Upper Susquehanna Synod confronts shrinking membership, pastor shortage

Camp Mount Luther in Mifflinburg became a planning table for the Upper Susquehanna Synod as leaders faced a hard arithmetic: fewer members, fewer pastors and fewer congregations able to stand alone. At its 39th annual assembly, the Lewisburg-based synod looked past routine business and toward mergers, partnerships and staffing changes that could reshape how Union County churches operate.

The 2026 assembly met June 6 under the theme “Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow,” with Rev. Amy Reumann listed as keynote speaker. Bishop Craig A. Miller led the gathering, which also included a budget, constitutional changes and elections to Synod Council. That matters because Synod Council serves as the synod’s board of directors and its interim legislative authority between assemblies.

The strain is already visible. The synod includes 112 congregations across 10 counties, but leaders said several congregations have closed, some have merged, and others are sometimes left without a pastor or lay leader available to preside and preach. Vice President Noah Roux said the synod is exploring partnerships with other synods and new ways of doing ministry in the 21st century, a sign that shared staffing and collaboration are moving from theory to necessity.

The numbers behind the concern are stark. Baptized membership fell 26 percent in eight years, from 28,879 in 2017 to 21,492 in 2024. Active participation dropped from 11,740 to 7,314. In-person worship attendance fell from 6,148 to 3,871, while online worship attendance reached 1,251 in 2024. Regular giving declined from $10,283,296 in 2017 to $8,601,552 in 2024, and mission support slipped from $771,390 to $628,761. The number of organized congregations also fell, from 125 to 115.

For Mifflinburg and the wider Union County region, the consequences go beyond Sunday services. Churches often anchor youth programs, food assistance, volunteer networks and meeting space in small towns, and a weaker staffing pipeline could force some congregations to merge, cut programs or rely more heavily on lay leadership. The assembly’s bulletin said its offering would support Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania, while a July 2025 report said the synod received a $20,000 grant to strengthen lay leadership and expand ministry in rural communities.

The Upper Susquehanna Synod is one of 65 synods in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the changes under discussion in Mifflinburg suggest the next chapter will depend on tighter cooperation and leaner local operations if congregations are to remain open and active.