April 15, 2026
EaND News and Events | |
Synod Assembly Registration 2026
Registration for Synod Assembly is now open! The Eastern North Dakota Synod will gather in Assembly on June 5-7, 2026 at the Holiday Inn in Fargo, ND under the theme of “Water of Promises, Water of Life.” There will be a bishop election and other important business for our life together as the Eastern North Dakota Synod. Our bible study leader will be Bishop Regina Hassanally from the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. Imran Siddiqui, ELCA Vice President, will oversee the bishop election and serve as our churchwide representative.
The EaND Synod Assembly will begin at approximately 4:30pm on Friday and end after lunch on Sunday (approximately 1:00pm). A draft agenda will be made available in April.
Learn more at this link.
Register here!
| |
Bishop Nominee Forums
You are invited to hear from EaND Synod bishop nominees at one of the upcoming bishop nominee forums.
April 23, 2026 @ 7:00pm, Zoom
Click here for the Zoom link.
April 30, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Faith Lutheran Church, Valley City
You can find additional information about the bishop election process on our website.
| |
Stewardship Day: Navigating the Summer Slump
Congregations are invited to take part in Navigating the Summer Slump, a hybrid event on May 7 focused on practical ways to stay connected and sustain generosity during the summer months. Designed for ministers, treasurers, and leadership teams, this event offers realistic strategies and digital tools to support participation when routines change.
The in-person portion will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Moorhead, and participants will be able to register to attend either in person or via Zoom, based on what works best for them. Learn more and register here.
| |
Ready to Retire Retreat
Registration deadline: April 20
Rostered ministers who are considering retirement in the next 3-5 years are encouraged to attend this year's Ready to Retire Retreat on April 28 from 12:00pm-4:00pm at Christus Rex Lutheran Center in Grand Forks, ND. This is event is a collaborative event with the Northwestern Minnesota Synod. Register here!
| |
Call Process
Please pray for congregations and rostered ministers in the call process. You can find a list of congregations currently in the call process on our website.
| |
Recent Communications from the Office of the
Presiding Bishop
| |
CaSTLE Project Webinar:
Sent to Serve - Living Faith Beyond Church Walls
April 20, 2026
7 PM CT (Zoom)
The next Equipping for Baptismal Vocation in Daily Life session from the CaSTLE Project focuses on being Sent to Serve — living faith beyond church walls. These webinars are designed for leaders serving rural and small-town congregations.
Register here.
| |
The People's Session
Saturday, April 25
9am-4pm
ND Heritage Center, Bismarck
The People’s Session is a free, full-day gathering where you will connect and collaborate with your neighbors to build a legislative vision that addresses North Dakotan priorities: economic opportunity, immigrant rights, strong schools, and everyone’s right to live freely and with dignity. With opportunities for training and workshops, you’ll gain the skills needed to powerfully advocate for the issues that matter most.
No policy experience is required — just bring your ideas, your lived experience, and your vision for a brighter future. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Registration is required. Click here to register.
| |
Child Abuse & The Church Webinar Series
On November 12, 2025, the ELCA Church Council adopted a Social Message on Child Protection, calling on congregations to strengthen preaching and teaching on this topic, develop robust policies, and become trauma-informed communities. You can read the full social message here: ELCA Child Protection Social Message.
Wartburg Theological Seminary, in partnership with the Center for Faith & Child Protection (a program of Zero Abuse Project), is hosting a free webinar series featuring theologians and child abuse experts. These webinars will provide practical guidance for implementing the ELCA recommendations and for living out Christ’s call to care for the “least of these.” Click here to register.
2026 Webinar Schedule
• April 23 – Biblical Interpretation and Protecting Children from Abuse (Troy Troftgruben and John Schuetze)
• May 21 – Luther, Lutheran Confessions, and Child Protections (Martin Lohrmann and Timothy Wengert)
• June 18 – Becoming a Trauma-Informed Church (Laura Thein)
• August 27 – Martin Luther on Child Abuse (Victor Vieth)
• September 24 – Lutheran History and Theology (Craig Nessan and Winston Persaud)
• October 22 – Luther on Mental Health to Help Survivors of Child Abuse (Stephen Saunders)
| |
Soul Shop: Ministering to Faith Communities Affected by Suicide
May 5, 2026
8:30am - 4:30pm
Dakota Medical Foundation, Fargo, ND
Cost: $25
It’s estimated that one out of every two people in a given congregation has personally been affected by suicide. Soul Shop trains faith community leaders to offer support, hope, and connection to those in their congregations. Soul Shop is for pastors, priests, youth directors, educators, counselors, therapists, faith community nurses, and any ministry leader. Soul Shop is for lay leaders as well, not just for clergy. It's for anyone who feels CALLED to respond to suicidal desperation.
Co-sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Soul Shop equips participants with the resources and guidance they need to foster hope and healing in their community. Join us for a full-day suicide prevention workshop from the faith perspective.
Learn more and register here or download the Soul Shop flyer here.
| |
WellTold: A Nonprofit Storytelling Conference
As winter melts into spring across the Red River Valley, mission-driven leaders will gather at The Magic Factory in Brewhalla for WellTold on April 30, 2026. It’s a day where the work you love meets the stories that move it forward. You’ll reconnect with your purpose, meet people who understand the late nights and big dreams, and learn to tell your story in a way that makes others want to be part of it.
