NEW 2026 St. Mark’s Constitution
Constitution Update
This announcement serves as notice to the Congregation about proposed changes to the St. Mark’s Constitution for approval at the November 15, 2026 Congregation Meeting, under the change process of section *C16.04 of the Constitution.
At that meeting, the Congregation will be asked to approve changes to bring our Constitution into conformance with the ELCA 2025 Model Constitution for Congregations, which was approved by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August 2025.
Background:
The ELCA Amendments to the Model Constitution for Congregations 2025 document describes only the amendments adopted in 2025 and the associated rationale.
Click HERE for a copy of this document.
Note on update to *C5.04 and related changes:
There is an update to *C5.04 from the Model Constitution, which changes the rules for selection of Synod Assembly Voting Members to add the option for the Congregation Council to elect the voting members. This article previously only allowed the Congregation to elect voting members.
Old Model Constitution *C5.04
This congregation shall elect from among its voting members laypersons to serve as voting members of the Synod Assembly as well as persons to represent it at meetings of any conference, cluster, coalition, or other area subdivision of which it is a member. The number of persons to be elected by this congregation and other qualifications shall be as prescribed in guidelines established by the (insert name of synod) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
New Model Constitution *C.5.04
This congregation or the Congregation Council shall elect from among the voting members of the congregation laypersons to serve as voting members of the Synod Assembly as well as persons to represent it at meetings of any conference, cluster, coalition, or other area subdivision of which it is a member. The number of persons to be elected and other qualifications shall be as prescribed in guidelines established by the (insert name of synod) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The Synod Council Secretary has recommended that St. Mark’s remove our C5.04.01, which is now unnecessary, since Council will be authorized by the new *C5.04 to elect the Synod Assembly Voting Members. Accordingly, this article is deleted in the draft Constitution for approval.
June 23 St Mark’s Constitution *C5.04.01
*C5.04.01. The Congregation Council is empowered to appoint the voting members to the Synod Assembly, as well as representatives to other meetings of any conference, cluster, coalition or other area subdivision of which the congregation is a member.
For Approval at the November 2026 Congregation Meeting:
The St. Mark’s Constitution Draft Mark-up for Nov 2026 Cong Mtg document is the version we will use for the Congregation Meeting—this will be a marked-up version of our June 2023 Constitution, using the Microsoft Word Track Changes function to show the changes. A printed copy of this document will be available at the meeting for those who wish to see it.
ST. MARK’S CONSTITUTION will be voted on at the NOVEMBER 15, 2026 congregation meeting
The changes include the adoption of the 2025 Model Constitution amendments, plus some minor editorial corrections to bring our Constitution into conformity with the Model Constitution. Our proposed 2025 Constitution changes have been reviewed and approved by the Metro DC Synod Council Secretary for conformity with the Model Constitution.