SW MN Synod Convention

Date: Saturday May 2, 2026
@ Calvary Lutheran Church
302 Olena Ave SE
Willmar MN
Theme: “Rising in Faith
-Leading with Courage!”
Southwestern Minnesota Women of the ELCA
Mobilizing women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ
SW MN Synod Convention

Date: Saturday May 2, 2026
@ Calvary Lutheran Church
302 Olena Ave SE
Willmar MN
Theme: “Rising in Faith
-Leading with Courage!”

The Thirteenth
Triennial
Convention
July 13-14, 2026
Women of the ELCA
Gathering
Theme “I am worthy”
July 16-19, 2026
Des Moines, IA


We have a fantastic day planned for you this year and cannot wait to share this theme with you!

Out of an abundance of love for neighbors, the Synod Board made the difficult decision to cancel the 33rd Synodical Convention scheduled for May 2nd.
As of March 25th, eight of the conference spring gatherings have also cancelled their events. Please check in with your conference president for further updates on those events.
Due to the changing news around COVID-19 and the ways Minnesota is doing all it can to slow down the spread, we are unable to guarantee future plans. However, the Synod Board is hopeful that a special convention to handle our elections and budgeting will take place in the near future. We also hope to utilize the fall leadership gathering on August 22nd to handle things such as installation of officers and in kind offering drop offs. Much is still to be worked out in the coming weeks. Please check back on our website for future updates!
We all pray for your continued health, safety and care in this painful and uncertain time.
God Bless,
SWMN WELCA Synod Board
Thank you all for another wonderful convention! We were all blessed to be together, worship God and serve our neighbors. The photos from the day and a half convention are available by clicking the link here.

More updates from convention are coming soon! Stay tuned!
Cherish All Children will be hosting an event at LSS on Saturday, January 26, 10am-noon, called “Raising Healthy Boys and Young Men: Ending Exploitation.” We will focus on what we can do in our everyday lives and communities to affect changes in society to raise a generation free from exploitation.
We’d love to have you, members of your WELCA groups (and spouses!) and church members come to hear from amazing speakers on this topic, and how you can bring new knowledge and resources back to your church to make a difference in the lives of young people! The St. Paul Women’s Synodical Organization is one of our sponsors, supporting us with treats that morning and money toward honorariums for our speakers. This helps keep this ministry going – many thanks! If your group or any of the individual WELCA groups are able to support us as well, it would be greatly appreciated. Gifts of all amounts keep us moving forward to keep children and youth safe from exploitation and trafficking.
