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Who We Are...

“To encourage and equip the ministries of the Western North Dakota Synod – ELCA, so that the Good News of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, and all God’s children feel welcomed and included in the ministries to which God calls us.”


– The WND Synod Why Statement, a.k.a. a purpose/mission statement,

adopted by Synod Council on February 26, 2022


“In Christ, Every Congregation, Every Day, Facing Change, Discovering Hope.”

  • -Vision Statement

We are the Western North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We are God’s children. We have been given the free gift of salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection. We are a people who by the power of the Holy Spirit are sent to serve our neighbors. We gather for worship, listening to God’s Word which calls us to repentance and reminds us of God’s grace. We are a people who celebrate God’s means of grace at the font and table. We are a people who are sent into our world to live our faith in Christ.


Synod Statistics:

  • 159 Congregations with 54,946 baptized members
  • 4 Outdoor Ministry Sites
  • 1 Lutheran Campus Ministry Site – Minot State University
  • 157 ordained pastors, 11 deacons (includes retired)


*statistics as of December 31, 2020 for congregations and baptized members; as of March 18, 2022, for ordained ministers and lay rosters

Quick Links

Synod Staff & Ministry Partners

Contract Staff

ELCA Ministry Partners

ELCA Foundation

www.elca.org/Give/ELCA-Foundation


Rev. Keith Pearson, ELCA Foundation Regional Gift Planner

Rev. Keith Pearson is the Regional Gift Planner for Northwestern and Southwestern Minnesota Synods. He serves ELCA congregations and related ministries as well as the individuals and families who fund their work. He assists congregations in developing policies and practices in support of their endowment funds and special gifts. He assists individuals interested in leaving legacy gifts to local congregations, other ministries of the ELCA, and to charitable causes important to them.


Before Joining the ELCA Foundation staff Rev. Pearson served as congregational pastor for over 16 years in Southwestern Minnesota. Prior to accepting the call to ordained ministry he had a 20-year career in business. During his years as a pastor he also served on the board of directors for Green Lake Lutheran Ministries and the New London-Spicer Education Foundation. Visit elca.org/foundation to learn more about the work of the ELCA Foundation. There is no cost to congregations or individuals to work with a regional gift planner. Rev. Pearson may be reached by email at keith.pearson@elca.org or by phone or text at 612-718-4197.


Rev. Pearson is a partner in the ministry we do together as the WND Synod. He is available to assist with endowments, legacy gift planning, and more. AND – his services are free for congregations and ministries of the WND Synod!


Click here to watch a short video highlighting just some of the areas Rev. Pearson is available to the WND Synod.

GSB Fundraising

www.gsbfundraising.com


Have you ever wondered how to inspire generosity in your church? If so, you’re not alone! Through a new partnership with the Western North Dakota Synod, we are excited to help you and your congregation do just that. 


We have a simple philosophy—changing congregational culture from a mindset of scarcity (we can’t afford to do that!) to one of abundance (what if…) allows you to fully live into God’s mission for your congregation. We don’t focus on raising money to meet the budget, but rather invite people to generously support ongoing ministry that is changing lives for the better. We then celebrate that generosity by thanking donors and sharing the impact of their gifts. 


We will enthusiastically serve as the Western North Dakota Synod’s stewardship resource. We will provide a quarterly newsletter that will allow you to see stewardship through a new lens. Through your synod, congregational leaders will have the opportunity to reach out to us with stewardship questions. 


In the summer of 2022, we will start a congregational cohort of Building a Culture of Generosity, an excellent first step for any congregation. Then in 2023 will launch Stewardship for All Seasons, a comprehensive process that seeks significant change in congregation giving, looking to grow it by 10-15%. 


GSB Fundraising was founded in 1976 to strengthen charitable causes to change the world through generosity. We work with ELCA congregations throughout the country and are thrilled to work with you and your congregation.


Get to know Peter & Paul by clicking here to watch a short introduction video.

Rev. Peter Reuss

Pete exudes a passion for God’s work in the world, trusting the Spirit to guide the church and ministry organizations to live into God’s future. Through the death of his mother as an 8-year-old and the death of his wife in 2015, Peter remains convinced that nothing, even death, can stand in God’s way. If God has a vision for the church, God will raise up the leaders and the funds to make it happen. All things are possible. 


