Maybe it should be the presbyteries rather than a commission of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that decides the future of synods. At least that’s the idea of many of those who took part in a mini-course July 23 at Synod School, a midsummer ministry of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. More than 40 Presbyterians gathered in an amphitheater in Siebens Hall at Buena Vista University here to discuss the future of synods.

The “Nuns on the Bus” are back from their 6,800-mile trek across the U.S., but their hardest job may be yet to come: convincing the Republican-led House to pass immigration reform.