2016 Fall Rostered Leaders Conference 

Each year, the Rostered Leaders (Pastors, Diaconal Ministers and Associates in Ministry) of the Western North Dakota Synod gather at the annual Fall Rostered Leaders Conference in Medora ND.  We look forward to seeing all rostered leaders and spouses in Medora for this time of worship, relaxation, connections and continuing education. 

Please Register by August 31, 2016.

Register Now! 

Registration

The registration fee covers all meals, but lodging is not included. Please make your own lodging arrangements (see above).
Registration Fees:
Rostered Leader or Seminary Intern    $185
Spouse of Rostered Leader of Seminary Intern   $130
Retired Rostered  Leader   $100
Spouse of Retired Rostered Leader     $100 

Registration is non-refundable.  The only exception is those who must cancel because of a funeral. 

Registration is due by August 31, 2016.

Registration:
 Register online by clicking the Register Now! button below and pay by check or by credit card.
If you are unable to register online, please call the synod office at 701-223-5312 to register by phone.

Lodging

Please make your own lodging arrangements.  Lodging is not included in the registration fee.  
A block of rooms has been reserved at both the Badlands Motel and the Rough Rider Hotel.  Please call 1-800-633-6721 and ask for the a room reserved under "Fall Pastor's Conference - Western North Dakota Synod" by August 16.

Other lodging options include:
Badlands Ministry Retreat Center (701-623-4332) 
American Inn Motel (1-800-634-3444)

Cancellation Notice: The Medora Foundation has tightened their cancellation policy, but will allow cancellations for clergy who need to preside at a funeral during the conference.  If you need to cancel your lodging due to a funeral, please contact Beth Anderson (beth@wndsynod.org)  or Sherie Heine (sherie@wndsynod.org) and we will make the request on your behalf.

Guest Speakers:  Presidents of Luther Seminary and Wartburg Theological Seminary

Rev. Dr. Robin Steinke Steinke came to Luther Seminary as president in June 2014. She was the first woman in the 145-year history of the seminary to be named to the position. Prior to coming to Luther Seminary, Steinke was the dean of the seminary and professor of theological ethics and public life at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, where she served from 1999. She previously served as an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor; a training manager and financial planner at American Express Financial Advisors; and a middle school band director in Marietta, Ga. Steinke is a graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in England.

Steinke is known for her strategic leadership and passion for sharing the gospel. She is involved in a number of important church and academic initiatives. She recently co-chaired the national ELCA Theological Education Advisory Council that made a variety of recommendations for the future of theological education. She serves as the ELCA Representative to the Lutheran World Federation Council and chairs their Endowment Fund. She is a member of the ELCA Ecclesiology Task Force and serves on a number of other church and academic committees. She previously served a six-year term as a commissioner for the Association of Theological Schools’ Commission on Accrediting.

Rev. Louise Johnson's ministry as the fourteenth president of Wartburg Theological Seminary began June 17th, 2015. Johnson is a native of Akron, Ohio. Her father, William, was a Lutheran pastor, and her mother, Valerie, is a retired higher education administrator, English teacher, and research librarian. At Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, Johnson majored in German. During her college years, she worked in Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, where she developed a strong sense of call to serve the church. After college, she pursued her love for youth ministry, serving congregations in Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin. In 1995, she began studies at Wartburg Seminary and received her Master of Divinity in 1999. Following seminary, Johnson served at Wartburg in a variety of capacities including admissions, community life, continuing education, and pastoral care. Between 2000 and 2004, Johnson also served as pastor of Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Spragueville, Iowa.

Johnson was called to serve the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) in 2004 as Associate Director of Admissions, rising to Director of Admissions in 2006. During her tenure, she worked with others in the development, writing, and execution of Project Connect, a $4.5 million -dollar grant project funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. to build a network of leaders and institutions to provide theologically sound vocational discernment for young adults. Johnson served LTSP as Vice President for Mission Advancement beginning in fall 2012. Her responsibilities included strategic planning, accreditation, and alumni relations. During her years in Philadelphia, Johnson also pursued an interest in organizational leadership, undergoing several courses including the completion of a Certificate in Leadership and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Johnson is co-founder of Leading Pastors, a non-profit that seeks to develop pastoral leadership and a facilitator of the organization’s premier program, SHAPE, a leadership development program for high-capacity women clergy.



Hosts:

Rostered Leaders of the Western Prairie Conference 

Schedule:

Sunday
Hotel Check In is available anytime after 3:00 p.m.
5:00-6:00 p.m. (MDT)  Registration at Badlands Ministries
6:00 p.m.  Supper at Badlands Ministries
7:30 p.m.  Communion Worship at Badlands Ministries
8:30 p.m.  Meet and Greet our New Rostered Leaders at Badlands Ministries

Monday
6:30 a.m.  5K Run/Walk
7:30 a.m.  Breakfast
8:45 a.m.  Morning Session led by Seminary Presidents - Rev. Robin Steinke of Luther Seminary, St. Paul MN, and Rev. Louise Johnson of Wartburg Theolgical Seminary, Dubuque, IA
12:00 p.m.  Lunch
1:00 p.m.  Free time
6:00 p.m.  Banquet with entertainment

Tuesday
7:30 a.m.  Breakfast
8:45 a.m.  Morning Session including Bishop's Time
12:00 p.m. Lunch before departing