Director of Evangelical Mission Report to the West Virginia – Western Maryland Synod Assembly
May 2025
(The first part of this report defines the role of the DEM and the relationship with the Synod. Jump to page 4 for last years activities and what we are looking forward to in 2025.)
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 0.5FTE.
What is the role of the Director of Evangelical Mission?
The 4 areas of focus for a Director of Evangelical Mission 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
DEMs are a key resource for congregations and leaders seeking tools and counsel for starting a new ministry or revitalizing existing ministries, as well as how to identify, develop and equip leaders for mission and ministry.
The ELCA provides by services to the WV-W MD Synod through a “Purchase of Services” agreement. I serve under the direction of the Bishop and Synod Council. With this type of contract, my areas of focus may differ from that of other DEMs.
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 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, Synod 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; DEM MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2024/2025
PASTOR JACK AND THE MOUNTAINTOP CONGREGATIONS
There are 11 congregations that make up what I am calling the Mountaintop. They include; The Friendsville-Accident Parish, Shepherd of the Hills (Deep Creek/McHenry), Emmanuel (Bittinger), Zion (Jennings), St. John (Swanton), St. John (Red House), St. Paul (Aurora), St. Mark (Oakland), and St. John’s (Davis).
In Oct. 2024, the Virginia Synod DEM reached out to see if I had a location that could use a 1-year interim with a history of redevelopment in congregations. With 4 of the congregations in the Mountaintop region of the Synod being vacant and not able to independently support a called pastor, I immediately thought of them. I have been working with Bishop Riegel for several years to find a way to provide pastoral leadership in the area. Strong lay leadership and the support of the Campus Ministry pastors Ben and Courtney, CLP Executive Director Deacon Mary, the Bishop and myself has helped the congregations without a called pastor continue to hold worship services. In the long term, we recognize this area presents an opportunity to “think outside the box” when finding a way to work together.
I worked with St. John’s Red House and they called Pastor Jack Palzer as a full-time, 1-year intentional interim. My plan is that, while on synod territory, he will work with all the Mountaintop congregations to discern if there is an arrangement that would help ensure continued pastoral leadership in all the congregations. I approached Synod Council with the plan and Bishop Riegel suggested that the Synod fund contracting part of Pastor Palzer’s time from St. John’s so that he could work with the 11 congregations. The Synod Council approved the plan and Pastor Palzer began his ministry at St. John’s Red House on November 1, 2024.
As of the submission of this report on April 4, 2025, Pastor Palzer has been busy re-energizing the St. John’s congregation and helping them to discern their mission and vision. The Mountaintop pastors and lay folks have met and folks are on-board with trying to find a way in which everyone can work together to keep ministry alive on the Mountaintop.
LISTENING WITH LOVE
Remembering the role of the Synod as defined by Synod Council, (“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.”)…
I held 4 listening sessions around the Synod in the late summer and fall of 2024. The purpose of was to meet with pastors and lay people and to ask how I could best support their ministry in my role as the DEM. There are grants available through the ELCA for evangelism, ministry development, etc. and I was hopeful we could utilize some of the grant money to help our congregations.
Using feedback from the listening sessions, I submitted and was awarded a grant for Evangelism in the amount of $5000. The grant is for the program called “Listening with Love; Foundations of Pastoral Care”. It was created by Rev. Dr. John Unger and Rev. Marti Unger and they are serving as facilitators for the workshops. The purpose of LWL is to train lay people how to provide compassionate, Christ Centered care for each other. As more and more of our congregations join together in ministry, this training will equip disciples to assist the Pastor in caring for the members of the congregation.
There have been 5 workshops scheduled. The first was on March 22 at St. Mark’s in Oakland MD. Other dates are: May 17 at St. James in Uvilla (Shepherdstown Parish), July 19 at Grace Lutheran in Petersburg, July 26 at Trinity Lutheran in Charleston, and August 23 at St. Mark in Wheeling WV.
We are in an exciting time for the church. The biggest mission field lies in our own communities. During a time of so much uncertainty, there is one thing that will always be certain…the Good News of Jesus Christ. Listening with Love helps us to share our faith. Sharing our faith story, serving in Jesus’s name, praying with others, and inviting folks to join us in worship, are ways in which we play a part of sharing the Good News with those who most need to hear it.
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
Feedback
Post your comment on this topic.