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28th Annual Indiana-Kentucky
Synod Assembly
June 5-7, 2015
Indianapolis Marriott East
7202 East 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN
Bulletin of Reports
28th Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5 - 7, 2015
Indianapolis Marriott East
Indianapolis, IN
Contents of the 2015 I-K Synod Assembly Bulletin of Reports
•
Agenda
•
Pre-assembly Workshops
•
Made New for Mission Banquet Anniversary Dinner
•
Cheryl Peterson, Keynote Speaker
•
ELCA Representative Kathryn Lohre
•
Synod Musicians
•
Map of Marriott East
•
Bishop William O. Gafkjen's Report, including rostered leader and congregational transitions
•
Vice-President Ted Miller
•
Secretary Judy Bush
•
Treasurer Sue Miller, including congregational giving reports
•
Mission Support/Operating Budget
•
Resolution R-01-15
•
Nominations Received
•
Nomination Biography for Synod Secretary
•
Clergy Compensation Standards
•
Lay Roster Compensation Standards
•
Core Values
•
Rev. Rudy Mueller
•
Rev. Heather Apel
•
Rev. Nancy Nyland
•
Rev. Jerry O'Neal
•
Danielle Burrus
•
Region 6 Director Marilyn Smith
•
Portico
•
Leadership Support
•
Candidacy
•
Community Organizing (CORE)
•
ELCA Malaria Campaign
•
Region 6 Archives
•
Mission Investment Fund
•
Trinity Lutheran Seminary
•
Wittenberg University
•
Letter from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
•
I-K Synod Constitution
•
Grace Gathering
•
I-K Synod Service Project: "Beyond SNAP"
•
Map of area restaurants
•
Those Who Have Gone Before Us
Indiana-Kentucky Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
28th ANNUAL ASSEMBLY
Breathe, Spirit, Breathe
Indianapolis Marriott East
Indianapolis, Indiana
Friday, June 5, 2015
9:00
Synod Council Meeting (Indianapolis Ballroom – Salon A)
11:00 MissionFest move in and set up/Registration set up (Atrium)
12:00 Orientation for Registration Volunteers and Greeters (Atrium)
2:00
Pre-Assembly Workshops (2 hours)
 Congregational History (Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-3)
 Doing Justice: Actions Speak Louder Than Words (Grand Ballroom – Salons 6-8)
 Multisensory Worship (Veterans Hall 1)
3:00
Assembly Begins with Onsite Registration (Atrium)
Collect your nametag, meal tickets and materials; visit Mission Fest booths; browse
through the Steeple People Bookstore; greet old friends and new colleagues.
4:15
Welcome and Orientation for First Time Attendees; all voting members are invited to
attend this session (Veterans Hall 1)
5:00
Onsite Registration Closes (reopens Sat., June 6 at 7:30 a.m.)
5:30
Made New for Mission Banquet: Celebrating Leaders and Ministries of the Past,
Present and Future (Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-5)
Rostered Leader Anniversaries; Congregational Anniversaries; Mission Developers,
Congregations under development and redevelopment; Leaders new to the roster of
the I-K Synod; Ecumenical partners
7:15
7:30
Gathering music (Liberty Hall)
Gathering Worship (Liberty Hall)
Service of Holy Communion, Bishop William O. Gafkjen preaching and presiding
The offering will support Shalom Ministry, a parallel mission start growing out of
Salem Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, which is reaching out to the multicultural
community, especially refugees and other groups emigrating from sub-Saharan
Africa.
9:00
Reception (Outdoor Oasis) [weather back-up plan, Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-5]
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Breakfast on your own
7:30
Registration Reopens (Atrium)
8:30
Plenary Session I (Liberty Hall)
Opening of Assembly with music and devotions
Greetings and Introductions
Opening Remarks by Bishop Bill Gafkjen
Preliminary Report on Registration and Attendance
Adoption of Agenda
Nominations Report - Introduction of candidates and nominees for synod positions
9:00
9:30 Keynote/Bible Study Session I – Rev. Dr. Cheryl Peterson, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
10:15 Coffee break and Mission Fest (Atrium)
10:45 Resolutions supported by 50 signatures of voting members are due to the Secretary of
the Synod, Judy Bush (per Sec. 7.32.04c of the I-K Synod Constitution). Deliver to
the dais at the front of the assembly hall.
10:45 Mission update: Bishop Bill Gafkjen
11:15 First Ballot – voting will take place in the plenary hall
Treasurer’s Report and Mission Plan (Budget) Presentation by Synod Treasurer, Sue Miller and
Finance Committee Chair, Paul Trickel
ELCA Churchwide Greetings – Kathryn Lohre, Assistant to the Presiding
Bishop/Executive for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
Presentation of Resolutions from Reference and Counsel Committee
12:30 Lunch: Two choices -- Box lunch (available in atrium area for those who purchased in
advance) or lunch on your own at local restaurants.
1:45
2:00
2:15
4:00
4:30
5:30
Plenary Session II (Liberty Hall)
Prayer/Devotions/Music
Report of Elections Committee and presentation of second ballot if needed
New Synod for a New Day Presentation: Fruits of the Spirit Guiding Team
One-on-one conversations and small group sessions
Plenary Session II continued (Liberty Hall)
New Synod for a New Day Wrap Up: Michael Bischoff and Lisa Negstad
Report of the Vice President of the Synod, Ted Miller
Report of the Secretary of the Synod, Judy Bush
Presentation and adoption of Compensation Standards
Discussion of Resolutions from Reference and Counsel Committee
Break before dinner – visit Mission Fest in the Atrium
6:30
Evening Banquet (Grand Ballroom)
ELCA Representative Q&A, fellowship and greetings from special guests
8:00
Evening Prayer and Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (Grand Ballroom)
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Breakfast on your own
** We will begin this morning by gathering as conferences for focused sharing and
conversation. Please see the map on the back of this agenda for room locations for
each conference. Your conference is labeled on the back of your nametag.**
8:30
New Synod for a New Day Conference Conversations
(see map on back page for locations)
9:30
Plenary Session III (Liberty Hall)
Prayer/Devotions/Music
Report of 2nd ballot results, 3rd ballot if needed
9:45 Keynote/Bible Study Session II – Rev. Dr. Cheryl Peterson, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
10:30 Summary and Reflection: Bishop Bill Gafkjen
Final Report on Registration and Attendance
Adoption of FY 2016-17 Budget
Discussion of Resolutions from Reference and Counsel Committee
11:15 Sending Worship (Liberty Hall; upon the completion of Plenary Session III)
Holy Communion, installation of those newly elected, and a sending forth of all in
attendance! Offering will go to ELCA Malaria Campaign
12:30 Benediction and Adjournment
Rules of the Assembly:
1. All resolutions supported by a petition of at least 50 signatures of voting members of the 2015
Assembly are due to the Secretary of the Synod by 10:45 AM, Saturday, June 6. Deliver to the
dais at the front of the Assembly Hall.
2. Each speech from the floor on all resolutions and motions will be limited to 3 minutes.
3. Voting may be accomplished by use of voting cards, with green representing an affirmative vote
and red representing a negative vote. The chair may call for affirmative and negative votes
simultaneously or separately.
4. A member who has spoken on the pending question(s) may not move the previous question(s).
5. A motion to end debate by moving the previous question shall apply only to the immediately
preceding motion.
6. A motion to end debate on all matters on the floor or more than the immediately pending question
is not in order.
7. When a substitute motion is made, secondary amendments may be offered first to the original
motion. After all secondary amendments to the original motion have been disposed of, secondary
amendments to the substitute motion may be offered. When all amendments to the substitute
motion have been disposed of, the vote shall be taken on whether the substitute motion is to be
substituted as the original motion or be rejected.
8. Any recount must be ordered by a majority vote before the end of the assembly at which the
voting result was announced.
TO VETERANS HALL
SIDE ENTRANCE
AND PARKING LOT
Sunday, June 7, 2015 – 8:30 a.m. Conference Conversation Room Locations
 East Central Indiana Conference: Grand Ballroom – Salon B
 East Kentucky Conference: Indianapolis Ballroom – Salon 6
 Evansville Conference: Indianapolis Ballroom – Salon E
 Indianapolis Conference: Grand Ballroom – Salon 5
 Lafayette Conference: Grand Ballroom – Salon A
 North Central Conference: Indianapolis Ballroom – Salon C
 North East Conference: Indianapolis Ballroom – Salon 4
 North West Indiana Conference: Grand Ballroom – Salon D
 South Central Conference: Grand Ballroom – Salon 7
 South East Indiana Conference: Indianapolis Ballroom – Salon 8
Pre-Assembly Workshops
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EDT, Friday, June 5, 2015
These workshops will take place before the start of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on Friday,
June 5. There is a $10.00 cost per person to cover materials, meeting space and refreshments.
Doing Justice: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
These days, the work of the Church is more about individuals going out into the community as vital partners searching for the places
where God’s deep concern for justice is most needed. What does justice in action look like? Join the IN-KY Synod Community
Organizing Team in an experience whose participants will walk through the process of preparing for and participating in a justice action.
Participants will engage in a simulation experience that begins with identifying a problem in a town, crafting a solution to the problem,
and identifying a public official who has power to make changes. At a public gathering, participants will demonstrate their collective
power by proposing their solution and asking for a response from the public official. The workshop will end with an evaluation of the
process and possible next steps.
Multisensory Worship
More than two-thirds of Protestant churches in the U.S. use screens for worship, but often those worship leaders project the words of a
hymn and a close-up of the worship leaders. Pr. Paul Hegele will demonstrate how to create multi-sensory worship, including screens
with art, liturgical motifs, musical scores and video clips. Participants will:
+ Appreciate richer worship by placing liturgy, music scores, photographs, art, graphics, YouTube videos, and movie clips on a screen
+ Experience how easy it is to prepare for worship with a screen
+ Learn to think visually while preparing sermons in which pulpit and screen complement each other
+ Go online and select visuals to enhance scripture and sermon
+ Identify the cost of hardware and software
+ Enjoy “A Brush With Grace” sampling of famous paintings with religious stories
Paul Hegele is pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Louisville. He has offered workshops around the nation and is the creator
of The Broad Cast Lutheran television program and The Welcome Place media campaign for the Northwest Ohio Synod. Todd Hildreth,
Director of Worship at Ascension Lutheran Church in Louisville and instructor at Bellarmine University, will share exciting liturgical
music not found in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Todd is nationally known as a jazz pianist and has accompanied such musicians
as Aretha Franklin, Nora Jones, the Monkees and Brian Setzer.
Congregational History
Whether your congregation is old or new, large or small, it can be a wholesome experience to make available the stories of a
congregation. Workshop leaders Pr. Marcus Felde, Bethlehem, Indianapolis, and Barbara Eades, St Paul, Olean, published a history of
the St. Paul Lutheran Church, Olean, IN, Faithful to Our Lord through Changing Times as part of the 150th anniversary celebration in
2007. Work included a transcription and publication of the entire parish register of baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals.
They collected confirmation class photos, included copies of the congregation’s constitutions, and wrote a history covering three fiftyyear periods of the church’s life.
Workshop leaders will encourage congregations to undertake a history project. Participants will receive examples to take home for their
own congregations. Understanding a church’s history is important to the vitality of a congregation. Members may be surprised when
they see how God has been at work in a community of Word and Sacrament over the years.
Breathe, Spirit, Breathe
28th Annual Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5-7, 2015
Made New for Mission Banquet: Celebrating Leaders and Ministries of the
Past, Present and Future
The Friday evening banquet serves as the kickoff celebration for the 2015 Indiana-Kentucky
Synod Assembly. We will lift up people and ministries as we come together to rejoice and give
thanks to God for the common mission we share. This banquet is a separate cost from the
general registration fee, and is $35.00 per attendee.
Commissioning, Consecration and Ordination Anniversaries for Rostered Leaders
Honorees celebrating 50 years of service
Rev. Roger P. Drews
Rev. George H. Mercer
Rev. John D. Place
Rev. Walter B. Stitt, Jr.
Honorees celebrating 25 years of service
Rev. Mark W. Bartusch
Rev. Lisa E. Dahilll
Rev. Mitchell D. Phillips
Rev. Nancy A. Nyland
Congregational Anniversaries
150 Years - St. John Lutheran Church, North Liberty, IN
50 Years - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Madison, IN
Congregations under Development, Congregations under Redevelopment and Mission
Developers
New Rostered Leaders in the IN-KY Synod
Partners in Mission: Ecumenical Guests
Friday Evening Worship and Reception
The opening Eucharist worship service will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott East at 7:30 p.m.
on Friday, June 5, 2015. All are welcome to attend, especially those from area congregations.
Bishop Bill Gafkjen will preside. A reception and time for fellowship will immediately follow at
the hotel’s outdoor Oasis patio.
Worship Offering Designations

The offering from the Gathering Eucharist will support Shalom Ministry. This is a
new ministry that is growing out of Salem Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, which is reaching out
to the multicultural community, especially refugees and other groups emigrating from subSaharan Africa.

The offering from the Sending Eucharist will support the ELCA Malaria Campaign.
This year marks the end of this campaign to eradicate malaria in Africa and we encourage every
congregation to take up a special offering collection within their communities that voting
members and leaders can bring to the synod assembly Sending Worship.
Synod Assembly In-kind Service Project
Congregations may collect and bring items from the list below to support the Lafayette
conference ministry, Beyond SNAP. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, otherwise known as food stamps. The following items are NOT available through
SNAP.
1. Toilet paper
2. Laundry detergent
3. Toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss
4. Soap
5. Diapers
6. Feminine hygiene products
7. Deodorant
8. Hair-care products
9. Cleaning products
10.Lotion, powder, sunscreen, lip balm, etc.
28th Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5 - 7, 2015
Indianapolis Marriott East
Indianapolis, IN
Dr. Cheryl M. Peterson, Keynote Speaker
Professor of Systematic Theology
Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Columbus, OH
The Rev. Dr. Cheryl Peterson is associate professor of systematic theology at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. She
received the Ph.D. in theology from Marquette University, Milwaukee in 2004 and the M.Div. from the Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago in 1991, and the B.A. from Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, in 1986.
Before joining Trinity's faculty in 2005, she served as co-pastor with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Charles Peterson, of St. Paul's Lutheran
Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2000-2005) and as pastor of First English Lutheran Church in Tyrone, Pennsylvania (1991-1997).
She is the author of Who is the Church? An Ecclesiology for the Twenty-First Century (Fortress Press, 2013) and numerous articles
and books chapters, including “Spirit and Body: A Feminist and Lutheran Conversation” in Transformative Lutheran Theologies:
Feminist, Womanist, and Mujerista Perspectives, ed. Mary Streufert (Fortress Press, 2010).
She was recently appointed to the Lutheran World Federation International Dialogue Commission with the Pentecostals. Her current
research focuses on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life.
2015 I-K Synod Assembly ELCA Representative
Kathryn Mary Lohre is the executive for ecumenical and inter-religious relations in the
office of the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Kathryn Mary Lohre is the executive for ecumenical and inter-religious relations in the
office of the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and editor
of the book, For Such a Time as This: Young Adults on the Future of the
Church (Judson Press, 2013).
From 2012-2013 she served a two-year term as president of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, as the first Lutheran and the youngest woman. From
2003-2011, she served as assistant director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard
University, Diana Eck’s premier research project on religious diversity in the United
States.
Kathryn received her BA in psychology, religion, and women’s studies from St. Olaf
College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1999. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from
Harvard Divinity School in 2003. In May 2011, the Graduate Theological Foundation,
Mishawaka, Ind., conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity to Kathryn, "in recognition of
her election as president-elect of the National Council of Churches and also in
recognition of her contributions to women's interfaith issues and pluralism."
Kathryn is married to the Rev. Timothy Seitz, and they have three children.
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Report to the 2015 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
Bishop William O. Gafkjen
Faith was never intended to be a destination, a status, a holding tank, or a warehouse. Instead, it was to
be a road, a path, a way out of old and destructive patterns into new and creative ones. As a road or
way, it is always being extended into the future. If a spiritual community only points back to where it has
been or if it only digs in its heels where it is now, it is a dead end or a parking lot, not a way. To be a
living tradition, a living way, it must forever open itself forward and forever remain unfinished— even
as it forever cherishes and learns from the growing treasury of its past.*
In my report to last year’s Synod Assembly I asked:
Is it time for us to establish a team or task group to engage deep, prayerful, conversational,
collaborative discernment about the missional vitality and financial sustainability of synod
ministries and to make recommendations about how we might move forward together with
vitality and sustainability now and into the future?
Your Synod Council, synod staff, and conference deans have become that team. Our intentional
discernment began last fall with reading and discussing the book Journey in the Wilderness: New Life
for Mainline Churches by Gil Rendle. We continue to engage this book and the themes and directions
arising from it. In the first paragraph of the first chapter of the book, Rendle writes:
It isn’t often that a whole people go through a religious wilderness together…At some point or
another there have been moments of discomfort in each of our religious bodies – Protestant,
Catholic, and Jewish – that have required refocusing, restructuring, or restaffing. But rarer is the
radical, rooted shift in a global culture that prompts and requires a whole people to question their
practices and enter a prolonged wilderness in search of their future way of life. Ours has been such
an exodus, an escape (or perhaps an expulsion) from a constraining past in search of a promised,
and findable, future.†
At the center of all of our bold questioning, our plaintive prayer, our deep listening, our earnest
seeking is Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the life of the world. Consequently, this is no simple or
easy journey. It means dying and rising in the power of the Spirit nearly every step of the way,
entrusting ourselves to the same promises that drove Jesus to the cross and raised him from the tomb.
We seek to “lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and…run with perseverance the
race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the
joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right
hand of the throne of God.”‡ As Fred Pratt Green puts it:
The church of Christ in every age,
Beset by change, but Spirit led,
Must claim and test its heritage
And keep on rising from the dead.§
In this spirit we have begun to experiment with and to establish new and renewed practices among
synod leaders. For example, in addition to the usual attention to fiduciary and strategic responsibilities –
the first of which had come to dominate Synod Council and other meetings – Synod Council meetings,
synod staff meetings, and gatherings of conference deans now include intentional “generative” time to
pray, discuss, and reimagine the future God is calling us to.
Conference deans have also engaged deep and energetic conversation about the purposes of
conferences, the role of deans, and the ways in which many long-ago-established structures, practices,
and expectations no longer empower, equip, and encourage God’s people, especially congregations and
other local faith communities, to make Christ known. Now we are poised to change our expectations and
try some new practices as conference deans.
+ + +
Another way in which we will continue to engage this discernment about God’s way forward is the
Fruits of the Spirit (New Synod for a New Day) initiative that will be introduced and experienced during
this assembly. Assembly participants will also be equipped to bring this initiative back to local settings
like congregations, conferences, and other centers for mission across the territory. This process will
invite every congregation and every member of this synod who is willing to do so to engage in deep
spiritual conversations with one another over the next few months as we look and listen for the fruit of
the Spirit in every nook and cranny of this territory.
For nearly five years now, we have lived deeply into the promise of God to ancient exiles that “I am
about to do a new thing; even now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the
wilderness, waters in the desert.” Rooted in this promise, this initiative will help us to see and share the
things that God is doing in your life, in and through your congregation, and in and through the various
ministries we share together as “synod,” people on the road together. It will deepen our relationships
with one another. It will enliven our faith as we see and share with one another the amazing things God
is doing. Eventually, we will also make decisions about how we change the expectations, structures, and
practices of synod ministries to more faithfully and energetically support and share these fruits of the
Spirit in local settings all over this great mission territory and beyond.
I invite you to embrace this initiative during the assembly and then to become a leader of it in
your local context and congregation. I believe that you will find your faith inspired, hope restored,
relationships with others deepened, and our way forward toward vital, fruitful sharing and living of
the Good News clearer.
+ + +
Another significant discussion before us during this twenty-eighth assembly of the Indiana-Kentucky
Synod is our budget for February 1, 2016 through January 31, 2017. This budget is more than a neatly
organized set of numbers on a page. The budget is actually an x-ray image of a significant part of the
skeletal support for the flesh and blood mission and ministry to which God calls us together. It’s what
makes it possible for all of us across this territory to stand upright and move forward together in
partnership with so many other parts of the body of Christ who also seek to make known the crucified
and risen Christ in our heart-broken, heart-aching world.
For a number of years now, we have adopted budgets that rely on the use of reserve funds, referred
to as Council Designated Funds, to make up the difference between the funds shared by congregations
and what we spend to keep moving the mission forward. Simultaneously, we have worked hard to
deepen and expand our commitment to one another and to the mission we share, trusting that God’s
Spirit will continue to move us, all of us, as congregations and as individuals, to give joyfully and
generously in support of this mission.
Although we have made some progress, the reserves are now near depletion. We are left with a
glaring gap of more than $250,000 between mission support shared by congregations and what we need
to barely maintain what we’ve been doing together. But, of course, no living body could keep moving
forward faithfully and energetically with such a stunning amount of vertebrae, arm bones, and leg bones
2 missing from its skeletal support system. Even decreasing the percentage of funds that we share for
ministries beyond the boundaries of this synod is like cutting away at our own body.
In other words, “breaking even” and “balancing the budget” are really misnomers. In terms of
mission, we will hardly break even or be balanced; the work we do together across this synod territory
and beyond will diminish rather than flourish. We will not be able to keep our balance for very long or
to move forward nimbly and energetically to engage God’s mission of hope and healing among us and
in the world.
In my mind, the reductions that are proposed in the 2016 budget are in the rock-bottom, we-cannotgo-further-down-than-this category. It’s a way to live within our means assuming nothing will change.
But things are changing. God is doing new things. We can see it all over this territory. I hope you
can see it in your own faith community; I certainly see it week in and week out as I travel to spend time
in worship and prayer, conversation and action, fellowship and Bible study with sisters and brothers all
over this great territory. Congregations are turning toward their surrounding communities to offer
abundant grace. Individuals and communities are going deeper into scripture and prayer and mutual
conversation and consolation with one another. Leaders are preaching gospel and leading with vision
toward God’s in-breaking future. Small groups are taking big risks to try new things in the power of the
Spirit.
That’s one of the reasons I believe that whatever budget we adopt in this assembly, it will be the
foundation, no, the springboard, for our leap together into the missionally vital, financially sustainable
future that God has for us. I also trust that “by the power at work within us God is able to accomplish
abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.”**
So I have another invitation for you, a challenge, really. It’s rooted in my belief in you, God’s people
called together in the Indiana-Kentucky mission territory. It is emboldened by my trust in the God who
“can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more
than just ready to do what needs to be done.”†† Here’s the challenge:
Pray about, look for, and reflect upon the power of God at work in you, in your family, in your
congregation or faith community. Take an honest look at the ways in which God is calling you, your
family, your congregation to stretch beyond what is comfortable or familiar in order to support and
move forward the mission and ministries to which we are called together. Then, trusting the promises
of God and following the way of Jesus – as an individual, a family, a congregation – make a pledge,
offer a commitment, increase your giving, plant an extra seed in the rich soil of God’s grace, share
your offering…die with Jesus just a bit and see what new, abundant, lasting life will be born in and
through you and in the world.
+ + +
Finally, last year the Synod Council granted me a three-month sabbatical leave to be spread equally
over last year (six weeks) and this year (six weeks). In great measure, I suggested this model in order to
not be unavailable for a block of three months at once.
Last year’s sabbatical time, Part A, gave me opportunity for rest and renewal, time with family, and
prayer, reading, discussion, and discernment about how to best address our concerns for missional
vitality and financial sustainability. I also began work on an Executive Certificate in Religious
Fundraising with the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving. Part B will be this summer: Wednesday, July 1
through Tuesday, August 10. During this second part of the sabbatical I hope to:
•
Spend a good bit of quality time with my family, especially as our son prepares for his last
year of college and our daughter prepares for her first;
3 Recover and reestablish, again, a healthy sense of leisure and renewal, including a few
rounds of golf and an Indianapolis Indians baseball game or two;
Continue my work on the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising, including laying
groundwork for a Mission Leadership Fund Appeal;
Pray, chat with family, friends and mentors, and discern what the Spirit might be saying to
me regarding openness to another six-year term as your bishop. I invite your prayers and
conversation as part of this discernment as well.
•
•
•
While I am away, the synod will be in the very able hands of the remainder of the synod staff and
Synod Council leadership. By God’s grace I will return August 11 renewed, refreshed and refocused for
this exciting mission we are on together. I continue to be amazed at and inspired by the ways in which
you, God’s beloved people in this mission territory, are willing to go where the Spirit beckons and to
energetically welcome the partnership of others along that way. By God’s grace through the crucified
and risen Christ and in the powerful breath of God’s Spirit, together we continue to see the fulfillment of
ancient promises always made new among and through us.
Thanks be to God!
The Rev. Dr. William O. Gafkjen, Bishop
Empower, equip and encourage one another to make Christ known
Cultivate congregations…form and send disciples...
expand and deepen collaboration…support and develop leaders
Every person a missionary, every community a mission center, every leader a mission developer
* McLaren,
Brian D. We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and
Activation. FaithWords © 2014. p. xii.
† Rendle, Gil. Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches. Abingdon Press (Nashville) © 2010. p. 1.
Emphasis added.
‡ Hebrews 12:1-2. NRSV
§ “The Church of Christ, in Every Age.” Text: Fred Pratt Green. Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #729.
** Ephesians 3:20. NRSV
†† 2 Corinthians 9:8. The Message
4 Rostered Leader and Congregational Transitions Since Synod Assembly 2014
Addendum to Report of the Bishop to the 2015 Synod Assembly
Ordination, Consecration, Commissioning
Pastor Robert Abner, Redeemer, Bryant IN and Campus Ministry at Ball State
Pastor William Curtis Black, St Paul Versailles IN
Pastor Timothy Fleace, St John, Loogootee IN
Pastor Daniel Forehand, Grace, Elkhart IN
Pastor Erik Grayvold, Bethlehem, Chesterton IN
Pastor Colleen Montgomery, St Thomas, Bloomington IN
Pastor Steven Renner, Third, Lexington, KY
Pastor Benjamin J. Sloss, Trinity English, Fort Wayne IN
Pastor Emily Wiles, Faith, Avon IN
Transfer to Indiana-Kentucky Synod
Associate in Ministry Richard Frederick from Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Pastor R. John Henkel from Northwest Washington Synod
Pastor Dana Lockhart from the South Dakota Synod
Diaconal Minister Lauren Mache from Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Pastor Richard Nelson from Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod
Pastor Jane Rothman from Southeastern Iowa Synod
Letters of Call Issued by Synod Council
Pastor Judy Follis, Interim Pastor, Calvary, Angola, IN
Diaconal Minister Lake Lambert, Hanover College, President
Pastor Robert Lim, Community Health Services, Fishers, IN
Pastor Dana Lockhart, Interim Campus Pastor, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Pastor Scott A Moore, Pastor, United Methodist Church, Germany
On Leave from Call
Pastor Teal Anderson
Pastor Wade Apel
Pastor Judy Brennan
Pastor Jack Dixon
Diaconal Minister Barbara Finley
Pastor Nancy Haupert
Pastor Andrea Hickey
Pastor Liberty Lausterer
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Pastor Marlyn Nelson
Pastor Miltoria Bey Sangobiyi
Pastor Kelli Skram
Pastor Scott Vana
Retirement
Pastor Jim Cress
Associate in Ministry Vanette Kashmer
Associate in Ministry Diane Marten
Pastor Paul Meier
Pastor James Merkel
Pastor John Mikennas
Pastor Mark Minnick
Pastor Alan Rider
Pastor Richard F. Zawistoski
Transfer to Other Synods
Pastor Justin Baxter to Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Pastor Thomas McShannock to Northwest Synod of Wisconsin
Pastor Jennifer Osheim-Owen to Central States Synod
Pastor Steve Rye to Northeastern Minnesota Synod
Pastor Angela Shannon to Northern TX-Northern LA Synod
Resigned from Roster
Pastor Andrew Bailey
Associate in Ministry John Rogers
Removed from Roster
Pastor Paul Borg
Pastor Stephen Farwig
Congregational Transitions
St. Peter’s, Millersburg IN, closed
St. Matthew Delphi IN, disaffiliated and joined Missouri Synod
Calvary, Louisville KY, closed
Good Shepherd, Indianapolis IN, closed
Lamb of God, Indianapolis, IN (Synodically Authorized Ministry), closed
New Missions
Shalom Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community at Salem, Indianapolis IN
2015 REPORT OF INDIANA-KENTUCKY SYNOD VICE-PRESIDENT TED MILLER
As I write this annual report at the end of February, I have completed 18 months as your
Synod Vice-President. Counting my 12 years as Synod Secretary, this is my 14th opportunity in
the past 16 years to contribute to this annual summary of the work of our Indiana-Kentucky
Synod Mission Territory. As we all are well aware, the Church faces challenges throughout our
culture. In our Synod, we continue to reassess mission priorities as congregational mission
support funds have decreased over time although in many ways the workload has increased.
