Bishop Sutton, Bishop Banek, and the Vestry are excited to invite you to the 118th Synod of the Diocese of Mid-America at Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal Church in Tyler, TX this October. Come join us for our annual gathering and enjoy their new Sanctuary building!  

Synod will be in Tyler, TX

Wednesday, Oct 8th (4pm) - Friday, Oct. 10th (Noon)

Wednesday, October 8th

Our time together will begin on Wednesday afternoon, October 8th, at 4pm. The clergy will have a private meeting with the bishops while the Women of the Church have their annual meeting & presentation. Evensong will be held at 6:00pm followed by a Spring Creek BBQ dinner at the Church. All registered and paid individuals in attendance (including those coming only to the Women’s Day meeting) are invited to join us for the dinner.

Please note: Lay delegates and Observers who are not attending the Women’s Day or the Clergy meeting can arrive for the Evensong and dinner at 6pm on Wednesday. They do not need to be there at 4pm.

Thursday, October 9th

We will begin our Thursday sessions with the service of Holy Communion at 8:30am. Clergy are asked to bring cassock/surplice and RED stole for the procession. Throughout the day, we will gather for our teaching sessions, mission updates, and Bishop Sutton’s pastoral exhortation. This year, the Rev. Dr. Greg Peters will present a a Continuing Formation program he is developing. The Rev. Canon Michael Vinson and the Rev. Brad Sneed will speak on “Casting the Net with Podcasts”. Lunch will be served at the Church.

Note: During the Thursday afternoon sessions, we will have our first business session with Bishop Sutton’s exhortation and address.

Evening Prayer will be held at 4:30pm with the special Admission of a Canon. The Rev. Dr. Greg Peters will be admitted as Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Mid-America. Following our evening service, you will be free to return to the hotel to prepare for the banquet dinner. 

At 6:30pm on Thursday evening, we will have a banquet dinner at The Historical Mayfair Building. This venue is one part of the Tyler Rose Complex which features a Garden of over 38,000 rose bushes!  The venue is approximately 3 miles from Good Shepherd and about 8 miles from the Synod Hotel. Those registering for the full Synod will have the banquet included in their cost. Additional guests who desire to attend just the banquet may do so for a cost of $50.

Friday, October 10th

Our Friday session will begin with the service of Morning Prayer at 8:30a. This service will include the Commencement Ceremony for Cranmer Theological House. Following the service, our morning will be devoted to finishing the business reports of the Diocese. We anticipate completing all business and adjourning by lunch. A box lunch from McAlister’s Deli will be provided. You are free to eat and fellowship or take your lunch and begin your travels home. You will select your sandwich choice when you complete your online registration.

Tentative Schedule
(Subject to Change)

There will be an opportunity to check-in and receive your badge on Wednesday afternoon at the Church from 3:00pm-4:00pm.

Wednesday - October 8th                 
                 3:00p       Early Check-in (Church)
             4:00p      Women’s Day Meeting / Clergy Meeting
               6:00p      Evensong
          Following      Spring Creek BBQ Dinner (Church)

Thursday - October 9th
                 7:30a       Check-in (Church)
                 8:00a      Clergy vesting (cassock/surplice/RED stole)
                 8:30a       Holy Communion service
               10:30a       Teaching Sessions
                 Noon       Lunch (Church) - McAlister’s Soup & Spud bar
                 1:15p       Board of Foreign Missions & REC100 Updates
                 2:30p      First Business Session and Bishop Sutton Report
4:30p      Evening Prayer w/ Admission of a Canon
                6:30p       Banquet Dinner - The Historical Mayfair Building

Friday - October 10th                 
                 8:30a      Morning Prayer & Cranmer Theological House Commencement
             10:00a      Business Session
               12:00p      Adjourn & Box Lunch available following

Three things are required for Synod attendees (the last one is only for Rectors though). Detailed information for each aspect is then found further down on this page.

• REGISTRATION - Every individual attending Synod must register and pay for Synod. These registrations will tell us how many people to expect, your meal choice on Friday, and our certified voting list. Registration will open on August 1 and will close on September 20.

• HOTEL - Individuals must reserve hotel rooms. Room reservations are available now and can be booked now through September 20th at the discounted rate. We do NOT book these for you.

• CERTIFICATIONS (for Pastors only) - submit your statistical information and certify your duly-elected parish representatives. Certification forms will be available on August 1st and must be completed by September 20th.

Registration Information

REgistration available from August 1st to September 20TH

Registration will be open on August 1 and close on September 20th. You can use the button below to enter the registration system.

Registration cost for the full Synod activities and meals this year will be a total of $135. This cost will include the synod fee and the dinners on Wednesday evening, lunch on Thursday and Friday, and the dinner at The Historical Mayfair Building on Thursday evening. If you are not attending the Synod but would like to attend either 1) Women’s Day Meeting & Dinner and/or 2) Thursday special banquet dinner, and/or Friday morning with lunch, you may do so through the system and selecting “Partial Synod Attendee”. The cost of Women’s Day and Dinner is $40. The cost for Thursday day session with lunch is $25.00. The cost of the Thursday banquet dinner is $50. The cost for the day session and lunch on Friday is $20.00 If you have any questions regarding your registration, please email Bishop Jason Grote (J2Grote@rechurch.org).

• Full Synod & 4 Meals = $135

• Women’s Day & Wed. Dinner only = $40

• Thursday Day session & Lunch = $25

• Thursday banquet dinner only = $50

• Friday Day & Lunch = $20

Please note, you must complete the payment information and receive a confirmation page then you have not actually registered. Be sure you see a confirmation page on the screen.

Hotel Reservations

Hotel Reservations must be made by September 20TH

Parish Certifications

Parish certifications due by September 20TH

Each Rector (or person in charge of a parish) needs to complete a Parish Certification Form. This form will provide statistical information regarding the membership and official acts of the parish for calendar year 2024. The form will also certify the duly elected lay individuals that will represent the parish at Synod. The opening page of the form will detail the information that is required. You should read that page and gather the information before completing the form.

The Parish Certification forms must be submitted by September 20th.

Reports & Documents

The Synod Reports for this Synod and the Journal of the last Synod will be distributed electronically. We will send emails with these documents to all Synod registrants during the two week period prior to Synod. This section will also contain links to them so you can view/download them as needed. These should be reviewed prior to Synod, which will help us move through our business efficiently. There is no need to print the reports unless you so desire. Likewise, there is no need to print the Journal of the previous Synod.