Bishop’s Fall Gathering Returns Sept. 29–Oct. 1 with Wartburg Seminary Leaders

Rostered ministers and synodically authorized ministers are invited to the 2025 Bishop’s Fall Gathering, taking place Monday, September 29 through Wednesday, October 1 at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ. Grounded in the theme Life Together: Lament, Love, and Christian Hope in a Time Such as This, this year’s retreat focuses on nurturing faithful Christian community amid division, drawing on Bonhoeffer’s seminal work Life Togetherand stories from the Hebrew Bible.

Featured guests include Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen, President of Wartburg Theological Seminary, and Rev. Dr. S. Helen Chukka, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible. Together they will guide participants through large group sessions and small group discussions that explore Christ-centered inclusivity, biblical lament, and radical hope.

The agenda also includes time for worship, synod updates, meals, and informal fellowship. Meals are included with all registration types, and a limited number of scholarships are available—please contact the Office of the Bishop if cost is a barrier.

Key Details:

• Dates: Sept. 29– Oct. 1

• Location: Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 E. Lincoln Dr, Scottsdale, AZ

• Registration deadline: Friday, Sept. 5, 2025

• Costs:

  • Single room: $420

  • Shared double room: $345 per person

  • Commuter (with meals): $175

Registration includes meals beginning with dinner on Monday and ending with lunch on Wednesday.

For questions or to request changes to your registration, email office@gcsynod.org or call 602-957-3223. Please direct event-related questions to the synod office—not the Franciscan Renewal Center.

Together, we will reflect on how our Lutheran theological tradition equips us to proclaim the gospel of mercy, resist division, and build communities shaped by grace, lament, and resurrection hope. Register now.