I am feeling a little bit guilty. Our last two staff meetings have had to be rescheduled due to commitments I had. Of all of the synod staff, Bishop Wollersheim has the most complex schedule, but our synod staff’s meeting dates are cleared with his calendar before they are ever scheduled. Changing a date isn’t all that easy because it impacts lots of people. Do you know the synod staff?Bishop Wollersheim, Sandy Musch and I all work full-time from our office in Rockford. Bishop is the synod’s pastor and CEO. Sandy serves as assistant to the bishop and handles the complex administrative matters. She has worked for the synod from the very beginning of the ELCA, so she carries a lot of history. I coordinate call process for the synod, work with the North Conference and cannot begin to describe everything else I do. I am sure this is true for any “generalist.” Pastor Kurt Nordby, our Director of Evangelical Mission and Assistant to the Bishop, works full-time out of our Rock Island office. He is the staff liaison to the East Conference. As DEM, he also works in the areas of mission development, stewardship and mission strategy.
If you have called the synod office, you have no doubt spoken to Judi Fields, Julie Lewis, June Cain or Nancy Corey. They provide the support that the full-time staffers need to do their jobs. I want to be as responsive as possible to people’s needs, so I often tell them that if they call and I am not available to be sure to speak with June. She makes sure that I get my messages and responds in a timely fashion. June is also the synod’s bookkeeper. Judi is our receptionist and assistant to Sandy. Julie is the office manager and is executive secretary to the bishop. Nancy is the Rock Island office manager and assists Kurt.
We also have six part-time assistants for the remaining conferences. Pastor Tom Larsen relates to the Southwest Conference, Pastor Mike Clark to the West Conference, Pastor Kurt Hansen to the Northwest Conference, Deaconess Cheryl Erdmann to the Northeast Conference, Pastor Chris Stienstra to the Central Conference, and Pastor Tim Kenyon to the South Conference. They provide much needed assistance in the call process and pastoral care in a cost effective way.
The synod staff is rounded out by a part-time assistant for candidacy, Pastor Barb Rapp, a part-time communication director, Associate in Ministry Karin Graddy, and a part-time youth coordinator, Mary Lasits.
I have the privilege of working with all of these folks on a daily basis. That is a gift to my life and work. A tremendous amount of work is done by our support staff and part-time assistants without much recognition. They are a gift to the synod.
Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. Need help from the staff? Just call! We look forward to working with you. Pictured is the staff at worship just prior to our last meeting. --JC
Thank you for that information! I tend to march along in my life and the work of my congregation, forgetting about the synod staff much of the time. It's good to know names. It makes it easier and more connected to lift them in prayer.
ReplyDeleteFervent and loving prayers for all the staff of the NIS. Good job!
How I wish everyone could serve either on synod council or synod staff. Then everyone could see the depth of ministry done at the synodical level. These are souls who deserve our respect, love and support for their ministry sake. I remain thankful for our bishop and those who represent him so very well. Thanks for what you do!
ReplyDeleteI certainly appreciate Pastor Bergren's comments. I have never said this publicly: When I began my work on the synod staff over eight years ago, I gained a new respect for those who have served on the staff of the synod or its predecessors.
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