The Herman Trede and Esther Trede Memorial Scholarship for the school year 2010-2011 is available this year to any student that is a member of a congregation in the Central/Southern Illinois Synod who is attending a Lutheran College, University, or Theological Seminary.
The Trede Scholarship was established in 1988 and is administered through the congregations of Peace Lutheran, Steeleville and St. John, Bremen.
Under the regulations of the scholarship it is made available synod-wide if there are no applicants from Peace, Steeleville or St. John, Bremen.
Students may request an application by writing to: Peace Lutheran Church, 303 N. Mulberry Street, Steeleville, Il 62288-1522 or by email at peacelutheran1@gmail.com.
Applications must be returned by September 1, 2012.
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Called and gathered by God in baptism,
we walk together with Christ |
It's not too late!
It’s not too late to register for classes this fall at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago! Have you ever wanted to deepen your understanding of the Bible? Did you ever wish you knew more about what Luther really believed? Would you like to understand more clearly the teachings of Islam? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there are classes at LSTC for you.
If you cannot travel to the Chicago campus our online classes may be the thing for you. This fall we are offering two courses: Pentateuch and Wisdom Literature and Greek I. Online courses are a wonderful way to not only immerse yourself in theological study but they also provide a wonderful forum for the exchange of ideas between faculty and students.
The fastest growing program at LSTC is the Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS), a really flexible program that lets students take classes in Bible, history, theology and a variety of other disciplines. This program is designed primarily for those who seek continuing education, professional development or simply want to understand their faith on a deeper level.
Unlike the Master of Divinity, this degree does not lead to ordained ministry, so the application process can be completed in a much shorter time. If you are interested in registering for classes this fall, or have any questions about online education, please contact Dr. R. Scott Chalmers, Director of Admissions, schalmers@lstc.edu, 773-256-0727.
A Training: God’s Care For Congregations in Times of Crisis
God’s Care for Congregations in Times of Crisis is a training designed to help congregations respond effectively to crisis situations. In times of crisis and disaster, a well-prepared congregation can be a source of strength and compassion for those who have been affected. The format used in Illinois is a half-day training event, consisting of a PowerPoint presentation, group discussion based on vignettes and support manuals for congregations.
Training Objectives:
- Recognize the need to be prepared for crises and disasters.
- Understand how individuals and communities typically respond to crises and disasters.
- Develop an appreciation for how compassionate and competent response can improve crisis outcomes.
- Develop next steps for increasing each participating congregation’s capacity to respond to crises and disasters.
Each participating congregation receives a God’s Care manual, which outlines basic crisis concepts and provides resources such as checklists and forms for implementing a response team. It would be helpful if prior to registration, participants have secured the support of their pastors/congregations.
The God’s Care training was developed and refined by Rick Armstrong, a Lutheran pastor, and Ann Eissfeldt, a Lutheran school psychologist, in Florida. Their experience with disasters, such as hurricanes and various internal congregational crises, led them to develop a training and a manual designed to help congregations prepare for times of crisis.
Please join us on Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Springhill Suites, located at 8101 West Higgins Road, in Chicago. You may register in advance by contacting Joy Medrano, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, 847/635-4653, or at Joy.Medrano@LSSI.org. Registration is $10 per person and can be paid either by check or cash the day of the event.
This event is sponsored by Lutheran Disaster Response, Lutheran Child and Family Services and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.
Registration for Lutheran Day 2012 Is Open
As in previous years, you will join Lutherans from across the state in study, prayer and action for greater justice and compassion in Illinois. There will be a workshop session in the morning, which will be followed by a gathering at the Capitol, where participants will join together for a prayer service in the Capitol Rotunda and pray for elected officials.
The Paul Simon Courage in Public Service Award will also be presented. This year the award will be presented to the Illinois National Guard. This award was developed to recognize a public official from Illinois who exemplifies the late Senator Simon’s commitment to developing just, compassionate and responsible public policy.
Lutheran Day is sponsored by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois, Lutheran Advocacy–Illinois, Advocate Healthcare and Mosaic. For more information, contact Joy Medrano at LSSI at 847/635-4653 or Joy.Medrano@LSSI.org.
