24th Synod Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Urals, Siberia and Far East

Omsk

The 24th annual synod assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Urals, Siberia and Far East (ELCUSFE) was held in Omsk on October 16-18, 2015. In addition to delegates honored guests at the assembly were ELC Archbishop Dietrich Brauer and representative of the ELM (Hermannsburg), Area Secretary for Asia Helmut Grimmsmann.

The assembly welcomed new members, including Evgeny Lukinov (Ural Deanery), Alena Faifer (Western Siberian Deanery), Vitaly Schmidt (Central Siberian Deanery). Lidia Rogoza (Western Siberian Deanery), and Svetlana Fail (Ural Deanery) became members of the Synod Council. 

Much time was dedicated to the theme of diaconal work, in particular the reports of work with co-dependents by Larisa Yagofarova ("Peace to Your Home" Chelyanbinsk) and on work with the developmentally disabled by Anastasia Razinkova ("Colorful World" Irkutsk.)

A number of people were blessed as preachers during the synod assembly - Anton Neyfeld and Evgeny Strikker (Ekaterinburg), Andrey Massiorov (Abakan) and Elena Romanova (Sokol, Magadan obl.). Stanislav Mikula was commissioned as a pastor for the Western Siberia deanery, and Dean Valdemar Jesse (Chelyabinsk) was named the assistant to the Bishop. Constantine Pavlenko (Vladivostok) became the new vice chair of the synod council. 

The assembly concluded with a worship service with music by the Omsk congregation's choir.