2025 Assembly Highlights
June 13-14, 2025
Sioux City, Iowa


Friday morning: Pre-Assembly Workshops

  • Honoring Neighbors Faith: various locations in Sioux City

Friday afternoon: Nativity Parish Center, Sioux City

  • Land Acknowledgment presented by Tracy Gayer, Vice President
    Western Iowa Synod
  • Bishop Lorna Halaas opened Assembly at 1:30pm
  • The Credentials and Elections Committee reported registrations of 202 voters and 21 visitors for a total of 223 attendees
  • Victoria Flood, Churchwide representative and Pr Mike Kroona, Chair of Bishop Election Committee reviewed the Bishop Election process as governed by Western Iowa Synod Constitution Section S9.04.
  • Stories of Making God’s Love Real in Western Iowa Synod were presented.
  • Pr Chip Borgstadt, Synod Staff, presented Candidacy report.
  • Recognition of 5 church anniversaries and 29 ordination anniversaries
  • Worship with Bishop Lorna Halaas presiding and sermon by Rev Jeniffer Tillman, Campus Pastor, Waldorf Univ, Forest City.

Friday evening: Nativity Parish Center, Sioux City

  • The Credentials and Elections Committee reported registrations of 217 voters and 22 visitors for a total of 239 attendees
  • Elected 24 persons to Synod Council and synod committee positions*.
  • Closed with evening prayer

Saturday morning: Nativity Parish Center, Sioux City

  • The Credentials and Elections Committee reported registrations of 222 voters and 26 visitors for a total of 248 attendees
  • ELCA Churchwide report – Victoria Flood, Sr. Director for Congregation and Synod Support, Development
  • Passed resolutions*:
    o #1 2025 Compensation and Care Guidelines
    o #3 Bishop Emerita
    o #2 Adopt the 2024 Revised Budget and the 2025 Proposed Budget
  • Passed Memorial*:
    o National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools
  • Grants and endowments were announced
  • Assembly offering totaled $14,991.50 for the Western Iowa Synod Pig Project and food programs in Western Iowa.
  • Bishop Election concluded on the fourth ballot. Newly elected Bishop is Rev Scott Dalen. Installation will be Saturday, September 27.
  • Bishop Lorna Halaas led the closing and installation of newly elected Synod council and committees.

*Resolutions and other reports are available on the Western Iowa Synod
website www.wisynod.org. Click on Synod Assembly