Still, I find myself more optimistic and enthusiastic than ever before about our shared ministry
in this Mission Territory. I’ll now attempt to explain what may seem to be a contradiction.
Across our two states and across the ELCA, this year I have been privileged to
experience what I can only describe as a renewal of what it means to do God’s work in our
world. Even in the midst of tragedy and loss, indeed perhaps most in such trying times, I have
seen our gracious God at work through the use of the gifts given to God’s people. Looking only
at the past several months for examples, in September the awesome power of the Resurrection
of our Lord and Savior was experienced in the aftermath of sudden loss at the funeral service
held to celebrate the life of AIM Bonnie Harstad at Faith in Lexington, Kentucky. In October, I
felt and saw renewal in Chicago, not only in four days of educational gatherings and worship
with most of the other ELCA Synod Vice-Presidents and the Conference of Bishops but perhaps
most in a revival service organized by the ELCA Metro Chicago Synod in the wake of several
homicides involving young people, some within steps of ELCA congregations. In November, on
All Saints Day I felt and saw renewal in the ordination of Pastor Robert Abner (less than a year
after the tragic death of his wife Tiffany) at Redeemer in Bryant, Indiana. In December, I also
experienced renewal and openness to revisioning in a two-day meeting of the six-synod ELCA
Region 6 Steering Committee with new ELCA Director of Stewardship (and former New England
Synod Bishop) Margaret Payne. In January, I felt renewal even in the closing worship service of
a congregation I was privileged to serve as president for two years 35 years ago, Calvary in
Louisville, Kentucky. In February, I experienced renewal in Milan, Indiana, at the visitation for
my friend Bill Schein, sharing with hundreds of others the loss of one whose Christian service in
music leadership and teaching touched so many lives in churches and schools.
Perhaps most importantly, as Synod Vice-President and therefore chair of the Synod
Council, I continue to see and feel renewal and excitement as Bishop Gafkjen since September
has guided our consideration of Gil Rendle’s book Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for
Mainline Churches. This discernment process has inspired new joy and has energized our
shared journey, the next portion of which we are excited to walk with consultants Lisa Negstad
and Michael Bischoff. In this two-year process, funded “off budget” with Portico Wellness
rebates being used as authorized to assess Synod health, we pray that many across this Mission
Territory of Indiana and Kentucky will learn through appreciative inquiry the process
enthusiastically begun in January with Synod Council as we listen carefully one-on-one and in
groups to be able to share more effectively how God has been and is in the work of other lives
in addition to our own. As we journey together to address mission vitality as well as financial
stability, we are sustained despite our own shortcomings by seeing and sharing how God can
and does use each and every one of us.
When I am asked why I was willing to consider a call to serve in this volunteer position
after spending two years of “retirement” from Synod office, my response always centers on the
dedicated servants of Christ with whom it has been and is a privilege to share service in this
Mission Territory. Even as those serving on Synod Staff and Synod Council change, examples of
dedicated service to our Lord and Savior continually abound.
As always, I close with thanks to God for the opportunity to serve and with thanks
especially for the great gift of a support system which makes my service possible. So many
make a difference in my walk of faith through our work together at Gloria Dei in Crestview Hills,
Kentucky, where four generations of our family (from my 87-year-old father to our two-year-old
grandson) share the joy of worshipping weekly. Especially, though, I give thanks for my wife of
38 years, Dr. Lisa Miller, whose life of Christian service continues to inspire me as it has since
we met over 41 years ago through Lutheran Campus Ministry at William & Mary. We truly have
been blessed by our gracious God with our expanding family including our daughter Emily and
her husband Mike Barker (both teachers in Northern Kentucky) and their two-year-old son
Miles, our son Dr. Tim Miller (now teaching Medieval Literature at Sarah Lawrence College in
New York) and his wife Elizabeth and their almost-two-year-old daughter Nova, and our
daughter Karen, an architect in Ft. Wayne who is engaged to be married in October to Walter
Fisher at their church home where they met in our Mission Territory, come2go ministries.
If you wish to share thoughts about our work in this Mission Territory, please feel free to
contact me either at the Synod Assembly or through my contact information on the Synod
website.
In His Service,
C. Theodore Miller, Vice-President
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Report of the Secretary and Synod Council
Judith A. Bush, Secretary
June 5-7, 2015
As I look back on this last year in the Synod Council, I can report that celebrating the new things
that God is doing continue while trusting in God’s leadership to meet the challenges. Isaiah 43:1-5:
“God is doing a new thing, even now it springs forth, do you not perceive it” continues to be forefront in
the work of the Synod Council under the direction of the Bishop Gafkjen.
The synod council acts as the board of directors of the synod and serves as its interim legislative
authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly. Members are elected by the Synod Assembly.
There are four officers: the bishop, vice president, secretary and treasurer; the bishop serves a six year
term and the other officers serve four year terms. Additionally, there is one lay member from each of the
ten conferences, eight clergy under call, one lay rostered leader, one youth and one young adult member.
The adult members serve three year terms and the youth serves a two year term. The clergy members, lay
rostered leader, youth member, and the young adult member are elected at large by the Synod Assembly
upon nomination by the Nominating Committee. Lay members representing conferences are nominated
by their conference with no nominations from the Synod Assembly nor from the Nominating Committee.
If no persons of color and /or persons whose primary language is other than English are elected to the
Synod Council, the Synod Council at its first meeting following the Annual Synod Assembly shall elect
to the Synod Council for a three (3) year term up to two (2) lay members to insure that there are two (2)
persons of color and/or persons whose primary language is other than English on the Synod Council.
The Indiana-Kentucky Synod Council has met four times this year since the 2014 Synod
Assembly and will meet in June prior to the 2015 Synod Assembly. Meetings were held in September,
November, and January over two day periods beginning on Friday evening through Saturday afternoon.
The regularly scheduled meeting in April was rescheduled to a retreat format Friday evening and
Saturday and extended to Sunday with a typical agenda on Sunday. Minutes that have been approved are
found on the synod web site,
http://www.iksynod.org/Resources/Synod%20Council%20Minutes/synodcouncilmain.html . The
minutes of the April meeting will be reviewed by the Synod Council Friday, June 5, and will be available
at the Synod Assembly. Also, available on the website are the minutes for recent Synod Assemblies.
During the September and November Synod Council meetings the council reviewed and
discussed Journey in the Wilderness and in January and April consultants Lisa Negstad and Michael
Bishoff met with the group with a focus on a “New Synod for a New Day”. During each meeting sharing
of the Eucharist led by synod council members and/or synod staff occurs. Changes in congregational
constitutions have been reviewed with action regarding those constitutions. Since the Churchwide
Assembly in August 2013 congregations are encouraged to review their constitutions in light of changes
to the model congregational constitution adopted at that assembly. In September the Indiana-Kentucky
Synod Guidelines for Adopting or Amending Congregational Constitutions was adopted and is available
to help congregations when changing their constitutions. It can be found at
http://www.iksynod.org/Resources/Synod%20Guidelines%20for%20Revising%20Congregation%20Cons
titution%20DRAFT%202014-09-20%201712%20ADOPTED.pdf Also, during meetings changes in the
Empower, equip, and encourage the people of God to make Christ known
911 E. 86th Street, Suite 200 •Indianapolis, IN 46240
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status of pastors have been reviewed. Reports from staff members are shared as well as reports from
committees and task forces. The synod is well served by the dedicated and committed staff who provide
support for our congregations.
The first meeting of the year was in September and was held at the Benedict Inn, Beech Grove,
Indiana. In addition to beginning the study of Journey in the Wilderness, the group focused on how the
Synod Council and its members serve the synod. Bishop Gafkjen led a discussion of Synod Council:
Leadership for a New Day. Pastor Vicki Garber who is a member of the Church Council gave a report
and concluded that it is an exciting place to be right now in the church. Interim Stewardship Director
Pastor Jerry O’Neal reported on his priorities in his new position with the Synod. His first priority is
mission support both long term and short term; he is having discussion with congregations. His second
priority is the Mission Interpreter Program, third is rostered leader retreats, fourth is targeted
communication to congregations and fifth is more generalized stewardship education. Always Being
Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA information was discussed. Bishop Gafkjen reported that each
synod has been asked to choose an area of emphasis among the segments of the campaign –
Congregations, Leadership, Hunger and Poverty, and Global Church – and he would like our synod
emphasis to be Leadership. Bishop Gafkjen also reported that he is continuing to address the missional
vitality of the synod and has been in discussion with consultants Lisa Negstad and Michael Bischoff.
The November meeting was held at the Synod office. The council reflected on Journey in the
Wilderness and Psalm 116 in terms of implications for the Synod Council’s work and ministry. Bishop
Gafkjen reviewed some of what was discussed in the September meeting. The function of boards is
fiduciary, strategic, and generative. It seems we spend most time in the fiduciary and strategic rather than
generative. The fiduciary may be seen as providing accountability; the strategic relates to planning; and
the generative relates to vision. Neither is better than the others but all needs to be done. Technical items
are those for which we know the answers. Adaptive are those in which we may not know the answers.
Assistant to Bishop Pastor Heather Apel reported the theme for the 2015 Synod Assembly is “Breathe,
Holy Spirit, Breathe” and that Cheryl Peterson of Trinity Lutheran Seminary will be the keynote speaker.
The Nominating Committee for positions to be filled at Synod Assembly was approved. The council
spent time discussing and exploring the proposal from consultants Lisa Negstad and Michael Bischoff,
New Synod for a New Day that had been generated as a result of discussions with Bishop Gafkjen who
has been investigating various ways to address exploring our mission development. It was decided to ask
the consultants to meet with the Synod Council in January prior to making a decision to adopt the
proposal.
The January Synod Council meeting was held at Christ Lutheran Church, Zionsville, Indiana.
Bishop Gafkjen reviewed that at the Synod Council meeting in April 2014 the topic was on financial
stability and missional vitality. Pursuing ways to address financial stability and missional vitality, he was
led to talk to Lisa Negstad and she brought Michael Bischoff into the dialogue. They met with the
council Friday evening and Saturday morning. The group engaged in a process entitled Appreciative
Inquiry using Paired Interview technique reflecting on John 16:13. After more dialogue in small groups
Saturday morning, the group shared the values or key ingredients that helped one know that the Spirit was
alive. The values mentioned were service, discomfort, renewing, freeing, trusting, acceptance,
excitement, openness, authenticity, genuineness, accountability, being able to speak the truth in love, and
earthiness. Lisa Negstad asked “what are you starting to discover about what is most spiritually alive in
the synod?” It was thought that in the synod the focus should be on Appreciative Inquiry. One group
Empower, equip, and encourage the people of God to make Christ known
911 E. 86th Street, Suite 200 •Indianapolis, IN 46240
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talked about letting go of petty differences and focusing on reconciliation. We should let go of fear and
focus on positive experiences. This process would help to deepen trust and establish relationships. The
conversations should be within congregations and also between congregations. There should be a strong
emphasis to listening to conversations from congregations. It is important to include children and youth
in the conversations; they should be included with adults. The council voted to approve the proposal
“How the Synod can embrace A New Vision for A New Day” from Lisa Negstad, (Negstad Consulting),
and Michael Bischoff, (Clarity Facilitation). Funding for the proposal will be covered by a portion of the
funds from Portico to encourage healthy practices. During the business session of the meeting the council
approved measures to address the financial shortfall in income to the synod.
The April Synod Council meeting was expanded to a three day meeting at the Benedict Inn in
Beech Grove, Indiana. The meeting Friday evening and Saturday was focused on the planning with
consultants Lisa Negstad and Michael Bischoff. The retreat objectives: included being guided and
formed by the Holy Spirit and building the containers that will support the engagement and discernment
with all the people in the synod over the next 2 years. The containers are Team building among those of
us who will lead the process, deepening our relationships, our practice of discernment together, and our
ownership of the synod wide process, Identifying the givens of the synod that will continue, which can
hold other changes – the identity, values, and culture that are foundational, Establishing Biblical,
theological, historical themes for transformation, which will serve as guides throughout the process, and
Clarifying and committing to the goals and guiding questions for the overall process. As a result of the
group discernment the givens were determined to be Practicing Gospel, Foundational beliefs, Facilitating
and fostering connectivity, Unleash Leadership, Always Reforming, and Part of a bigger church. The
New Synod for A New Day plans for Synod Assembly and beyond were made. During the meeting on
Sunday the recommendation regarding the proposed budget for 2016-17 was discussed with strong
passion. The proposal will be presented to the Synod Assembly for action.
As we approach the 28th Annual Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly there has been much anticipation
for the work of the Spirit as we come together. We have been preparing for a long time and we come
with hope and expectation. We are always being made new. Breathe, Spirit, Breathe.
Respectfully Submitted in His Service,
Judith A. Bush, Secretary
Empower, equip, and encourage the people of God to make Christ known
911 E. 86th Street, Suite 200 •Indianapolis, IN 46240
Ph. 317-253-3522 • Fax 317-254-5666 • www.iksynod.org
Report of the Treasurer
2015 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
Sue H Miller, Treasurer
I continue to be blessed in working with an amazing team of caring, gifted
Christians. These people combine to bring vision for the future, knowledge of the
past (both triumphs and tragedies), and a deep love and concern for the mission
and ministry of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod. These people have worked tirelessly
to provide the resources necessary to proclaim Christ crucified and risen for the
life of the world.
This past year brought us challenges particularly with Mission Support. Our
mission plan called for support of $1.9 million dollars of which only 90% of that
came in. While we have had the ability to use funds that had been set aside in
prior years to cover shortfalls, those funds are being depleted. And yet our call to
minister to the Indiana-Kentucky mission territory has not diminished. The
ministries we fund through this Synod are essential to the future of Christ’s
Church. Therefore we have been very hesitant to reduce any of the spending. We
have asked everyone responsible for the disbursement of these funds to be
thoughtful and creative in their use.
The ministries that are stewarded by the Synod staff and volunteers are vital to
the life and mission of this mission territory. The Synod offers specialized
services to its congregations and agencies. Look at all the programs that are
supported by you through the Synod…Lutheran universities and Trinity Seminary;
Campus Ministries at various colleges and universities in Indiana and Kentucky;
ministry committees; equipping people interested in called ministry;
communications; redeveloping congregations and assisting in launching new
ministries; and providing the program and administrative staff to assist each
congregation in whatever way is called for.
I have heard people question the relevance of the Synod. “What have they done
for us?” Think about the ministries that have touched you or those you love. Think
about the child that came to know Christ through a chance to attend camp. Think
about the gifted ministers we have thanks to support of our seminaries and those
college students who choose their ministries based on campus ministry programs
funded through your mission support. Those who came before us have given us
these opportunities to build the kingdom of Christ. What are we doing to make the
same, or even greater, opportunities for those who follow us?
Is there a disaster somewhere in the world, or even in our own community? The
ELCA has the ability to be on-site almost immediately thanks to the infrastructure
that has been put into place. The most recent example is the earthquake in Nepal
where we had feet on the ground within a day.
More importantly the Synod is there to steward our resources so that they touch
the lives of those who do not know Christ and his gracious love. The synod exists
to equip us to re-present God’s love to all the world.
God has richly blessed each one of us, our congregations and our synod. How are
we stewarding those resources? How are we sharing with God’s people?
I am so grateful for the gifts you all share with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of
the ELCA. Let’s work together to assure that they are available to those who
follow us.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Miller
Treasurer, Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA
2014
2014
Mission Support Designated Giving
10566
10581
10629
10638
10650
10652
10661
10662
10682
10686
10687
10688
10706
10710
10725
10752
10795
10802
10808
13067
13079
13204
Calvary Lutheran Church
Angola, IN
Calvary Lutheran Church
Bluffton, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church
Seymour, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Dubois, IN
Emanuel Lutheran Church
Evansville, IN
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Evansville, IN
Risen Savior Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
St John Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
Christ Lutheran Church
Jasper, IN
Cross & Crown Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
Faith Lutheran Church
Avon, IN
First Trinity Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
Trinity Lutheran Church
Linton, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Loogootee, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church
Michigan City, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Otwell, IN
Christ the King Lutheran Church
South Bend, IN
Christ Lutheran Church
Terre Haute, IN
Christ Lutheran Church
Valparaiso, IN
St Peter Lutheran Church
Dillsboro, IN
Trinity Lutheran Church
Brookville, IN
Zion Lutheran Church
$7,285.00
$0.00
$16,227.28
$0.00
$27,772.00
$4,831.00
$10,200.00
$840.65
$1,833.37
$1,833.26
$2,008.44
$343.50
$2,400.00
$0.00
$9,500.00
$2,822.69
$4,188.00
$398.00
$10,666.64
$7,373.64
$10,268.92
$30.00
$500.00
$0.00
$1,472.15
$277.88
$2,892.00
$0.00
$7,451.97
$0.00
$11,631.50
$1,920.00
$71,180.00
$6,877.82
$2,139.00
$635.00
$58,655.09
$1,647.36
$5,040.00
$1,615.00
$1,270.97
$100.00
$9,112.50
$1,290.00
13225
13226
13237
13260
13273
13290
13309
13313
16334
16371
16416
16457
20072
20075
20076
20080
20081
20083
2202
2203
2204
2206
2207
Hartford City, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Lawrenceburg, IN
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Lexington, KY
Zion Lutheran Church
Sunman, IN
Lutheran Church of the Church
Muncie, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Versailles, IN
St John Lutheran Church
Richmond, IN
St John Lutheran Church
Sunman, IN
Trinity Lutheran Church
Union City, IN
Christ Lutheran Church
Zionsville, IN
Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church
St John, IN
New Hope Lutheran Church
Monticello, IN
Ascension Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
Our Blessed Savior Lutheran Church
Alexandria, IN
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
Carmel, IN
Hilltop Ascension Lutheran Church
South Bend, IN
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Bryant, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Anderson, IN
St Thomas Lutheran Church
Bloomington, IN
First Lutheran Church
Columbus, IN
St George Lutheran Church
Edinburgh, IN
$2,544.00
$0.00
$4,222.00
$341.00
$2,419.05
$400.00
$4,383.48
$480.00
$3,741.00
$1,897.50
$1,075.00
$0.00
$3,789.50
$75.00
$3,933.66
$2,360.14
$32,120.21
$845.00
$38,253.95
$10,911.09
$1,325.00
$0.00
$39,667.00
$0.00
$10,416.67
$223.00
$1,100.00
$350.00
$200.00
$0.00
$3,492.00
$0.00
$16,060.00
$3,057.00
$8,853.76
$0.00
$6,787.00
$275.00
$12,339.00
$0.00
$16,000.00
$7,584.00
$19,041.61
$10,942.89
$2,969.50
$0.00
2210
Bethany Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2211
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2215
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2216
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Dissolved Indianapolis, IN
2217
King of Glory Lutheran Church
Carmel, IN
2218
Pleasant View Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2220
St Andrew's Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2222
St Stephen Lutheran Church
Plainfield, IN
2223
Salem Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2224
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lebanon, IN
2226
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Muncie, IN
2227
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
New Castle, IN
2230
Trinity Lutheran Church
Terre Haute, IN
2232
Our Saviour Lutheran Church
Winchester, IN
2234
Messiah Lutheran Church
Brownsburg, IN
2235
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
2237
Mt Pleasant Lutheran Church
Kendallville, IN
2238
St Mark's Lutheran Church
Albion, IN
2244
Hope Lutheran Church
Columbia City, IN
2245
Grace Lutheran Church
Columbia City, IN
2246
Calvary Lutheran Church
Cromwell, IN
2247
Faith Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
2248
Messiah Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
2253
Trinity English Lutheran Church
$4,685.00
$0.00
$18,000.00
$0.00
$3,666.67
$224.00
$500.00
$0.00
$3,841.27
$5,505.02
$3,800.00
$0.00
$14,600.00
$2,116.02
$0.00
$433.00
$3,795.00
$493.12
$2,842.00
$0.00
$12,000.00
$65.25
$7,425.16
$0.00
$1,945.50
$2,493.86
$2,750.00
$200.00
$20,008.04
$10,126.79
$44,004.00
$7,604.00
$5,263.00
$1,715.00
$9,454.00
$187.00
$8,680.23
$342.00
$0.00
$461.98
$291.00
$605.00
$5,318.48
$132.90
$2,731.71
$2,893.68
$128,000.00
$7,845.00
2254
2256
2257
2258
2259
2260
2261
2262
2266
2268
2271
2272
2274
2275
2276
2278
2283
2285
2286
2287
2288
2290
2291
Fort Wayne, IN
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Harlan, IN
Mt Zion Lutheran Church
La Grange, IN
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
La Otto, IN
Marquardt Lutheran Church
Monroeville, IN
St Mark's Lutheran Church
Monroeville, IN
St James Lutheran Church
New Haven, IN
Zion Lutheran Church
North Manchester, IN
Zion Lutheran Church
Portland, IN
Grace Lutheran Church
Syracuse, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church
Bluffton, IN
Zion Lutheran Church
Bristol, IN
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Chesterton, IN
Augustana Lutheran Church
Elkhart, IN
Grace Lutheran Church
Elkhart, IN
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Elkhart, IN
Bethel Lutheran Church
Gary, IN
Christ Lutheran Church
Hammond, IN
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Highland, IN
Augustana Lutheran Church
Hobart, IN
Bethany Lutheran Church
LaPorte, IN
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Merrillville, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Shipshewana, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Middlebury, IN
$8,499.30
$2,130.23
$9,499.92
$0.00
$1,330.00
$158.00
$550.00
$240.00
$2,100.00
$0.00
$6,600.00
$0.00
$13,640.02
$0.00
$7,865.40
$2,990.70
$10,000.00
$0.00
$500.00
$0.00
$3,387.73
$5,737.00
$2,550.00
$0.00
$10,000.00
$2,848.00
$5,745.00
$0.00
$1,300.00
$3,349.50
$500.00
$0.00
$2,383.04
$0.00
$2,725.00
$190.00
$5,000.00
$4,554.50
$15,000.00
$1,367.00
$13,750.00
$5,736.00
$160.00
$160.00
$3,600.00
$0.00
2293
2295
2296
2297
2299
2300
2301
2302
2306
2307
2308
2309
2310
2311
2312
2313
2314
2316
2319
2324
2325
2326
2328
2331
First English Lutheran Church
Mishawaka, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
North Liberty, IN
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Plymouth, IN
Augsburg Lutheran Church
Porter, IN
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
South Bend, IN
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
South Bend, IN
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
South Bend, IN
Trinity Lutheran Church
Valparaiso, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Batesville, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church
Greensburg, IN
St Thomas Lutheran Church
Brookville, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Connersville, IN
Emanuel Lutheran Church
Greendale, IN
St Paul Lutheran Church
Milan, IN
St John's Lutheran Church
Napoleon, IN
Zion's Lutheran Church
Pershing, IN
First English Lutheran Church
Richmond, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Richmond, IN
St Luke's Lutheran Church
Cold Spring, KY
Faith Lutheran Church
Lexington, KY
St John Lutheran Church
Melbourne, KY
St Peter's Lutheran Church
Milton, KY
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Madison, IN
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
$1,215.26
$0.00
$5,190.66
$454.00
$4,000.00
$0.00
$19,537.16
$90.00
$9,600.00
$8,911.00
$600.00
$3,000.00
$2,440.00
$0.00
$29,435.96
$1,152.76
$14,266.20
$2,804.00
$2,545.00
$1,415.00
$4,062.00
$1,080.11
$2,500.00
$1,459.00
$9,948.25
$1,928.07
$9,590.00
$0.00
$3,820.00
$40.00
$8,304.79
$2,400.00
$3,375.00
$105.00
$26,878.69
$2,070.00
$3,600.00
$0.00
$44,608.54
$2,845.70
$3,590.00
$3,905.00
$3,167.50
$250.00
$3,850.00
$0.00
$1,800.28
$0.00
2332
2335
2336
2337
2338
2341
2342
2343
2344
2345
2349
2351
2352
2353
2354
2355
2357
2358
2359
2362
2363
2364
2365
Corydon, IN
St Peter's Lutheran Church
Corydon, IN
St Mark's Lutheran Church
Evansville, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Jasper, IN
Faith Lutheran Church
Jeffersonville, IN
Our Saviour Lutheran Church
Princeton, IN
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Vincennes, IN
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Jasper, IN
St Stephen Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
Zion Lutheran Church
Franklin , KY
Christ Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
First Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
Messiah-Trinity Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
St John Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
St Mark Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
St Paul Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
Third Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
St Matthew Lutheran Church
Paducah, KY
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Louisville, KY
Faith Lutheran Church
Owensboro, KY
First Lutheran Church
Attica, IN
St Peter's Lutheran Church
Camden, IN
Christ Lutheran Church
Crawfordsville, IN
Phanuel Lutheran Church
Hillsboro, IN
$2,927.08
$510.00
$6,000.00
$0.00
$15,000.00
$0.00
$17,111.51
$0.00
$5,285.00
$145.00
$6,250.00
$532.00
$3,500.00
$392.96
$550.00
$399.01
$570.00
$0.00
$34,333.00
$1,167.50
$3,375.00
$0.00
$3,900.00
$250.00
$26,000.00
$0.00
$200.00
$0.00
$4,000.00
$269.25
$6,000.00
$441.00
$6,370.00
$2,088.40
$1,200.00
$150.00
$3,657.39
$308.00
$1,720.08
$0.00
$2,500.00
$0.00
$5,500.00
$817.33
$549.00
$0.00
2368
St John Lutheran Church
Elwood, IN
2369
St Paul Lutheran Church
Frankfort, IN
2371
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Lafayette, IN
2374
Our Saviour Lutheran Church
W Lafayette, IN
2375
Faith Lutheran Church
Logansport, IN
2377
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Mulberry, IN
2378
Hope Lutheran Church
Frankfort, KY
2390
Shiloh Lutheran Church
Walton, IN
30011
Servants of Christ Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, IN
30103
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Russell Springs, KY
30306
Risen Lord Lutheran Church
Bargerville, IN
30307
Grace & Glory Lutheran Church
Goshen, KY
30436
Christ Lutheran Church
Kokomo, IN
30485
New Joy Lutheran Church
Westfield, IN
30542
Cross of Grace Lutheran Church
New Palestine, IN
30558
St Luke United Lutheran Church
Michigan City, IN
30580
Come2go Ministries
Fort Wayne, IN
30672
Lamb of God Church
Dissolved Indianapolis, IN
30733
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Marion, IN
30943
Christ Lutheran Chapel
Elizabethtown, KY
31016
Community of the Living Spirit
Indianapolis, IN
31076
Faith Lutheran Church
Goshen, IN
31085
Roots of Life
Noblesville, IN
7384
Faith United Lutheran Church
$3,614.62
$136.35
$6,058.00
$567.00
$36,775.00
$13,197.00
$30,000.00
$4,140.00
$6,743.80
$1,889.46
$2,467.25
$0.00
$0.00
$615.00
$5,040.00
$20.00
$23,808.61
$6,946.17
$3,150.00
$0.00
$4,000.00
$0.00
$6,138.00
$1,000.00
$16,230.00
$1,790.00
$9,796.02
$0.00
$61,557.45
$13,803.85
$0.00
$243.04
$8,500.00
$0.00
$12,877.46
$0.00
$2,983.20
$0.00
$837.52
$0.00
$528.50
$0.00
$18,212.78
$525.00
$1,980.11
$2,387.14
$57.00
$896.26
7475
7644
7682
7696
7699
7722
7726
7746
7766
Richmond, IN
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Bellevue, KY
Christ the Savior Lutheran Church
Fishers, IN
Cross of Christ Lutheran Church
Crown Point, IN
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Crestview Hills, KY
St Thomas Lutheran Church
Richmond, KY
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, IN
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Rockport, IN
Word of Hope Lutheran Church
Lexington, KY
St Matthew by the Lake Lutheran Church
Benton, KY
Totals:
$101.00
$101.00
$52,969.81
$1,555.00
$500.00
$0.00
$49,159.00
$18,787.05
$500.00
$795.00
$13,413.50
$1,158.92
$3,000.00
$0.00
$4,308.00
$0.00
$11,474.51
$3,157.00
$1,709,919.18
$260,572.30
IK SYNOD OPERATING BUDGET
ACTUAL
2014-15
EXPENSE
INCOME
001 REVENUE
002 MISSION SUPPORT
Mission Support Receipts
Shared Mission Support Paid
NET MISSION SUPPORT
139,734
INCOME
139,734
1,711,212
NET
246,109
246,109
007 TRINITY SEMINARY
98,338
020 CAMPUS MINISTRY PROGRAM
Ball State, Butler/IUPUI, Indiana, Kentucky, Purdue
022 YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
BUDGET-Draft 5
2016-17
INCOME
EXPENSE
NET
approved by Synod Council 4/19/15
90,319
90,319
52%
731,000
816,000
43%
969,000
14,067
(14,067)
14,000
(14,000)
14,000
(14,000)
5,000
(5,000)
5,000
(5,000)
5,000
(5,000)
24,000
(24,000)
24,500
(24,500)
25,000
(25,000)
200,338
(102,000)
130,000
(105,000)
130,000
(110,000)
2,546
(2,546)
2,500
(2,500)
2,500
(2,500)
650
(650)
5,000
(5,000)
-
25,000
20,000
-
024 COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY PROGRAM
39,521
50,967
(11,446)
39,962
46,662
(6,700)
40,175
45,635
(5,460)
025 CANDIDACY
46,995
50,135
(3,140)
62,784
74,134
(11,350)
63,186
72,981
(9,795)
-
3,489
(3,489)
-
4,000
(4,000)
-
5,000
(5,000)
600
1,131
(531)
1,000
2,000
(1,000)
1,000
2,000
(1,000)
1,160
8,691
(7,531)
11,500
23,275
(11,775)
6,500
17,000
(10,500)
-
1,625
(1,625)
-
1,500
(1,500)
-
1,500
(1,500)
334
(334)
5,821
(5,821)
(1,378)
-
1,900
(1,900)
112,686
3,500
028 COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM
032 HEALTHY CONGREGATIONS PROGRAM
036 CONGREGATIONAL LIFE PROGRAM
040 ECUM MINISTRY PROGRAM
043 ISAIAH 43
044 GLOBAL MISSIONS PROGRAM
3,408
4,786
048 OUTREACH ADMINISTRATION
107,536
2,543
104,993
-
-
052 MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM
1,000
053 MISSION INITIATIVES
-
15,000
(15,000)
-
-
054 REDEVELOPMENTS
-
10,030
(10,030)
-
20,000
173,148
250,488
(77,340)
137,000
10,000
(10,000)
055 NEW STARTS & SAWCs
056 OUTDOOR MINISTRY SUPPORT
109,186
-
1,900
113,472
8,500
(1,000)
-
1,000
(1,900)
104,972
(1,000)
-
-
-
(20,000)
-
25,000
(25,000)
214,163
(77,163)
212,497
289,068
(76,572)
10,000
(10,000)
10,000
(10,000)
062 CORE
-
3,376
(3,376)
-
1,500
(1,500)
-
2,000
(2,000)
070 SYNOD COUNCIL
-
8,341
(8,341)
-
7,530
(7,530)
-
11,030
(11,030)
2,333
(2,333)
3,500
(3,500)
3,500
(3,500)
071 COLLEGE OF DEANS
%
1,700,000
884,000
821,382
006 UNIVERSITY SUPPORT - Capital/Wittenberg
%
1,700,000
889,830
004 REGL CTR FOR MISSION
008 CAMPUS MINISTRY SUPPORT
NET
BUDGET
2015-16
EXPENSE
IK SYNOD OPERATING BUDGET
INCOME
075 ASSEMBLY PROGRAM
92,066
076 ELCA CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY
ACTUAL
2014-15
EXPENSE
NET
102,330
(10,264)
-
082 PROGRAM STAFF TRAVEL
INCOME
95,450
-
45,425
(45,425)
BUDGET
2015-16
EXPENSE
NET
%
BUDGET-Draft 5
2016-17
INCOME
EXPENSE
NET
approved by Synod Council 4/19/15
105,310
132,055
%
122,730
(27,280)
(26,745)
3,000
(3,000)
-
64,460
(64,460)
58,996
(58,996)
-
082 PROGRAM STAFF COMPENSATION
10,000
351,893
(341,893)
10,000
391,301
(381,301)
10,000
400,148
(390,148)
083 ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
20,083
219,132
(199,049)
16,660
206,069
(189,409)
20,680
206,997
(186,316)
165,146
(165,146)
185,107
(185,107)
181,330
(181,330)
085 ADMINISTRATIVE
098 BISHOP DISCRETIONARY FUND
INCREASE(DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS
200
2,508,672
Therefore, Structural Deficit
Council Designated Funds
Council Designated non endowment reserves
Council Designated Endow for Oper
Balance
200
-
2,508,497
175
$
Bal @ Beg Yr
185,804
223,825
409,629
4,930
2,463,080
(103,931)
Use
Bal End Yr
(103,931)
81,873
223,825
(103,931)
305,698
4,930
-
2,463,081
(0)
$
Bal @ Beg Yr
81,873
223,825
305,698
1,968
2,385,107
1,968
2,385,107
(234,471)
Use
Bal End Yr
(81,873)
(152,598)
71,227
(234,471)
71,227
(0)
$
Bal @ Beg Yr
71,227
71,227
Use
(54,679)
(54,679)
(54,679)
Bal End Yr
16,548
16,548
R-01-15
Resolution re: Vote at Synod Assembly for Retired Associates in Ministry,
Deaconesses, and Diaconal Ministers
Submitted by Julie Peralta, Associate in Ministry; Barb Limbach, Associate in Ministry
Whereas S7.22 of the constitution allows the synod to establish processes that permit retired
ordained ministers, retired associates in ministry, retired deaconesses, and retired diaconal
ministers on the roster of this synod to serve as voting members of the Synod Assembly
consistent with S7.21.c., and
Whereas S7.22.01 establishes a process that permits retired clergy on the roster of this synod
to have the privilege of voice and vote at meetings of the Synod Assembly; therefore be it
Resolved that we recommend that bylaw S7.22.02 be established that permits retired
associates in ministry, retired deaconesses, and retired diaconal ministers on the roster of this
synod to have the privilege of voice and vote at meetings of the synod assembly.
