Why do we need a synod? Perhaps that’s not a question that comes up in everyday conversation, at least for most people in the pew. Some may not even know what a synod is, which synod their congregation belongs to, or what a synod is supposed to do. For some, however, the question is important.

We might wonder what is so important about a synod that we are asked to set aside a portion of our income for the synod’s work. For some congregations, more than a little discussion might be attached to the question of how much they will commit from their budget for the synod. Local needs already stretch the congregation’s budget. Why send money to the synod?

Sometimes the synod might seem to be like the local, state, or federal government asking for more tax revenue. Of course, at least one big difference separates the synod from any governmental agency. Taxes are required. If you don’t pay them, consequences follow: penalties, legal trouble, or worse. Contributions to the local church and to the synod are voluntary. If you don’t make contributions, consequences also follow. But the consequences are most often less ministry.

Believers gather to form local congregations

We know what a local congregation is. It’s a gathering of believers, usually in a specific location. These believers share the gospel with their community, teach members both young and old, worship, own property, and call public ministers of the gospel. The congregation requires the financial resources of its members so that it can pay the bills. Simple, right?

Each congregation is an independent group and conducts its ministry as it deems best. The Holy Spirit has drawn believers together, and they have adopted a common confession of their beliefs. Most congregational constitutions identify the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions as the basis of the congregation’s beliefs. Drawn together, members celebrate their unity of faith. They worship together, receive Holy Communion together, and work together to teach and witness to others. That’s fellowship as God described it.

While each congregation is an independent group of believers conducting its own ministry, it is not alone. The Holy Spirit has drawn believers together in other locations in the same city, in cities across the country, and thousands of miles away in foreign countries. Some of those gatherings share the same beliefs. When they recognize one another as believers with a common faith, they celebrate that unity too. They have fellowship with one another. That’s more than having coffee or social gatherings. They want to work together.

Congregations share the same beliefs