2023–2026

Congregational Governance

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

---

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, including its districts and other institutions, is governed by its member congregations, acting together through their visitation and electoral circuits, district and national conventions.

This page is intended to gather into one place the information needed for member congregations and others in the Synod to participate, as fully informed, in the selection of representation at each level, in the nomination of qualified candidates for leadership positions, and in the suggestion of actions to be taken by district and Synod through the submission of overtures.

 

---

For Member Congregations of The Synod

For a general introduction to the basic activities through which your congregation participates in governing its Synod and district, see the Overview Guide to Participation.

Three main governance activities for congregations (in overview):

Appropriate congregational officers whose email addresses are registered by their congregations (lc.lcms.org) and installed pastors of member congregations with email addresses on file (lcw.lcms.org for ordained ministers and cwu.lcms.org for commissioned ministers) will receive timely email reminders related to the above governance opportunities, especially through the “Synod Convention” phase of the triennium.

For specifics of the processes by which your congregation can participate in each of the above throughout the Synod’s triennial cycle and for important dates in the current Synod triennium, see:

Triennium Timeline

---

General Synod Convention Process Information

While basic instructions for congregational participation are included in the above, certain convention processes are of more general interest or require specific explanation. For these, see the following:

• Nominations: Secretary, Board, and Commission Positions
• Nominations: Synod President and Vice-Presidents
• Nominations: Notes for all Nominators and Nominees
• Elections: Synod President and Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Board, and Commission Positions
• Overtures: Preparation for and Submission to the Synod Convention

 

---

Regular Synod Convention Updates

Up-to-date information on the last concluded and next upcoming regular Synod convention is available on the Synod National Convention page.