28th Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5 - 7, 2015
Indianapolis, IN
2015 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly Elections
NOMINATIONS RECEIVED
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Indiana-Kentucky Corporation Board (2 positions)
Kristie Dailey
Member: Trinity Lutheran Church, Ft Wayne, IN
Conference: Northeast Conference
Occupation: Civil Engineer
Congregational Service:
Community Service: Volunteer with the YMCA for youth activities, including helping
coach and run the YMCA youth soccer program.
Synod/Conference Service: Current At-Large Member board of Directors, Lutheran
Outdoor Ministries Indiana-Kentucky Inc.
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
minimum) My past experience as a camper, staff member, and now a parent of
current campers brings a broad range of knowledge and views of the camp
experience to the board. My engineering background can provide assistance
regarding environmental or facility concerns at the camp site
+++
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Indiana-Kentucky Corporation Board
Kristie Bearman
Member: Christ the King Lutheran Church, South Bend, IN
Conference: North Central Conference
Occupation: Civil Engineer
Congregational Service:
Community Service: Project HELP our local church cooperative social service agency
(food pantry and clothing store) that helps struggling families in Steuben Co.
Synod/Conference Service: Board member, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries IndianaKentucky since 2012, which oversees the ministry at Lutheran Hills, Lutherwald and lake
Luther camps.
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
minimum) I am a former staff member at Camp Lutherwald and a mother of young
children who attend camp each summer. I have been a member of Lutheran
Outdoor Ministries I-K Board of Directors for the past 3 years. I have helped lead the
camp “Strategic Planning” retreat for the LOMIK Board of Directors this past January.
POSITIONS NOMINATED BY CONFERENCES
Synod Council (Lay)
 4 positions—(one nominee from each conference) (three year term each) (no
nominees from the floor)
o Lay female: 2 positions – East Central Indiana and Northeast Conferences
•
•
Laura E. Richcreek – NEC
Rebecca Jane Daum – ECIC
o Lay male: 2 positions -- Lafayette and Southeast Indiana Conferences
•
•
Clyde Knigga – SEIC
Michael Anderson – Lafayette Conference
2016 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members (two nominees for each position)
 5 clergy positions one from each of the following: East Central Indiana, Lafayette, Northwest
Indiana, South Central and Southeast Indiana Conferences
o East Central Indiana Conference
 Matthew Aaron Manning
o Lafayette Conference
 Michael L. Crawford
 Sharon C. Walker
o Northwest Indiana Conference

o South Central Conference
 Cindy Geisen
 Bimen Limbong
o Southeast Indiana Conference
 Matthew R. Voyer
 Susan Socha

2 lay female positions one from each of the following: Indianapolis and North
Central Conferences
o Indianapolis Conference
 Linda Witte Henke
 Julie Schuessler Peralta, AIM
o North Central Conference
 Sister Nora Lynn Ellen Frost
 Sally Dixon

3 lay male positions one from each of the following: East Kentucky,
Evansville and Northeast Indiana Conferences
o East Kentucky Conference
 Hansel Ramathal
 Paul Trickel
o Evansville Conference
 Gary Moeller
 David Ronald Smith
o Northeast Indiana Conference
 Cleveland Inge
 David Truelove
Synod Council (Lay)
+++
Four positions—(one nominee from each conference) (three-year term each) (No
nominations from floor)
o Lay female: 2 positions – East Central Indiana and Northeast Conferences
Laura E. Richcreek
Member: Eberhard Evangelical Lutheran Church, Columbia City, IN
Conference: Northeast
Occupation: self-employed voice-over talent
Congregational Service: Adult Sunday School teacher, VBS organizer, lay assisting
minister, former council secretary & member
Community Service: Pres. Columbia City Main Street Assoc., Leadership Whitley
County alum, volunteer w Chamber EDC, Habitat, Interfaith musician, member of Trail
Run Club.
Synod/Conference Service: Assist and organize annual God’s Work. Our Hands. event,
helped provide meal at local ministerium, supported booth at county fair and Main
Street Fall Fest
List the specific gifts/talents you think nominee would bring to this position (50 word
maximum): Laura is a writer, speaker, servant leader and is open-minded, flexible and
well liked. Her goals in working with others are first to understand, accept & respect
differences, and connect the right people with each other.
+++
Rebecca Jane Daum
Member: St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Richmand, IN
Conference: East Central Indiana
Occupation: retired high school teacher
Congregational Service: Assisting minister, Dorcas (sewing) Circle Co-leader, Adult
Forum Leader
Community Service: 4-H Club Advisor, Volunteer Usher – Richmond Civic Hall, Retired
Teachers Association.
Synod/Conference Service: none
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum): I have good problem-solving skills. I am an active listener. I am flexible
and have extended experience in working in a multicultural environment with people
of a variety of economic and educational levels. I have worked with groups in goal
setting and planning and successfully accomplishing those goals.
o Lay male: 2 positions -- Lafayette and Southeast Indiana Conferences
Michael Anderson
Member: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lafayette, IN
Conference: Lafayette
Occupation: Director of Product Management/ Metering, Landis & Gyr
Congregational Service: Worship & Music, Reader, Communion Assistant
Community Service: Volunteer at Lafayette Urban Ministry & Food Pantry
Synod/Conference Service: Past Assembly Planning Chair, Volunteer, Long Range
Planning Committee Member
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum): Knowledge of synod operations in general, strong faith commitment,
strong service commitment, good business sense that can help to serve the synod
moving forward, have worked with most of the synod staff
+++
Clyde Knigga
Member: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bellaire, IN
Conference: Southeast Indiana
Occupation: Retired school teacher
Congregational Service: treasurer, church council, Bible study participant
Community: Constantly taking care of friends and neighbors
Synod/Conference Service: none
List the specific gifts/talents you think nominee would bring to this position (50 word
maximum): Clyde is extremely organized and prayerful.
+++
Churchwide Assembly 2016 - Clergy
Five clergy positions one from each of the following: East Central Indiana, Lafayette,
Northwest Indiana, South Central and Southeast Indiana Conferences
East Central Indiana Conference
Pastor Matthew Aaron Manning
Occupation: Pastor
Member: St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Anderson, IN
Conference: East Central Indiana
Congregational Service: Pastor
Community Service: Helping hand Food Pantry, Worship Leader Vermilion Place
Assisted Living, United Way of Madison County
Synod/Conference Service: Dean of East Central Indiana Conference
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum)
+++
Pastor
Occupation:
Member:
Conference: East Central Indiana
Congregational Service: Pastor
Community Service:
Synod/Conference Service:
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum)
+++
Lafayette Conference
Pastor Michael L. Crawford
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mulberry, IN
Conference: Lafayette
Congregational Service: Pastor, director of Katie’s Commons, a pantry garden
Community Service: Director, IMPACT afterschool program, member of the Clinton
Co. Drug & Alcohol Coalition
Synod/Conference Service: Dean of the Lafayette Conference, member of the
Purdue Lutheran Ministry board
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) I bring to the position of Churchwide Assembly Voting Member the gift of
listening. I seek to discern God’s will in decision making through careful listening to the
various sides of issues. Prayerful consideration and working in collaboration with
colleagues.
+++
Pastor Sharon C. Walker
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Christ Lutheran, Kokomo, IN, and Shiloh, Walton, IN
Conference::Lafayette
Congregational Service: Working with two congregations in finding joint ministry
opportunities
Community Service Served as Spiritual Director for IN-KY Via de Cristo, worked with the
Apostle Build Habitat for Humanity in Kokomo
Synod/Conference Service: Served on Faith Practices Planning for ELCA
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) Ability to work with a variety of people and organizations, being an
encourager with individuals to develop their gifts and abilities, strong faith and
stewardship commitment, and always looking for new ideas to bring to the local faith
community
+++
Northwest Conference
Pastor
Occupation:
Member:
Conference:
Congregational Service:
Community Service:
Synod/Conference Service:
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum)
+++
Pastor
Occupation:
Member:
Conference:
Congregational Service:
Community Service:
Synod/Conference Service:
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum)
+++
South Central Conference
Pastor Cindy Geisen
Occupation: Pastor
Member: St Paul Lutheran Church, Shively. KY
Conference: South Central
Congregational Service: Pastor
Community Service: Board Member of The Kentucky Council of Churches, Member of
Shively Interfaith Connections
Synod/Conference Service: Co-chair of I-K Synod CORE Team, South Central
Conference Clergy Representative
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) I have served throughout the Synod as an interim pastor, and have served
on several synod committees in a variety of capacities throughout the synod. I have a
passion for working in the community to promote justice.
+++
Pastor Bimen Limbong
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Christ Lutheran Church, Louisville, KY
Conference: South Central
Congregational Service: Pastor
Community Service: Serving as board member for Kentucky Council of Churches
Synod/Conference Service: Dean of SCC, Chair for Indonesia Companion, Chair
Association Asian and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Ministry of the ELCA
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum). I have rich experiences in various ministry settings whether locally,
nationally and globally. At the same time as a person of color my presence will help
enrich the ministry at our Synod and our ELCA in general.
+++
Southeast Indiana Conference
Pastor Susan Socha
Occupation: Pastor
Member: St. Paul Lutheran Church, Milan, IN
Conference: Southeast Indiana
Congregational Service: Pastor
Community Service: Milan Lions Club, God’s Work, Our Hands, Milan Community
Emergency Relief, Ecumenical Worship
Synod/Conference Service: Dean of the Southeast Indiana Conference
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) I think my experience of being a dean will help me in making decisions at
Churchwide Assembly. I have experienced the church at various levels and I would
like to experience being a part of the greater church by attending and participating
in the Churchwide Assembly.
+++
Pastor Matthew R. Voyer
Occupation: Pastor
Member: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lawrenceburg, IN
Conference: Southeast Indiana
Congregational Service: Pastor
Community Service: Board of Directors Not One More Southeast Indiana
Synod/Conference Service: Youth Coordinator SEIC, IK Synod Core Team
List the specific gifts/talents you think nominee would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) Matt has excellent interpersonal skills. He is very approachable and works
well with many people. He is an excellent coordinator and exudes charisma. His
conservative theology is rock solid. His heart goes out to all those in need.
+++
Churchwide Assembly 2016—Lay Female
Two lay female positions one from each of the following: Indianapolis and North
Central Conferences
Indianapolis Conference
Linda Witte Henke
Occupation: Liturgical artist and consultant
Member: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, IN
Conference: Indianapolis
Congregational Service: Linda serves on the congregation's Worship Committee. She
also founded and continues to facilitate the congregation's Liturgical Arts Ministry
Team.
Community Service: Linda is in her third year of service on the Board of Directors for a
local Fine Arts Academy. She also serves on the Artists Committee of a recently
formed national organization, Lutheran Arts (www.lutheranarts.org) and is active in
Christians in the Visual Arts (www.civa.org )
Synod/Conference Service: Linda is in her third year of service as chair of the I-K Synod
Worship Committee, offering particular leadership in worship planning and workshops;
she also serves on the I-K Synod's Assembly Planning Team and provides graphic
design services for the Synod. In addition, Linda serves on the ELCA/Augsburg-Fortress
Congregation Reformation Resources task force in support of the denomination's
500th anniversary observance, and designs and creates commissioned liturgical art
projects for congregations, synods, and church-related agencies; this currently
includes a vestments-and-paraments project commissioned by the ELCA, which will
debut at the Gathering Eucharist for the 2015 Worship Jubilee, to be held in Atlanta's
Cathedral of Saint Philip.
List the specific gifts/talents you think nominee would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) Linda’s perspective on the church has been informed by life-long
participation in Lutheran congregations throughout the U.S., as well as in Japan and
Germany. Her appreciation for parish life and mission has been amplified by
advanced studies in theology, consulting relationships with faith communities within
and beyond the ELCA, and participation in wider-church initiatives within and beyond
the U.S. Her experience in and integrated passion for the church's mission, worship,
and proclamation empower her effective leadership and service.
+++
Julie Schuessler Peralta, AIM
Occupation: Director of Youth Discipleship, Associate in Ministry (AIM)
Member: Resurrection, Indianapolis, IN
Conference: Indianapolis
Congregational Service: Full Time Director of Youth Discipleship with a congregation
working with children, youth, and parents. Focus on the first-third of life with faith
practices and discipleship. Knit/Crochet Ministry creating blankets and baby hats
Community Service: WFYI, Pack Away Hunger, Weekender Backpack Meals
Synod/Conference Service: ELCA Youth Ministry Network, I-K Synod Candidacy
Committee, IYC
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum). I am a person who enjoys connecting to the wider church through
partnerships with other congregations and the synod. Currently I serve as the chair for
the I-K Synod Candidacy Committee and Treasurer of the Indiana Youth Coalition
(IYC). I welcome the opportunity to serve in this role at Churchwide assembly for
interactive conversation related to rostered leaders and for engaging in the wider
expressions of the church through this new experience.
+++
North Central Conference
Sally A. Dixon
Occupation: Mission coordinator at Christ the King Lutheran Church, South Bend,
IN, also an R.N.
Member: Christ the King Lutheran Church, South Bend, IN
Conference: North Central
Congregational Service:
Community Service:
Synod/Conference Service:
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) In my role as Mission Coordinator I communicate with members of our
congregation as well as representatives from community organizations on a weekly
basis. I serve on the Board of Directors for a local organization, serving people with
disabilities, so I am familiar with topics similar to CWA.
+++
Sister Nora Lynn Ellen Frost
Occupation: Spiritual Care Coordinator/Chaplain at Indiana University Health
Goshen Hospital
Member: Augustana Lutheran Church in Elkhart, Indiana
Conference: North Central
Congregational Service: Assisting Minister, Lector, Supply (preach and lead worship) in
Pastor’s absence, Worship Committee
Community Service: Teach and lead workshops in Elkhart County, at the Hospital, at
Goshen College and area Nursing and Rehab facilities on End of Life Planning,
HCPOA, POST, Living Wills, OHDNR, etc. and notarize these documents, Caregiver
workshops on Ethical Issues related to Death and Dying, Self-Care, Presenter for the
area Cancer Support Group on Spiritual Issues, supply for area pastors in Lutheran,
Methodist, Brethren, Mennonite, & Episcopal traditions, Committees for the Center for
Healing and Hope, Certification Committee for Association of Professional Chaplains,
Leader for Spiritual retreats in the area
Synod/Conference Service: Serve on the ELCA Endorsement Committee for
candidates in Specialized Ministry for Pastoral Counselor or Chaplaincy, Teacher for
the DIAKONIA program in I-K Synod
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) I have a passion to serve Christ’s Church, the ELCA and the people of God
as well as a desire to be a voice for those who feel they have no voice, whose
opinions are felt to be marginalized and those who feel the church has not always
modeled Christ’s love, care, and hospitality. God has blessed me with the ability to
listen, discern God’s will and be willing to make hard decisions for the good of the
whole.
+++
Churchwide Assembly 2016—Lay Male
Three lay male positions one from each of the following: East Kentucky, Evansville and
Northeast Indiana Conferences
East Kentucky Conference
Hansel Ramathal
Occupation: Account Manager
Member: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Crestview Hills, KY
Conference: East Kentucky
Congregational Service: Lay Assist, usher, reader, communion assist, sacristan, Bible
Study
Community Service: Volunteer in Habitat projects, soup kitchen
Synod/Conference Service: none
List the specific gifts/talents you think nominee would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) Multicultural perspective to Christian spirituality. Multiple languages. Deep
faith in Christ and the ministry of the Church. Volunteer mindset and is able to lead
groups in discussion and discernment. Able to communicate clearly and also
demonstrates a clear understanding of multiple viewpoints. Past church council
member for 6 years, 2 of them as President.
+++
Paul Trickel
Occupation: Social Worker
Member: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Crestview Hills, KY
Conference: East Kentucky
Congregational Service: Property Committee, Lay Leader, Usher
Community Service: Habitat for Humanity and volunteer for several events every year
Synod/Conference Service: Conference Secretary, Lay representative on Synod
Council, Chair and member of Synod Finance Committee, Synod Council Executive
Committee member
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) A passion for ministry. Active listening skills. Allowing the Spirit to guide my
discernment. A strong foundation for financial matters at the congregational and
synodical levels. A commitment for being nonjudgmental and for allowing individuals
the right to self-determination. A focus on God’s love and mercy in all relationships.
+++
Evansville Conference
Gary Moeller
Occupation: Sales Manager
Member: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Dubois, IN
Conference: Evansville
Congregational Service: Church organist, Choir director, conference chair
Community Service:
Synod/Conference Service: Chair Evansville Conference.
List the specific gifts/talents you think nominee would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) Experience in business; works with others to gain consensus.
+++
David Ronald Smith
Occupation: retired engineer
Member: St. John’s Lutheran, Loogootee, IN
Conference: Evansville
Congregational Service: President of congregation
Community Service: Relay for Life
Synod/Conference Service: none currently
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) Trust in the Lord in my daily life. Cooperative leader
+++
Northeast Indiana Conference
Cleveland E. Inge Jr.
Occupation: Det. Sergeant for Indiana University, Purdue University, Ft.Wayne
Member: St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN
Conference: Northeast Indiana
Congregational Service:
Community Service:
Synod/Conference Service:
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) I believe I have gifts of working with young people, listening, counseling, speaking,
motivating and sharing my faith openly with anyone without fear of embarrassment. Another
gift I have been given is to be home when needed especially in difficult situations. I feel I have
very good leadership skills and enjoy coaching.
+++
David Payanay Truelove
Occupation: Production and Assembly Department
Member: St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Albion, IN
Conference: Northeast Indiana
Congregational Service: Council member
Community Service: none
Synod/Conference Service: none
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position (50 word
maximum) I like working with my church. I am a Filipino-American so I represent the
minority population. I’m the youngest council member in our church. I’m outgoing
and eager to learn. I can talk to anyone.
+++
NOMINATIONS NEEDED FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS
Synod Council (Clergy) - 2 positions

Two at large positions
o
Can be either male or female (3 year-term each)
Synod Council (Associate in Ministry, Deaconess, or Diaconal Minister)
– 1 position

One at large position
o
Can be either male or female (3 year term)
Synod Council (Youth) – 1 position

One at large position
o
Can be either male of female (2 year term)
o
Youth = 18 years or younger at time of election
Consultation Committee - 2 positions
 1 clergy position, male (6 year term)
 1 lay position, male (6 year term)
Churchwide Assembly Voting Member – 1 position

1 youth or young adult
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, Indiana-Kentucky Corporation Board -- Clergy
Ben Sloss
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Trinity English Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN
Conference: Northeast Indiana
Congregation Service: Associate Pastor of Young Adult Ministries
Community Service: United Way of Allen County
Synod/Conference Service: Indiana-Kentucky Synod Rostered Leader
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position
I worked several summers on staff at Camp Lutherwald as counselor, lifeguard and
program director. - I have a strong technical background and understanding of online
communication tools commonly used for advertising camp programs and events. - I love
camp!
Scott Mauch
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN
Conference: Indianapolis
Congregation Service: Lebanon Area Clergy Alliance
Community Service: Habitat for Humanity
Synod/Conference Service: Indianapolis Conference Ministerium
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position
As a former member of the building trades in the Electrical field I feel that my expertise
will provide an asset to the Outdoor Ministry team in maintaining the cams for current
and future use. I am very familiar with the camp infrastructure and have a strong desire
to see that it is maintained. Secondly, as a father and grandfather of past campers I
have seen what the camp experience gives to children, and I want to make sure this
available for future generations.
Churchwide Assembly 2016 – Clergy
Clergy positions from East Central and Northwest Indiana Conferences
EAST CENTRAL INDIANA CONFERENCE
Pastor Jerry Mielke
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Zion Lutheran Church, Pershing, IN
Conference: East Central Indiana Conference
Congregation Service: pastor
Community Service: Ministerial Association, Lions Club
Synod/Conference Service: Synod Council
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position
For 38 years I have had the privilege of responding to God’s call to serve in ministry.
The Holy Spirit has directed my life and has lead me into a variety of ways to serve. It
has been a time of spiritual growth.
NORTHWEST INDIANA CONFERENCE
Pastor Erik Grayvold
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Chesterton, IN
Conference: Indianapolis
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position
Pr Grayvold’s ministry gives evidence of his solid Biblical and theological foundation, his
global perspective and experience, his passion for young people/ability to connect
across generations. These gifts, along with his distinct perspective as a member of the
rising generation in our culture make him an excellent candidate for Voting Member.
Pastor Timothy Knauff, Jr.
Occupation: Pastor
Member: Christ Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, IN
Conference: Northwest Indiana Conference
Synod/Conference Service: Dean of Northwest Indiana Conference; Synod Council
List the specific gifts/talents you think you would bring to this position
Pr Knauff would bring deep faithfulness, knowledge of the larger church from years of
experience, and a keen desire for the ELCA to be a voice for the gospel in a new and
changing world.
General Nomination Form
Elected Position: __Secretary_________________________________________________________________________________
Name (Print or type full name):______Judith A. (Judy) Bush_____________________________________________________________
Address, include city, state, zip code:
__75 Martin Hollow Rd., Heltonville, IN 47436 ___________________________________________________________________
Phone: ______home 812-834-5739, mobile 812-545-3100___________________________________________________________________________________
FAX, e-mail address:____ [email protected] _________________________________________________________________
Information about nominee: (Please do not abbreviate)
Occupation: __Retired Public School Administrator____________________________________________________
Congregation Membership: __St. Thomas Lutheran, ___________________________________________________
Congregation City and Conference: _ Bloomington, IN / Indianapolis Conference____________________________________________
CURRENT Congregation Service:_Worship Committee, Lay Worship Assistant, Lay Reader, Greeter, Building Committee, Finance
Committee_______________________________________
CURRENT Community Service: _Board of Monroe County United Ministries, Rotary Youth Exchange Officer, Rotary District
Secretary, Rotary District Governor Nominee, Rotary Club Secretary, Teachers Warehouse Board ________________________
CURRENT Conference/Synod/ELCA Service: __Secretary__________________________________________________________
List specific gifts or talents you think you would bring to this position (50 words maximum):
I bring experience in the position so that I have a vision of our direction in the future based on experiencing our journey to this point. I am
conscientious, diligent, dedicated, open to other opinions and willing to try new options. Being retired I do have more time to devote to the
responsibilities of the office.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nomination submitted by: ____self_______________________________________Phone: ______________________
If submitted by other than the nominee, has nominee agreed to serve? Yes ________No__________
(NOTE: Lay synod council positions are elected at the conference spring assemblies. Form should be sent immediately after
conference assembly to the synod secretary, Judy Bush. Contact Judy at [email protected])
Pr. Rudy Mueller
Indiana-Kentucky Lutheran Center
911 E. 86th Street, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240
Due date is April 22, 2015
Contact Pr. Rudy Mueller
(317) 253-3522 or [email protected]
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We Lutherans tend to get uncomfortable when urged or, even worse, compelled, to do
something. Yet, there it is from the pen of Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: the love
of Christ urges on – compels – those who are convinced that Christ has died for all.
