Thank You, Volunteers! 140 Strong Helped Host the Churchwide Assembly
“Serve one another humbly in love.”
The 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is coming to a close, and what a remarkable week it’s been. As the host synod, the Grand Canyon Synod had the sacred responsibility of welcoming the greater church to Phoenix—and thanks to 140 incredible volunteers who filled 651 shifts across 16 distinct roles, we did so with warmth, grace, and faithful hospitality.
Whether you greeted 900 weary travelers at Sky Harbor Airport, helped assemble voting machines, offered worship support, monitored doors, directed dining hall traffic, or handed out iPads, your presence made a tangible difference. You were the hands and feet of Christ for more than a thousand attendees, living out the values of welcome, service, and love that define our synod and our shared faith.
Volunteers served at the Phoenix Convention Center, the Sheraton and Hyatt Regency hotels, and throughout the city, offering smiles, directions, tech support, and countless behind-the-scenes efforts. We saw congregations from across our synod and beyond show up—from Mesa to Tucson, from Sun City West to Flagstaff, from Phoenix to Carefree—and even beyond Arizona’s borders. You represented the breadth and beauty of our church.
We give special thanks to Mary Beth Baron, our Volunteer Coordinator, whose tireless leadership and calm presence made this all possible, and to Darcy Mittelstaedt as our tech organizer extraordinaire.
A full list of volunteer names, congregations, and roles is included in this post. If we inadvertently missed your name, please accept our heartfelt apology—and know your service was seen, valued, and deeply appreciated.
This assembly was not just a gathering. It was a witness. And you made that witness possible.
Thank you for embodying the welcome of Christ.
Deacon Sally Almen
Andrea Arey
Sandra Austin
Ryan Bailey
Regina Banks
Joel Benson
Rev. Shari Bernau
Joanne BjergaSuri
Bernice Bland
Rev. Stoney Bowen-Weiszmann
Harold Boxberger
Rev. David Brandfass
Rev. Carol Breimeier
Rev. Linda Brown
Neil Bullock
David Bullock
Twila Burdick
Rev. Brian Cain
Marsha Calloway
Rev. Bernard Carl
Eric Carlson
Daniel Carlson
Lauren Carson
Carly Chamberlain
Robert (Bob) Charves
Rev. Nanette Christofferson
Mark Christofferson
Rachel Connelly
Abril Coronel
Shelley Cunningham
Patricia Davenport
Lynn Davis
Ina Kay Devers
Grace Elyateem
Rev. Alan Field
Brian Flatgard
Wanda Frenchman
Rev. Julie Gerrish
Rev. Michael Girlinghouse
Jim Gisselquist
Camy Goebel-Rush
Jonathan Gomez
Donna Guerin
Rev. Philip Gustafson
Patricia Hagen
Scott Hagen
Dennis Hagstrom
Larry Hanson
Rev. Naomi Hartman
Tobias Hartman
Rev. Christopher Heller
Mark Holmerud
Jacqueline Hufford-Jensen
Peter Iversen
Peter James
Leslie Johnson
Cheryl Jones
Eric Juarez
Carol Kauffman
John D. Kautz
Margery Kellar
William Klever
Rev. Patsy Koeneke
Philip Korley
Betty Krafft
Courtney Krueger
Rev. David Krueger
Clyde Kunz
Beth Leaf
Sarah Lee-Faulkner
Sally Leonard
Franklin Loulan
Paul Lubold
Norma Malfatti
Linda Manson
Elizabeth Marchant
Morgan McCandless
Rev. Kevin Meyer
Catherine Mordosky
Sarah Morris
Solveig Muus
Jeri Newnam
Eileen Oakes
Dale Oakes
Clark Olson
Karen Olson
Sheri Orrahood
Rev. Jacqui Pagel
Rev. David Pavesic
Rev. Tim Perlick
Rev. Dan Potaznick
Rev. James Price
Cheryl Rawlings
Rev. Pat Reed
Mike Reed
Rev. Pam Reynolds
Janis Richert
Ron Ristau
Thomas Ritter
Chris Sandavol
Christopher Sandoval
Lindsay Sanneman
Rev. Anton Scheer
Cathy Schibler
Timothy Schroeder
Wendy Schulz
Phil Shea
Rev. Arhiana Shek Dill
Debra Slack
Clarance Smith
Rev. Glen Stadler
Leora Stadler
Gerrit and Judy Steenblik
Rev. Kim Sterner
Rev. Christine Stoxen
Sandra Streiff
Rev. Steve Talmage
Barb Talmage
Richard Tiegs
John Tomlinson
Gail Turner
Louis Turner
Rev. Judi Tyler
John Tyrrell
Steve Umland
Rev. Sarah Upham-Birdsall
Jane Upham-Birdsall
Tom Vega
Christopher Weidner
Myrna Wells-Ulland
Paul Westermann
Rev. Kari Williamson
Judi Wold
Brandon Wood
Marsha Wooley
David Young
Charles Zoll
