MEMO #1

TO: Pastors of Eastern District Congregations; Vice-Chairpersons of Boards of Elders; Presidents of Boards of Trustees; Bishops; Those in Specialized Ministries or Otherwise Under Call of PEC; Certified Directors of Christian Education; Chairpersons of Commissions, Boards of District Institutions and District Agencies

FROM: The Eastern District Executive Board, Gary Straughan, President, and the 2008 Eastern District Synod Planning Committee, Barbara Dietterich, Chairperson

The Eastern District Synod will convene on the North Campus of Moravian College in Bethlehem from June 18 to 21, 2008. The theme of this synod is One in Mission, One in Call. Registration will take place from 8:30 a.m. -12:00 noon, Wednesday, June 18, with meetings for committee chairpersons, secretaries and new delegates also scheduled during this time. Synod will be called to order at 1:00 p.m. and will conclude with the noon meal on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Housing for Tuesday night will be available for those who are traveling four or more hours.

Members of the Eastern District 2008 Synod Planning Committee include:

Barbara Dietterich, Chairperson; Dave Bennett, Jane Burcaw, Susan Dreydoppel, Christine Johnson, Blondel Jones-Grant, Leon Matthias, Dennis Rohn, Kay Rohn, Gary Straughan, and Jill Westbrook.

REPRESENTATION FORMULA

The formula for representation for this synod is as follows. In addition to the pastor, each congregation will be represented as based on statistics of confirmed communicant members listed in the 2008 Daily Texts book.

All officially organized congregations in the Eastern District will participate. Voting privileges are afforded to those that have made full and complete payment of District Administration and Provincial Administration Quotas through 2007.

Representation at synod for lay delegates will be one lay delegate for the first 150 communicant members, one for the next 150 communicant members, and one for each 200 communicant members thereafter. An alternate should be elected for each delegate.

This makes the lay representation as follows:

1-150 – 1 lay delegate

151-300 – 2 lay delegates

301-500 – 3 lay delegates

501-700 – 4 lay delegates

701-900 – 5 lay delegates

901-1100 – 6 lay delegates

A letter explaining the expectations of a synod delegate is enclosed. Please copy this letter and give it to potential delegates to aid in their discernment process. A Registration Form (copy enclosed) should be completed for each delegate and should be received in the District Office, P.O. Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245, no later than February 1, 2008. The Eastern District Executive Board and Synod Planning Committee are asking that you consider holding a special Fall Church Council meeting to elect your delegates so that they may prepare for synod by attending regional pre-synod gatherings in the early part of the new year.

COSTS

Costs for the synod room and board are to be covered by the congregation or agency represented. In order to make the cost of synod more equitable, there will again be one fee for all delegates. Lehigh Valley delegates are invited to reside on campus for the entire event, but may choose to commute home each evening. Delegates who live outside a 35-mile radius of Moravian College will be reimbursed for travel according to the formula for one round trip. Anyone living within that 35-mile radius will not be reimbursed for travel.

TRAVEL COSTS will be paid at the following rate:

48.5¢ per mile for four delegates or more traveling together

40¢ per mile for three delegates traveling together

30¢ per mile for two delegates traveling together

20¢ per mile for one delegate

REGISTRATION FEE:

$185.00 each

Includes room, board (breakfast, lunch, dinner), snacks for breaks

This is the first of several mailings concerning the 2008 Eastern District Synod. We hope this will be helpful in your synod preparations.

Please note the enclosed request from the Synod Planning Committee for digital pictures capturing life in your congregation to be submitted by January 1st.