Ministry Support Committee

Mission Statement: Enabling Christians of the Northern Illinois Synod to realize their call to ministry as both lay and professional workers.

To accomplish the mission, we provide resources, support, and continuing education within our synod, in cooperation with other synods, agencies, and institutions within the ELCA and the Church.

By definition, the Ministry Support Committee's main purpose is to support those who work in or are interested in ministry, both lay and rostered. The committee is made up of seven (7) different subcommittees that take on this work. They are: Candidacy, Employee Assistance Program, Professional Leader's Conference, Salary Guidelines, Spiritual Formation, First Call Theological Education and Mutual Ministry, with each subcommittee having at least one (1) liaison back to the committee as a whole. Our committee as a whole meets three times a year.

We serve our Synod in three distinct areas. One area is shepherding candidates interested in rostered ministry through the entire candidacy process. A second area is the support and professional care for those working in ministry. This includes such issues as developing compensation guidelines; providing spiritual opportunities; and promoting usage of evaluation tools. The third area is providing first call theological and continuing education opportunities.

The budget and staff cuts on the synod level have deeply affected our mission. Some of the oversight for programs, such as First Call Theological Education, previously handled by staff liaison Pr. Barb Rapp has now fallen to the Bishop’s office. Also, after discussion at last year’s synod assembly, we have worked with Natalie Andrews, our Synod Council liaison, and Cheryl Lefler, also a Synod Council member, in developing suggestions for making the synod’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) effective and efficient, being good stewards of the $10,000.00 allocation in the budget (Please note: If you are covered under the Board of Pensions health plan, you are covered by and have access to a robust EAP. Please consult your booklets or call the BOP at 1.800.352.2876 for more information). Furthermore, we strive to support seminarians financially, but with budget cuts, we know that we could always do more.

In spite of the monetary restrictions, there is wonderful work being done by our subcommittees: candidacy, spiritual formation and professional leader conference have advance planned wonderful events in their areas; salary guidelines continues to improve their forms to be more “user-friendly;” and mutual ministry continues to update the synod’s website with the most current information.

This mutual ministry information is easy to access and easy to use. Prayerfully consider establishing a mutual ministry team in your setting. Also on the web are helpful hints on how to lift up and celebrate the ministry of rostered leaders and other staffed persons. They are on the synod web page here: http://www.nisynod.org/resources/mutualministry/index.htm Information regarding salary guidelines and be found here: http://www.nisynod.org/resources/salaryguidelines/index.htm  (or, click on the “resources” tab on the synod home page).

A great team of people has done our work. The committee’s roster includes: Natalie Andrews (Synod Council Liaison), Pastor Lee Bennight, Grace Burkart, Sue Cording, Pastor Steven Dow, Pastor Jane McChesney, Craig Peterson, John Schou, Ellen Whitcomb, and Linda Wold. We also thank those who serve on our subcommittees, as well as those who have served previously. Again, thank you! If you are interested in serving with us in these areas, please let us know. People with human resources experience might be particularly helpful.

We continually find new and exciting ways to serve all ministers in our synod. Through prayers of discernment and God’s grace, we are eager to continue our mission, supporting all the ministers of this synod, growing the body of Christ deep and wide.

Pastor Thomas E. Rogers Jr.

Chair, Ministry Support Committee