Region 5 —Evangelical Lutheran Church in America--Neenah, Wisconsin

 675 Deerwood Ave., Ste. 4  Neenah, Wisconsin 54956                 Phone: 920-720-9880

carl.evenson@ecunet.org                                                Fax: 920-720-9881

 Greetings to you in the name of Jesus.

 Celebrating ten years of service to Region 5 as your regional coordinator has given me pause for reflection this year. In these years our regional office is proud to have played a small role in bringing some 1,500 people through candidacy onto our rosters. We have assisted the assignment of some 4,000 candidates to our ELCA regions. And we have worked to bring about 750 pastors and lay ministers into Region 5 to serve in our twelve synods. 120 Associates in Ministry, Diaconal Ministers, and Deaconesses have gathered for conferences, and annual gatherings for Global Mission networking and World Hunger awareness have made a difference. 200 pastors have sought new call through our regional mobility process. And we have worked to smooth and solve the bureaucratic necessities of the moment with 22 bishops, and their supporting staffs.

 The twelve synods of Region 5 stretch from Iowa, through Illinois and Wisconsin, and include the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

 In our restructured churchwide office, regions will continue to be ambassadors to the synods, and messengers of synod perspectives to the churchwide office. In partnership with churchwide's new Vocation and Education unit, the Region 5 Coordinator continues to participate in synod candidacy and assignment matters, sharing in the nurture of candidates for ministry.

 Region 5 maintains a partnership with the two seminaries within its boundary: Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Region 5 bishops take part in the annual Bishops Visit at each of the seminaries of the ELCA.

 The Region 5 Steering Committee directs the region and Bishop Gary Wollersheim is the current chairperson. The region is financed by grants from the churchwide office, and income of seven cents per baptized member from each of the twelve synods. Thank you for supporting this ministry.

 —Rev. Carl Richard Evenson

         Region 5 Coordinator