General Pastors Conference 2024

Registrations are now open

All LCANZ pastors are encouraged to attend GPC. Non-emeriti pastors, that is, all pastors in an ‘active’ call, should consult with their district bishop if they are planning not to attend.

Registrations to confirm attendance at General Pastors’ Conference and Convention of General Synod opened in July 2024. The link to the site, which includes both events in the same registration, were sent out via an email communication from synod@lca.org.au. The link will be personalised to you whether you are or are not a pastor delegate to General Synod. Please note that payment via credit card will be required at the time of confirmation of attendance. It is your responsibility to work through reimbursement of your attendance with your congregation as applicable.

If you did not receive the email, or have lost this email, please contact gpc@lca.org.au to have this re-sent to you.

If you are attending both Synod and GPC, please ensure you select this option in the registration system.

Registrations will close strictly on 11 September 2024, and no registrations will be able to be processed or amended after this date. This is to respect those organising the event, to ensure accuracy with the electronic voting and door check-in systems, as well as to meet catering deadlines.

On the day registrations and walk-ins will not be accepted.

GPC will be commencing with a Service of the Lord’s Supper on Sunday 29 September at Concordia College Highgate. The timetable and program is still being finalised, but it is anticipated that check-in will open around 8:30am. The GPC Planning Committee acknowledges and recognises the impact this will have on your congregation, particularly if you are also a Synod Pastor Delegate to General Synod the following weekend. Whilst the opening service will not be livestreamed, arrangements are being made to provide pre-recorded sermon messages for your congregations to use in your absence.

GPC will be concluding with closing worship at 12:00pm on Wednesday 2 October, followed by lunch. The day will conclude at 2:00pm.

The GPC Planning Committee is working to finalise the program and Conference papers in the coming weeks. We are anticipating that documentation will be made available by late August at the latest.

A conference dinner will be held onsite at Concordia College on Sunday 29 September. The price of the dinner will be included in your registration fee.

Accommodation recommendations are available here

Flights
If you are a Pastor Delegate appointed by your District:
You are eligible to have your flights paid for by the LCA and you are required to use the FCM service. No flight-cost reimbursements will be made to you except in extraordinary circumstances. It is assumed that you will choose the most cost-effective fare for your travel from the flights available on the day that you book.

Your name has been registered with FCM and the team are ready and waiting for your call. Their phone number is 1800 458 949. If you have a login, you are welcome to use that (noting that their login procedures have recently been updated - FCM service).

Your accommodation, meals and ground transport are your own or your parish’s responsibility.

If you are attending General Pastors Conference but are not Synod Pastor Delegate:
Your flights, accommodation, meals and ground transport are your own or your parish’s responsibility. You are welcome to use FCM to make these arrangements, and you will need to provide a credit card for payment. Either call them on
1800 458 949 or use your FCM login - FCM service.

Driving
If you are driving to GPC, we encourage you to share travel and carpool with your brother pastors. Reimbursements for those who are eligible will be at the standard rate for payment with a car allowance (even if you do not receive a car allowance).

To claim travel reimbursement for GPC through HRS, please lodge a claim through the normal process, selecting K4. If you are a Pastor delegate to General Synod please ensure that you list ‘GPC-Synod Delegate’ in the notes before finalising your claim – if you don’t your parish will incur the cost of reimbursement.  If you are not a pastor delegate either list ‘GPC Non-Delegate’ in the notes or leave blank.

For Pastor delegates whose payroll is processed by another provider, you will need to lodge an expense claim with the LCA using the expense claim form on the LCA website.

Car Hire
If you wish to book a hire vehicle (at your cost) for use during GPC please click here to access the LCA’s discount scheme through Hertz.

Time in the conference agenda is at a premium given the focus on the Synod resolutions we will be asked to advise on, including The Way Forward.

However, the GPC Planning Committee is pleased to announce that Ms Kaley Payne, Producer and Editor of the Undeceptions podcast, has accepted the invitation to speak to us on the topic of ‘What we have learnt from the Undeceptions podcast for advocating well for the Christian faith.’  We anticipate that Kaley will work with Dr John Dickson, Undeceptions podcast host, currently serving at Wheaton College Illinois, in preparation. There will be an opportunity for you to reflect and share as part of Kaley’s time with us.

By way of Lutheran theology Dr Jeff Silcock will present the key ideas in Oswald Bayer’s foundational work Promissio, which Jeff has translated for publication next year. The book traces Luther’s journey to his Reformation discovery.  As with Kaley’s session there will be an opportunity for reflection and sharing.

The GPC organising committee is also arranging a limited number of shorter spots with other speakers.

Pastors are reminded that the duties and responsibilities of the General Pastors' Conference can be found in Section 5.6 of the LCA Constitution and By-laws. A PDF copy of this section of the By-laws can be found here.

• Pastor Matthew Bishop – GPC Chair
• Pastor Matthew Edgecomb – GPC Secretary
• Pastor Carl Thiele – GPC Planning Committee Member
• Bishop Paul Smith – GPC Planning Committee Member – Churchwide Bishop
• Bishop Neville Otto – GPC Planning Committee Member – Churchwide Assistant Bishop
• Dr Nigel Long – GPC Planning Committee Member - Secretary of the Church
• Chelsea Bellamy – Personal Assistant to Bishop Paul Smith and to Secretary Dr Nigel Long, and GPC Event Administrative Support