Governance within the Synod of the Northeast serves as more than organizational structure — it enables a spiritual practice of shared leadership and accountability.
Governance within the Synod of the Northeast serves as more than organizational structure — it enables a spiritual practice of shared leadership and accountability. Rooted in Presbyterian polity yet open to innovation, this pillar ensures that the Synod carries out its work with transparency, integrity, and faithfulness. In the hybrid-missional model, governance balances the fiduciary responsibilities of the Synod Corporation with the missional commitments of the whole body, ensuring that decisions are both responsible and visionary.
The Governance pillar is composed of the Synod Assembly, the Synod Council, and Ecclesiastical and Administrative structures.
The Synod Assembly serves as the central gathering where the Synod’s shared work is brought into focus, discerned, and acted upon. It conducts the business of the Synod and advances its six pillars through the work of pillar committees and task groups whose reports, recommendations, and insights shape the Assembly’s deliberations.
The Synod Council, which consists of the Pillar Conveners and elected officers of the Synod, serves as the decision-making body between Synod Assemblies. The Council meets monthly to hear reports from the pillars, discuss issues that have arisen, make decisions that enable the pillars to continue their work, and help plan collaborative efforts that require several pillars to accomplish.
The Ecclesiastical structure outlines the functions of the Permanent Judicial Commission, Committee on Representation, and the Nominating Committee.
The Administrative ministry area outlines the functions of the Personnel Committee and Finance and Fiduciary Management.
There are so many necessary details to make any community run smoothly, effectively and with accountability. Some people might say the devil is in the details, but we know that they are necessary in our work to strengthen, nurture and gathering. So if you are looking for the nitty gritty, you have found the right place.
The following documents and policies comprise the Synod’s Manual of Operations. In addition to outlining the commitments we’ve made for how we will live together as the Synod community, we commend them to our member presbyteries and others as good examples of these respective documents:
Revisions Approved at the 2022 Synod Assembly Appear in BOLD.
If you are a presbytery or congregation wanting to know what minimum insurance coverage is necessary, you can download the Minimum Insurance Coverage Guide
If you are returning from a meeting and have been approved to be reimbursed for your expenses? Please fill out the Travel Expense Statement and send it to Fran Klaiber. Make sure to check out our Reimbursement Policies before traveling and filling in your expense statement. And if you are interested in making an easy donation to the Synod, fill out the expense statement and request for it to be considered a donation—we will send you a letter thanking you for your contribution!
If you are a presbytery or congregation wanting to know what minimum insurance coverage is necessary, you can download the Minimum Insurance Coverage Guide.
If you are returning from a meeting and have been approved to be reimbursed for your expenses? Please fill out the Travel Expense Statement and send it to Fran Klaiber. Make sure to check out our Reimbursement Policies before traveling and filling in your expense statement. And if you are interested in making an easy donation to the Synod, fill out the expense statement and request for it to be considered a donation—we will send you a letter thanking you for your contribution!