Roth to be installed bishop of ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod Oct. 15

     CHICAGO (ELCA) - The Rev. Dr. S. John Roth will be installed as bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Oct. 15. ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson will preach and preside at the installation.
     "I am overwhelmed by the trust the people of the synod have placed in me," said Roth. "It is a humbling thing to be inundated with so many hopes and prayers and expressions of support."
     Roth was elected June 4 to a six-year term as bishop of the synod. At the time of his election, he was pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Ill., since 1988.
     Roth succeeds the Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, who announced his resignation as bishop June 30 to accept a call as pastor of an ELCA congregation in Hot Springs, Ark.
     Born in St. Louis, Roth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind. He attended Eberhard-Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany, before earning a Master of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Christ Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Vanderbilt University.
     Following his ordination by the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in 1981, Roth was assistant pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Glen Ellyn, Ill., and prior to that a pastoral assistant at Lutheran Church of the Living Christ, Florissant, Mo.
     Among his church and community leadership roles, Roth was dean of the West Central Conference of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod and a member of the synod council. He served as a volunteer hospital chaplain at a Jacksonville hospital and a correctional center.
     Roth and his wife, Kristina, are parents of three children: Maria, Laura and Sam.
     The ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod has more than 47,155 baptized members in 140 congregations. The synod office is in Springfield. For more information about the synod, visithttp://www.csis-ELCA.org on the Internet.
     The installation will take place at 245 N. Amos Ave., Springfield, Ill.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 4.2 million members in 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
773-380-2956 or Melissa.RamirezCooper@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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Rediscover Macedonia - a Spirit of Gratitude and Generosity

We want you to know, brothers and sisters,

about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia.

During a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty

have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. --2 Corinthians 8:2

Have you rediscovered the spirit of gratitude and generosity present in the early Christians from Macedonia?  As the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, their abundant joy overflowed in a wealth of generosity.  It is this spirit of joy that we wish to share with all congregations in our church. 

The Macedonia Project is an important piece of the Central / Southern Illinois Synod Missional Plan. While this plan includes the formation of new synod committees and mission tables, it is through God’s word, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that our congregations will discover a new spirit for ministry.  This is already evident in the congregations working together in various renewal clusters within our synod.

The Macedonia Project is an initiative by our Mission Support and Stewardship Table to live into our new missional plan. 

The goals of this project include:

·         One-on-one conversations with Rostered Leaders by the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission 

·         Macedonia workshops that embrace a spirit of gratitude and generosity

·         Introduction of tools to grow well-formed stewards

·         Introduction of Mission Interpretation Ministry for each congregation

·         Development of a specific Mission Support Strategy for the synod

·         Stewardship focus at 2012 Synod Assembly, including Dr. Mark Alan Powell from Trinity Seminary

These goals invite us to wrestle with broader and more challenging questions:

• How does Paul’s Macedonia experience continue in our faith communities today?
• How can your congregation experience great joy and an overflowing wealth of generosity?
• How can we create a church with such a culture? 
• Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones and take some risks to rediscover this spirit?
• Where are God’s gifts already present in our community to help this happen?
• How will we support God’s work in the future?

These questions and many more will be addressed through a two-part workshop series offered in two locations in our synod.  

      Workshop I

St. John's Lutheran     Bloomington, IL         Saturday          August 27, 2011             9:00AM-12:00 PM  

Prince of Peace           Mt. Vernon, IL            Sunday            August 28, 2011              2:00-5:00 PM

Workshop II

St. John's Lutheran     Bloomington, IL         Saturday          October 22, 2011             9:00AM-12:00 PM  

Prince of Peace           Mt. Vernon, IL            Sunday            October 23, 2011              2:00-5:00 PM

We will work to rediscover the spirit of gratitude and generosity present in the Macedonians by engaging the following topics:

      Workshop I Topics

·         Introduction of Macedonians in scripture and related theme material

·         Biblical principles for well-formed stewards

·         Equip people to become strong steward leaders

·         One-on-one conversations regarding stewardship

·         Preparing for a “relational ask”

      Workshop II Topics

·         Identifying opportunities and obstacles to the Spirit

·         Biblical stewardship: our duty and delight

·         Equipping Leaders for a “relational ask”

·         Developing your stewardship plan

In preparation for the first workshop experience,

we invite your congregation to:

1.      Identify three to five people to attend both workshops

2.      Read II Corinthians Chapter 8

3.      Print a copy of the trend report for your congregation at www.elca.org . Go to Find a Congregation in the upper right and enter your congregation’s name and state.  When the profile comes up, click on Full Trend Report for This Congregation on the lower right.  Looking at the numbers submitted by your congregation, note the level and trends of the following: baptized, average worship attendance, percent attending worship, regular giving, giving per confirmed member, Mission Support dollars, Mission Support percentage.  Be prepared to discuss your observations in Workshop I.   

