition to the total revenue, $261,040 from a non-recurring sale of property will be applied toward the budget.

The Assembly approved changes to the Synod Constitution S9.04 that brings the election process for bishop into compliance with the suggested process throughout the ELCA.

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Assembly Banquet and Dance

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ASSEMBLY WORSHIP