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May Update from the President
- Taylor Yates
- May 10
- 5 min read
Updated: May 10
Dear Sisters in Christ,
Thank you for being patient while we work to create this year’s convention for the Southeastern Synod WELCA! Since we are straying from our usual “how we do things”, it has been a change for planning since we can’t follow the same “tracks” that we’ve followed in the past. First, finding a less expensive place was a challenge. Then we decided to experiment with a shorter event which meant we had to completely change our traditional agenda format. As you all know, any time we change anything in our lives, it is difficult. None of us like or enjoy change.
I want to emphasize that this year’s convention is an experiment—it is not the “first annual” shorter convention. We hope this will help us get back on a stronger financial foundation that will, at the very least, allow us to have the more traditional “start on Friday afternoon and end at noon on Sunday” format in the future. We may alternate years with even numbered years being our traditional format and odd numbered years being a shorter format. Only time will tell.
Since we have not gotten our ducks (our footsteps) in a row as quickly as we would have liked, we are sending out this update with information about the convention and a few other things.
As we get more information, we will send it out to you. You can help by encouraging ladies to go to our website and create an account so we can email information to their inbox.
Thank you for your understanding and patience!
Your sister in Christ,
Phyllis Wade
SES WELCA President
2025 CONVENTION INFORMATION
THANK YOU, BARBARA!
As we announced at last year’s convention, our faithful Registrar, Barbara Schwanebeck, resigned. We thank Barbara for her many years of service.
WELCOME MARGERY & LOUISE!
Now we are excited to let you know that we have two co-registrars for this year’s convention, Margery Kellar and Louise Iconis. Thank you both for stepping up!
Location and dates: Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20 at Scarritt Bennett in Nashville, Tennessee. Our convention will end on Saturday evening with the banquet, but breakfast will be available on Sunday morning. Lodging information is available on our website.
Theme and scripture: We Will Be Known Forever by the Tracks We Leave. (A Dakota Proverb). 34…Wisdomkeeper said, In the same way I have loved you, you are to love each other. 35This kind of love will be the sign for all people that you are walking the road with me.” John 13:34-35 New Testament First Nations Translation
Theme hymn: “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love”
Logo: Linda Few has created a beautiful logo for us. The version on our webpage is slightly different than her creation which is part of this document. Linda and Louise Iconis are working to get pricing information for creating black t-shirts with the logo that we can pre-order to pick up at convention. Watch for the order form to be available on our website. We’ll also send out that information.
Love Offering: This year’s Love Offering is our Synod’s Disaster Response Fund.
Katie’s Table: Last year’s goodie bags were so popular, we decided to do it again this year. So we’re again asking each congregational unit to bring 10 brown paper lunch size bags filled with goodies to be sold during the convention. (More info below.)
Business to be conducted: Election of a president and treasure and 3 board members. We will also elect voting members to the 2026 digital Triennial Convention. Please note, the convention is not in-person, but the Gathering is. Nomination forms will be posted on our website soon. Please prayerfully consider sharing your gifts and abilities with your sisters in the Synod.
Workshops: We are still working on workshops, but one of the things that will change is the only pre-convention activity will be voting member orientation. There will be a workshop titled “Do You Speak WELCA?” for cluster and congregational leaders.
KATIE’S TABLE GRAB BAGS
At this year’s Convention, Katie’s Table will again be selling grab bags. It harkens back to yesteryear when a 25 or 50 cent grab bag held so much promise of unimaginable joy –candy and other goodies. For $5 you can relive the anticipation, the expectant hope of good things to be had. We are asking for units to donate 10 -15 bags. You can fill them with baubles, lotions and potions, snacks and candy, don’t forget candy. If you have some spare cash, put that in a bag or two – ones, fives even a ten. If one person gets a bag with $10 everyone will be wanting to buy bags hoping to get some cash. If you have an item that won’t fit in a bag, a book for example, we will have a display table for those items. You will need to put a slip of paper in the bag to let them know that they have won a book (or whatever oversized item you chose). All bags should be brown lunch bags.
2026 TRIENNIAL CONVENTION & GATHERING
The 2026 Triennial Convention will be a digital convention. This decision was made to help save money on the cost of the event. The Gathering will be in person.
The 2026 WELCA Triennial Gathering will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, July 16-19, 2026. We invite you to join with our ministry as we seek to nourish women's faith and love and to inspire women to proclaim their identity, intent, and actions. The theme for the 2026 Triennial Gathering is "I am Worthy" focusing on Psalm 139:14 “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14 This proclamation reminds us of God’s promise to always be with us, even during times of devastation and division. Repeating the phrase “I am worthy” helps us recognize the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in our lives. This practice of self-affirmation creates opportunities for healing and repair within ourselves, the church, society, and the world. When we declare, “I am worthy,” we align ourselves with God’s promises. There is great power in our resolve.
2025 LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF INGATHERING SITES
Ingathering dates: Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23, 2025
ALABAMA—Coast | |
|---|---|
Saturday Only: 9 am – 12 noon | |
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 8271 Whispering Pines, Daphne 36526 | Church Phone: 251-621-2968 (call coordinator) |
Site Coordinator: Tommie Morgan | Phone: 251-591-1019 |
ALABAMA—Central | |
|---|---|
Call coordinator to drop off at church Aug 18-21 for truck loading on Friday (22nd) | |
Shades Valley Lutheran Church 720 Shades Creek Parkway, Birmingham 35209 | Church Phone: 205-871-3512 (call coordinator) |
Site Coordinators: Anne Scholl Roberta Stamp | Phone: 770-403-0023 Phone: 205-410-4721 |
ALABAMA—Northeast | |
|---|---|
Saturday Only: 9 am – 12 noon | NO FRIDAY DROP-OFF |
Messiah Lutheran Church 7740 Hwy 72 West, Madison 35758 | Church Phone: 256-721-0041 (call coordinator) |
Site Coordinators: Rhonda Gaede | Phone: 256-679-2931 |
GEORGIA—Atlanta Area | |
|---|---|
Friday & Saturday: 8:30am – 12 noon | |
Trinity Lutheran Church 1826 Killian Hill Road, Lilburn 30047 | Church Phone: 770-972-4418 (call coordinator) |
Site Coordinator: Janice Hawkins | Phone: 770-712-6090 |
GEORGIA—Coast | |
|---|---|
Friday: 1 pm-5 pm | Saturday: Drop-off by appointment-call Sandy Gibson at 912-658-0868 |
St. Johns Lutheran Church Highway 21 & 7th Street, Rincon 31326 Address for GPS is: 301 N. Columbia Ave | Church Phone: 912-754-3915 (call coordinator) |
Site Coordinators: Sandy Gibson Marty Hendrix | Phone: 912-658-0868 Phone: (cell) 912-661-4122 or (home) 912-754-4860 |
TENNESSEE—Nashville Area | |
|---|---|
Friday: 9 am–1 pm | Saturday: Drop-off by appointment - call Joni at 615-584-9309 |
Saint Andrew Lutheran Church 908 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin 37064 | Church Phone: 615-794-1624 - call church administrator to arrange time & place for truck |
Site Coordinator: Joni Donegan | Phone: 615-584-9309 |
TENNESSEE—East/Central | |
|---|---|
Friday: 4-7 pm Saturday: 8:30 am – 11 | |
Reformation Lutheran Church 400 West Main St., Greeneville 37743 | Church Phone: 423-638-4627 (call coordinator) |
Site Coordinators: Mary Jane Gray Pam Leisner | Phone: (cell) 423-525-2177 or 423-972-1769 Phone: 423-972-5675 |
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