At last year’s 2025 Churchwide Assembly, several changes were made to the required provisions in the ELCA’s constitution for synods. According to †S18.11, amendments to required provisions are automatically incorporated into the constitutions of individual synods.
Among other amendments passed by the Churchwide Assembly are additional recommended changes. At the October 2025 Synod Council meeting, these recommended changes were reviewed and discussed. The Synod Council voted to endorse all recommended changes and forward them to the 2026 Synod Assembly for approval.
Voting Members: At least 60 percent of the voting members shall be laypersons.
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Each congregation* shall be entitled to send two lay voting members.
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Each congregation may send one additional voting member who is a person of color or who's primary language is other than English.
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Each congregation may send one additional voting member who is a youth (under age 18 at the time of their election)
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Congregations with baptized membership over 500 (see the table below) are entitled to send two additional voting members.
* Synod authorized worshipping communities may only send one lay voting member. No additional voting members are currently allowed.
The following congregations have more than 500 baptized members and may elect 2 additional lay voting members.
Cong ID | City | State | Congregation |
|---|---|---|---|
01584 | Florissant | MO | Lutheran Church of the Atonement |
10197 | Hutchinson | KS | Emanuel Lutheran Church |
01645 | Lake St Louis | MO | Living Lord Lutheran Church |
30005 | Lindsborg | KS | Bethany Lutheran Church |
20153 | Manchester | MO | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church |
07821 | Manhattan | KS | Peace Lutheran Church |
01650 | McPherson | KS | Trinity Lutheran Church |
01576 | Overland Park | KS | Atonement Lutheran Church |
07632 | Overland Park | KS | Holy Cross Lutheran Church |
01652 | Salina | KS | St. John Lutheran Church |
01585 | Smolan | KS | Salemsborg Lutheran Church |
If you have questions regarding the number of lay voting members for your congregation, please contact the synod office at 913-948-9701 or administrator@css-elca.org.
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