None of this is ideal or preferred, but Providence has dictated, and the voice of Christ through the ordained leadership of His Church has clearly communicated. We trust our Lord will bless your ministries in this coming year, that He will give you strength and creativity to meet the needs of your particular flocks, and that He shall gather us again, for business and fellowship in Marion, IN in June of 2021.

Thank you, all, for your patience, understanding, and interaction as the Business of Synod Committee deliberated on how best to proceed in light of current events. It has been encouraging to see how each of you, in your own contexts, have been laboring faithfully and diligently among Christ’s fields in ways that forward the gospel while protecting the flock. Thank you for serving well.

As your committee we asked you to inform us by April 28 if you were intending to certify delegates to this year’s Synod. By the end of the day, six men from four sessions submitted certification to Clerk John McFarland. Clearly, a quorum will not be met. Therefore, Synod 2020 is cancelled, and we will press on under the following, which were laid out previously:

1. The same amounts set for the 2020 Budget by Synod 2019 be the amounts of Budget 2021.
2. The membership of the classes of the Standing and Special Committees and Boards of Synod will remain in their roles of active service, as they are able, until regular elections can be held in 2021. Any urgent vacancies should be made known to the Moderator.
3. Synod’s clerk and assistant clerk will remain in their respective roles until the 2021 Synod.
4. The requirement of reports from boards, committees, officers, and presbyteries is suspended. Any of those entities wishing to provide a report to the clerk for publishing to the Synod’s online file (2020 folder) are welcome to do so, as many use those reports to pray and to lead their congregations in prayer. Reports that are submitted should include no recommendations. If you desire to communicate the progress of your committee, board, or presbytery to the congregations and sessions (for updates, prayer, etc.), submit your optional reports by June 26. Those entities NOT submitting reports at this time should plan to report for two years (2019-2020) at Synod 2021. As in past years without a Synod, the printed 2021 Minutes & Directory will contain two years of reports.
5. The presbytery, board, and committee minutes review process administered by our assistant clerk is postponed, giving the readers who were assigned this task in 2019 two years of minutes to review in the Spring of 2021.

None of this is ideal or preferred, but Providence has dictated, and the voice of Christ through the ordained leadership of His Church has clearly communicated. We trust our Lord will bless your ministries in this coming year, that He will give you strength and creativity to meet the needs of your particular flocks, and that He shall gather us again, for business and fellowship in Marion, IN in June of 2021.

Every blessing,
Joel E. Wood Chairman,
Business of Synod Committee