Director of Evangelical Mission Report to the West Virginia – Western Maryland Synod Assembly
May 2023
From where does the funding for the Director of Evangelical Mission (D.E.M.) come?
The position of the D.E.M. is supported through your mission support to the ELCA. In order to coordinate the partnership between the ELCA’s churchwide ministries and the 65 synods of this church, Directors for Evangelical Mission serve in positions shared by both of these expressions of this church. They are fully churchwide staff who are fully embraced by synods. My position in the Synod is 0.5 FTE.
What is the role of the Director of Evangelical Mission?
As your Director of Evangelical Mission, I serve under the guidance of the Bishop. The 4 areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
- Missional vision and planning for the synod
- Mission development or “new starts”
- Congregational renewal or “redevelopment”
- Mission Support and stewardship
MISSIONAL VISION AND PLANNING FOR THE SYNOD
In November of 2022, the Synod Council defined the role of the synod as: “God’s people gathered by the Holy Spirit to support the work of the church by: Fostering community and communication; Developing and equipping leaders; and Providing support for ongoing discipleship.”
As the Director of Evangelical Mission, part of my call is to work alongside the Bishop and the Synod Council to find ways in which we can support the congregations in living out their visions for mission.
MISSION DEVELOPMENT OR “NEW STARTS”
At the current time, there are no new mission starts on the territory of the WV-W MD Synod.
CONGREGATIONAL RENEWAL OR “REDEVELOPMENT”
Of the 4 responsibilities listed under the purview of the DEM, this one receives the most attention. I, alongside the Bishop, work with the congregations to explore new forms of cooperation with other local Lutheran congregations as well as our Ecumenical partners. “Renewal” happens when a congregation has functioning committees and is seeking to breathe new life into existing structures. “Redevelopment” happens when congregations are willing to look at those existing structures and decide that a new structure is needed.
Redevelopment can take different forms. Often this includes changing the model of the congregational call itself. Some of the models include: Parish, Federated, and Union. Other arrangements include Mergers, Consolidation, House Church, Synodically Authorized Worshiping Communities, and Independent Congregations. Redevelopment may also mean Holy Closure. For more information on each of these, please contact me.
Redevelopment conversations are difficult but necessary. Changes to the ELCA assignment process for graduating seminarians, relocation challenges for families from outside our region, retirements with few retired ministers remaining in the synod, along with other challenges, means our congregations without pastors need to think creatively. Questions are our friends… How can we cooperate with each other to better utilize our resources? What is the role of an expanded lay leadership program? Are there people who feel called to the ministry but need an alternative route such as Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM)?
As I work alongside Bishop Riegel in helping the congregations, we often hear one fear that sets the initial tone for this conversation. People think the synod wants to close their congregation so we can have their congregations money and buildings. Please hear me…Bishop Riegel and I do not want to close your congregations. We cannot close your congregations. We will walk with you on the journey to find every possible solution that will keep your congregation functioning if that is a viable option. When an ELCA Lutheran church closes, the community loses an important voice for today’s world. The community loses a generational witness to grace filled lives through faith and how faith has helped people through hard times.
MISSION SUPPORT AND STEWARDSHIP
The synod would not exist without your faithful stewardship. Your mission support dollars make the ministries of the Synod possible and they support ELCA ministries on national and global levels.
Your support of the ministries affiliated with our Synod is crucial for their ability to serve.
WVU Campus Ministry
Community Lutheran Partners
Camp Luther
United Lutheran Seminary (formerly Gettysburg)
Your support of the Rostered Leaders Fund helps to offset the debt our pastors incurred during college and seminary. This is a unique offering of our synod that has helped relieve the burden of debt for several of our pastors.
Your support also helps the larger church serve as Christ’s hands and feet around the world.
…And now, for the rest of the story
In January 2024, my husband accepted a new call to the Mountain Lutheran Parish in the Potomac Conference. This has changed my base of operation. I am still traveling and aiding the congregations as needed but I am doing so from the starting point of Franklin WV.
Clergy Continuing Education Committee – The Continuing Education Committee consists of 1 representative from each conference and the Bishop as an advisory member. It is the responsibility of the committee to plan the continuing education events for the synod clergy. Rostered leaders are expected to complete 50 hours of continuing education each year.
While we usually have 2 events each year, one in the spring and one in the fall, the committee opted to only host 1 event in the Fall of 2024. There are numerous offerings through United Lutheran Seminary, WV Council of Churches, and others in which our clergy are invited to participate. The Fall 2024 event will be held Oct. 22-24 and the presenter will be the Dr. Kimberly Wagner, Assistant Professor of Preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary.
With the move, I will no longer be serving as the representative from the Upper Ohio Valley Conference. A new person will soon be appointed to represent that conference and a new chairperson will be chosen by the committee. I have enjoyed my time serving on the committee and look forward to offering more continuing education opportunities through the office of the DEM.
Worship leadership – On December 31, 2023, I completed my assignment as the interim for the Mountain Lutheran Parish. The Parish called two pastors who began on Jan. 1, 2024. They are The Rev. Angela Lambert and The Rev. Paul Schafer. They will serve as co-pastors in the MLP.
I continue to travel and serve as needed in the Synod’s congregations. Each pastoral vacancy offers the opportunity to look at the ministry of the congregation and to set a new or renewed vision for the children of God in that worshiping community. At times I am invited in to help congregations with a pastor as they look to the future. This can be difficult work. It’s easy to get lost in declining numbers, fewer financial resources, and the complicated leadership dynamics which many of our congregations experience. I encourage them to remain open to the Holy Spirit and the new ways in which they can do God’s work in their communities.
In conclusion, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Director of Evangelical Mission. I am grateful to Bishop Riegel for our partnership in serving the congregations of the WV-W MD Synod.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Sherri Schafer
Director of Evangelical Mission
WV-W MD Synod, ELCA
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