To equip the saints
“To equip the saints for the work of ministry,
for building up of the body of Christ” Ephesians 4:12
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Photo after worship at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Arenzville, March 25, 2012
Front row: Marilyn Copenhaver (President, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon), Ron Copenhaver (Prince of Peace Lutheran), Cindy Kiesow (Prince of Peace Lutheran), Judy Settle (Prince of Peace Lutheran).
Back row: Wes Hendricker (President, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Arenzville), Pastor Cindy Krause (St. Peter’s Lutheran), Bishop John Roth, John and Gloria Hill (Prince of Peace Lutheran).
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On Sunday, March 11, 2012, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Arenzville, and the Men’s Group of St. Peter’s Lutheran voted to gift to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, $50,000 and $20,000, respectively, for mortgage debt reduction. This $70,000 constitutes roughly half of Prince of Peace Lutheran’s remaining mortgage debt. The two checks were handed to representatives of Prince of Peace Lutheran at the close of worship at St. Peter’s Lutheran on March 25, 2012. Have you ever heard of such a gift? Who are these churches?
St. Peter's Lutheran has existed more than a century longer than Prince of Peace Lutheran. St. Peter’s Lutheran is an open country church, just north and slightly west of the town of Arenzville, population 409 (2010 census). The congregation has been worshiping together at that site since 1850; you get there by turning west onto a country road from the hard road between Arenzville and Beardstown.
In the course of God’s constant faithfulness to the congregation, St. Peter’s Lutheran has repeatedly adapted to changing and challenging circumstances. The Wartburg Synod, which was organized in 1877 to serve the needs of German-speaking congregations in the largely English-speaking General Synod, was organized at this Arenzville church; yet within 40 years, in response to the needs of younger members and to the misgivings about the use of the German language created by World War I, the congregation transitioned to English speaking. Their stately, nearly 100-year-old church building was utterly destroyed in 1971 by a fire set by arsonists, and the congregation regrouped in a new building. An electrical fire took the congregation’s free-standing Parish Hall in May 2008, destroying the congregation’s Sunday School classrooms; the congregation turned this into an opportunity to replace them with enhanced Sunday School and youth facilities as an expansion of the current church building. Less than a year after that second fire, St. Peter’s Lutheran was rocked by the sudden and unexpected death of Pastor Deena Laird; again, the congregation regrouped and drew upon the promises and power of God.
For many years, both lay leaders and pastors of St. Peter’s Lutheran have taught and lived the truth that we are given life so that by the grace of God we may be generous with what God as gifted us with. In the words of the venerable Bethel Bible Series, we are “blessed to be a blessing.” In addition to providing for God’s work locally and beyond through the regular stewardship of the individuals and families at St. Peter’s Lutheran, outreach and ministry are expanded by income from church ground, including a 240-acre farm left as a bequest to the congregation, farmed by the Men’s Group.
Still, a gift of this sort to a sister congregation is a new venture in faith for St. Peter’s Lutheran.
The people of St. Peter's Lutheran have a heart for ministry to and with children and youth, and it moved them that Prince of Peace assumed its current mortgage debt out of a vision to engage the young people of Mount Vernon. In addition, St. Peter’s Lutheran recognized that the financial ability of Prince of Peace Lutheran to call a pastor will be significantly improved when the burden of their mortgage debt is lifted.
Mount Vernon is a small city with a population of slightly more than 15,000 residents. It is at the intersection of Interstates 57 and 64, 175 miles from Arenzville. Prince of Peace Lutheran sits on the south side of Broadway, the busy, four-lane road into Mount Vernon, about a mile from Broadway exit on I-57/64. The setting is ripe for renewal.
Prince of Peace Lutheran came into being in 1966. The congregation built its sanctuary in 1967. Prince of Peace Lutheran grew rapidly in its first decade, reaching its highpoint in average worship attendance in 1980. Gradual decline in attendance, with ups and downs along the way, followed for the next 25 years. It was within this 25-year period that the congregation sought to reach out to the community in a dramatic way with a Family Life Center.
In 1994, Prince of Peace Lutheran embarked on a building expansion plan to provide a Family Life Center suitable for Christian education classrooms, recreation, fellowship, and community activities. Sadly, though, Pastor Charles Luttinen, who spearheaded the building expansion effort, succumbed to cancer and died in 1995, as construction was underway.
