Conferences & Deans
To reach a dean, please contact the Synod office at synodoffice@upstatenysynod.org.
Central Crossroads Conference
The Central Crossroads Conference is formed of congregations that stretch from Cortland to Canada and Dolgeville to Skaneateles with the majority of our congregations centered in the greater Syracuse area. Our congregations include multi-cultural urban ministries, suburban communities and rural outposts, as well as campus ministries in Syracuse and Ithaca.
Pastor Susan Salomone
Foothills Conference
The Foothills Conference consists of 17 congregations located in Delaware, Fulton, Montgomery, Schoharie, Otsego and Chenango counties. It is a region of hills, valleys, forests, farms, villages and small cities. Foothills congregations serve in rural, small town and small cities sharing the good news of Jesus and meeting needs in our local communities. We do so with a reliance on shared lay and rostered leadership. The Foothills Conference is proud of founding the Summer Institute of Theology at Hartwick College and have helped support this valuable ecumenical educational resource for laity and clergy for over 35 years.
Pastor Jeff Silvernail
Genesee Finger Lakes Conference
The Genesee Finger Lakes Conference consists of congregations and ministries that spread from Rochester to Elmira, Lyons to Geneseo and include urban, suburban, small town and rural settings. The conference includes the South Wedge Mission and The Table, a joint Lutheran-Episcopal campus ministry at the Rochester Institute of Technology. GFL Conference congregations engage in a number of outreach ministries, including many that address food insecurity in various ways. In addition to building relationships with local ecumenical and inter-religious partners, many congregations are deepening partnerships with neighboring ELCA churches. Rostered leaders have the opportunity to gather at monthly ministeriums, bi-monthly studies of upcoming worship texts, and during an annual pre-Lenten retreat.
Pastor Amy Walter-Peterson
Hudson Mohawk Conference
The Hudson Mohawk Conference spans Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties, bisected by the Hudson River. The Conference has 30 congregations, with varying contexts: rural, small town, suburban, and urban. We hold monthly ministeriums that provide collegiality, support, and education for rostered ministers. We also have many active Synod Authorized Ministers (SAMs) who are trained and certified through the Upstate NY Synod SAM program.
The Conference funding arm, FESMOS (First English, St. Mark’s and Our Savior’s) was created from the closing of the congregations whose initials make up its acronym. FESMOS funds are used to support regional ministries across denominational lines. Congregations in the Hudson Mohawk Conference are involved in various local and ecumenical ministries, including shelters, feeding ministries, campus ministries, and advocacy groups.
Pastor Becca Ehrlich
Niagara Frontier Conference
The Niagara Frontier Conference is made up of 31 congregations, and a number of additional valued ministries.
The Niagara Frontier Conference spans geographically from the shores of Lake Ontario to the North, Lake Erie to the West, South to Cattaraugus Creek, and East to the Genesee Valley. Our congregations are urban and suburban, metropolitan and small- town. In addition to semi-annual assemblies, we come together to share youth and outdoor ministries, share in God’s work with our hands, and work to benefit a variety of ministries through the partnership of Lutheran Charities of WNY, St. John Lutheran Home for Children, and the Lutheran Foundation of WNY.
Pastor Jeremiah Smith
Southwestern Conference
The Southwestern Conference has congregations across Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties, both town and country, and small city settings. Southwestern has a strong sense of collegiality among rostered leaders and SAMs, with congregations helping and supporting each other. This conference is the setting for Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center (LCLC), a year-round center for outdoor ministry, offering a wide range of retreat and camp opportunities. In Jamestown is Lutheran, an agency that offers housing options from apartments to assisted living to help people of all ages gain or retain independence. Learn more at lutheran-jamestown.org.
Pastor Timothy Hoyer
Elected Deans
Deans are the official representatives of the Office of the Bishop within each of our conferences. Each dean is a minister of Word and Sacrament residing in their respective conference. Deans are elected by their conferences for a four-year term which begins June 1, following election at the Conference Assembly.
The dean serves as a communicator between congregations, rostered leaders, the conference, and the synod. The dean is a resource for rostered ministers and congregations in the conference and is available to offer advice, share information, and as needed, to meet with congregations during times of pastoral transition, re-structuring, and conflict.
Dean Responsibilities
The dean presides at conference meetings, serves as the chair of their Conference Council, and works with their Council to enhance ministry in and through the conference congregations and associations. The dean is responsible for the administration of conference funds and for the coordination of all activities within the conference. Other responsibilities include securing conference representatives for all necessary positions and preparing an annual conference report for the Synod Assembly.