On behalf of leaders across the synod, we look forward to your congregation joining us as we rediscover Macedonia’s spirit of gratitude and generosity.  If you have any questions, please contact me.

Blessings in your ministries this fall!          

Terry Moore, Diaconal Minister

Director for Evangelical Mission

Assistant to the Bishop

217.753.7915

Terry.Moore@csis-elca.org

E-mail RSVP by Monday, August 15, 2011

There is NO registration fee.

Rev. Dr. S. John Roth Elected Bishop

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Dr. S. John Roth was elected June 4 to a six-year term as bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Roth, 57, was elected at the synod assembly in Springfield. Roth is pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, Ill., where he has served since 1988.
"I am overwhelmed by the trust the synod has placed in me, and I will do everything I can to live up to that trust," Roth said. Roth told the assembly that "our principal challenge is to trust and to articulate the Christian gospel." He said efforts to define the synod's mission, fund ministries, support congregations and pastors, be inclusive, interpret Scripture and other challenges "will lack focus, energy and staying power unless they credibly proceed from our Lutheran theological core: realization of our profound human brokenness and God's undying grace through Christ crucified and risen."
Roth was elected on the fifth ballot for bishop with 218 votes to 101 for the Rev. Robert J. Rasmus, senior pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Urbana, Ill. The Rev. Dr. Michael C. Hoy, pastor of First Lutheran Church, Decatur, Ill., was also a nominee on the fourth ballot for bishop. There were 49 names on the first, or nominating, ballot.
Roth will succeed the Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, who previously announced his resignation as bishop effective June 30 to accept a call as pastor of an ELCA congregation in Hot Springs, Ark. Freiheit has served as bishop of the synod since 2000. The Rev. Gary L. Hansen, retired bishop of the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod, will serve as interim bishop until Roth becomes bishop Sept. 1. Roth will be installed Oct. 15 at a location to be named.
Born in St. Louis, Roth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind. He attended Eberhard-Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany, before earning a Master of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. He earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Christ Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Vanderbilt University.
Following his ordination by the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in 1981, Roth was assistant pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Glen Ellyn, Ill., and prior to that, a pastoral assistant at Lutheran Church of the Living Christ, Florissant, Mo.
Among his church and community leadership roles, Roth is presently dean of the West Central Conference of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod and a member of the synod council. He has served as a volunteer hospital chaplain at a Jacksonville hospital and a correctional center. He was also a voting member of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis.
Roth and his wife, Kristina, are parents of three children: Maria, Laura and Sam.
The ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod has more than 47,155 baptized members in 140 congregations. The synod office is in Springfield.


About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with approximately 4.5 million members in more than 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod Bishop Accepts New Call

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), notified the synod this week that he will resign as bishop effective June 30. Freiheit, 63, will begin a new call July 1 as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Hot Springs Village, Ark.
     "It has been my desire to someday return to parish ministry, and yet I did not expect that service to begin quite this quickly," Freiheit wrote in a March 30 letter to the synod. "As I have concluded ministries in three separate congregations, I did so knowing that there were incomplete ministry objectives. As I prepare to conclude my ministry as synodical bishop, I do so realizing that I again do so with incomplete ministry objectives. Each of the congregations I served continued faithfully in their missions after I left with new spirit-led leadership, and I am confident that the same will be true for the
Central/Southern Illinois Synod."
     Serving as bishop of the synod "has been humbling as well as exhilarating," Freiheit wrote, adding that he accepted his new call "with mixed feelings and regret" that it came a year before concluding his second term as bishop.
     Freiheit was first elected bishop in 2000. He had previously served as pastor of three ELCA congregations in Illinois.
     Freiheit explained that while visiting his predecessor, the late Rev. Alton Zenker, he became interested in possibly serving the Hot Springs Village congregation after his term as bishop ended in 2012. Zenker and his wife had moved to the area after he left office.
     "Bishop Freiheit's ministry as bishop has been centered in his proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop. "He has clearly and consistently called us to our unity in Christ. He has challenged and encouraged us to be engaged together in God's mission for the life of the world."
     Hanson said Freiheit's strong commitment to parish ministry is reflected in his decision to accept the call to Christ Lutheran Church.
     "He and (his wife) Sandy share a love for the people of this church, praying daily for our lives of faith and witness. In each of his calls, Bishop Freiheit has modeled a life of stewardship, inviting us to imagine what we can do together for the sake of the gospel," Hanson said.
     The synod intends to conduct an election for Freiheit's successor at the Central/Southern Illinois Synod Assembly June 2-4 in Springfield, Freiheit wrote. The synod council, in consultation with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, will arrange for an interim bishop to serve from July 1 until the new bishop's term begins Sept. 1, he added.
     The Central/Southern Illinois Synod has more than 54,000 baptized members in 153 congregations. The synod office is in Springfield.
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     Information about the ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod is at http://www.csis-ELCA.orgon the Web.   
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with approximately 4.5 million members in more than 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

For information contact:
John Brooks, (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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