ELCA rostered ministers are invited for a 25% off discount. To receive the discount code, email Alex Benson-Tuff: alex@eandsynod.org
Click here to learn more about WellTold.
| |
Prairie Fire Preaching Cohort
ELCA Rostered Ministers are invited to apply for the 2026-2027 Prairie Fire Preaching Cohort. The Prairie Fire Preaching Community is born out of Continuous Growth Pathway, a program created through a partnership between SW MN and SE MN ELCA Synods and Gustavus Adolphus College. This program consists of four in-person retreats at Mt. Olivet Retreat and Conference Center in Farmington, MN as well as online cohort meetings. The cost of participation is $600.
Download this flyer to learn more or apply at this link. Please contact Pr. Laura Aase with questions: aase@gustavus.edu
| |
Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts
July 20-22, 2026
St. Olaf College
The Lutheran Center for Faith, Values and Community and the Nourishing Vocation Projects at St. Olaf College would like to invite you to this year’s Conference on Worship, Theology and the Arts: Nourishing Vocation: Every Time, Every Age, Every Place, which takes place in July 2026 at St. Olaf College. The conference will combine signature CWTA musical experiences with innovative and imaginative work being done by both the Nourishing Vocation Project and Nourishing Vocation with Children, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Char Rachuy Cox.
Learn more and register at this link.
| |
Summer Study at Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School’s Summer Study program features small, online seminars that focus on the Bible or a specialized topic in religion or theology. The program is open to the public and all learners are welcome!
Register today for one or more of our nine YDS Summer Study courses taught by our distinguished YDS faculty members, which will take place June 1-5 online. There are no prior educational requirements and classes are small in size (typically 20 people or fewer). See a full list of classes at this link.
| |
Yale Divinity School Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership
We are pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications for the Yale Divinity School Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership!
This is a nine-month, digital, cohort-based program where participants learn from faculty and staff from Yale Divinity School and other leading institutions. The next cohort for this academic and practical primer on the themes relevant to leading resilient, healthy, theologically rooted youth ministries will run from September 2026 - May 2027. Applications close on May 15th so save your spot now!
Learn more and register here.
| |
Center of Addiction & Faith - April Webinar
Beyond Sobriety: The Practice that Sustains Recovery
April 29 @ 12:00-1:00pm CST
Join us for a one hour free webinar titled "Beyond Sobriety: The Practice That Sustains Recovery" hosted by the Center of Addiction & Faith. With a Doctor of Ministry in counseling, Barry Lehman specializes in long-term recovery. He helps people in long-term recovery build lives of depth, meaning, and steady direction – drawing from decades of lived recovery, counseling and spiritual practice. He joins us for a discussion that looks beyond sobriety, sharing his perspective on how to build a life that keeps growing – not just maintaining sobriety. He is author of an award-winning book, Mastering Recovery. Register here.
| Registration is now open for the ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering. The gathering will take place July 6-9, 2026 in Indianapolis under the theme "Woven Together." The Rev. Leila Ortiz, former bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, will serve as the event’s theologian-in-residence, working in tandem with the Rev. Lori Kochanski, a fiber artist, ELCA rostered minister and the event’s artist-in-residence. Click here to learn more. | |
Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering
The Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Triennial Gathering will take place July 16-19, 2026 in Des Moines, IA.
Click here to read about this year's theme, see a list of speakers, browse this year's workshops, and more!
|
-
Deacon Laura Carson, Associate with the Bishop for Formation and Administration
-
Pastor Brad Skogen, Associate with the Bishop for Congregational Leadership and Transitions
-
Deacon Erin Power, Director for Evangelical Mission
-
Alex Friese, Office Manager
-
Deacon Alex Benson-Tuff, Connections Coordinator & First Call Theological Education Coordinator
-
Katie DeMarais, Synod Lay Ministry Coordinator
-
Lacey Kraft, Director of Generosity
-
Pastor Nancy Monke, Mentor Coach & Developer
-
Pastor Robert Franek, Congregational Relator
-
Jen Engquist, Disaster Capacity Builder
- Bishop Tessa Moon Leiseth
| |
Phone: 701.232.3381
Physical Address: 1555 43rd St S, Suite 100, Fargo, ND 58103
Mailing Address: PO Box 2019 Fargo, ND 58107
Office Hours:
Monday: by appointment; phones answered between 1-4pm
Tuesday: 9am-4pm
Wednesday: 9am-4pm
Thursday: by appointment; phones answered between 1-4pm
Friday: 9am-4pm
The physical office is only open by appointment on Mondays and Thursdays; however, the phone will be answered between 1pm-4pm.
We are a Reconciling in Christ Synod.
We, as the Eastern North Dakota Synod ELCA, welcome all into the fullness of God's boundless love, without exception. This welcome is inclusive of people of every race, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, physical or mental ability, sex, or station in life. United in Christ, we pledge to use and celebrate our differences as gifts for our work together in all things, including racial equity, intentional invitations, and radical hospitality. Inspired by Christ, we commit to advocate for justice, working for dignity, equity, and wholeness for all people.
| | | | |