Those who bear the cruciform mark of God’s claim and call are compelled by the centrifugal
force of God’s Spirit into the world as the body of Christ to be broken and poured out for the
life of the world. The deep, abiding, forgiving, renewing, life-giving love that we know in the
crucified and risen Christ urges us on to share that same love in word and deed in every
moment of every day. This cross-formed living and proclaiming in the everyday world – not
filling pews, not preserving church structures, not getting our way, not any other compelling
agenda that we are tempted to follow – this love of Christ is what urges us on toward the
promises of peace, justice, healing, and hope that ring in our ears and sing from our lips every
time we are gathered by the Spirit for worship.

Our mission, vision, core values, and operating principles offer insight into what it looks like for us to live
together as Christ’s ambassadors in the mission territory we sometimes refer to as the Indiana-Kentucky
Synod. Rooted in scripture, centered in Christ crucified and risen, and discussed, affirmed and embodied by
various members of this mission territory since the year 2000 these commitments are still vital and relevant for
us as we move out into the ever and swiftly changing landscape of our corporate and individual lives today. In
some ways, they point toward answers to three key questions for every mission center and missionary:
What is our primary call (mission)?

What central commitments guide our relationships, decision-making and behavior as we work together
toward that call (core values/operating principles)?

What will it look like when we faithfully engage the mission and embody the commitments (vision)?
Of course, these answers are not the center for us. The center is Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the life of
the world. This mission, set of core values and vision simply point us toward Jesus and draw us into prayerful,
Word-inspired, communally discerned mission as Christ’s ambassadors. In that role, they call us to meet at the
foot of the cross. There, on our knees before God and before one another, we gaze on the cruciform gift of
what God has wrought for us and for the world. All of our disagreements, our confusion, our certainties, our
need to be right and our fear that we’re wrong, along with our persistent tendencies to run after other gods are
stripped from us again and again and again. And there, at the foot of the cross, we hear and know the depth
and persistence of God’s forgiveness in Christ as our gaze is drawn toward the tomb, empty and
overshadowed by the new life rising just outside its door and in the midst of our days.
This is the time, sisters and brothers, for us as mission centers and embassies, as ambassadors urged on by
the love of Christ, to repent of the ways we have been lured and compelled by other missions, to receive
forgiveness and renewal, and to be moved together again as the body of Christ for the life of the world into the
mission territory of Indiana and Kentucky and far beyond. May the shared commitments offered here guide us
in that way!
Peace be with you,
The Rev. Dr. William O. Gafkjen, Bishop
OUR MISSION:
Empower, equip and encourage the people of God to make Christ known
OUR VISION:
Every person a Missionary
Every pastor a Mission Director
Every Congregation, Conference and Ministry a Mission Center.
OUR CORE VALUES:
Christ Centered
Collaboration/Trust/Risk taking
Communication/Interconnected
Compassion
Commitment and Faithfulness
OUR OPERATING PRINCIPLES:
1. Christ centered:
We pray together to determine God's will for us.
2. Mission focused:
Everything we do contributes to the mission of the church.
3. Ministry focused:
God has gifted each person for ministry.
4. Committed to collaboration:
Working together for the good of all and for mission.
5. Open to taking risks:
We encourage ourselves and each other to try new things.
6. Committed to excellence:
What we are called to do we do well.
7. People focused:
We respond to others with care and compassion.
8. Open to resources:
We want to use all the gifts God sends us.
9. Sharing decisions:
We use each person's knowledge/wisdom/experience.
10. Sharing accountability:
We are accountable to God, each other and the Wider Church.
2015-2016
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
STANDARDS and WORKBOOK
FOR ROSTERED CLERGY COMPENSATION
Workbook
(Compensation Standards for Associates in Ministry,
Deaconesses and Diaconal Ministers
are provided separately)
Proposed for action
by the 2015 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5-7, 2015
911 East 86th Street, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240-1840
317-253-3522
Rev. 02/18/15
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
We’re pleased to present to you the proposed 2015-2016 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Compensation Standards for
ELCA Rostered Clergy. We provide these for your use in determining just and honorable salary, benefits,
allowances, and reimbursements for your professional staff. This is the best tool we have to enable you to make
these decisions in a collaborative atmosphere with your co-workers in the gospel who give their lives to the
ministry of Jesus Christ with you in your congregation. Please note that “Process 1” is the process by for
determining compensation for a leader already under call and that “Process 2” is to be used in the Call Process.
Please use the standards in such a manner that there is good conversation between you and your rostered leaders.
It is wise to begin these discussions at least four months before your congregation’s next fiscal year, in an open
manner with your executive committee and each staff professional. These standards contain a process to assist
discussion about issues relating to compensation. Further, these standards present charts and tools for you to
calculate and determine compensation, as well as benefits, allowances, and reimbursements following established
standards across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Professional leaders are strongly encouraged to take the initiative in this conversation with parish leaders since
you are the ones who should understand your needs and desires. Don’t expect your parish leaders to be mind
readers. They’re waiting for you to be a leader.
With regard to Cost of Living (COLA), please visit the Social Security website at www.ssa.gov as well as contact
your local Chamber of Commerce. These are very helpful in finding the actual cost of living variances in your
specific county. Remember this is a ‘look back’, and not a predictor of the year to come. Also, visit the ELCA
website (www.elca.org) for further compensatory information.
Since age is now a factor (along with geography, size of congregation, and amount of compensation) in figuring
health benefits rates there is no longer a chart with percentages for the coming year. Contact Portico Benefit
Services (formerly ELCA Board of Pensions) by phone (800-352-2876) or e-mail ([email protected]) for
information and assistance.
If you desire assistance with any matter in this document, or have a question not addressed in the document,
please do not hesitate to contact any of our committee members directly, or through the Indiana-Kentucky Synod
office.
These Standards are the appropriate norm for use in a current call process or in current conversation around
compensation for a rostered leader under call upon their approval by the Indiana-Kentucky Synod in Assembly,
June 5-7, 2015.
Please note that these are clergy standards. A separate guideline is provided for associates in ministry,
deaconesses, and diaconal ministers.
With joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
Jim Kuchera, Chair; Jim Swinford, Hope Moran, Bill Slover, David Quandt
Rudy Mueller Synod staff liaison
2
How to Plan Compensation with Your Pastor and Other Rostered Leaders for 2015-2016
Often one of the most difficult challenges in ministry is deriving a fair and equitable compensation for rostered
leaders in your congregation. Generally this has not been addressed until late in the process of preparing a new
budget for the following year. This is a mistake since it often results in frustration for both the rostered leaders
and those trying to make decisions with regard to salary, benefits, and reimbursements. The following guidelines
should make this process pleasant and honest.
Obviously, first, begin your process with prayer. Second, know that your rostered leader(s) are not ‘hired’, they
are ‘called’ into ministry with you, alongside of you.
It is extremely important that the rostered leader(s) be involved in this planning from the beginning to the end
since they are the persons most affected by the final outcome. It is often difficult to talk about money and
benefits, but it should not be. Good communication can, and must, occur at each step of this process.
1. Who should be in the planning process: The process should include the rostered leader(s), Council
president, vice president, a member of the Stewardship Committee, and a member of the Mutual Ministry
Committee. These are the people who can best assess the leader’s effectiveness and his/her own needs,
and have a grasp of the church’s finances. Having more people in the meeting will slow communication,
and reduce effectiveness of the meetings. These are closed meetings and not open to the congregation for
the purpose of maintaining a high level of open, honest, and healthy communication among the various
leaders present.
2. What areas should be explored in the meetings: There are two areas of discussion: effectiveness and
need. Start with need, which is the current compensation each leader is receiving. Compensation of the
leader is no secret to the congregation because it is listed in the annual budget and/or annual report to the
congregation. It includes, but is not limited to, the following areas: base salary, defined benefits
(including housing allowance or equity allowance in the case of a church-owned parsonage), pension and
full health care/lump sum death benefit/disability insurance, continuing education, book allowance,
social security offset, reimbursements (car allowance, other tangibles applicable to your setting). Go
through these step by step. Ask the leader at each juncture if he/she has any input that would be germane
to the discussion. This may seem laborious, but the value is obvious since only the rostered leader knows
precisely how the current mix of salary, benefits, and reimbursements affects her/him. In some cases
your leader is below approved Synod established Minimum Compensation Standards. This needs to be
discussed and remedied. Do this early in the process, preferably in early or mid August four months
before your congregation’s new fiscal year. Your next meeting is in two weeks. Take a lot of notes
during the meeting, and share those written notes that week with members present, and not present, at
this meeting. This meeting should last about two hours.
3. How to address effectiveness of the leader(s) (Second meeting): It is never a question of how hard a
person works, or how many hours, but what gets done and the effectiveness of the work. This is without
doubt the most difficult area to quantify. Effectiveness is always a subjective judgment call at best. What
one person might find important, another does not. Is sitting with the family during a routine surgery of a
loved one important? Is reading and preparation for sermons/meetings/teaching/Scripture study and
prayer important? Is visiting regularly in the homes of church members important? Remember, much of
what a pastor, or rostered lay leader, does is confidential, and thus cannot be judged in terms of
effectiveness. Effectiveness is always, at best, a judgment call. Depending on each individual,
subjective value judgments often are completely different. It has been said that every pastor, or rostered
leader, has as many bosses as there are baptized members in the congregation. If that is true, then not all
will satisfied with the ministry at any given time, and the leader will not be a leader at all, but a hireling.
Some will want the leader to be a chaplain, someone to take care of them, and others, in the
congregation. Some will want the pews packed on Sunday and the offering plate full, and will expect
that to be the responsibility of the leader. Some will want the leader to prepare congregational members
for leadership and provide vision and clear focus for the total ministry.
3
Importance and effectiveness are linked together in each person’s mind. These are difficult to separate
though they are clearly not the same, and even can work against each other. Finally, who decides the
leader’s effectiveness? We believe it is the responsibility of the Congregation Council, not the general
congregation nor the rostered leader. If the leader works well with his/her Congregation Council, you
have an effective leader in your setting. Pastors and lay rostered persons are called to a SHARED
MINISTRY with you. If there is not any sharing going on, it is the pastor and lay rostered person’s
responsibility to make it happen. If assistance is needed to improve the shared ministry, use all resources
available, especially Synod staff. This meeting should last about two hours.
4. How do we derive Total Compensation for the coming year: After you have completed the previous
steps of the process, bring the entire group together to put the pieces together. Start with the
effectiveness component that will help you determine how you will deal with the Synod Professional
Leaders Compensation Standards for next year. Review all the blank spaces of the Compensation
Standards as provided in the attached workbook. Together, fill out the compensation material and
discuss each item, at length if necessary. Start with the current base Salary. Do two things with this
number: First, check the grid of years of experience and size of worship attendance to see how it
compares; second, have a conversation about a cost of living increase. Then move to each item: housing,
continuing education, and book allowance. Then move on to benefits and reimbursements. When this
part of the process is completed, total it, and then discuss it together with your rostered leader(s). Let
your rostered leader take the initiative here. Once again, it is he/she that will be most affected by this
decision. This meeting will last approximately two hours.
Hopefully, everyone will have had much time to pray, think, and discuss this very important part of your
ministry. You honor the Lord God, your congregation, and your pastor/rostered leader by following the steps of
this simple process. By god’s grace you will all enjoy this unhurried process, and come away from your meeting
closer to one another, and your Lord God. If you have questions, or need resource materials, do not hesitate to
contact any member of the Professional Leaders Compensation Committee or Synod support staff for assistance.
We stand ready to help you at any time.
In shared ministry with you,
Professional Leaders Compensation Committee,
Rev Jim Kuchera, Chair
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
General Information
Base Salary
Clergy Housing Allowance
Social Security
6
6
8
6
Benefits
Pension and Health Benefits
What Do I Do When I Turn 65
Sick Leave, Disability, Worker’s Comp
8
9
11
8
Other Benefits
Time off
Vacation
Holidays
Continuing Education/Sabbatical Leave
13
13
13
13
13
Professional Reimbursements and Expenses
Accountable Plan
Automobile Reimbursement
Other Expenses
15
15
15
15
II.
Process 1: Annual Review of Compensation for Current Pastor
Base Salary and Benefits
for Clergy not living in parsonage 17
Base Salary and Benefits
for Clergy living in parsonage
18
Determining Salary and Benefits
2 examples
19
16
III.
Process 2: Calling a New Pastor
Clergy Minimum Standards
Base Salary and Benefits
for Clergy not living in parsonage
Base Salary and Benefits
for Clergy living in parsonage
Determining Salary and Benefits
2 examples
21
22
23
24
25
Professional Reimbursements and Expenses
27
IV.
Vacancy Pastor, Interim Pastor, Pulpit Supply
28
V.
Continuing Education
29
Reference Page
31
5
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
COMPENSATION PACKAGES
There are two categories for determining the compensation package for a pastor. Process 1 should be
used for calculating the compensation package for a pastor currently under call. Process 2 should be
used in calculating the compensation package during the Call Process. Whichever process you use, the
first step is to make yourself familiar with the information on pages 6-13.
BASE SALARY
The starting point for determining the compensation package for your current pastor is his/her current
BASE SALARY. The starting point for determining the compensation package for a pastor you are about
to call is the recommended MINIMUM BASE SALARY standards. Other factors (e.g., educational debt
load of first call candidates, prior experience of second career candidates, merit and performance, the
cost of living in a particular geographical area, length of time in the parish, the complexity of
responsibilities, the financial ability of the congregation, etc.) should be taken into consideration when
determining the final BASE SALARY figure. Honorariums or other fees received for weddings, funerals,
outside speaking engagements, or from any other source should not be taken into account when setting
the BASE SALARY, nor should any income received by the spouse be a consideration.
In many congregations, a specific committee is asked to have primary concern for this ministry to the
pastor and his/her family. This group should be the Executive Committee comprised of the President,
Vice President, Treasurer/Finance chairperson. The key task of such a committee is to discuss annually
with the pastor a fair, honorable, and equitable compensation package. Since the pastor depends on the
church council and the congregation to make adequate provision for his or her financial needs, the pastor
requires an opportunity to discuss those needs in an open and supportive forum. The Executive
Committee is in a position to provide such a forum. The committee can receive data from the rostered
person about his or her financial needs and subsequently make recommendations to Congregational
Council for fair, honorable and equitable compensation.
CLERGY HOUSING ALLOWANCE
It is fully expected that if a congregation furnishes a parsonage, it also must pay the taxes, insurance,
maintenance, and all utilities of the home. An allowance for furnishings is also available and does not
apply as taxable income for the pastor to the extent it is actually used. If the pastor lives in a parsonage,
congregations should establish an Equity Fund in the range of 3%-5% of base salary. Such contributions
should be made directly to the ELCA Optional Pension Plan and should not be included as taxable salary
income.
If a housing allowance is paid in lieu of the use of a parsonage, it should be at least 30% of the
minimum base salary. One percent per month of the Fair Market Value (FMV) (the average cost of a
home in the given area) is often used as a starting point for determining a monthly housing allowance to
which should be added the cost of utilities and furnishings.
Once the Total Compensation (Base Salary + Housing + Social Security Reimbursement) is determined,
the amount of this total that is designated as Housing Allowance can be adjusted to the needs of the
minister as long as the Total Compensation remains the same. In other words, the pay designated as
salary on the W2 can decrease (or increase) and the part designated as Housing Allowance can increase
(or decrease).
6
DESIGNATION OF HOUSING ALLOWANCE
In IRS Publication 517, the IRS states that “The church or organization that employs you must officially
designate the payment as a housing allowance before the payment is made. A definite amount must be
designated. The amount of the housing allowance cannot be determined at a later date.”
Shown below is a sample resolution designating a housing allowance:
The president informed the council that under the tax law, a minister of the Gospel is not subject to
federal income tax on “the parsonage allowance paid to him as part of his compensation to the extent
used by him to rent or provide a home.”
After considering the estimate of Rev. __________ of his/her home expenses, a motion was made by
_____________, seconded by ____________ and passed to adopt the following resolution:
Resolved that of the total cash salary for the year 2____, $_________ is hereby designated as housing
allowance.
Resolved that as long as Rev. __________ is our Pastor the above amount of designated housing
allowance shall apply to all future years until modified.
When it is time to pay income tax, it is important to note IRS Publication 517:
If you own your home and you receive as part of your salary a housing or rental allowance,
you may exclude from gross income the smallest of:
• The amount actually used to provide a home,
• The amount officially designated as a rental allowance, or
• The fair rental value of the home, including furnishings, utilities, garage, etc.
•
•
•
You must include in gross income the amount of any rental allowance
that is more than the smallest of:
Your reasonable salary
The fair rental value of the home plus utilities, or
The amount actually used to provide a home.
FURNISHINGS ALLOWANCE
Pastors living in parsonages should be provided with a “furnishings allowance” to cover out of pocket
expenses such as furnace filters, cleaning supplies, landscape expenses, etc. Even in a parsonage, every
pastor has some expense in maintaining his or her home. The amount of the allowance may depend on
several factors: whether or not the parsonage is furnished, who provides the upkeep, pays the utilities,
etc. When the furnishings allowance is designated in advance, and to the extent it is actually used, it is a
non-taxable source of revenue for the pastor.
7
SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSET
Currently, Social Security tax and Medicare is 7.65% (6.2% SS and 1.45% Medicare) for employer and
for the employee. That means as an employee you pay one half of the total Social Security assessed tax,
and your employer pays the other half. Clergy are in a unique situation in that according to the Social
Security Administration our ordained professionals are classified not as ‘employees’, but as ‘selfemployed’ meaning clergy pay the entire 15.3% Social Security tax. Interestingly, according to the
Internal Revenue Service clergy are NOT considered self-employed, but instead viewed as employees
and thus are issued a W-2 like all other employees. Throughout the ELCA nearly all 65 Synods strongly
recommend that all congregations pay the additional 7.65%, as does this synod. This cannot be withheld
and remitted by the employing agency, but must be paid by the clergy person directly. This is distributed
to the clergyperson by the employing church, or agency, at the end of each pay period, and may be
included with salary and housing allowance in one check. At the end of the calendar year, this amount is
fully taxable and reported on the employees W-2 issued to the employee. Currently, about 80% of the
congregations of the ELCA abide by this recommendation. Remember this is not a perquisite (i.e., in
addition to salary) from the congregation anymore than it is a perquisite to any employee who works in a
secular vocation. (see 2013 Internal Revenue Service Publication 15 for further clarification and
guidance).
Reference: http://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/colafacts2015.html
BENEFITS
PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS
In January 1, 2014, the most significant changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also
known as health care reform, took effect. They have implications for many employers, including
congregations.
1. Each state has a health insurance marketplace , also called an exchange, where individuals can buy
health insurance. The State of Indiana chose not to provide a marketplace , a n d s o the federal
government manages one on the state's behalf. The Commonwealth of Kentucky has a state exchange.
The plans offered in the marketplace are in four categories:
•
Bronze
•
Silver
•
Gold
•
Platinum
Portico offers similar plans:
• Bronze+
• Silver+
• Gold+ (the recommended level of coverage)
• Platinum+
2. This document sets as the standard for the “Definition of Compensation, Benefits, and Responsibilities
of the Pastor” the Portico Gold+ Plan. Letter of Call will be signed by the Bishop only what that
standard is met to the satisfaction of the Bishop.
3. ELCA-Primary health contribution rates are based on geographic region, age and salary.
4. For 2014, each ELCA employer will need to select one ELCA health plan option for all employees
(rostered leaders and lay churchworkers) that they will pay for.
5.
8
6. Once the employer makes a selection at EmployerLink on the Portico web site
(www.porticobenefits.org), the employee will confirm that choice or choose to buy up to
another plan option at myPortico (also on the Portico website), and will be responsible for the cost
difference . For example, if the employer selects the Gold+ plan and the employee opts to buy up to
the Platinum+ plan, the employee would pay the difference in cost.
Portico will continue to include in the require contributions a percentage that goes to a) Disability and
Survivor Plans and b) Retiree Support (this is support for those retired rostered leaders whose pensions
are low due to low compensation throughout their years of service. Portico will also include the Pension
payment at the amount reported by the congregation, generally 12%.
When a pastor waives health coverage because of coverage through the insurance of a spouse, the congregation is
strongly encouraged to provide a Health Reimbursement Allowance to cover co-pays, deductibles, and other
medical expenses.
The ELCA benefits program contribution rates are a percentage of defined compensation. Defined compensation
is base salary, before any pretax benefit contributions** are deducted. For pastors, annual defined compensation
also includes the amount of any Social Security tax allowance paid to the pastor and housing allowance. If
housing is not provided, the amount of any cash housing allowance paid to the pastor is included. If housing is
provided, an additional 30 percent of base salary and any Social Security tax allowance, plus any household
furnishings or utilities allowance paid is included.
The synod recommends that congregations contribute the 12% retirement rate for pastors. Additional retirement
contributions can be made by the employee (member pretax). If the employer chooses to make additional
contributions from time to time, they can be included when paying the regular monthly bill by using the
Explanation of payment included in the monthly billing statement.
ELCA-primary health benefits include a personal wellness account offering financial rewards of up to $400 per
year to members (and spouses). The ELCA Flexible Benefits Plan is also available to employees who are
sponsored in the ELCA benefits program and receiving ELCA-primary health benefits. “ELCA-primary health
benefits” are exclusive of Medicare. (Those on Medicare may register for a personal wellness account, but are
not eligible to receive the financial rewards.) See www.porticobenefits.org for more information.
**Pretax benefit contributions include member pretax contributions to the Retirement Plan or another eligible
retirement plan. They also include pretax contributions to qualified reimbursement accounts for health care,
dependent care or transportation expenses.
WHAT DO I DO WHEN I TURN 65
Medicare is a health benefits program for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who meet certain work history
requirements:
1. age 65 or older,
2. Individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD),
3. Under age 65 with certain disabilities:
a. All who get disability benefits from Social Security or certain disability benefits from the
Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months.
b. Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s
Disease.
9
Most individuals automatically get Part A coverage without having to pay a monthly premium. This is because
they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while working. These individuals receive Part A coverage without having to
pay a Part A premium. For those individuals who do not automatically qualify for Part A coverage, the Part A
premium in 2015 is $224 or $407 a month depending on an individual’s duration of Medicare covered
employment. Individuals with disabilities who are under age 65 are automatically enrolled in Part A after they
have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24 months.
At age 65, most individuals who file an application for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits 3 months
before they turn age 65 or later are automatically enrolled in part B unless they refuse Part B coverage.
Individuals with disabilities who are under age 65 are automatically enrolled in Part B the earlier of:
1. The month they turn 65 if they have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits for at
least 4 months before they turn age 65. They are given an opportunity to refuse Part B coverage, or
2. The month after they have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24
months. They are also given an opportunity to refuse Part B coverage.
The standard monthly premium for Part B is $104.90 in 2015. Individuals with income over $85,000, or filing
jointly with incomes over $170,000, pay more, up to $335.70 a month in 2015 based on the income related
monthly adjustment amount. Part B premiums may be deducted from Social Security checks or Railroad
Retirement checks. Individuals who do not enroll in Part B when first eligible (e.g., at age 65) can enroll during a
General Enrollment Period January 1 – March 31. Part B coverage begins on July 1 of the year they enroll.
The Part B premium is increased 10% for each full 12-month period the beneficiary could have had Part B but,
did not enroll. One exception is for Individuals who have group health plan coverage based on their own current
employment (e.g. Portico Benefit Services) or the employment of a spouse are not subject to the premium
increase and may enroll in Part B anytime while covered under the group health plan or during a special
enrollment period that occurs during the 8-month period immediately following the last month of the group
coverage.
Beneficiaries with limited income and resources are encouraged to apply to their State Medicaid Office to
determine eligibility for various programs. Beneficiaries may qualify for help from the State to pay the Medicare
Part A (if any) and Part B premium, the Part A and Part B deductibles and cost sharing, and/or some Part D
prescription drug costs. Individuals seeking this information should call: 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227) select
“Limited Income Option,” then just say “Medicaid” for the State Medicaid telephone number.
Beneficiaries may qualify for help through a number of programs for individuals with limited income:
·
Contact the State Medicaid office for help with health care costs
·
Contact the State Medicaid office for the Medicare Savings Premium which helps with paying
Medicare Part A and/or Part B premiums and, in some cases, deductibles and
coinsurance/copayments. www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp
·
Contact the State Medicaid office for help with Part D low-income subsidy. This program helps pay
for prescription drug coverage.
·
Contact the Social Security Administration for information on Supplemental Security Income benefits
which help with case for basic needs.
A beneficiary in Original Medicare may receive Part D prescription drug coverage through a stand-alone
prescription drug plan (PDP). A beneficiary may also leave Original Medicare and receive drug coverage through
a Medicare Advantage health plan (MA-PD) or sometimes through a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan and a
separate PDP. Generally, with the exception of those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, Medicare
beneficiaries must actively select a Part D plan.
Annual enrollment for a Part D plan is October 15 to December 7.
10
Beneficiaries who enroll in Part D typically pay a monthly premium, annual deductible and per-prescription costsharing. Extra help is available for low-income beneficiaries. In 2015, beneficiaries with income above $85,000
(individual) or $170,000 (joint) pay an income-related monthly adjusted amount in addition to the Part D
premium.
There is a permanent premium penalty of 1% of the national standard premium for every month that a beneficiary
could have had Part D coverage or equivalent creditable coverage and chose not to enroll. There is no penalty for
individuals who qualify for low-income assistance.
For more information about Medicare
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services: www.cms.gov
Medicare: www.medicare.gov
Medicare & You Handbook: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf
Your Medicare Benefits: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10116.pdf
SICK LEAVE, DISABILITY, WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Sick leave of up to six weeks per year with full salary, housing and benefits should be provided by the
congregation when needed. This is not accumulated and should not be abused. This is not an entitlement.
Paid ‘family leave’ of up to six weeks is recommended when a child is born or adopted. The number of
weeks of leave before and after the birth should be specified in advance, and with mutual discussion
with the pastor. Similarly, paid 'family leave' of up to six weeks also should be available to care for a
sick family member such as a spouse, child, parent, or sibling.
In the event a sponsored member of the ELCA benefits program is unable to perform the material duties
of her or his normal occupation for any employer as a direct result of injury or physical or mental
disorder resulting in disability, the member is covered by these benefits:
1. Salary continuation
During the first two months of disability, the employer is expected to pay the full salary and
contributions to the ELCA retirement plan, and for health, disability and survivor benefits.
2. Monthly disability benefits
Beginning with the third month of disability, the member receives a monthly income benefit based
on two-thirds of the monthly average compensation on which contributions were paid during the 12month period preceding the disability, less any Social Security or any other government offsets,
including benefits paid to the member or family members. Benefits continue until recovery or up to
the maximum benefit period. See www.porticobenefits.org for more information.
3. Other benefits
Health coverage, the lump-sum survivor benefit and monthly survivor income benefits continue at no
charge until recovery or up to the maximum benefit period. In addition, an amount based on the
current basic benefit will be contributed to the member’s ELCA retirement account.
4. Benefits to surviving beneficiaries
At retirement (or death) the balance in the member’s ELCA retirement account will be available to
the member (or spouse) for withdrawals or convert to an annuity, providing a monthly income stream
in retirement.
11
The member must apply for partial or total disability benefits within six months of becoming disabled
and must be actively engaged in medical treatment designed by a qualified health care provider. See
www.porticobenefits.org for more information.
