synod

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.
2. 2
   An administrative division of churches, either the entire denomination, as in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, or a mid-level division (middle judicatory, district) as in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
3. 3
   An assembly or council having civil authority (formal); a legislative body.
4. 4
   A conjunction of two or more of the heavenly bodies.