An ELCA Pastor, Pete serves God by guiding congregations, synods, and other ministries to discern God’s vision and encourage the generosity to make that vision a reality. He has led hundreds of congregations across the country to grow in generosity. Some in the Western North Dakota Synod know Pete through his work in the synod over the past couple years. 


Pete’s experience includes ten years in synodical leadership in his twenty-four years of ordained ministry. His congregational experience includes rural ministry at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Benson, Illinois (population 45) and Mission Development / New Start ministry at Peace Lutheran Church in Eyota, Minnesota. In his time in Eyota, the congregation grew from $40,000 in annual giving to the capacity to build a first church structure. 


He lives in Rochester, Minnesota with his wife Danielle, who serves as a hospice social worker at Mayo Clinic. His son Ben works towards a master’s degree at Michigan Technological University, studying Environmental Engineering.

Paul N. Marsh CFRE 

As a consultant, Paul walks step by step with nonprofit organizations and churches to engage generous and enthusiastic donors in support of their missions to change the world for the better. 


A passionate advocate for social change through generosity, Paul Marsh has been a nonprofit executive and fundraiser throughout his entire career spanning three decades. Whether working in colleges and universities, social service organizations, international relief agencies or even as a volunteer firefighter, Paul has championed generosity through philanthropy and volunteerism. 


Paul joined GSB Fundraising in 2009 and has served clients throughout the United States, guiding them through capital campaigns, stewardship appeals, board development and strategic planning. A prolific speaker at conferences across the country, recently he has been a featured speaker at the Western Nonprofit Summit in Vail, Colorado, the Ignite Conference in Minneapolis, and the Faith and Fundraising Conference in Milwaukee. In 2019 he was a contributor to Giving Magazine, published by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center. Paul earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2000. 


Paul’s wife of 30 years, Rebecca, serves as principal of Yale Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado. Their son Connor, 24, is director of bands at Longs Peak Middle School in Longmont, Colorado, and their daughter Kelly, 21, is a broadcast journalism major at Metro State University in Denver. 

Portico Benefit Services

www.porticobenefits.org

Pastor Tim Schroeder. Tim most recently served at Peace Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and as a senior admissions counselor at Luther Seminary. While the Portico Customer Care Center (800.352.2876) remains the primary point of contact for benefit questions and processes, Portico’s Regional Reps provide education, encouragement, and a personal connection. Tim can be reached at tschroeder@porticobenefits.org.


Directories

A pdf directory of Congregations, Synod Ministers and Synod Committees is available upon request. Please e-mail info@wndsynod.org to request a PDF directory.

You may also access the following online resources:

Congregations

People Directories

  • Looking for a Pastor, Deacon, ELCA Churchwide Staff Member?
  • Use ELCA – FInd a Person
  • Looking for a Synod Minister serving in the Western ND Synod?
  • Set up an Account on Synod Life and Download the Church Life App – MORE INFO

Congregations

The Western North Dakota Synod has 182 congregations, organized into 7 conferences.


Conferences

Download a list of  Congregations by Conference (pdf)

Badlands Conference dean: Rev. Dawn Busch, Belfield Lutheran, Medora Lutheran, Daglum Lutheran rural Belfield

East Missouri                  dean: Rev. Martha HarriSon, Trinity Lutheran, Bismarck

Heart River                      dean: Rev. Lisa Ahlness, Lutheran Church of the Cross, Bismarck

Lonetree                          dean: Rev. Russel Lambert, Trinity Lutheran, Turtle Lake

Turtle Mountain             dean:  Rev. Sharon Baker, First Lutheran Church, Rugby

Upper Missouri               dean: Rev. Zachariah Shipman, NW United Lutheran Parish, Crosby, Wildrose, Ambrose, & Alamo

Western Prairie              dean:  Rev. Kim Gifford, Peace Lutheran, Burlington


Synod Council

The Synod Council is an elected body of lay and clergy members from our Synod. The members are elected at Synod Assembly and make up the governing body of the Western ND Synod. The Council has 24 members: the Bishop, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, one lay and one clergy from each of the seven conferences in Western North Dakota, 3 members-at-large, one of which must be a youth elected by the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) Board, and a non-voting representative from the LYO, Synodical Women’s Organization, and Lutheran Men in Mission.

Synod Council 2023-2024

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