June 16 & 17, 2023

Synod Assembly is the highest legislative authority of our synod and will be making decisions that impact 150 congregations covering 10 counties in southwest PA. Voting members from your congregation have an important responsibility on behalf of all the members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 

This year’s assembly began with an evening of business conducted online via Zoom, followed by a day of gathering together in person to worship, work, and remember that we are always better together.

 
 
 

Communities who collaborate achieve more, stress less, energize their creativity, and deepen their care… we’re just better together. After years of learning to be a synod while physically separate, this is a moment to savor the joy of shared presence.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:9

 
 

MEDIA

 

Greeting from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

In this year’s Synod Assembly video, Bishop Eaton reflects on the ways we are called together into the mission we share. There is no individual Christian; we are members of Christ and members of one another.

 

Messages from Ministry Partners

Campus Ministry

Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania

ELCA Foundation

Glade Run Lutheran Services

Lutheran SeniorLife

Lutherlyn

United Lutheran Seminary

 
 
 
 
 

SPEAKERS

Chaplains

P.L.U.M. Pastors

Serving together in the role of chaplain—and embodying our theme of Better Together—are the pastors of Pittsburgh Lutheran United Ministries (PLUM).

Pastors Sue Devine, Brenda Henry, Alexander Sumo, and John Gropp (left to right) cooperatively serve ten ELCA congregations in the Pittsburgh area.  

 

Churchwide Representative

Judith Roberts

Sr. Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Sr. Director for DEI is responsible for articulating and championing a comprehensive approach and vision for diversity, equity, inclusion for the ELCA churchwide office. Judith is the former ELCA Director for Racial Justice and co-convener for the National Council of Churches (NCC), Joint Action and Advocacy working group and a task force member of the NCC’s Truth and Racial Justice Task Force.

Judith is an alum of Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and a graduate of the University of Mississippi. She was raised in the Lutheran faith and worships at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Naperville, IL. In her free time, she enjoys traveling abroad, visiting museums and entertaining family and friends,