Monthly disability benefits available to eligible interim pastors who have chosen to continue ELCA
disability coverage at their own expense while between assignments or on leave from call are slightly
different.
Congregations are legally required by Indiana and Kentucky state law to secure Workers’ Compensation
on Clergy, Associates in Ministry, Deaconesses and Diaconal Ministers (as well as all other employees),
and provide for such expenses in the event of disability.
12
OTHER BENEFITS
WEEKLY HOURS/TIME OFF, CONTINUING EDUCATION AND SABBATICAL LEAVE
Pastors, like anyone else, need some time off from work in order to replenish and re-energize
themselves. Congregations should ensure that each pastor has two full days off per week. The pastor’s
weekly schedule (days/hours) may be negotiated as necessary. For the well-being of the pastor and
health of the congregation, such a schedule should not exceed 50 hours in a work week.
VACATION
Everyone needs a period of time away from the job in order to refresh and recreate him or herself. The
congregation should provide a minimum of four weeks vacation per year (28 days), including four
Sundays for all pastors. An additional week of vacation should be granted after 15 years of service in
the ministry; and an additional week should be granted at 25 years in the ministry. Continuing education
time is not to be regarded as vacation, nor should it be used by the professional leader for vacation under
any circumstances.
Congregations in which the pastor has served for an extended period of time should consider additional
vacation time. All costs and procurement of supply ministries during vacation times, including Sunday
supply, are the responsibility of the congregation. A list of available pulpit supply may be secured from
the synod web site (www.iksynod.org) or office.
HOLIDAYS
Because of the nature of their professional responsibilities, pastors are seldom able to take advantage of
three-day weekends and other holidays such as Christmas, Easter, etc. Generally, 9 to 11 total holidays
should be granted plus three floating personal days at the discretion of the Congregation Council.
Consideration should be given and the pastor should be encouraged to take these days off at another time
during the week to compensate for these holidays. This should not be counted as vacation time.
CONTINUING EDUCATION/SABBATICAL LEAVE
The purpose of continuing education for clergy is to strengthen the professional for more effective
service. The ELCA expects a minimum of 25 contact hours annually in organized continuing education.
These experiences are to be with colleagues and under responsible sponsorship, capable directors, and
qualified instructors.
Continuing education may range from a single day seminar to enrollment in a formal program at an
educational institution. The ELCA Letter of Call presently provides for a minimum of two weeks of
continuing education annually, and may be accumulated during a three-year period for a total of
six weeks. In the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, this time may be taken each year or after two or three years.
It is recommended that the professional staff attend the annual Fall Professional Leaders Conference
offered each year in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and should not be considered part of the annual two
weeks continuing education.
13
To financially support continuing education, the congregation is encouraged to establish a fund to which
the it annually contributes a minimum of $700, with the pastor contributing a minimum of $300 for a
minimum total of $1,000. Any money which the pastor contributes to the fund belongs to the pastor and
may accumulate over a period of years. If the pastor resigns the call, any money contributed by the pastor
but not used for continuing education is returned to the pastor. This money would be used for
registration, course materials, travel and housing while the person pursues approved continuing
education. Financial assistance is also available through the Indiana-Kentucky Synod Leadership
Support Committee. A Synod application form is included with these standards.
First Call Theological Education (FCTE) is the ELCA three-year structured program of theological
education designed to support and strengthen the new pastor in terms of: (1) ministry skills; (2) pastoral
identity; and (3) discernment of context. FCTE is experiential learning designed to meet participants at
their point of need as they encounter the demands and expectations of ministry. Documents outlining
the FCTE program are available through the Synod office.
Congregations shall offer their pastor(s) sabbatical leave time for spiritual and personal renewal which
may be a maximum of 8 weeks after four years or 12 weeks after six years in a congregation. Such
sabbatical leave time should normally be offered at either of these intervals during a long pastorate and
should not preclude vacation time during the year of sabbatical leave. This leave should include special
continuing education emphasis. The request, specific description and purpose of the sabbatical leave are
to be submitted to and approved by the Congregation Council at least six months prior to the time it is to
begin. Congregations might want to include in the budget and set aside funds each year toward that
sabbatical so that its cost might be spread over several years.
During sabbatical leave, the congregation continues to provide normal compensation, and pays for pulpit
supply and related congregational ministerial expenses. The pastor is responsible for expenses related to
the sabbatical such as additional living expenses, tuition, books and supplies. Supplemental funds may
be available from the Indiana-Kentucky Synod to pastors for these related expenses. Normal vacation
time may be used to extend the sabbatical leave. A report of his/her sabbatical activities is to be
submitted to the church council. A pastor taking a sabbatical is expected to continue to serve the
congregation granting the sabbatical for at least one year following the leave.
Continuing education and sabbatical leave time accrue to an individual during the service in a single
congregation. All accumulated continuing education time is forfeited with the acceptance of another
position or call to a different setting. Such continuing education time may not be used for vacation
purposes, may not be transferred to another rostered leader or staff person, and may not be exchanged for
monetary reimbursement.
SABBATICAL PLANNING FOR
INTERIM MINISTERS
Any Rostered Interim minister who has not yet retired and has received accredited Interim Ministry
Training, shall be eligible for a sabbatical after four years [208 weeks] of contracted Interim service. As
trained interim ministers, these leaders rarely accrue sufficient time in one congregation to qualify for a
sabbatical. To remedy this, any congregation which has contracted with such an Interim, shall contribute
8/208 of the weekly compensation package specified in the contract. [8/208 represents the weekly
contribution to an eight week sabbatical accrued after 208 weeks of service.] These funds shall be held
in special accounts established by the Synod Office in each interim minister’s name, and shall be held
until the forty-eight months have been served. (Such contributions may be made weekly or monthly, by
special arrangement with the synod bookkeeper.) Application to receive the funds and the sabbatical
shall be made to the Synod Council, who shall collaborate with the Interim concerning content, timing,
and reporting of the sabbatical.
14
PROFESSIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS AND EXPENSES
ACCOUNTABLE PLAN
Congregations should consider establishing an Accountable Plan (AP) for their ministers and employees
who have reimbursable expenses. Reimbursement of expenses under an AP provides a tax advantage
over claiming these expenses on Schedule A, Form 1040. For details of setting up an AP refer to
“Minister’s Guide for Income Tax” Published by the Board of Pensions of the ELCA or refer to IRS
Pamphlet 517 or 535.
Examples of these reimbursements are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Books and journals
Professional (professional dues, supplies, vestments, etc.)
Professional liability insurance
Cell phones
Mileage reimbursement (see below)
AUTOMOBILE REIMBURSEMENT
The costs which your professional leaders incur in driving an automobile while performing church
business are not personal expenses, but rather costs incurred by the congregation in order for the pastor
to carry on the ministries of the congregation. As such, reimbursement, or coverage, for such costs
should be fair, monthly, and complete at a 100% rate of reimbursement
There are a number of ways to provide for this expense:
1. A monthly or yearly allowance;
2. A reimbursement (at IRS standard mileage rate); check IRS Pub. 463 for
current rate, or go to www.irs.gov. As of January 1, 2015 the rate is 57.5 cents per mile.
Reference: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/New-Standard-Mileage-Rates-Now-Available;Business-Rate-to-Rise-in-2015
3. Leasing*; or
4. Purchasing (by the congregation)*.
*Please note that when a congregation leases or purchases a vehicle for the pastor to use,
it is the congregation’s responsibility to provide for the maintenance, and insurance of the vehicle.
Because of the vast differences in situations among our congregations, no recommendation is being
made as to a minimum monthly or yearly allowance to be paid. The IRS requires that the rostered leader
submit an accurate record of business miles driven and/or car expenses to the congregation or employing
agency and that the car has a contemporaneous detailed log of distance and purpose of each use of the
vehicle.
OTHER EXPENSES
Your pastor’s attendance at official assemblies and conferences is a professional expense. Attendance
at the Annual Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly is constitutionally mandated and expenses for
registration, lodging, meals, travel and other fees are the responsibility of the congregation. Attendance
at other conferences should also be supported by the congregation or agency by payment of registration
fees and other expenses. Discuss with your pastor his or her anticipated expenses in connection with
assemblies and conferences in the coming year.
15
II. Process 1: ANNUAL REVIEW OF COMPENSATION FOR CURRENT PASTOR
A. Compensation of each pastor under call shall be reviewed annually. This shall be done by the
congregation’s Executive Committee or Congregation Council. Since the rostered clergy depends on
the congregation and its Council to provide adequately for his or her financial needs, each person
requires an opportunity to discuss those needs in an open and supportive forum. Each rostered clergy
shall participate in his/her compensation review and shall be encouraged to openly share his/her
expectations. The Committee or Council can then make recommendations to the congregation for
fair, honorable, and equitable compensation.
B. Compensation adjustments shall include:
1. Base salary and Housing Allowance (if applicable);
2. Cost of living increase;
3. Merit increase based on an evaluation of the performance of each rostered staff member;
4. Incentive increase based upon new expectations of additional effort or responsibility; and,
5. Health and Medical Benefit adjustments consistent with ELCA Portico Benefits standards.
C. The Congregation Council shall be responsible for presenting the compensation recommendations
with appropriate rationale to the annual meeting of the congregation.
•
A member of the I-K Synod Compensation Standards Committee will be available for
clarification of the process presented in this document. Contact may be made through the Synod
Office.
DETERMINING COMPENSATION PACKAGE
BASE SALARY is that portion of the compensation provided to sustain the rostered leader who is called to
carry out the Lord’s work through the congregation. BASE SALARY does not include housing or
professional expenses.
DEFINED COMPENSATION includes BASE SALARY, HOUSING ALLOWANCE, and SOCIAL SECURITY
ALLOWANCE.
BENEFITS include health and pension benefits.
PROFESSIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS AND EXPENSES are costs related to the necessary performance of
ministerial duties, and include car reimbursement, continuing education allowance, books and journals,
etc.
16
BASE SALARY AND BENEFITS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy NOT living in parsonage:
Pastor’s current salary
1. $_______________
Cost of living increase
2. $______________
[The recommended Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that includes food and
energy is 1.7%. The congregation also should take into consideration:
a) the local cost of living (contact local Chamber of Commerce), and
b) any change in needs of the pastor and family.]
Merit increase*
3. $________________
Base Salary
(add lines 1-3)
4. $______________
Step 2: Determine Social Security Offset
Line 4 from above chart
$____________
Housing Allowance (see pp 6ff)
$____________
Total
$____________
Social Security Allowance = 7.65 % of Total
$___________________
Step 3: Add Line 4 from chart, plus Housing and Social Security Allowance
DEFINED COMPENSATION
$___________________
Step 4: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 5: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$____________________
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 6: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
*Merit Pay reflects exceptional effort in the previous year.
Merit increases should be revisited regularly and may be adjusted up or down.
17
BASE SALARY AND BENEFITS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy living in parsonage:
Pastor’s current salary
1. $_______________
Cost of living increase
2. $______________
[The recommended Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that includes food and
energy is 1.7%. The congregation also should take into consideration:
a) the local cost of living, (contact local Chamber of Commerce) and
b) any change in needs of the pastor and family.]
Merit increase*
3. $________________
Base Salary
4. $______________
Step 2: Determine Social Security Offset
Line 4 from above chart
$____________
Housing Allowance**
Line 4 x 30%
$____________
Total
$____________
Social Security Allowance = 7.65 % of Total
$___________________
Step 3: Add Line 4 from chart plus Social Security Allowance
DEFINED COMPENSATION
$___________________
Step 4: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 5: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$____________________
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 6: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
*Merit Pay reflects exceptional effort in the previous year.
Merit increases should be revisited regularly and may be adjusted up or down.
**For pastors living in a parsonage, it is appropriate to provide a Furnishings Reimbursement
and an Equity Allowance. Either of these would be in addition to the Total in Step 5.
18
Example of Determining Salary and Benefits
Pastor is married and has two children.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy not living in parsonage:
Pastor’s current salary
1.
$40,000
Cost of living increase
2.
$680
[The recommended Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that includes food and
energy is 1.7%. The congregation also should take into consideration:
a) the local cost of living (contact local Chamber of Commerce), and
b) any change in needs of the pastor and family.]
Merit increase*
3.
Added Saturday night service during past year
Subtotal
$1,500
4.
$42,180
Housing Allowance [see pages 6-7]
5.
[Current Salary plus any increase] (using 30%)
$12,654
Base Salary plus Housinng
(add lines 4 and 5)
$54,834
6.
Step 2: Determine Social Security Offset
7.65 % x $53,950.
Step 3: Add Line 7 from chart plus Social Security Allowance
DEFINED COMPENSATION
$ 4,195
$59,029
Step 4: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 5: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$59,029 + Portico Contribution
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 6: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
*
Merit Pay reflects exceptional effort in the previous year.
Merit increases should be revisited regularly and may be adjusted up or down.
19
Example of Determining Salary and Benefits
Pastor is married with no children.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy living in parsonage:
Pastor’s current salary
1.
$40,000
Cost of living increase
2.
$680
[The recommended Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that includes food and
energy is 1.5%. The congregation also should take into consideration:
a) the local cost of living (contact local Chamber of Commerce), and
b) any change in needs of the pastor and family.]
Merit increase*
Compensation
(add lines 1-3)
3.
$1,500
4.
$42,180
Step 2: Determine Social Security Offset
Line 4 from above chart
$42,180
**Housing Allowance (see pages 6-7)
$12,654
[30% is used here] Total
$54,834
Social Security Allowance = 7.65 % of total
$ 4,195
Step 3: Add Line 4 from chart plus Social Security Allowance
DEFINED COMPENSATION
$46,375
Step 4: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 5: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$46,375 + Portico Contribution
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 6: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
*Merit Pay reflects exceptional effort in the previous year.
Merit increases should be revisited regularly and may be adjusted up or down.
**For pastors living in a parsonage, it is appropriate to provide a Furnishings Reimbursement
and an Equity Allowance. Either of these would be in addition to the Total in Step 5.
20
III. Process 2: Calling a New Pastor
A. When calling a new pastor, care should be taken to have a healthy conversation about compensation.
This shall be done by the Congregation Council as part of their interview with the candidate. The
Council shall present to the candidate a compensation package based on these standards and invite
the candidate’s response. It is important to have an open and honest conversation now, as this will
set the tone for future compensation conversations. The Council will recommend a package to the
congregation that has been agreed upon by Council and the candidate. The compensation will be
voted on by the congregation at the Call Meeting.
B. Compensation shall include:
1. Base salary and Housing Allowance (if applicable);
2. Social Security allowance (if applicable);
1. Health and Medical Benefit adjustments consistent with ELCA Portico Benefits standards.
2. Professional expenses, such as automobile and continuing education;
3. Vacation and continuing education expenses.
C. A member of the Compensation Standards Committee will be available for clarification of the
process presented in this document. Contact may be made through the Synod Office.
DETERMINING COMPENSATION PACKAGE
BASE SALARY is that portion of the compensation provided to sustain the rostered leader who is called to
carry out the Lord’s work through the congregation. BASE SALARY does not include housing or
professional expenses.
DEFINED COMPENSATION includes BASE SALARY, HOUSING ALLOWANCE, and SOCIAL SECURITY
ALLOWANCE.
BENEFITS include health and pension benefits.
PROFESSIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS AND EXPENSES are costs related to the necessary performance of
ministerial duties, and include car reimbursement, continuing education allowance, books and journals,
etc.
21
FOR USE IN THE CALL PROCESS
ORDAINED CLERGY SALARY BASE MINIMUM STANDARDS
Please note that this chart represents a 1.7% Cost of Living Increase
Worship
Years of
Attendance
Experience * Up to 150
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
$37,400
$37,700
$38,000
$38,300
$38,600
$38,900
$39,200
$39,500
$39,800
$40,100
$40,400
$40,700
$41,000
$41,300
$41,600
$41,900
$42,200
$42,500
$42,800
$43,100
$43,400
Worship
Attendance
* Up to 300
$40,900
$41,200
$41,500
$41,800
$42,100
$42,400
$42,700
$43,000
$43,300
$43,600
$43,900
$44,200
$44,500
$44,800
$45,100
$45,400
$45,700
$46,000
$46,300
$46,600
$46,900
Worship
Attendance
* Over 300
$49,300
$49,600
$49,900
$50,200
$50,500
$50,800
$51,100
$51,400
$51,700
$52,000
$52,300
$52,600
$52,900
$53,200
$53,500
$53,800
$54,100
$54,400
$54,700
$55,000
$55,300
*Average worship attendance excluding June-August
Add $400 for each year of experience over 20 years
22
BASE SALARY AND BENEFITS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy NOT living in parsonage:
Pastor’s base salary from chart on p 21
1. $_______________
Housing allowance
2. $_______________
Subtotal
Social Security Allowance (if applicable)
Line 3 x 7.65%
DEFINED COMPENSATION
Total of lines 3 + 4
3. $_______________
4. $_______________
5. $_______________
Step 2: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 3: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$________________
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 4: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
23
BASE SALARY AND BENEFITS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy living in parsonage:
Pastor’s base salary from chart on p 20
1. $_______________
Housing Allowance* (Line 1 x 30%)
2. $_______________
Subtotal
3. $_______________
Social Security Allowance (if applicable)
Line 3 x 7.65%
4. $_______________
(Lines 3+ 4)
5. $_______________
Step 2: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 3: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$____________________
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 4: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
*For pastors living in a parsonage, it is appropriate to provide a Furnishings Reimbursement
and an Equity Allowance. Either of these would be in addition to the Total in Step 3.
24
EXAMPLE OF DETERMINING BASE SALARY AND BENEFITS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Associate Pastor is married with 2 children, 4 years experience.
The congregation averages 315 in worship.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy NOT living in parsonage:
Pastor’s base salary from chart on p 21
[For associate pastor move one column left)
1. $41,450
Housing allowance [30% is used here]
2. $12,435
Subtotal
Social Security Allowance (if applicable)
Line 3 x 7.65%
DEFINED COMPENSATION
Total of lines 3 + 4
3. $53,885
4. $4,122
5. $58,007
Step 2: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 3: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$58007 + Portico Contributions
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 4: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
25
EXAMPLE OF DETERMINING BASE SALARY AND BENEFITS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Pastor is married with no children, 4 years experience. The congregation averages 120 in worship.
Step 1: Fill out the following chart for clergy living in parsonage:
Pastor’s base salary from chart on p 20
1. $37,950
Housing Allowance* (Line 1 x 30%)
2. $11.385
Subtotal
3. $49,335
Social Security Allowance (if applicable)
Line 3 x 7.65%
4. $ 3,774
(Line 3 + 4)
5. $53,109
Step 2: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 3: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
$41,724 + Portico Contributions
Add Defined Compensation and Health and Pension Benefits
Step 4: Go to page 26 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
*For pastors living in a parsonage, it is appropriate to provide a Furnishings Reimbursement
and an Equity Allowance. Either of these would be in addition to the Total in Step 3.
26
PROFESSIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS AND EXPENSES
To all above compensation examples, add, as applicable, the following expenses:
Automobile Reimbursement (See page 13)
$
Continuing Education Fund
An annual minimum congregational
contribution of $700 is recommended.
(See pages 10-11)
$
Books, Journals, etc. (See page 13)
$
Other
$
TOTAL PROFESSIONAL REIMBURSEMENT & EXPENSES $
MOVING EXPENSES
At the time of a change, relocation and moving expenses of the pastor are the responsibility of the
calling congregation. Because of the liability involved, it is strongly recommended that the services of a
professional moving firm be secured.
27
IV. VACANCY, INTERIM, SUPPLY STAFF AND SHARED MINISTRIES
At the time of pastoral vacancy in a congregation, the bishop, working with the Congregation Council,
appoints a Vacancy Pastor to provide basic leadership and pastoral care until another pastor is secured.
A Vacancy Pastor may be in an area ELCA congregation, or may be serving in a non-congregational
setting.
Depending on congregational need and pastoral availability, an Interim Pastor may be appointed rather
than a Vacancy Pastor to serve the congregation on a part-time or full-time basis during a pastoral
vacancy. When this is done the length of the interim, the pastoral responsibilities, and the remuneration
will be negotiated with the Congregation Council. It is standard practice that no pastor is to be
considered as a candidate for call to a congregation when serving that congregation as a vacancy or
interim pastor.
The general standards for vacancy or interim service are as follows:
A. Compensation and expenses for a Vacancy Pastor attending monthly council meetings and
providing minimal pastoral ministry (see Call Process Manual):
$300 per month + mileage at current IRS rate
Honorariums for additional service are negotiated with the Vacancy Pastor
B. Compensation for Interim Ministers:
Provisions as negotiated and stated in the Interim Ministry Contract,
with minimum $160/day
plus housing, auto allowance, and appropriate pension and benefits.
PULPIT SUPPLY
During a pastoral vacancy or absence, it may be necessary for a congregation to secure a pulpit supply.
A current list of persons available for pulpit supply may be secured from the synod office or conference
dean. Those asked to serve as pulpit supply should be contacted well in advance of the date needed and,
upon acceptance, be provided with a copy of the worship bulletin and pertinent information about the
service. A member familiar with the congregational worship practices should be on hand to welcome
the pulpit supply prior to the service. The recommended honorarium for all persons serving as pulpit
supply for one worship service is $150 plus mileage, with the appropriate compensation for
additional responsibilities. For each additional service, whether at the same congregation or at
another, as in two point parishes, an additional $50 per service should be paid.
Finally, if you have any questions, or need clarification with anything in this document, do not hesitate to
contact the Indiana-Kentucky Synod office, or one of the Compensation Standards Committee members
for help. We are pleased to assist you in any way. Thank you for the opportunity to serve with you in
ministry of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
28
V. Leadership Support Standards for Continuing Education
1) A Continuing Education Covenant must be on file with the Synod office. This Covenant is
renewable every seven years. There will be an attached letter from the Congregation Council or
appropriate agency.
2) Continuing education grants may be provided through the Leadership Support Committee to
all rostered members of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA.
3) Grants will normally not exceed the amount contributed by either the recipient or the
congregation or appropriate agency. The fund will be shared in approximate increments of onethird. In the event of greater need exceptions may be made. If applicants exceed available funds,
they will be available based on needs. (The earlier application is made in the year, the greater the
opportunities to receive funding.)
4) Continuing education grants will be made for structured formal study programs directly
related and beneficial to the applicant’s ministry, excluding tours.
5) Assistance grant requests will be made in one of two areas:
a. Stolldorf Grants, not to exceed $400.00 for the fiscal year (Feb. 1), for single
event programs, such as conferences, seminars and workshops.
b. Leadership Grants, not to exceed $500.00 annually, for the development of leadership
skills through participation in a multi-year program of supervised study, such as a
D.Min. program.
6) Grant requests will require the approval of the Leadership Support Committee. The approval
process will be as follows:
a. Approval by a Synod Staff person and chair of the committee.
b. Review by the Leadership Support Committee.
c. The recipient, following the event, will submit a summary of the learning
experience.
7) Sabbatical Grants for Pastoral Leaders (can include pastors, those on the Lay Roster, and those in
specialized ministries) is a grant program of the Louisville Institute that provides funds up to $15,000.
Information can be found at www.Louisville-Institute.org, or in writing to The Louisville Institute, 1044
Alta Vista Road, Louisville, KY, 40205 502-895-3411.
The Lilly Endowment provides grants for full-time clergy in congregational settings up to $45,000,
including up to $15,000 for congregational expenses and events. Indiana pastors may apply online at
www.indianaclergy.org or Kentucky pastors at www.clergyrenewal.org, or write to The Lilly
Endowment, 2801 North Meridian St. Indianapolis, IN 46208.
Other grant resources can be found at www.centerforcongregations.org and Life-Long Learning
Opportunities at www.elca.org/leadership/life or at www.faithandwisdom.org
A Good planning resource book:
Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning, by A. Richard Bullock and Richard
Bruesehoff Alban Books are available directly from Rowman & Littlefield or from online sellers such as
Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Rowman & Littlefield has established a special website for Alban
customers: https://rowman.com/page/albanbooks .
29
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
ELCA Continuing Education Form
APPLICATION FOR FUNDS
Name _________________________________
Date of Application
Address
City
State
Zip
Telephone
I WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION
Subject
Agency / Institution
Location
Date
I have this / these goal(s) in mind:
CONTINUING EDUCATION FUNDING
Congregational $ ___________
Rostered Leader $ _____________
How will these funds be used for the current year?
The total cost of this undertaking will be:
Commitments toward this cost are:
Tuition or Fee
$__________
Church Council or Congregation
Materials
$__________
Other (Identify)
$
Room and Board
$__________
Participant (my outlay)
$
Transportation
$__________
TOTALS
$
$
$
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS REQUESTED FROM THE SYNOD
Stolldorf $
Leadership $
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE SYNOD TO DATE
Year
Amount
20_____
$
20_____
$
20_____
$
20_____
$
TOTAL
DATE
$
ACTION TAKEN
PLEASE MAIL COMPLETED APPLICATION TO:
Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA
Leadership Support
911 E 86th St Ste 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240-1840
317.253.3522
30
HELPFUL LINKS
Indiana Department of Revenue
www.in.gov/dor/
Kentucky Department of Revenue
revenue.ky.gov
Minister's Compensation and Housing Allowance:
Ministers' Compensation & Housing Allowance (click on THIS and it will show the very long
command line)
Auto Allowance:
Tax Topics - Topic 510 Business Use of Car (Click on THIS link)
irs.gov/publications/p453/ch06.html (re: Adequate accounting for use of personal vehicle for business
use)
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services: www.cms.gov
• Medicare: www.medicare.gov
• Medicare & You Handbook: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf
• Your Medicare Benefits: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10116.pdf
• Medicare Savings Premium www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp
31
2015 - 2016
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
STANDARDS AND WORKBOOK
FOR ROSTERED ASSOCIATES IN MINISTRY,
DEACONESSES AND DIACONAL MINISTERS
(Standards for Pastors are provided separately.)
Recommended for Action
by 2015 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5-7, 2015
911 East 86th Street, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240-1840
317-253-3522
Revised 04/30/15
1
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
We’re pleased to present to you the proposed 2015-2016 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Compensation Standards for
ELCA Associates in Ministry, Deaconesses, and Diaconal Ministers. We provide these for your use in
determining just and honorable salary, benefits, allowances, and reimbursements for your professional staff. This
is the best tool we have to enable you to make these decisions in a collaborative atmosphere with your co-workers
in the gospel who give their lives to the ministry of Jesus Christ with you in your congregation. Please note that
“Process 1” is the process by for determining compensation for a leader already under call and that “Process 2” is
to be used in the Call Process.
Please use the standards in such a manner that there is good conversation between you and your rostered leaders.
It is wise to begin these discussions at least four months before your congregation’s next fiscal year, in an open
manner with your executive committee and each staff professional. These standards contain a process to assist
discussion about issues relating to compensation. Further, these standards present charts and tools for you to
calculate and determine compensation, as well as benefits, allowances, and reimbursements following established
standards across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Professional leaders are strongly encouraged to take the initiative in this conversation with parish leaders since
you are the ones who should understand your needs and desires. Don’t expect your parish leaders to be mind
readers. They’re waiting for you to be a leader.
With regard to Cost of Living (COLA), please visit the Social Security website at www.ssa.gov as well as contact
your local Chamber of Commerce. These are very helpful in finding the actual cost of living variances in your
specific county. Remember this is a ‘look back’, and not a predictor of the year to come. Also, visit the ELCA
website (www.elca.org) for further compensatory information.
Since age is now a factor (along with geography, size of congregation, and amount of compensation) in figuring
health benefits rates there is no longer a chart with percentages for the coming year. Contact Portico Benefit
Services (formerly ELCA Board of Pensions) by phone (800-352-2876) or e-mail ([email protected]) for
information and assistance.
If you desire assistance with any matter in this document, or have a question not addressed in the document,
please do not hesitate to contact any of our committee members directly, or through the Indiana-Kentucky Synod
office.
These Standards are the appropriate norm for use in a current call process or in current conversation around
compensation for a rostered leader under call as of their approval by the the Indiana-Kentucky Synod in
Assembly, June 5-7, 2014.
Please note that these are compensation standards for associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal
ministers. A separate guideline is provided for clergy.
With joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
Jim Kuchera, Chair, Ron Haseley, Jim Swinford, Hope Moran, Bill Slover, David Quandt
Rudy Mueller, Synod staff liaison
2
How to Plan Compensation with Your Pastor and Other Rostered Leaders for 2015-2016
Often one of the most difficult challenges in ministry is deriving a fair and equitable compensation for rostered
leaders in your congregation. Generally this has not been addressed until late in the process of preparing a new
budget for the following year. This is a mistake since it often results in frustration for both the rostered leaders
and those trying to make decisions with regard to salary, benefits, and reimbursements. The following guidelines
should make this process pleasant and honest.
Obviously, first, begin your process with prayer. Second, know that your rostered leader(s) are not ‘hired’, they
are ‘called’ into ministry with you, alongside of you.
It is extremely important that the rostered leader(s) be involved in this planning from the beginning to the end
since they are the persons most affected by the final outcome. It is often difficult to talk about money and
benefits, but it should not be. Good communication can, and must, occur at each step of this process.
1. Who should be in the planning process: The process should include the rostered leader(s), Council
president, vice president, a member of the Stewardship Committee, and a member of the Mutual Ministry
Committee. These are the people who can best assess the leader’s effectiveness and his/her own needs,
and have a grasp of the church’s finances. Having more people in the meeting will slow communication,
and reduce effectiveness of the meetings. These are closed meetings and not open to the congregation for
the purpose of maintaining a high level of open, honest, and healthy communication among the various
leaders present.
2. What areas should be explored in the meetings: There are two areas of discussion: effectiveness and
need. Start with need, which is the current compensation each leader is receiving. Compensation of the
leader is no secret to the congregation because it is listed in the annual budget and/or annual report to the
congregation. It includes, but is not limited to, the following areas: base salary, defined benefits
(including housing allowance or equity allowance in the case of a church-owned parsonage), pension and
full hospitalization/lump sum death benefit/disability insurance, continuing education, book allowance,
social security offset, reimbursements (car allowance, other tangibles applicable to your setting). Go
through these step by step. Ask the leader at each juncture if he/she has any input that would be germane
to the discussion. This may seem laborious, but the value is obvious since only the rostered leader knows
precisely how the current mix of salary, benefits, and reimbursements affects her/him. In some cases
your leader is below approved Synod established Minimum Compensation Standards. This needs to be
discussed and remedied. Do this early in the process, preferably in early or mid August four months
before your congregation’s new fiscal year. Your next meeting is in two weeks. Take a lot of notes
during the meeting, and share those written notes that week with members present, and not present, at
this meeting. This meeting should last about two hours.
3. How to address effectiveness of the leader(s) (Second meeting): It is never a question of how hard a
person works, or how many hours, but what gets done and the effectiveness of the work. This is without
doubt the most difficult area to quantify. Effectiveness is always a subjective judgment call at best. What
one person might find important, another does not. Is sitting with the family during a routine surgery of a
loved one important? Is reading and preparation for sermons/meetings/teaching/Scripture study and
prayer important? Is visiting regularly in the homes of church members important? Remember, much of
what a pastor, or rostered lay leader, does is confidential, and thus cannot be judged in terms of
effectiveness. Effectiveness is always, at best, a judgment call. Depending on each individual,
subjective value judgments often are completely different. It has been said that every pastor, or rostered
leader, has as many bosses as there are baptized members in the congregation. If that is true, then not all
will satisfied with the ministry at any given time, and the leader will not be a leader at all, but a hireling.
Some will want the leader to be a chaplain, someone to take care of them, and others, in the
congregation. Some will want the pews packed on Sunday and the offering plate full, and will expect
3
that to be the responsibility of the leader. Some will want the leader to prepare congregational members
for leadership and provide vision and clear focus for the total ministry.
Importance and effectiveness are linked together in each person’s mind. These are difficult to separate
though they are clearly not the same, and even can work against each other. Finally, who decides the
leader’s effectiveness? We believe it is the responsibility of the Congregation Council, not the general
congregation nor the rostered leader. If the leader works well with his/her Congregation Council, you
have an effective leader in your setting. Pastors and lay rostered persons are called to a SHARED
MINISTRY with you. If there is not any sharing going on, it is the pastor and lay rostered person’s
responsibility to make it happen. If assistance is needed to improve the shared ministry, use all resources
available, especially Synod staff. This meeting should last about two hours.
4. How do we derive Total Compensation for the coming year: After you have completed the previous
steps of the process, bring the entire group together to put the pieces together. Start with the
effectiveness component that will help you determine how you will deal with the Synod Professional
Leaders Compensation Standards for next year. Review all the blank spaces of the Compensation
Standards as provided in the attached workbook. Together, fill out the compensation material and
discuss each item, at length if necessary. Start with the current base Salary. Do two things with this
number: First, check the grid of years of experience and size of worship attendance to see how it
compares; second, have a conversation about a cost of living increase. Then move to each item: housing,
continuing education, and book allowance. Then move on to benefits and reimbursements. When this
part of the process is completed, total it, and then discuss it together with your rostered leader(s). Let
your rostered leader take the initiative here. Once again, it is he/she that will be most affected by this
decision. This meeting will last approximately two hours.
Hopefully, everyone will have had much time to pray, think, and discuss this very important part of your ministry.
You honor the Lord God, your congregation, and your pastor/rostered leader by following the steps of this
simple process. By god’s grace you will all enjoy this unhurried process, and come away from your meeting
closer to one another, and your Lord God. If you have questions, or need resource materials, do not hesitate to
contact any member of the Professional Leaders Compensation Committee or Synod support staff for assistance.
We stand ready to help you at any time.
In shared ministry with you,
Professional Leaders Compensation Committee,
Rev Jim Kuchera, Chair
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
General Information
6
Salary
Pension and Health Benefits
What Do I Do When I Turn 65
Sick Leave, Disability, Worker’s Comp
Other Benefits
Time Off
12
Vacation
12
Holidays
12
Continuing Education/
Sabbatical Leave
12
Professional Reimbursements and Expenses
Automobile Reimbursement 14
Conference Expenses
14
Moving Expenses
14
II.
6
8
9
11
12
14
Process 1: Annual Review of Compensation for Current Rostered Leader
15
Salary and Benefits for Rostered Leader under Call 16
Determining Salary and Benefits: An Example
17
III.
Process 2: Calling a New Associate in Ministry, Deaconess or
Diaconal Minister
Minimum Salary Standards
Salary and Benefits for New Rostered Leader
Determining Salary and Benefits: An Example
IV.
Continuing Education
18
19
20
20
22
Helpful Links
24
5
I.
GENERAL INFORMATION
COMPENSATION PACKAGES
There are two categories for determining the compensation package for an Associate in Ministry,
Deaconess, or Diaconal Minister. Process 1 should be used for calculating the compensation package
for a rostered person currently under call. Process 2 should be used in calculating the compensation
package during the Call Process. Whichever process you use, the first step is to make yourself familiar
with the information on pages 6-13.
SALARY
Salary is that portion of the compensation provided to sustain the rostered leader who is called
to carry out the Lord’s work through the congregation. Salary does not include professional expenses
or mileage reimbursements. Income from any other source and/or the income of a spouse should not be
a consideration.
Other factors which are to be considered in establishing the salary package for Associates in
Ministry, Deaconesses, and Diaconal Ministers include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Level of education
Length and variety of experience*
Certification by ELCA or predecessor bodies
Quality of performance
Job Description / Complexity of responsibility
Cost of living in a particular geographical area
Educational debt
Median income of the congregation and/or income of congregational members with
comparable positions in the secular community
9. Length of time in the parish
10. Part time / Full time
*Appropriate credit should be given for volunteer ministry experience, ministry experience in nonLutheran settings, church agency employment or volunteer work, and non-ministry experience,
particularly of second career candidates. Appropriate attention should be given to prior experience
which, while not identical to the current position, has certainly helped to prepare the staff member for
his or her current position.
Congregations should also consider educational debt load of first call candidates.
Benefits include insurance and pension benefits.
Professional Reimbursements and Expenses are the funds provided by the congregation to
reimburse the rostered leader for expenses related to the necessary performance of his or her duties,
including automobile mileage reimbursement, continuing education allowance, books and journals, etc.
This is covered on a separate sheet following “Base Salary and Benefits.”
6
Housing. Associates in Ministry, Deaconesses, and Diaconal Ministers are considered
employees by the IRS for purposes of Social Security and income taxes, and require standard
withholdings from their salaries. A standard W-2 is issued. Congregations are encouraged to consider
costs of local housing in determining compensation for all staff members. Moreover, housing
allowances or parsonages are typically not available for lay rostered leaders, and so the standards are
based on the need for these people to provide their own housing.
However, a congregation ought to consider designating a portion of the salary as housing
allowance for the lay rostered leader. The Congregation Council would have to pass a resolution to
that effect. IRS Publication 517, the IRS states that “The church or organization that employs you must
officially designate the payment as a housing allowance before the payment is made. A definite
amount must be designated. The amount of the housing allowance cannot be determined at a later
date.”
A sample resolution:
Resolved that of the total cash salary for the year 2____, $_________ is hereby designated as housing
allowance.
Resolved that as long as __________ is called to be ____________ the above amount of designated
housing allowance shall apply to all future years until modified.
When it is time to pay income tax, it is important to note IRS Publication 517:
If you own your home and you receive as part of your salary a housing or rental allowance, you may
exclude from gross income the smallest of:
• The amount actually used to provide a home,
• The amount officially designated as a rental allowance, or
• The fair rental value of the home, including furnishings, utilities, garage, etc.
You must include in gross income the amount of any rental allowance that is more than the smallest of:
• Your reasonable salary
• The fair rental value of the home plus utilities, or
The amount actually used to provide a home.
7
BENEFITS
PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS
In January 1, 2014, the most significant changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as
health care reform, took effect. They have implications for many employers, including congregations.
1. Each state has a health insurance marketplace , also called an exchange, where individuals can buy health
insurance. The State of Indiana chose not to provide a marketplace , a n d s o the federal government
manages one on the state's behalf. The Commonwealth of Kentucky has a state exchange. The plans
offered in the marketplace are in four categories:
•
Bronze
•
Silver
•
Gold
•
Platinum
Portico offers similar plans:
• Bronze+
• Silver+
• Gold+ (the recommended level of coverage)
• Platinum+
2. This document sets as the standard for the “Definition of Compensation, Benefits, and Responsibilities
of the Pastor” the Portico Gold+ Plan. Letter of Call will be signed by the Bishop only what that
standard is met to the satisfaction of the Bishop.
3. ELCA-Primary health contribution rates are based on geographic region, age and salary.
4. For 2014, each ELCA employer will need to select one ELCA health plan option for all employees
(rostered leaders and lay churchworkers) that they will pay for.
5. Once the employer makes a selection at EmployerLink on the Portico web site
(www.porticobenefits.org), the employee will confirm that choice or choose to buy up to another
plan option at myPortico (also on the Portico website), and will be responsible for the cost difference .
For example, if the employer selects the Gold+ plan and the employee opts to buy up to the Platinum+
plan, the employee would pay the difference in cost.
Portico will continue to include in the require contributions a percentage that goes to a) Disability and
Survivor Plans and b) Retiree Support (this is support for those retired rostered leaders whose pensions
are low due to low compensation throughout their years of service. Portico will also include the
Pension payment at the amount reported by the congregation, generally 12%.
When a rostered leader waives health coverage because of coverage through the insurance of a spouse, the
congregation is strongly encouraged to provide a Health Reimbursement Allowance to cover co-pays,
deductibles, and other medical expenses.
The ELCA benefits program contribution rates are a percentage of defined compensation. Defined compensation
is base salary, before any pretax benefit contributions** are deducted.
The synod recommends that congregations contribute the 12% retirement rate for Associates in Ministry,
Deaconesses and Diaconal Ministers. Additional retirement contributions can be made by the employee (member
pretax). If the employer chooses to make additional contributions from time to time, they can be included when
paying the regular monthly bill by using the Explanation of payment included in the monthly billing statement.
8
ELCA-primary health benefits include a personal wellness account offering financial rewards of up to $400 per
year to members (and spouses). The ELCA Flexible Benefits Plan is also available to employees who are
sponsored in the ELCA benefits program and receiving ELCA-primary health benefits. “ELCA-primary health
benefits” does not include Medicare. (Those on Medicare may register for a personal wellness account, but are
not eligible to receive the financial rewards.) See www.porticobenefits.org for more information.
**Pretax benefit contributions include member pretax contributions to the Retirement Plan or another eligible
retirement plan. They also include pretax contributions to qualified reimbursement accounts for health care,
dependent care or transportation expenses.
WHAT DO I DO WHEN I TURN 65
Medicare is a health benefits program for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who meet certain work
history requirements:
1. age 65 or older,
2. Individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD),
3. Under age 65 with certain disabilities:
a. All who get disability benefits from Social Security or certain disability benefits from the
Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months.
b. Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s
Disease.
Most individuals automatically get Part A coverage without having to pay a monthly premium. This is
because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while working. These individuals receive Part A
coverage without having to pay a Part A premium. For those individuals who do not automatically
qualify for Part A coverage, the Part A premium in 2015 is $224 or $407 a month depending on an
individual’s duration of Medicare covered employment. Individuals with disabilities who are under age
65 are automatically enrolled in Part A after they have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement
disability benefits for 24 months.
At age 65, most individuals who file an application for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits 3
months before they turn age 65 or later are automatically enrolled in part B unless they refuse Part B
coverage. Individuals with disabilities who are under age 65 are automatically enrolled in Part B the
earlier of:
1. The month they turn 65 if they have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits
for at least 4 months before they turn age 65. They are given an opportunity to refuse Part B
coverage, or
2. The month after they have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits
for 24 months. They are also given an opportunity to refuse Part B coverage.
The standard monthly premium for Part B is $104.90 in 2015. Individuals with income over $85,000, or
filing jointly with incomes over $170,000, pay more, up to $335.70 a month in 2015 based on the
income related monthly adjustment amount. Part B premiums may be deducted from Social Security
checks or Railroad Retirement checks. Individuals who do not enroll in Part B when first eligible (e.g.,
at age 65) can enroll during a General Enrollment Period January 1 – March 31. Part B coverage
begins on July 1 of the year they enroll.
The Part B premium is increased 10% for each full 12-month period the beneficiary could have had
Part B but, did not enroll. One exception is for Individuals who have group health plan coverage based
on their own current employment (e.g. Portico Benefit Services) or the employment of a spouse are
not subject to the premium increase and may enroll in Part B anytime while covered under the group
health plan or during a special enrollment period that occurs during the 8-month period immediately
following the last month of the group coverage.
9
Beneficiaries with limited income and resources are encouraged to apply to their State Medicaid Office
to determine eligibility for various programs. Beneficiaries may qualify for help from the State to pay
the Medicare Part A (if any) and Part B premium, the Part A and Part B deductibles and cost sharing,
and/or some Part D prescription drug costs. Individuals seeking this information should call: 1-800Medicare (1-800-633-4227) select “Limited Income Option,” then just say “Medicaid” for the State
Medicaid telephone number.
Beneficiaries may qualify for help through a number of programs for individuals with limited income:
• Contact the State Medicaid office for help with health care costs
• Contact the State Medicaid office for the Medicare Savings Premium which helps with paying
Medicare Part A and/or Part B premiums and, in some cases, deductibles and
coinsurance/copayments. www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp
• Contact the State Medicaid office for help with Part D low-income subsidy. This program helps
pay for prescription drug coverage.
• Contact the Social Security Administration for information on Supplemental Security Income
benefits which help with case for basic needs.
A beneficiary in Original Medicare may receive Part D prescription drug coverage through a standalone prescription drug plan (PDP). A beneficiary may also leave Original Medicare and receive drug
coverage through a Medicare Advantage health plan (MA-PD) or sometimes through a Medicare
Advantage (MA) plan and a separate PDP. Generally, with the exception of those dually eligible for
Medicare and Medicaid, Medicare beneficiaries must actively select a Part D plan. Annual enrollment
for a Part D plan is October 15 to December 7.
Beneficiaries who enroll in Part D typically pay a monthly premium, annual deductible and perprescription cost-sharing. Extra help is available for low-income beneficiaries. In 2015, beneficiaries
with income above $85,000 (individual) or $170,000 (joint) pay an income-related monthly adjusted
amount in addition to the Part D premium.
There is a permanent premium penalty of 1% of the national standard premium for every month that a
beneficiary could have had Part D coverage or equivalent creditable coverage and chose not to enroll.
There is no penalty for individuals who qualify for low-income assistance.
For more information about Medicare
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services: www.cms.gov
•
•
•
Medicare: www.medicare.gov
Medicare & You Handbook: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf
Your Medicare Benefits: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10116.pdf
10
SICK LEAVE, DISABILITY, WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Sick leave of up to six weeks per year with full salary and benefits should be provided by the
congregation when needed. This is not accumulated and should not be abused. This is not an
entitlement.
Paid “family leave” of up to six weeks is standard practice when a child is born or adopted. The
number of weeks of leave before and after the birth should be specified in advance and in mutual
discussion with the staff member. Similarly, paid 'family leave' of up to six weeks also should be
available to care for a sick family member such as a spouse, child, parent, or sibling.
Should a participating member of the Health and Pension Plan suffer a physical, nervous, or emotional
disorder resulting in disability, the participant is covered by four types of benefits:
1. Salary Continuation
During the first two months of disability, full salary coverage is provided by the
congregation or agency
2. Monthly Benefits:
Beginning with the third month of disability, the member receives a monthly benefit equal
to 2/3 of the monthly average compensation on which contributions were paid during the
12-month period preceding the disablement. Benefits continue until recovery or age 65
when retirement pension begins.
3. Supplemental Benefits
At the time of death, or age 65, a supplemental pension payment equal to the additional
amount that would have been paid under the pension plan if required contributions had been
paid during the disability, will be paid to the member of survivor.
4. Medical, Dental, and Survivor Benefits Coverage
During disability, the member or the member’s employer pays the plan contributions for the
first two months. After the first two months, contributions are covered by the plan to age
65.
Congregations and agencies are required by Indiana and Kentucky state law to secure Workers’
Compensation on all staff to provide for such expenses in the event of disability.
11
OTHER BENEFITS
Weekly time off
Congregations should ensure that their Associate in Ministry/Deaconess/Diaconal Minster has two full
days off per week. The weekly schedule (days/hours) may be negotiated as necessary. For the wellbeing of the staff member and the health of the congregation, the staff member should not exceed 50
hours work in a week.
Vacation
It has been customary to provide a minimum of four weeks vacation (28 days) per year, including four
Sundays, for all rostered staff. An additional week of vacation should be granted after 15 years of
service in the ministry, another week after 25 years in the ministry. Continuing education time is not to
be regarded as vacation.
Congregations in which an Associate in Ministry/Deaconess/Diaconal Minister has served for an
extended period of time should consider additional vacation time. All costs and procurement of supply
ministries during vacation times, including Sunday, are the responsibility of the congregation.
Holidays
Because of the nature of their professional responsibilities, staff members are frequently unable to take
advantage of three-day weekends and other holidays such as Christmas, Easter, etc. Generally, 9-11
total holidays should be granted, plus three floating personal days at the discretion of the Church
Council. Consideration should be given, and the staff member encouraged, to take days off another
time during the week to compensate for these holidays. This should not be counted as vacation time.
Continuing Education / Sabbatical Leave
The purpose of continuing education is to strengthen the professional for more effective service. The
ELCA expects a minimum of 25 contact hours annually in organized continuing education. These
experiences are to be with colleagues and under responsible sponsorship, capable directors, and
qualified instructors.
The congregation is encouraged to establish a fund to which it annually contributes a minimum of
$700, with an Associate in Ministry /Deaconess/Diaconal Minister contributing a minimum of $300,
for a total of $1,000. Any money which an Associate in Ministry /Deaconess/Diaconal Minister
contributes to the fund belongs to the pastor and may accumulate over a period of years. If the
Associate in Ministry/Deaconess/Diaconal Minister resigns the call, any money contributed by the
Associate in Ministry /Deaconess/Diaconal Minister but not used returns to the Associate in Ministry
/Deaconess/Diaconal Minister. This money would be used for registration, course materials, travel and
housing while the person pursues approved continuing education. Financial assistance is available
through the Indiana-Kentucky Synod Leadership Support Committee.
Continuing education may range from a single day seminar to enrollment in a formal program at an
educational institution. First Call candidates are expected to participate in First Call Theological
Education; documents outlining this program are available through the Synod office. The ELCA call
form presently provides for a minimum of two weeks of continuing education annually, cumulative up
to three years. It is recommended that the professional staff member attend the annual Fall
Professional Leaders Conference offered each year in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod.
12
Congregations should offer their Associate in Ministry/Deaconess/Diaconal Minister sabbatical leave time
for spiritual and personal renewal which may be a maximum of eight weeks after four years or twelve
weeks after six years in a congregation. Such sabbatical time should normally be offered at either of these
intervals during a long term of service and should not preclude vacation time during the year in which the
sabbatical leave is taken. The sabbatical should include an education emphasis. The request for sabbatical
leave, along with the specific description and purpose of the leave, are to be submitted to and approved by
the Church Council at least six months prior to the time the leave is to begin. Congregations might want to
include in the budget and set aside funds each year toward that sabbatical so that its cost might be spread
over several years.
During sabbatical leave, the congregation continues to provide normal compensation and pays for any
congregational ministerial expenses related to the absence of the staff member. The staff member is
responsible for expenses related to the sabbatical, such as additional living expense, tuition, books, and
supplies. Supplemental funds are available from the synod to rostered leaders for these related
expenses. Normal vacation time may be used to extend the sabbatical leave.
A report of the staff member’s sabbatical activities is to be submitted to the church council, and a staff
member taking a sabbatical is expected to continue to serve the congregation for a minimum of a year
following the leave.
Continuing education and sabbatical leave time accrue to an individual during service in a single
congregation. All accumulated educational time is forfeited with the acceptance of another position.
Such educational time may not be used for vacation purposes, transferred to another rostered staff
member, or exchanged for monetary reimbursement.
SABBATICAL PLANNING FOR INTERIM MINISTERS
Any Rostered Interim minister who has not yet retired and has received accredited Interim Ministry
Training, shall be eligible for a sabbatical after four years [208 weeks] of contracted Interim service.
As trained interim ministers, these leaders rarely accrue sufficient time in one congregation to qualify
for a sabbatical. To remedy this, any congregation that has contracted with such an Interim, shall
contribute 8/208 of the weekly compensation package specified in the contract. [8/208 represents the
weekly contribution to an eight week sabbatical accrued after 208 weeks of service.] These funds shall
be held in special accounts established by the Synod in each interim minister’s name, and shall be held
until the forty-eight months have been served. (Such contributions may be made weekly or monthly,
by special arrangement with the synod bookkeeper.) Application to receive the funds and the
sabbatical shall be made to the Synod Council, who shall collaborate with the Interim concerning
content, timing, and reporting of the sabbatical.
13
PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES AND REIMBURSEMENTS
Automobile Expense Reimbursement
The expenses which professional leaders incur in driving an automobile while performing church
business are not personal expenses, but rather costs incurred by the congregation in order for the staff
member to perform ministry. As such, reimbursement for such costs should be fair, monthly, and
complete, at 100% of the IRS standard mileage rate (See IRS Publication 463 for current rate). The
AIM/Deaconess/Diaconal Minister is required to submit an accurate record of business miles driven to
the congregation or employing agency.
Conference Expenses
Your an Associate in Ministry/Deaconess/Diaconal Minister’s attendance at official assemblies and
conferences is a professional expense. Attendance at the Annual Indiana-Kentucky Synod
Assembly is constitutionally mandated and expenses for registration, lodging meals, travel and other
fees are the responsibility of the congregation. Attendance at other conferences should also be
supported by the congregation or agency by payment of registration fees and other expenses.
Discuss with your rostered leader his/her anticipated expenses in connection with assemblies and
conferences in the coming year.
Examples of other professional reimbursements are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Books and journals;
Professional (professional dues, supplies, vestments, etc.); and
Professional liability insurance.
Cell phone
Mileage reimbursement (see above)
Moving Expenses
At any time of change, the relocation and moving expenses of the AIM/Deaconess/Diaconal
Minister are the responsibility of the calling congregation. Because of the liability involved, it is
strongly recommended that the services of professional moving firms be secured.
14
II. Process 1:
ANNUAL REVIEW OF COMPENSATION FOR CURRENT ROSTERED LEADER
A. Compensation of each rostered leader (Associate in Ministry, Deaconess, or Diaconal Minister)
shall be reviewed annually. This shall be done by the congregation’s Executive Committee or
Congregation Council, in the same manner as such reviews are conducted for ordained clergy in the
congregation. Since the rostered staff member depends on the congregation and its Council to
provide adequately for his or her financial needs, this person requires an opportunity to discuss
those needs in an open and supportive forum. Each rostered staff member shall participate in
his/her compensation review and shall be encouraged to openly share their expectations. The
Committee or Council can then make recommendations to the congregation for fair, honorable, and
equitable compensation.
B. Compensation adjustments shall include, but by no means be limited to or by:
1. Base salary;
2. Cost of living increase;
3. Merit increase based on an evaluation of the performance of each rostered staff member;
4. Incentive increase based upon new expectations of additional effort or responsibility; and,
5. Health and Medical Benefit adjustments consistent with ELCA Portico Benefits standards.
C. The congregational council shall be responsible for presenting the compensation budget with
appropriate rationale to the annual meeting of the congregation.
D. A member of the Compensation Standards Committee will be available for clarification of the
process presented in this document. Contact may be made through the Synod Office.
15
SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR ROSTERED LEADER UNDER CALL
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Step 1:
Fill out the following chart for Associate in Ministry, Deaconess or Diaconal Minister under call.
Current salary
1. $_______________
Cost of living increase
2. $______________
[The recommended Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that includes food and
energy is 1.7%. The congregation also should take into consideration:
a) the local cost of living, (contact local Chamber of Commerce), and
b) any change in needs of the pastor and family.]
Merit increase*
3. $________________
Base Salary
(add lines 1-3)
4. $______________
Step 2: Determine Portion Salary to designated as Housing (if applicable)
$___________________
Step 3: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 4: TOTAL COMPENSATION PLUS BENEFITS
Add Line 4 from Chart plus Step 3
$____________________
Step 5: Go to page 21 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
* Merit Pay reflects exceptional effort in the previous year.
Merit increases should be revisited regularly and may be adjusted up or down.
16
EXAMPLE OF DETERMINING SALARY AND BENEFITS
FOR ROSTERED LEADER UNDER CALL
For Associate in Ministry, with master’s degree, married with no children.
Step 1:
Current Salary
$43,700
Cost of living increase
$ 743 (1.7%)
[The recommended Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that includes food and
energy is 1.7% (this number is the inflation rate for 2014). The congregation
also should take into consideration:
a)
the local cost of living, and
b)
any change in needs of the pastor and family.]
Merit increase* (if applicable)
$______
Total
$44,443
Step 2: Determine Portion Salary to designated as Housing (if applicable)
$___________________
Step 3: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 4: TOTAL Salary Plus Benefits
$44,443 + Portico Contribution
Step 5: Go to page 21 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
* Merit Pay reflects exceptional effort in the previous year.
Merit increases should be revisited regularly and may be adjusted up or down.
17
III. Process 2:
CALLING A NEW ASSOCIATE IN MINISTRY, DEACONESS, OR DIACONAL MINISTER
A.
When calling a new Associate in Ministry, Deaconess, or Diaconal Minister, care should be
taken to have a healthy conversation about compensation. This shall be done by the
Congregational Council as part of their interview with the candidate. The Council shall
present to the candidate a compensation package based on these standards and invite the
candidate’s response. It is important to have an open and honest conversation now, as this
will set the tone for future compensation conversations. The Council will recommend a
package to the congregation that has been agreed upon by Council and the candidate. The
compensation will be voted on by the congregation at the Call Meeting.
B. Compensation shall include:
1. Salary
1. Health and Medical Benefit adjustments consistent with ELCA Portico Benefits standards.
2. Professional expenses, such as automobile and continuing education;
3. Vacation and continuing education expenses.
C. A member of the Compensation Standards Committee will be available for clarification of the process
presented in this document. Contact may be made through the Synod Office.
18
FOR USE IN THE CALL PROCESS:
MINIMUM BASE SALARY STANDARDS FOR
ASSOCIATES IN MINISTRY, DEACONESSES, AND DIACONAL MINISTERS
Please note that this chart represents a 1.7% Cost of Living increase.
