Updated Agenda & Full Session Descriptions Now Available for Bishop’s Fall Gathering

Rostered ministers and synodically authorized ministers (SAMs) of the Grand Canyon Synod are warmly invited to the 2025 Bishop’s Fall Gathering, a three-day retreat of worship, connection, and theological reflection with Bishop Deborah Hutterer and colleagues from across our synod. This year’s theme is Life Together: Lament, Love and Christian Hope in a Time Such as This, and we are thrilled to welcome two esteemed guest presenters from Wartburg Theological Seminary.

Now updated with the full agenda and detailed session descriptions, this gathering promises rich content rooted in our Lutheran theological tradition and responsive to our current moment. Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen, President of Wartburg Seminary, and Rev. Dr. S. Helen Chukka, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible, will guide us through reflections on Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer—exploring lament, Christian community, and hope in the face of division, fear, and Christian nationalism.

Each session will blend large group presentations with small group conversations, allowing participants to both reflect deeply and return home with tools for ministry. From shared meals and evening hospitality to worship and learning, the Fall Gathering provides a meaningful rhythm of renewal and connection.

We look forward to gathering, learning, and growing together in faith. This is a time to nourish our shared life in Christ—for the sake of the world.