Synod Council Meeting Summary—February 2026

The Synod Council met on Saturday, February 21 by Zoom. Bishop Current led Dwelling in the Word using Matthew 4:1-11. For our Mission Moment, the Synod Assembly Welcome Video recorded by Vice President Keith Jones was shown to the Synod Council with encouragement to share the recording with their home congregations.

For the education session, Jana Grimm, Treasurer, Amy Van Dyke, Associate to the Bishop for Finance, and Bishop Current focused on the Synod Budget with particular attention to the Direct Grants for Partner Agencies and Institutions. The choosing of these partners is guided by the synod’s constitution in Chapter 6: Statement of Purpose. The proposed 2027 Synod Budget keeps these direct grants at the same level as 2026 with sixty-five percent of the budget given in direct grants to partner agencies and institutions including the ELCA churchwide organization, Lutheran Services in Iowa, Iowa Lutheran Campus Ministry, and the two seminaries on the territory of our region, Wartburg Theological Seminary and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

In the Treasurer’s Report, Jana Grimm shared the pre-audited financial reports for fiscal year 2025 which ended January 31. Due to the generosity of the congregations and other donors of this synod and the careful stewardship of the office of the bishop, the year ended with a little over $43,000 in surplus. Congregations met 99% of their mission support intents for the fiscal year. The Executive Committee recommended, and the Council concurred, that the surplus be placed in the synod’s contingency reserve.

In addition to the consent agenda, committee appointments, and roster management decisions, the Synod Council approved a proposed 2027 Synod Budget for transmittal to the 2026 Synod Assembly. The Synod Assembly is the legislative body that adopts the budget. A proposed base salary for rostered minister compensation was approved for transmittal to the Synod Assembly. The proposed base salary is near a 1% increase from 2026 which would result in an almost 3% increase from 2026 for rostered ministers in the first ten years and a 2.2% increase for those with eleven to twenty years of experience.

Vice President Keith Jones reported on the work of the Bishop Election Committee. This includes naming a co-chair, Leslie Eichelberger from Shepherd of the Cross in Muscatine, to serve alongside him. The pre-identification process will open on March 2 and information about the synod and serving as bishop are available as discernment resources. Secretary Kevin Mote shared updates on the work of committees relating to the Synod Assembly such as Nominating and Constitution.

Bishop Current shared updates on the two Lutheran Campus Ministries on this synod’s territory. The LCM Ames - Iowa State University Board just approved a position description for a half-time minister and received a grant to cover three years of funding. The LCM - University of Iowa Board is fundraising for a full-time pastor to serve them. They held a donor event attended by Bishop Current on February 14.

Bishop Current reminded the Synod Council that Lutheran Day on the Hill, a Lutheran Services in Iowa led event, takes place on Thursday, February 26 beginning with a worship service at Capitol Hill Lutheran. As of the date of the meeting 285 people were registered to attend.

Bishop Current shared that the annual Lent Gatherings for rostered ministers and lay professionals begin February 24. These will be held at five locations across the synod for worship, conversation, and fellowship. Two gatherings for retirees, spouses, and widows and widowers of rostered ministers will take place after Easter.

The bishop has completed the annual reviews for the office of the bishop staff. This year each person did a careful examination of his or her position description for a one on one with Bishop Current. The staff did the exercise again as a whole staff in preparation for doing some realignment and planning for a position description to replace Deacon Schuman as she plans to retire in summer 2026.