Region 5 Collaborative Boundaries Education: Gender Justice
November 6, 2025, 9:00am to 3:00pm CDT and 10am to 4pm EST
Instructor: Mary J. Streufert, Director for Justice for Women, ELCA
The synods of Region 5 (the synods in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Northern Great Lakes Synod) are collaborating to present annual boundaries education for active rostered ministers. The purpose of this collaboration is, in part, to show a shared commitment to boundaries education across the region, to create and sustain professional ministry leadership in our synods, for safety in our communities of faith, and to pool our resources in an effort to offer high quality educational events.
The collaborative boundaries education follows a three-year cycle covering Professional Boundaries, Gender Justice, and Racial Justice.
This year’s course is on Gender Justice and will be led in a hybrid format with Mary J. Streufert, ELCA Director for Justice for Women. Our time together will focus on how gender injustice manifests itself in the ELCA, how ELCA social statements can serve as a resource in our gender justice work, and how we can begin the work to change the narrative in order to live out gender justice in our work and world.
Participants are expected to pre-register, to be present for the entire event, and to engage with the material presented as fully as they are able.
The education day will be offered at SIX sites around the Northern Great Lakes Synod:
-Salem Lutheran Church (Ironwood, MI EST) facilitated by Rev. Nicole Hanson-Lynn;
-Gethsemane Lutheran Church (Wallace, MI CDT) facilitated by Rev, Scott Ehle;
-Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Hancock, MI EST) facilitated by Rev. Brahm Semmler-Smith;
-Trinity Lutheran Church (Rhinelander, WI CDT) facilitated by Rev. Grant VanLishout;
-Bethany Lutheran Church (Norway, MI CDT) facilitated by Rev. David Johnson with Rev. Sharolyn Swenson;
-St. James Lutheran Church (Rudyard, MI EST) facilitated by Rev. Melinda VanderSys.
Rostered ministers in the most central Conferences of 6 and 8 are to register in the site of their choice.
Attendance is required for Rostered Ministers, Retired Ministers on pulpit supply, and Licensed Lay Ministers. Vicars are invited but not required.
The cost for the event is $25 paid by the congregation the pastor serves. Lunch, course materials, and coffee are all included in the registration fee. Participants are invited to bring a snack to share. Registration will close on October 30, 2025.
If you have any questions about this year’s Collaborative Boundaries Education Day, please contact Rev. Sharolyn Swenson (A2B&DEM) by calling the synod office at (906) 228-2300