Valiant efforts by succeeding pastors and lay leaders of Prince of Peace Lutheran to attend to the spiritual life of the congregation and to the debt load were followed by a significant internal conflict in 2005 that resulted in the congregation decreasing by half in a matter of months.
Today, Prince of Peace Lutheran is a relatively small band of believers with a conviction that God is calling them anew to their gospel-driven mission to young people and adults in Mount Vernon. This past year has been a good year at Prince of Peace Lutheran in terms of stabilizing numbers and lifting spirits. These surprising gifts from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and St. Peter’s Men’s Group give Prince of Peace Lutheran not only a financial boost toward the day when Prince of Peace Lutheran can again call a pastor; the gifts also assure those at Prince of Peace Lutheran that they are not alone in their efforts at congregational renewal – that they are indeed joined in the body of Christ with those whose love for the Lord extends also to them.
In her letter of appreciation to the people of St. Peter’s Lutheran, Prince of Peace Lutheran Council President Marilyn Copenhaver writes, “We feel as though we have been uplifted and joined together through the love of Christ with those we have never met … We look forward to many years of friendship in Christ with you and all our many ELCA congregations.”
A special notice from LSTC’s Youth in Mission program
Hello Friends!
The Youth in Mission office here at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago would like to announce an extension of the application deadline for this summer’s Serving Christ in the World Program. We will now be accepting applications until March 16, 2012. Please forward this information to any youth or youth directors who may be interested!
Serving Christ in the World: June 16-30, 2012
Current high school sophomores and juniors are invited to apply for this life-changing program, which guides its participants in exploring ways to live out their faith in the world. Participants will be challenged as they discover their leadership skills and explore their gifts for service through workshops, class sessions, worship, small group discussions, and site visits. Program participants will also travel to Mexico for a multicultural immersion experience. For more information please consult the attached brochure, or check us out on the web at www.lstc.edu/yim/. Applications are now being reviewed on a rolling basis. All application materials must be received no later than March 16, 2012.
Please encourage youth you know to apply!
Please join us when Youth in Mission hosts Recess on TUESDAY MARCH 6 (the Tuesday after Reading Week). Come and enjoy some treats and learn about our summer employment opportunities!
Blessings,
Katie Deaver
Youth in Mission Assistant
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 800-635-1116 ex. 725
The Youth in Mission office here at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago would like to announce an extension of the application deadline for this summer’s Serving Christ in the World Program. We will now be accepting applications until March 16, 2012. Please forward this information to any youth or youth directors who may be interested!
Serving Christ in the World: June 16-30, 2012
Current high school sophomores and juniors are invited to apply for this life-changing program, which guides its participants in exploring ways to live out their faith in the world. Participants will be challenged as they discover their leadership skills and explore their gifts for service through workshops, class sessions, worship, small group discussions, and site visits. Program participants will also travel to Mexico for a multicultural immersion experience. For more information please consult the attached brochure, or check us out on the web at www.lstc.edu/yim/. Applications are now being reviewed on a rolling basis. All application materials must be received no later than March 16, 2012.
Please encourage youth you know to apply!
Please join us when Youth in Mission hosts Recess on TUESDAY MARCH 6 (the Tuesday after Reading Week). Come and enjoy some treats and learn about our summer employment opportunities!
Blessings,
Katie Deaver
Youth in Mission Assistant
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 800-635-1116 ex. 725
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.
"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
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans
Living Lutheran: http://www.livinglutheran.com
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
773-380-2956 or Melissa.RamirezCooper@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans
Living Lutheran: http://www.livinglutheran.com
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
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
![[Click for larger image] The Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, bishop of the ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vTMZVZPPLVrBeaTc7W33I29cir5RdEg7mBLnSE0XNbuUH2IY7-pSZenBRysaHJm53SA5fCFoy5Xn3qaiLkxl1Z8XrYc0emrQ1w9lQD3P6LwcvD21qlbfYwRRu4LyQ4qnZaeuFiiA=s0-d)
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)
"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
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elcanews
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elcanews
John Brooks, (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
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