Years of Experience
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Minimum Salary Guideline
w/o Master's Degreee w/Master's Degree
37,500
41,700
38,100
42,300
38,700
42,900
39,300
43,500
39,900
44,100
40,500
44,700
41,100
45,300
41,700
45,900
42,300
46,500
42,900
47,100
43,500
47,700
44,100
48,300
44,700
48,900
45,300
49,500
45,900
50,100
46,500
50,700
47,100
51,300
47,700
51,900
48,300
52,500
48,900
53,100
49,500
53,700
After 20 years, add $400 per year
19
SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR
ASSOCIATE IN MINISTRY, DEACONESS AND DIACONAL MINISTER
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Step 1: Salary from chart on page 19
$________________
Step 2: Portion of salary to be designated for Housing (if applicable)
Step 3: Health and Pension
$________________
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 4: TOTAL SALARY PLUS BENEFITS
Add Step 1 plus Step 3
$________________
Step 5: Go to page 21 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR ROSTERED LEADER IN CALL PROCESS
Before beginning this section, be sure to read all sections in this booklet.
Diaconal minister, single, with 20 years experience, in congregation
Step 1: Salary from chart on page 18
$49,500
Step 2: Portion of salary designated for housing (if applicable)________________
Step 2: Health and Pension
To determine the total congregations should sign up at EmployerLink at
www.porticobenefits.org.
Step 3: TOTAL SALARY PLUS BENEFITS
$49,500 + Portico Contribution
Step 4: Go to page 21 for Professional Reimbursements and Expenses.
20
Professional Expenses and Reimbursements
Continuing Education (Annual Minimum $700 per year)
(see page 11)
Books and Journals
(see page 13)
Membership in Professional Organizations
(see page 13)
Mileage Reimbursement
(see page 13)
Other
TOTAL PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES
$________
$________
$________
$________
$________
$___________
(These numbers should appear in the congregation’s annual budget in the same form as those provided
to the congregation for ordained clergy.)
If you have questions about or need clarification of anything in this document, please do not
hesitate to contact the Indiana-Kentucky Synod office or one of the Compensation Standards
Committee members for help. We are pleased to assist you in any way. Thank you for the
opportunity to serve with you in ministry of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
21
Leadership Support Standards for Continuing Education
1) A Continuing Education Covenant must be on file with the Synod office. This Covenant is
renewable every seven years. There will be an attached letter from the Congregation Council or
appropriate agency.
2) A Continuing education grants may be provided through the Leadership Support Committee
to all rostered members of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA.
3) Grants will normally not exceed the amount contributed by either the recipient or the
congregation or appropriate agency. The fund will be shared in approximate increments of onethird. In the event of greater need exceptions may be made. If applicants exceed available
funds, they will be available based on needs. (The earlier application is made in the year, the
greater the opportunities to receive funding.)
4) Continuing education grants will be made for structured formal study programs directly
related and beneficial to the applicant’s ministry, excluding tours.
5) Assistance grant requests will be made in one of three areas:
a. Stolldorf Grants, not to exceed $400.00 for the fiscal year (Feb. 1), for single
event programs, such as conferences, seminars and workshops.
b. Leadership Grants, not to exceed $500.00 annually, for the development of leadership
skills through participation in a multi-year program of supervised study, such as a
D.Min. program.
6) Grant requests will require the approval of the Leadership Support Committee. The
approval process will be as follows:
a. Approval by a Synod Staff person and chair of the committee.
b. Review by the Leadership Support Committee.
c. The recipient, following the event, will submit a summary of the learning
experience.
7) Sabbatical Grants for Pastoral Leaders (can include pastors, those on the Lay Roster, and those in
specialized ministries) is a grant program of the Louisville Institute that provides funds up to $15,000.
Information can be found at www.Louisville-Institute.org, or in writing to The Louisville Institute,
1044 Alta Vista Road, Louisville, KY, 40205 502-895-3411.
Other grant resources can be found at www.centerforcongregations.org and Life-Long Learning
Opportunities at www.elca.org/leadership/life or at www.faithandwisdom.org
A Good planning resource book:
Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning, by A. Richard Bullock and Richard
Bruesehoff Alban Books are available directly from Rowman & Littlefield or from online sellers such as
Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Rowman & Littlefield has established a special website for Alban
customers: https://rowman.com/page/albanbooks .
Curr.April 2014
22
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
ELCA Continuing Education Form
APPLICATION FOR FUNDS
Name _________________________________
Date of Application
Address
City
State
Zip
Telephone
I WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION
Subject
Agency / Institution
Location
Date
I have this / these goal(s) in mind:
CONTINUING EDUCATION FUNDING
Congregational $ ___________
Rostered Leader $ _____________
How will these funds be used for the current year?
The total cost of this undertaking will be:
Commitments toward this cost are:
Tuition or Fee
$__________
Church Council or Congregation
Materials
$__________
Other (Identify)
$
Room and Board
$__________
Participant (my outlay)
$
Transportation
$__________
TOTALS
$
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS REQUESTED FROM THE SYNOD
Stolldorf $
Leadership $
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE SYNOD TO DATE
Year
Amount
20_____
$
20_____
$
20_____
$
20_____
$
TOTAL
DATE
$
ACTION TAKEN
PLEASE MAIL COMPLETED APPLICATION TO:
Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA
Leadership Support
911 E 86th St Ste 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240-1840
317.253.3522
23
$
$
HELPFUL LINKS
Indiana Department of Revenue
www.in.gov/dor/
Kentucky Department of Revenue
revenue.ky.gov
Minister's Compensation and Housing Allowance:
Ministers' Compensation & Housing Allowance (click on THIS and it will show the very long
command line)
Auto Allowance:
Tax Topics - Topic 510 Business Use of Car (Click on THIS link)
irs.gov/publications/p453/ch06.html (re: Adequate accounting for use of personal vehicle for business
use)
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services: www.cms.gov
• Medicare: www.medicare.gov
• Medicare & You Handbook: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf
• Your Medicare Benefits: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10116.pdf
• Medicare Savings Premium www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp
24
REPORT OF RUDY MUELLER, ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP
Breathe, Spirit, Breathe
I cannot by own reason or strength believe in my Lord Jesus Christ or come to him.
But the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with gifts,
and sanctified and kept me in the one true faith.
--Martin Luther, Small Catechism
When the bishop is ready to send the names of pastoral candidates to a congregation call committee, I
regularly say to the call committee chair, “We think these are good pastors; whether they are your pastor or
not is up to you, them and the Holy Spirit.” I would not preach if I did not believe the Holy Spirit was at work.
The work I do on your behalf, I only do because the Holy Spirit is at work.
I see that Holy Spirit at work in a call process, in a young acolyte singing the liturgy, in rostered leaders
faithfully and joyfully serving and leading the people to whom they are called, and in the generosity of many
of you in helping to Make Christ Known in places besides your own community. I give thanks for the Spirit’s
work in my life and in the life of this mission territory.
I also felt the Holy Spirit at work during this past year through the prayers lifted up for me and my family. I
felt your care and support when my father died last June and when my mother died this April, and your
prayers carried me through my surgery and recovery last winter. I thank God for you and your ministry to one
another, to me, and to the world.
Here are some of the places I saw the Holy Spirit at work this past year:
1.
•
•
•
•
•
•
2.
•
•
•
Mobility (I write this in April)
6 candidates in the February 2015 Assignment Consultation
23 calls were extended and accepted in 2014
12 of these were new to our roster
8 were first call rostered leaders
I have had the joy of visiting many congregations, meeting with Call Committees and Congregation
Councils, assuring them of the Spirit’s presence and guidance in the work ahead of them.
I have met with Councils and Call Committee to help them get off to a good start in preparing to
receive candidates. There are two realities I stress with them:
1) In this new day, we can simply call pastors who will come and take care of us. If that is all we do
(and all they do) we will continue to die.
2) If in interviewing a candidate(s) you decide that this person(s) is not the right one for the
congregation, then say, “No thank you.” You will receive more names!!
Worship
Attended the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso last spring.
Don’t forget to visit the Worship web pages on the synod web site as you plan worship throughout the
year. http://www.iksynod.org
Click on “Resources”, then “Worship”
There you’ll find links to the various seasons of the church year, where helpful ideas may be found.
Seasonings: The Synod Worship Committee is planning the first in a series of worship events that will
focus on the seasons of the church year and how the celebration of those seasons in worship can be
relevant to the congregation and its mission to the world. Rev Dr Hank Langknecht, Trinity Seminary,
will be the plenary speaker at each of these events, leading to think about the seasons in new and
Spirit-filled ways. This fall Seasonings: Advent Planning will be held at St Andrew’s Church in
Speedway, on October 24.
3.
•
•
•
•
•
•
4.
•
•
•
•
Leadership Support
In August we sponsored a Boundaries Workshop for rostered leaders at King of Glory, Carmel.
Rostered leaders from across the synod were led in conversation around keeping proper boundaries.
The Leadership Support Committee is planning a Safe Place workshop for congregation leaders this
coming summer – date and place yet to be determined.
Professional Leader’s Conference, September 29-October 1, 2014, at Clifty Falls State Park
o Guest presenter – Dr Cheryl Peterson
o September 27-29, 2015 PLC – Bishop Gafkjen and Rev Dr Derek Nelson will lead
conversation around adaptive leadership
20 First Call rostered persons
o October 28, 2014 – First Call Day for I-K first call leaders
o November 10, 2015 First Call Day planned with Professor Wally Taylor, Trinity Seminary
o Region Six First Call Retreat held April 26-28, 2015
 Led by Dr. Matt Bloom, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
 “Flourish in Ministry”
24 Interims are serving congregations in this Mission Territory
Once again I grilled 50 t-bones at the September Indianapolis ministerium.
I worked with Rev Jeff Hawkins to set up a program to develop Mutual Ministry Committees that
create an environment of honest and healthy conversation and support of the rostered leader. This
program is being lived out in the North East Conference thanks to a grant from the Lutheran
Foundation.
A couple of other things
A Synod Council task force has conducted a fourth Congregation Council Workshop in Indianapolis in
March, and we are planning one for the fall in the Lafayette Conference.
Worked with the Compensation Committee in preparing the Compensation Standards, with the
Constitution Task Force in preparing recommendations for the Synod Council on constitutions from
congregations, and the Nomination Committee in seeking nominees for the Assembly.
I attended the ordination/installation of Rev John Stowe as Bishop of Lexington (Roman Catholic).
Nancy Nyland and I have been engaged in area mission strategy meetings in the East Central Indiana
and Lafayette Conferences.
I offer a public word of thanks to the office staff – and especially April Lynch – for the inspiring and
professional way in which they offer their Spirit-driven support. It is always their work that uplifts what I do. I
am also grateful for the supportive and visionary leadership of Bishop Gafkjen and the partnership in the Spirit
of Heather Apel, Danielle Burrus, and Nancy Nyland.
And all of you – in you all I experience the fruits of the Spirit as I led retreats, preached in your congregations,
met with committees, and worked with the Synod Council. Truly I feel the breath of the Holy Spirit upon me
in this Mission Territory.
Peace, Rudy
[email protected]
2015 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly Report
Rev. Heather K. Apel
Assistant to the Bishop for Candidacy, Synod Assembly Planning
and Director of Freed to Lead
“And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word
behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” Isaiah 30:21
Listening for God’s Word to guide us along the way – this is what directs our steps as Jesus’
disciples in this world. Through my calling as an assistant to the bishop in this mission territory, I
have the opportunity to demonstrate and proclaim God’s Word, to see and experience how
others are walking the way, and to accompany individuals as they discern how God’s Word is
directing their steps in life.
It is a privilege to journey alongside the men and women who have heard God’s Word call them
to explore public ministry in the ELCA. In 2014, the members of the IN-KY Synod Candidacy
Committee and I have encouraged and supported 34 active candidates who were engaged in
theological education, serving on internship or serving the church through field education or
other ministries. We celebrated with nine of those candidates who completed seminary and the
Candidacy process and accepted calls to ministry in Canada, Michigan, New Jersey, Indiana,
Ohio, Alaska and Montana. I am grateful for all the people who sense a call to public ministry,
as the church needs strong rostered leaders who have a broad vision for ministry, both in and
outside the walls of the building.
I am also thankful for the members of the IN-KY Synod Candidacy Committee, which is made up
of both rostered and lay members of congregations from across the IN-KY Synod. In 2014, We
bid a fond farewell to Rev. Bill Andrews who had faithfully served on the committee for 8 years.
This committee engages in a great deal of prayerful discernment as they work on behalf of the
wider church to nurture, form, guide and prepare leaders. However, this work is not done in
isolation. The Candidacy Committee and candidates often express their gratitude for the
ministry partnership of individuals, local congregations, seminaries and the ELCA.
The IN-KY Synod provides tuition assistance to every full-time candidate who has been
entranced into Candidacy (except while on internship), and also awards scholarships based on
submitted applications. We provided $35,450 of financial support to 8 individuals in the 201415 academic year, and we have over $54,000 available for seminarian scholarship support for
the 2015-16 academic year.
The annual synod assembly was an opportunity for people to listen to God’s Word as we
gathered under the theme, “Walking the Way – with Jesus, Joy and Generosity.” In June, people
came to Indianapolis from all parts of Indiana and Kentucky (and beyond) for three days of
worship, learning, fellowship, business, and mutual support in our various callings and
ministries. Our hope is that this time together provides encouragement and information which
can be taken back into our communities and daily lives, so that we can be strengthened for this
daily walk of discipleship and witness to those around us.
It takes months for the IN-KY Synod staff and the assembly planning team to prepare for this
annual event, and it would not happen without their efforts, along with the many faithful
volunteers who help the assembly run smoothly. We kept the same format as the previous
year, offering pre-assembly workshops, which allowed participants more time to engage in
these presentations and learning. We also kept the Made New for Mission Banquet: Celebrating
Leaders and Ministries of the Past, Present and Future, separate from the general registration
fee, since we are mindful of those who are trying to lower the cost of attending the assembly,
or cannot be present at the first evening’s banquet. The IN-KY Staff, Synod Council and planning
team will continue to examine the agenda, location and components of the synod assembly to
explore new ways to hold this annual event and minimize the expense of attending. 2016 will
be an election year for both the treasurer and bishop, which will impact the agenda and length
of the assembly.
The Freed to Lead program has continued to support rostered leaders with educational
opportunities relating to personal and congregational finances/stewardship through the
Growing Steward Leaders Retreats, which are facilitated by several staff members and other
synod leaders. In addition, 4 rostered leaders continued to receive grant payments in 2014,
which brought an end to the three-year cycle of grants through this program. Freed to Lead
continues to receive contributions which are used for stewardship education and other
ministries of the synod, and we hope these funds will lead to a revitalized grant program in
2015-16. I am aware of the impact that these grants and educational programs have had on the
lives and ministries of our rostered leaders, and we want to continue supporting them as they
listen to God’s Word and walk in God’s way.
In addition to all of these ministry responsibilities, I often make myself available to support
individuals and congregations throughout Indiana and Kentucky. I spend many weekends or
evenings visiting, preaching, teaching, listening, equipping, and doing whatever is needed to
support our shared ministry that is happening all around this mission territory.
It is hard to believe that I have been serving in this role for almost 4 years. I am constantly
amazed at the awesome ways God is at work through the people and ministries of this IndianaKentucky mission territory! It is humbling to be a part of this great cloud of witnesses as we
work together to make Christ known for the sake of the world. Thank you for your partnership
as together we listen for God’s Word and walk in the way.
In Peace,
Breathe, Holy Spirit, Breathe
IK Synod Assembly 2015
Pastor Nancy Nyland, Director for Evangelical Mission
Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled
with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! Romans 15:13 (The Message)
In the verse above, written to the church in Rome, Paul so craftily weaves together the themes of hope, joy,
peace, believing lives, the Holy Spirit and then circles back to hope.
It is a privilege and my great pleasure to travel around our IK Mission Territory and see the tapestries created
by these weavings of hope, joy, peace, believing lives, and the Holy Spirit in congregational mission and
ministry being lived out in your daily lives. The joy of fellowshipping with one another inside the faith
community and outside in your neighborhoods and communities; the peace of knowing that you have listened
well to discern what God is calling you to do and are acting on it; the hope that comes from knowing that the
best years of your ministry are yet to come; the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit that wraps and empowers
all of these threads that weave the tapestry of congregational mission and ministry around this Mission
Territory.
These congregational tapestries are joined with tapestries of our Campus Ministries, our Renewing Mission
Table, our Stewardship/Mission Support Table, our Christian Education Team and our newly formed Area
Mission Strategy Table…..as they cover our Synod with beautiful colors, patterns and textures.
If you have ever experienced a moment with me when balloons are flying around the sanctuary or meeting
space, then you know how much I enjoy teaching about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is breathing life-giving
energy into our world…..our work places, our spaces of education, our places of recreation and renewal, our
homes, our ministries, and into YOU, God’s people, as you live your faith with joy and peace and hope.
Thank you, people of God, for opening your hearts and lives to the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit:
 Thank you for the ministry you do in your faith communities to care for one another.
 Thank you for the ways the Spirit is empowering you to share your faith in your daily lives.
 Thank you for your generous gifts of Mission Support to the IK Synod and ELCA which transforms lives
and makes Christ known around the world.
 Thank you for your designated gifts to other IK Synod and ELCA ministries, such as Campus Ministry,
World Hunger, Malaria Campaign, the ELCA Campaign, New Starts, and Redevlopments.
 Thank you for the ways you are engaging in your neighborhoods and communities, growing
relationships and responding to opportunities to serve and partner with others.
 Thank you for studying God’s Word and listening and discerning God’s calling for you and your
congregation as you plan intentionally for your future.
 Thank you to those who serve so selflessly on the Tables and Committees with which I work.
On a personal note, thank you for all your prayers for me, as I travel this mission territory; for my family, as
they share my time with you; and for my dad’s health.
Your Servant in Christ,
Pastor Nancy Nyland, DEM
Annual Report to the 2015 IK Synod Assembly
Pastor Jerry O’Neal, Interim Director of Stewardship
First, let me say what a great privilege it is to serve as your Stewardship Director. In this
role, I get the joy of working with all of you around themes of faithful stewardship and
mission support, and I give thanks to God for this opportunity!
Since being installed at last year’s Synod Assembly, I have focused my stewardship efforts
around five priorities developed with Bishop Bill Gafkjen and Pastor Nancy Nyland:
1. Mission Support: The amount of money which congregations give in Mission Support to
the IK Synod has dropped precipitously in recent years, from $2.7M a decade ago to $1.7M
last year. I have met with councils from five different churches over the past year,
empowering them in their personal stewardship and encouraging to see how their Mission
Support giving strengthens our work together in the ELCA. Your congregation’s gifts of
Mission Support empower us to start new ministries, raise up leaders for the church, tackle
health and hunger issues around the globe, and so much more. It is a joy to share these
stories with you! If you would like me to come and speak with your congregation, please
email me at [email protected] or call me at (260) 307-1345.
2. Mission Ambassadors: One of the ways we “tell the story” of the ELCA is through
mission ambassadors, trained facilitators who deepen our understanding of the
connectedness we share. In January I led training for four potential mission ambassadors;
two of those have agreed to serve in this important role, and one of them, Pastor Phyllis
Smoot, has offered to serve as the coordinator for mission ambassadors for the IK Synod.
Thank you, Phyllis! Please look forward to hearing from her on ways you can get involved as
a mission ambassador!
3. Growing Steward Leader Retreats: Our rostered leaders fill a crucial role in leading our
congregations in faithful stewardship. To help them in that role, the IK Synod puts on
several two-day retreats each year which focus on both personal stewardship and
leadership in the congregation. This past year, we had nine rostered leaders attend our
retreat in August. We have made significant changes to improve our upcoming retreats
based on feedback from previous attendees. If you would like to attend, or if you know a
rostered leader in our Mission Territory who would be interested, please contact me at the
email address or phone number above.
4. Targeted Communication to Congregations: Perhaps my greatest joy as Stewardship
Director comes when I get to write a personal thank-you note. Maybe the congregation
gave Mission Support for the first time in years … or maybe they significantly increased
their Mission Support from the year before … or maybe they stepped out in faith in
beginning a new stewardship ministry. Regardless of the reason, I give thanks to God for
YOU!
5. Other Stewardship Education: In addition to mission support conversations and
Growing Steward Leader Retreats, I also give workshops and retreats on stewardship to
congregations, groups of congregations, or conferences in our synod. This past year, I gave
a two-day series of workshops at Word of Hope Lutheran in Lexington, KY; I also gave a
three-hour presentation at Griffith Lutheran in Griffith, IN. Both of these were wonderful
opportunities to engage the concepts of stewardship in deeper, more focused ways. If you
would like me to speak about stewardship in your setting, please talk with me during the
Assembly or call me at (260) 307-1345.
It is a great joy to work with all of you as we seek to be faithful stewards of God’s abundant
gifts. I give thanks to God for the work you are doing throughout Indiana and Kentucky – it
is clear that God is doing “a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) in YOU!
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry O’Neal
Interim Director of Stewardship
IK Mission Territory
2015 I-K Synod
Communications
•
•
Continued to maintain Web
site, write the Wed. e-newsletter, I-K Lutheran newsletter,
make videos, provide tech support for computers and phones
Worked with Bishop Bill and Bimen Limbong, and in partnership with Augsburg Fortress,
Luther Seminary, and the Theological Book Network, sought
funding to purchase and
send much-needed theological books to our companion
synod, the Huria Kristen Batak
Protestan (HKBP), seminary in
Indonesia. Congregations and
individuals gave over $7,000;
books are packed and ready
•
•
•
•
to be shipped as
soon as the final
license is complete.
Thanks be to God!
•First-ever live
streaming! Worked
with Spiritborne
audiovisual services to live stream
assembly events.
Hundreds of people tuned in
to watch Bishop Bill, keynote
speaker Pr. Melissa Reed, assembly worship, etc.
Coordinated publication of
four I-K Synod inserts for “The
Lutheran Magazine”
Combined the contents
of our annual programatic
brochure with that of our
recognition banquet booklet
so that our staff can distribute
them during visits to congregations throughout 2015-16.
Promoted ELCA Malaria
Campaign
Made regular posts to Face-
Danielle Burrus
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
Director of Communications
Please send me your faith
stories!
[email protected]
www.iksynod.orgg
•
•
•
•
•
book, Twitter
Promoted Portico Health
Assessment
Attended New to Roster
gathering and Synod Council
meetings
Worked with tech consultant
Rob Schlegel, and helped withcomputer, Internet and phone
issues in the office
Explored and interviewed various phone companies and data
plans for the office, resulting
in the switch from Earthlink to
Comcast for phones and highspeed Internet
In February, I requested to
work on a half-time basis and
Bishop Bill and the Synod
Council approved my request.
I will continue to produce the
Wed. email and the I-K Lutheran, film and edit videos,
work on the synod assembly,
maintain the website, etc. I will
no longer be the tech consultant for the office.
Where have you
seen the work of
the
holy spirit?
“Keep an eye out for the promised newness
bursting forth from the hand of God. Point it
out to each other. Share testimony (yes, even
Lutherans can do that!). Tell others about the
ways God is making in the wilderness, the
rivers gushing forth in the deserts of your
days.”
-The Rev. Dr. William O. Gafkjen, Bishop,
Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA
ELCA Region 6 Report to Synod Assemblies 2015
Marilyn Smith, Associate in Ministry,
Coordinator for Ministry Leadership, ELCA Region 6
Region 6 of the ELCA is comprised of six synods: Southeast Michigan, North/West
Lower Michigan, Indiana-Kentucky, Northwestern Ohio, Northeastern Ohio, and
Southern Ohio. The governance of Region 6 is overseen by a steering committee that
includes the synod bishops and vice-presidents in Region 6.
The focus of regional work is making connections
-Connections among synods in the region
-Connections between synods and the churchwide expression of the ELCA
-Connections with institutions
-Connections with resources
The purpose of the connections
-Share information, ideas, and resources
-Implement programs shared between the synodical and churchwide expressions
of the ELCA
-Support for those who are engaged in leadership roles in the synods
-Create a place for conversation and imagination
Our connections through Region 6
-Region 6 Archives where documents and records of closed congregations and
other significant papers connected with the synods of Region 6 are cared for and
made available for research and inquiry (see the Region 6 Archivist’s Report)
-Campus Ministries in the region are connected with support from and networks
in the ELCA (see the reports from your synod’s Campus Ministry)
-Discernment, preparation for rostered ministry, assignment for first call, and first
call theological education are enriched by their connections with the other synods
in the region and with Churchwide (see the report from your synod’s Candidacy
Committee and First Call Theological Education Leaders)
-Synod leaders who guide efforts in World Hunger, Global Mission, Companion
Church Relationships, and Malaria Campaign carry this out in concert with and
supported by colleagues across the region and with churchwide staff
-Gatherings and consultations to equip and encourage rostered and lay leaders,
which in 2014 included a pilot partnership between Region 6 and ELCA
Churchwide: We Are Church Together: ELCA Region Networks for Mission.
Leaders from congregations across the region came together to explore how we
might utilize existing relationships and experiences to support and expand the
various ministries rooted here in Region 6. We welcomed Presiding Bp Eaton
and synod bishops Gafkjen, Lohrmann, Allende, and Dillahunt. Thanks to Zoar,
Perrysburg for providing space and hospitality extraordinaire for this event.
It remains a privilege to partner with both the synodical and churchwide expressions of
the ELCA to support the ministry of our congregations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and
the lower peninsula of Michigan. Thank you for your partnership.
Marilyn Smith, Coordinator for Missional Leadership, ELCA Region 6
Indiana-Kentucky Lutheran Center, 911 E 86th St, Suite 200, Indianapolis IN 46074
[email protected] 317.253.3522
Portico Benefit Services — 2015 Report to Synod Assemblies
Dear Partners in Ministry,
Healthy, resilient leaders shape healthy, resilient faith communities. This ELCA core belief is referenced
in guiding church documents, and explains the enduring partnership between ELCA organizations, their
leaders, and Portico Benefit Services. As one community, we’re called to strengthen ministry.
ELCA organizations are expected to provide sustainable livelihoods for their leaders, and give them time
to tend their well-being. Leaders are expected to tend their well-being so they are able to shape healthy
congregations in changing, often challenging, times. Portico delivers cost-effective benefits, resources,
and inspiration, helping leaders use services and tools to strengthen their financial, emotional, and
physical well-being.
This partnership comes to life in a story Portico shared during last year’s Open Enrollment. Erik Heskin,
pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Escanaba, Michigan, required an organ transplant in 2013. Supported
by his congregation and the benefits it provides, Pastor Heskin is now reclaiming his role in parish ministry.
Yes, his care was costly — in fact, about 1% of members incur one-third of annual health claims. But on any
given day, through illness or injury, any of us could find ourselves in Pastor Heskin’s shoes. By standing
together as a community, purchasing health care wisely, and maintaining healthy lifestyles, we’re better able
to shape resilient faith communities and afford quality care for leaders in need.
To Strengthen Ministry — ELCA Organizations Support Their Leaders
Benefits are an investment in God’s ministry as carried out through the lives of rostered leaders and
lay employees.
— ELCA Philosophy of Benefits
Last year, 7,085 ELCA organizations partnered with Portico to sponsor
one or more leaders in the ELCA benefit program, honoring the ELCA’s
long-standing commitment to protect members and their families against
the impact of aging, illness, injury, disability, and death. Since the ELCA’s
founding, the number of its pastors enrolled in the ELCA benefit program
has remained above 90%.
This commitment was evident during last year’s Open Enrollment.
Ninety percent of sponsoring employers chose to offer the Gold+ health
benefit option for 2015, despite an 11% health contribution rate increase
triggered by higher than expected health claims. While this kind of increase
isn’t typical for Portico, it is typical in the marketplace. Since 2007, Portico’s
average health contribution rate increase has stayed well below the average
U.S. employer rate increase, saving millions of dollars for ministry.
ELCA sponsoring organizations also partner with Portico to administer
benefits efficiently. In 2014, we automated several manual processes and
encouraged sponsors to save time and increase accuracy by paying their
monthly bill online. Currently, 48% use this simple, cost-saving process,
and we’re encouraging the rest to take this stewardship step in 2015.
“In every respect, I have
been thankful to our
church for providing
such a superb retirement
program. As a third
generation pastor in
our family, I am pleased
with the way in which
our denomination has
progressed in its care for
all of her pastors and lay
professionals. Thank you!”
