REIMAGINING THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD VISION REPORT APPROVED
Saturday, November 15, 2025, was a landmark day for the Synod of the Northeast. At a Special Called Meeting, Synod Assembly Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the third and final report of the Synod Discernment Team which has worked for three years to come to this time and place. The Vision Report entitled Reimagining the Church in the World presents a well-designed path for the Synod over the next several years.
With new programs, new language, and a new structure, accompanied by nimbleness and intention, the Synod will support presbyteries and congregations in fulfilling their current and evolving calls. The staffing structure outlined in the Vision Report, which ensures that the vision can be carried out, was approved by Commissioners. A large leadership team within the Synod designed the 2026 budget to align with the goals of the Vision Report, while allowing the Synod to carefully navigate the transition year as it prepares for the full new plan to take effect on January 1, 2027. Assembly Commissioners voted to approve the 2026 budget, with the per capita amount remaining at $4.25 and a 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Synod staff.
To ensure that the Vision is carried out as intended by the Discernment Team, the Assembly voted to appoint Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley as the Synod Leader, changing her position from transitional to installed for a term of five years, effective January 1, 2026.
Amidst this work to approve the future direction of the Synod, Commissioners, Synod leaders, and staff stopped to gather for a community lunch and fellowship. The Synod Assembly concluded with a rousing worship service, during which Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley preached and was installed, accompanied by music from members of the Memorial Presbyterian Church Choir Roosevelt, NY. It was indeed a blessed and uplifting day!
