Dear Folks of the Northwest Intermountain Synod,

This coming spring we will gather for our first in-person Synod Assembly in four (4!!!) years when we come together April 28-30, 2023 at the Red Lion in Pasco, WA. The word “synod” is a transliteration of an ancient Greek word that means something like “together-on the road,” or “on the way together.” Throughout much of Christian history, the term synod has been used to describe church bodies, as in the 65 Synods that are a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)—one of which is our Synod, the Northwest Intermountain (NWIM) Synod. Personally, I appreciate that church bodies use this ancient term to speak of their organization. I appreciate it because it describes well what it is to be part of a larger church. To use our specific context as an example, at our best the ministries and leaders and people who are a part of the NWIM Synod are “on the way together;” supporting and encouraging one another as we strive to follow Jesus, and lean into the love and mercy of God.

The theme for the 2023 NWIM Synod Assembly is BEGA KWA BEGA. This phrase, which translated into English from Swahili, means “Shoulder to Shoulder,” comes to us from our companion synod, the Ulanga-Kilombero Diocese (UKD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. It is a fitting theme for our 2023 Synod Assembly for at least two reasons: 1) this phrase was introduced to the NWIM Synod during our last in-person Assembly in 2019 by our guests from the UKD, Pastor Moses Nwaka and Pastor Eliud Payowela; and 2) It is a good descriptor of and addition to what it means to be synod. We are bega kwa bega—shoulder to shoulder— “on the way together.”

During our 2023 Synod Assembly, workshops will be available that lift up this theme. We will spend time being shoulder to shoulder with one another in worship and prayer. Plans are in the works to welcome two guests from the UKD. Additionally, there will be several important elections and items on the agenda, including the following:

• Bishop’s Election – in the ELCA, bishops are elected to 6-year terms. In the NWIM Synod, nominations for bishop are made through the cluster. Be watching for more information through the fall and winter months regarding this important election. Also, you may find up-to-date information on our website.

• Officers of the Synod Council

• Synod Vice-President – term beginning in 2023

• Synod Secretary – term beginning in 2024

• Several Synod Council Members will be elected for terms beginning in both 2023 and 2024

• Numerous Synod Committee Members will be elected for terms beginning in 2023 and 2024

• We will be voting on an updated NWIM Synod Constitution

• We will consider the different resolutions and/or memorials that are brought to Synod Assembly

I look forward to being bega kwa bega - shoulder to shoulder - with many of you this coming spring. In the meantime, please join me in prayer for the Synod Assembly Planning Team, for those who will be nominated for the various positions up for election, for our companion synod—the Ulanga-Kilombero Diocese, and for all the people and ministries with whom we are “on the way together” across the NWIM Synod.

God’s peace be yours,

Pastor Phil Misner