Synod Council
Sandy Schlesinger, NWLM Synod Vice President
The North/West Lower Michigan Synod is governed by the annual Synod Assembly with the Synod Council serving as the synod’s board of directors and the interim legislative authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly. The Synod Bishop is elected to serve a 6-year term and may be elected to subsequent terms. Synod Officers (Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) are elected to serve 4-year terms and may each serve subsequent terms. Synod Council at-large members are elected to serve for up to two successive 3-year terms with an attempt to assure geographic representation within nomination processes.
- 2025-26 NWLM Synod Council Roster
- 2025-26 NWLM Synod Council and Staff Slide Overview (as a PDF document)
- NWLM Synod Council Responsibilities
- Learn More
Audit Committee
Chair: Karen Bird, Synod Treasurer
Candidacy Committee
Chair: Pastor Haley Vay Beaman
The path to rostered leadership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a partnership between candidates, congregations, synods, seminaries, and the churchwide expression of the church.
Constitution Committee
Chair: Pastor Dennis Smith
Global Mission Committee
Chair: Pastor Megan Crouch
New and Renewing Mission Table (Outreach Committee)
Facilitator: Pastor Kate Van Valkenburg
Youth and Young Adults Committee
Chair: Dan Schewe
Publicly Engaged Church Table
Grant information: Each year the North/West Lower Michigan Synod’s Publicly Engaged Church Table makes available funds to encourage and support ministries serving local communities. These grants may be used as “seed” money to begin a new ministry, or to continue an established ministry, or to expand and enhance an ecumenical effort.
ELCA Resources:
The following are a part of the Publicly Engaged Church Table:
Anti-Racism Task Force
Chair: Pastor Rosanne Anderson
Creation Care Task Force
Chair: Pastor Paul Busekist
Disability Ministries Task Force
Hunger Team
Co-Chair: Pastor Erick Johnson
Co-Chair: Pastor Michael Anderson
Open Hearts. Open Church Task Force
This task force, aligned within the Publicly Engaged Church Table, provides awareness, support and coordination of initiatives related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.