Click here to view/download the Rules of Procedure as a PDF document for our 2026 Synod Assembly.

The 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly will take place June 11–13 at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa, Arizona, under the theme Rooted in God’s Story. Voting members, visitors, presenters, and guests are encouraged to review the Rules of Procedure ahead of the assembly to help ensure a smooth, fair, and meaningful gathering for all participants.

The Rules of Procedure outline how assembly business will be conducted, including voting procedures, debate guidelines, elections, resolutions, amendments, and decorum expectations. The document also includes important constitutional provisions related to quorum, voting, and parliamentary procedure.

Several key items may be especially helpful for voting members to note in advance:

Debate on motions, resolutions, or memorials is generally limited to 20 minutes, with a possible one-time 10-minute extension by vote of the assembly.
Voting may occur by voice vote, show of hands, written ballot, or electronic voting. Voting members are encouraged to bring access to a smartphone or tablet for electronic voting purposes.
Speakers addressing the assembly will be asked to identify themselves and indicate whether they are speaking “for” or “against” a question.
During debate, speakers may address the same question no more than twice, for up to two minutes each time.

The rules also remind the assembly that Christian community and mutual respect are foundational to the gathering. Citing Galatians 5, the document notes that harassment of any kind is not acceptable and that participants are called to embody “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

As Lutherans gathering for worship, discernment, elections, conversation, and shared ministry, these procedures help create space for both faithful participation and good order. Assembly leadership encourages all voting members to review the document before arriving in Mesa.

The complete Rules of Procedure can be found here.