Pastor Ken Gamb, Retired
Iowa City, Iowa
1
Portico Benefit Services — 2015 Report to Synod Assemblies (continued)
To Strengthen Ministry — Leaders Strive to Live Well
The ordained minister needs to be an example of self-care, as well as caring for others.
— ELCA Vision and Expectations
Annually, Portico invites health plan members and spouses to take stock
of their health, and then take a small step to improve their emotional or
physical well-being. In 2014, our members responded in force.
Eighty-one percent of ELCA-Primary health plan members took the Mayo
Clinic health assessment, up from 77% the year before. This increase
helped the number of sponsors earning the 2% discount on ELCA health
contributions jump for the sixth consecutive year to 97%, saving the ELCA
$2.3 million collectively.
Even more impressive, over 51% of ELCA-Primary health plan members
earned all their wellness dollars by completing last year’s featured wellness
activity, up from 44%. One result of these healthy steps: Among those
taking the health assessment each year from 2010 to 2014, 5.4% are no
longer at risk for poor nutrition, and 7% are no longer at risk for poor
emotional health.
“I have let my ‘be still’
practice spill over into
the church I serve and it
is having GREAT effects.
We gather for guided
silence now before the
Lenten Wednesday
evening services.”
Keith Weber, Dir. of Music
Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church
Houston, Texas
Other ways leaders stepped up their use of ELCA benefits in 2014:
•In an average month in 2014, 769 ELCA-Primary health plan members received the fitness center discount
by visiting a fitness center at least eight times during the month — an 11% increase from 2013.
•As of Jan. 1, 2015, 47% of plan members are now partnering with Portico to strengthen their future
financial well-being by making pretax retirement contributions, up 8% from last year. Forty-eight percent of
plan members who made pretax retirement contributions in 2014 increased their contribution amount
for 2015.
•955 sponsored members and 24 retirees purchased a discounted long-term care insurance policy as part of
Portico’s first-year offering.
To Strengthen Ministry — Portico Helps Leaders Tend Their Well-being
Benefits should support and enhance the unique needs of this church.
— ELCA Philosophy of Benefits
To best serve ELCA sponsoring organizations and leaders, Portico routinely asks the ELCA community for
feedback. In 2014, we gathered survey responses from members and sponsors, as well as input from our
advisory committees, the Conference of Bishops, synod assembly participants, synod office staff, theological
conference attendees, our own Live Well ELCA Facebook page, and the ELCA Clergy Facebook group.
Through this intentional listening, we improve our offerings. For example, after hearing a number of
members request long-term care insurance, we used our collective purchasing power in 2014 to offer it at a
discounted rate. Another example: Using Customer Advisory Committee feedback, we were able to streamline
last year’s Open Enrollment process, a clear benefit for time-strapped sponsors and members.
2
Portico Benefit Services — 2015 Report to Synod Assemblies (continued)
Portico continues to steward the ELCA investment program with
efficiency and precision, carefully selecting managers and calibrating
asset allocation to enhance the performance of the funds. In 2014, more
than 70% of Portico’s investment managers exceeded their benchmarks.
This was not the case for most of the investment industry. Morningstar
reported that fewer than 20% of U.S. stock mutual funds exceeded their
benchmarks during 2014.1 What’s more, our actively managed funds,
with few exceptions, performed better than comparable mutual fund peer
group benchmarks during the year — in some cases, by a wide margin.
Importantly, this also holds for 10-year and longer time periods.2
“A few of our staff members
petitioned our local gym to
be on the Fitness Center
discount list, and I can
now continue my daily
workouts (aka sanity
sessions) and save money,
too! Thank you for such
great benefits to help
keep me healthy, ELCA!”
Beyond the ELCA, Portico’s ongoing involvement with multidenominational church benefit organizations like the Church Alliance
Pastor Amy Stewart
continues to deliver value. When a federal district judge struck down the
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Manchester, Missouri
clergy housing allowance exclusion as an unconstitutional preference for
religion under the First Amendment in Nov. 2013, Portico, as part of the
Church Alliance, jointly filed an amicus brief urging the court to uphold
the exclusion’s constitutionality. Thanks, in part, to our effort, the U.S.
Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, acted in Nov. 2014 to preserve the clergy housing allowance exclusion.
Together, for Life
Our partnership with sponsoring organizations and members is enduring. In 2015, we’re partnering with
synods to learn how Portico can better support sponsors and leaders in the ELCA call process. And to simplify
things for our members, we’ve begun to enable “single sign-on” access to our benefit partner websites. As of
Jan. 2015, members can access Mayo Clinic’s new Healthy Living website directly from myPortico, and we
intend to expand single sign-on to other health benefit partners later in the year.
As always, we thank you for your partnership in this shared call to strengthen ministry.
In Christ,
The Rev. Jeffrey D. Thiemann
President and CEO
1. Source: Return of the Stockpickers, S. Max, Barrons — The Dow Jones Business and Financial Weekly, Jan. 12, 2015.
2.Find specifics about ELCA Retirement Plan investment fund performance at myPortico.PorticoBenefits.org.
3
Report of the Leadership Support Committee
2014
The Leadership Support Committee works to support rostered leaders through continuing education,
mutual conversation and encouragement and to provide the opportunity for conversation with the
bishop and staff regarding the mission of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod. In 2014, the Leadership Support
Committee, with guidance from Bishop Gafkjen, planned and implemented a “Boundaries Workshop”
for all rostered leaders. In order for us to remain compliant with expectations, additional opportunities
for these workshops are being discussed with neighboring synods and our ecumenical partners.
The Leadership Support Committee continues to include rostered leader healthy living and morale as
part of our work. Among issues that are part of our concern are congregational and personal financial
issues, conflict, declining attendance, social concerns, political concerns, changing religious attitudes and
other concerns that weigh heavily on the minds of rostered leaders.
The task that has involved the largest use of our time together is the Professional Leaders Conference at
Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, Indiana. In 2014, our plenary speaker was Dr. Cheryl Peterson of
Trinity Seminary. The 2015 Professional Leaders Conference will feature Derek Nelson, Associate
Professor of Religion at Wabash College and Bishop William O. Gafkjen. Their subject will be “Adapative
Leadership.”
A final note is to give thanks to God for the years of dedication and work of Pastor John Stacy, who
passed away in 2014. We will miss him very much.
Thank you to all of the members of the Leadership Support Committee who served in 2014.
Pastor Dennis Zimmerman
Karen Husby
Pastor John Stacy
Pastor Matthew Converse
Pastor Jerry Mielke
Elsie Fregeau
Pastor Dennis Meyer
Submitted by
Rev. Dr. David M. Doane, Chair
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
Candidacy Committee Ministry Report 2015
It continues to be a privilege to serve as the committee chair of the
Candidacy Committee. The committee continues to walk with candidates
who are discerning God’s call to public ministry in the areas of ordination,
associate in ministry, deaconess, and diaconal ministry.
Since the last annual report, our committee has met three times. At those
meetings we entranced 8 applicants into the candidacy process, endorsed 1
candidates who are midway through the which allows them to serve on
internship, and approved 7 candidates for public ministry and call in the
ELCA. We also held our annual candidacy committee retreat in Indianapolis.
During these retreats it is an opportunity for the committee to engage with
the candidates, spend time in worship & devotion, participate in mini
workshop presentations, and take a break for the studies of seminary.
Region 6 also held an inquiries retreat this past year and we have had some
folks from the Indiana-Kentucky synod participate in these weekends.
The Candidacy Committee continues to empower, equip, and lift of leaders
for public ministry in our synod. We ask you - who do you know that has
gifts for public ministry in our church? How can you continue to encourage
them to discern God’s calling? I ask for your continued prayers on behalf of
the candidates in our synod as they continue discerning God’s call. Faith is a
life-long journey and what a joy it is to be able to walk along side folks who
feel called to public ministry.
Thank you.
Respectfully Submitted by:
Julie Schuessler Peralta
Associate in Ministry
Candidacy Committee Chair
Indiana-Kentucky Synod
Indiana-Kentucky Synod CORE Team
Community Organizing Resource and Engagement Team
2014-2015 Annual Report
Mission
The I-K Synod CORE Team, established in January of 2011, has as its
mission to “expand Lutheran participation in local congregation-based-organizing efforts and to
enhance the effectiveness and vitality of synod life and congregational mission.”
Goals
1. To permeate the entire system of the synod – its structures, processes, and ministries – with
the skills, tools, processes and practices of community organizing so that synod ministry more
effectively empowers and equips the congregations and leaders of this synod to move into the
world to make Christ known;
2. To expand Lutheran participation in local congregation-based community organizing
throughout the synod.
3. To encourage the Indiana-Kentucky Synod to collectively engage in actions that address
social injustice on its territory.
Items of Note:
1. In January, 2015 the CORE Team appointed a Payday Lending Task Force to do this
work. Consisting of ten Lutheran clergy and lay members from Indiana, this Task
Force had its inaugural meeting in March of 2015 and will be meeting periodically to
address the issue of predatory lending in Indiana with the goal of having legislation
introduced in the Indiana General Assembly capping payday lending rates at 36%,
down from almost 400% APR. In this regard, a second PDL “Day of Concern” was
held in the Fall of 2014 to raise public awareness of the economic injustice of predatory
lending in Indiana and Kentucky.
2. The Team continues to conduct one-to-one and Listening Campaign training in
congregations in the synod.
3. The Team continues to encourage and support community organizing justice ministries
in Indiana and Kentucky. There is a growing Lutheran presence in the work of justice
in Kentucky and Indiana through community organizations such as IIRON in northern
Indiana, CLOUT in Louisville, BUILD in Lexington, Kentucky, CAJE, in Evansville,
and IndyCAN in Indianapolis.
4. The CORE Team has invited leaders from the other synods in Region 6 to help plan a
first-of-its kind training event, “Following Jesus, a Small Town Organizer,” to be held
at the Maria Stein Center in Ohio on October 14-16 with a focus on developing and
implementing community organizing efforts in small town and rural communities.
Specifically the goals of this event are:
EDUCATING participants regarding the Lutheran theological and biblical
understanding of biblical justice.
EQUIPPING participants with some of the tools of organizing (power analysis, selfinterest, one-to-ones, the disciplines and attitudes of community organizing, running
effective meetings, etc) that can be used, both within their congregations and in
engagement with their surrounding communities.
ENERGIZING participants by assisting them in discovering what God is doing in their
local settings and how they might participate in God's activity.
This is arguably the most ambitious initiative by the CORE Team in its four-year
history and holds the promise of being the kind of training that can be replicated
throughout the ELCA and perhaps be the seedling for the creation of a rural organizing
network in the ELCA similar to the national urban networks already in existence.
5. The CORE Team is offering a pre-Assembly workshop at this year’s Synod Assembly.
Entitled “DOING JUSTICE: ‘ACTIONS’ SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS,” the
workshop will enable participants to engage in a hands-on experience of doing justice
using a key tool of community organizing, an “Action Assembly.” Participants will
engage in a simulation experience that begins with identifying a problem in “their”
town, crafting a solution to the problem, and identifying a public official who has
power to make changes. At an exciting “public gathering,” participants will
demonstrate their collective power by proposing their solution and asking for a “yes “or
“no” from the public official. The workshop will conclude with an evaluation of the
process and lessons learned that participants can take home.
6. The Team is pleased to announce the addition to its ranks of Pr. Barry Neese and Pr.
Matt Voyer who replace Ms. Gail Swanson and Pr. Charles Strietelmeier who served
with faithfulness and excellence. As has been our practice from the beginning, Neese
and Voyer will be trained in community organizing through the ELCA’s 5-day training
in August.
2014 Annual Report to the Indiana-Kentucky Synod Council
For Synod Committees, Teams and Task Forces and Other Synod-Related Groups
Empower, equip and encourage the people of God to make Christ known
Group Name _______I-K Synod Malaria Campaign_________________________________________________
Chair Person or Contact Person ___Rev. Paul Meier____________________ Role/Title __Chairperson_____
Phone _____270-527-1856________________
Email [email protected]______________
Date Submitted ____March 12, 2014______________
How has your committee, team or group empowered, equipped and encouraged the people of the IndianaKentucky Synod to make Christ known?
As of March 2, 2014, the I-K Synod has contributed $163,785 toward the eradication of malaria in the world.
This means we collected $67,814 throughout this year.
We had a lot of interest at the synod assembly in Indianapolis in June. We started a new campaign, “99
Bottles of Wine on the Wall” to finish the fundraising through 2015, offering a bottle of wine for every $1,000
raised by a congregation.
Danielle Burrus continued to include information regularly in the weekly newsletters to promote the
campaign. She also set up a table at Synodfest in October.
As of Dec. 31, 2014, five congregations have contributed over $5,000, seven have given between $3,000 –
4,999, and twenty-four have given $1,000-2,999. Sixty-six have given between $100 – 999. An estimated 60%
of congregations in the synod have contributed toward this campaign.
How is your group planning to empower, equip and encourage the people of God to make Christ known in
coming months?
We will be encouraging congregations to set goals and hold fund raising events throughout 2015. We plan to
set up a booth at the synod assembly in June.
th
Please return this form to April Lynch: [email protected] (email), 317-254-5666 (fax), or 911 E 86 St., Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46240.
ELCA Region 6 Archives
The ELCA Region 6 Archives collects, protects, and shares Lutheran stories from Indiana, Kentucky,
Ohio, and the lower Michigan peninsula.
Preservation.
The Archives collects records that contain Lutheran stories from Region 6 synods, congregations, and
other sources. Once received, records are processed into acid-free boxes, folders, photo sleeves, and other
enclosures for better protection from deterioration. In 2014, the Archives received 57 accessions,
including congregational histories, synodical records, and many boxes of congregational records. Thank
you to everyone who sent records!
Transmission.
The Archives shares Lutheran stories by providing research assistance. The Archives responded to 127
research inquiries in 2014! The Archives also inventories and catalogs records, enabling archival
information to be found more quickly and efficiently for researchers.
Cooperation and Outreach.
The Archives cannot collect, protect, and share Lutheran stories alone. In 2014, the Archives gave and
received assistance in a variety of ways:
•
During the 10th Annual Congregational History Campaign, the Archives offered research
assistance, congregational history help, and celebration ideas to 46 congregations celebrating
major anniversaries in 2014. The Archives also requested anniversary materials from
congregations that celebrated anniversaries in 2013. Thank you to all of the congregations that
celebrated anniversaries, wrote histories, and sent records to the Archives.
•
The Archives addressed 19 advice inquiries—questions about celebrating congregational
anniversaries, compiling congregational histories, organizing congregational archives, and
managing records.
•
Student workers Emily Seitz, Chris Boyd, and volunteer Rich Ferne were a tremendous help to
the Archives by processing records, researching inquiries, and helping with other projects.
•
The ELCA Region 6 Archives has a new Facebook page! Visit the ELCA Region 6 Archives at
www.facebook.com/ELCARegion6Archives for helpful updates about records management,
celebrating congregational anniversaries, writing congregational histories, and fun facts about
Lutheran history!
•
Did you know? The Archives has a web page in cooperation with Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
Find out more about the Archives at: www.tlsohio.edu/elca-region-6-archives.
The ELCA Region 6 Archives is grateful for the support and cooperation of Region 6 staff, synods,
clergy, congregations, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Your support is vital to the preservation of
Lutheran history at the ELCA Region 6 Archives!
Respectfully submitted by
Jennifer Long Morehart
ELCA Region 6 Archivist
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REPORT OF TRINITY LUTHERAN SEMINARY – SPRING 2015
This year has been a time of hope-filled energy fueled by a reformation taking place at Trinity
Lutheran Seminary. Amidst much awareness of the ecclesial challenges facing the church as it
shrinks in size and loses traction with a changing culture, the Trinity community believes that
this is a great time to be the church. Our graduates who are sent out into the world in service to
God’s mission claim such an outlook. From North America to the ends of the earth, this is a
time ripe with promise and opportunity to re-story communities and the world with the good
news and implications of the empty tomb that once held our Lord Jesus Christ.
Trinity is committed to unparalleled excellence. For a number of years we have been in
service to a compelling mission – Trinity Lutheran Seminary forms leaders for Christ’s church
at work in the world. We also are now inspired by a vision where we hold ourselves
accountable to be a premier seminary in the formation of authentic servant leaders who are
healthy, vibrant, maturing, transformative, resilient and evangelical. Our vision is supported by
attention to five pillars of excellence: Excellence in Formation; Excellence in Enrollment;
Excellence in Ecumenism; Excellence in Impact in the World; and Excellence in
Sustainability.
This vision is driving the reformation at Trinity as we make dramatic changes in organizational
structure, the design and mission of the Board of Directors, and the deployment of our esteemed
faculty. The pursuit of excellence is the driving force behind the bold curricula changes which
now incorporate such innovations as the 2+2 model of formation for Master of Divinity
students, and the requirement of Spanish for Ministry for all degree programs.
In the design of our curricula and in the choices we make, Trinity has not been guided by
market-driven questions, but by the single question: “How can we take what we do with
excellence and make it even better?” Therefore, at a time of loosening requirements at many
schools and the wholesale proliferation of distance learning, Trinity has stood fast in
maintaining high expectations and in being judicious in the ways we can utilize the best
practices of hybrid forms of distance and cohort learning.
Our vital signs are strong. In an age of falling enrollment at theology schools across North
America, we experienced a slight increase in enrollment with the 2014-15 entering class. Early
indicators already suggest that our 2015-16 entering class could be the largest in years. Our
students report that they are attracted to Trinity for its missional innovations, for the quality of
the faculty, for our emphasis on ecological justice and attention to global poverty, and—most
important of all—for the idea that thrives at Trinity that a theologically formed and inspired
person can change the world.
We are grateful for the widespread support we receive. Aware of the tremendous fiscal
challenges our Region 6 synods face, we are grateful for the funding we receive from you as we
are “your seminary.” We are also grateful for the support that we receive from our friends.
Giving from individuals and congregations is at one of the highest levels in our history right
now. Given the shortages in funding from other sources, this increased giving is much
appreciated.
Why we do what we do. Trinity exists and we strive for excellence not primarily because we
desire to have a fabulous seminary, though we do. It is also not principally because we want to
have a renewed, relevant, and vibrant church, which is also a deep desire. The end game is the
transformation of the world which God so richly loves. God has called us into this enterprise of
preparing leaders who can heal and bless our troubled world with the great news of the gospel.
Submitted with gratitude, humility, and hope,
Rick Barger, President
WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY
2015 SYNODICAL REPORT
Firmly rooted in its Lutheran heritage, Wittenberg continues to deliver a first-rate liberal arts education by
living out its mission and values, challenging students to become responsible global citizens, to discover
their callings, and to lead personal, professional, and civic lives of creativity, service, compassion, and
integrity. Dedicated to providing high-impact collaborative learning experiences that foster wholeness of
person and ensure student success both in and out of the classroom, Wittenberg continues to instill in its
students the skills and confidence to make an impact on the world around them.
Wittenberg was pleased this fall to receive a NetVUE Program Development Grant for nearly $44,000
from the Council of Independent Colleges through the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. The
grant program is designed to “deepen the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among
undergraduate students.” The funding will help students thrive at Wittenberg, discover their callings, and
find meaningful work to better the church and world through support for training, program development,
retreats, speakers, and mini-grants.
Designed to encourage engagement, illustrate the power of vocation, and illuminate the mind around
one's purpose, Wittenberg's inaugural SPARK Conference held Sept. 2014 offered engaging and creative
workshops to inspire attendees to think critically about their potential. Initiated by the Office of Student
Development, the conference welcomed featured presenters including Pastor John Morris ’83 as well as
Andrew Steele ‘10, co-founder of BLOOM Africa and Manager of Donor Relations for the ELCA, among
other alumni, faculty and staff.
The University celebrated its tradition of teaching excellence as its own Elizabeth George, professor of
physics, was named the 2014 Ohio Professor of the Year. Sponsored by the Council for the
Advancement and Support of Education and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching,
the U.S. Professor of the Year program is the only national program to recognize excellence in
undergraduate education. Wittenberg continues to lead the state among four-year institutions in the
number of professors receiving the coveted distinction, with three recipients in the past five years.
Wittenberg was proud to once again be recognized on the President’s Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll with Distinction for 2014, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its
commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Last year, the University’s Hagen Center
facilitated more than 40,000 hours of community engagement, including service, internships, work-study,
community-based courses and research projects. Additionally, Wittenberg was recognized on the 2014
Interfaith Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes institutions that demonstrate participation of
campus and community faith-based organizations, including cooperation of faculty, staff and students of
diverse faiths and secular perspectives in projects that tackle community challenges.
This year the annual Kenneth H. Sauer Luther Symposium welcomed The Rev. Cheryl M. Peterson ‘86,
associate professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and author of Who is the Church?
An Ecclesiology for the Twenty-First Century, to deliver the address “Does the Church still matter? A
Lutheran view on the Church’s relevance for today.” The University also welcomed The Rev. Suzanne
Darcy Dillahunt, Bishop of the Southern Ohio Synod of the ELCA, as preacher for the annual Festival
Choral Eucharist for Reformation.
University President Laurie M. Joyner is serving on the Executive Committee of the ELCA Council of
College and University Presidents. The committee is moving forward a proposal to create a more robust
association among the ELCA’s 26 colleges and universities as a way to strengthen the shared Lutheran
identity, expand leadership development programs, share data across institutions, and increase the value
of interfaith efforts.
Wittenberg continues to encourage Lutheran students to attend by offering scholarship opportunities,
including the $80,000 Martin Luther Scholar Award, the Lutheran Scholarship Partners Program, and the
half-tuition Lutheran Pastor/Church Worker-Parent Grant for dependent children of full-time rostered
leaders serving a recognized call or of full-time lay church workers in recognized Lutheran ministries. The
Wittenberg community cordially invites all members of the synod – both clergy and lay persons – to come
to campus for worship services, athletic contests, and Wittenberg Series cultural events.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God’s work. Our hands.
Spring 2015
“Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be; let that grace now like a fetter
bind my wand’ring heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.”
– Evangelical Lutheran Worship 807, verse 3
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are church. As members in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we are
found by and abiding in Christ; we are God’s beloved people gathered around word and
sacrament. Every week you gather in your congregations to hear God’s word and to share in the
Lord’s Supper, to know Christ crucified and Christ risen. My hope and prayer is that through our
spiritual practices and our worship we are drawn closer to and are more aware of the love of God
shown through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
As we gather in Christ’s name at our synod assemblies, I invite you to pray, with me, for one
another and the work we do together across this church. Remembering the words of the apostle
Paul: “So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of
another” (Romans 12:5).
In my international travels earlier this year, it became clear to me that the ELCA is part of the
body of Christ that spans the globe and the centuries. When we consider issues such as the
ecclesiology of a global church, or a unified Word and Service roster, or ministry to and with
same-gender families, it is never, nor can it ever be, a conversation just among us.
This past fall, we entered the season of celebrating five years of our full communion partnership
with the United Methodist Church. In late May, we join our Catholic sisters and brothers in
Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. LutheranCatholic Dialogue, which over the years has produced 11 substantial reports. We continue our
work in strengthening all of our ecumenical and inter-religious partnerships.
We also are accompanying our brothers and sisters globally. We have visited with
unaccompanied migrant children and families fleeing their homes in the Northern Triangle
countries of Central America. Companions in the region have shared about their struggles, root
causes of this migration and avenues for ELCA response. ELCA members, synod bishops and
churchwide staff have borne witness to and talked about ELCA plans for strategic engagement.
Through The Lutheran World Federation, we work with refugees and internally displaced people
in Syria, Cameroon, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Kenya, Jordan, Ukraine, Iraq and
many other places. We have made significant progress in controlling malaria and treating Ebola.
We are developing a social statement on the social issue of women and justice. These are just a
few of the ways that we are church for the sake of the world.
This summer brings two wonderful events. Both the ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit and the
Worship Jubilee in Atlanta will give us an opportunity to ask: How is God calling the church
8765 West Higgins Road  Chicago, IL 60631-4101  800/638-3522  www.elca.org
today, and what does God’s work mean for our service to our community and the world? These
events will be a time for rich conversation, faith formation and renewal of worship for the sake
of the gospel and for the life of the world.
Good progress continues to be made on the ELCA’s observance of the 500th Anniversary of the
Lutheran Reformation. Two communication platforms recently debuted: www.ELCA500.org
and the “ELCA Reformation 500” Facebook page. The theme for the 500th anniversary
observance is “Freed and Renewed in Christ,” with the tagline, “500 Years of God’s Grace in
Action.” This will also be the theme for the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. You are invited
to come to the “Grace Gathering” in New Orleans, which will be held concurrently with the
Churchwide Assembly on its last four days, Aug. 10-13, 2016. The goals of the Grace Gathering
are for personal renewal in faith, to be equipped for meaningful observances of the 500th
anniversary, and to increase the number of ELCA members who will take part in servicelearning activities in New Orleans as part of the Churchwide Assembly. Please come!
Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA is off to a good start with more than
$48.4 million in generous gifts and commitments toward the campaign priorities. This year we
are seeking support for new and renewed congregations in The Campaign for the ELCA. The
impact of the campaign will go far beyond the nearly $200 million goal. It will establish a strong
culture of stewardship in which this church will be well-positioned to do God’s work in Jesus’
name throughout the world for decades to come. Thank you for your support and prayers for this
good work.
This coming Sept. 13, we will continue our tradition of a dedicated day of service. “God’s work.
Our hands.” Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
God’s blessings to you as you meet, discern, pray, vote, worship and sing together. This is a
wonderful church, and I am honored to serve in it with you. Thank you for your faithful witness
to the gospel.
God’s peace,
Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
8765 West Higgins Road  Chicago, IL 60631-4101  800/638-3522  www.elca.org
INDIANA-KENTUCKY SYNOD
CONSTITUTION/BYLAWS/STANDING RESOLUTIONS
June 2014
Introduction from Constitution for Synods
S01.
Name and Incorporation
S02.
Status
S03.
Territory
S04.
Confession of Faith
S05.
Nature of the Church
S06.
Statement of Purpose
S07.
Synod Assembly
S07.32 Assembly Committees
S08.
Officers
S08.10 Bishop
S08.20 Vice-president
S08.30 Secretary
S08.40 Treasurer
S08.50 General Provisions
S09. Nominations and Elections
S10.
Synod Council
S11.
Committees
S12.
Conferences, Clusters, Coalitions, Area Subdivisions, and Networks
S13.
Congregations
S14.
Ordained Ministers and Lay Rostered Ministers
S15.
Financial Matters
S16.
Indemnification
S17.
Adjudication
S18.
Amendments, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions
INTRODUCTION to the Constitution for Synods
The Constitution for Synods, like the other governing documents of this church, is an ecclesial, legal, and
missional document that reflects the underlying theology and doctrines of this church as well as its polity and
governance structures. As the guiding document of one of the three expressions of this church, it reflects that
synods, while fully the church, are not the whole church; they are in an interdependent relationship with
congregations and the churchwide organization and are part of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. As
such, the Constitution for Synods is deeply rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Lutheran Confessions, and the
history of this church.
The Constitution for Synods was adopted by the Constituting Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, as required by the Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America. This current edition of the Constitution for Synods contains changes adopted by all Churchwide
Assemblies, including the thirteenth Churchwide Assembly in 2013. It is consistent with the requirements of the
governing documents of the ELCA’s churchwide organization, and it provides organizational flexibility to recognize
local context.
➤ Required provisions: Sections of the Constitution for Synods marked by a dagger [†] are required
provisions. These sections, including constitutional provisions, bylaws, and continuing resolutions, must be used
without alteration or amendment of the text in any manner (i.e., neither additions nor deletions are permissible). In
accordance with provision †S18.11, amendments to required provisions in the Constitution for Synods passed by the
Churchwide Assembly are automatically incorporated into the constitutions of individual synods upon formal
certification by the secretary of this church. Because the secretary has provided such certification following the 2013
Churchwide Assembly, required provisions marked by a dagger [†] have been incorporated into synod constitutions.
➤ Codification explanation: The Constitution for Synods, like the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing
Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Model Constitution for Congregations, is
organized into chapters by general subject matter and codified as (a) constitutional provisions, (b) bylaws, and (c)
continuing resolutions. Each provision is preceded by a capital “S”. If a provision is mandatory, it will be preceded
by a dagger, “†S.”
a. Constitutional provisions are codified with two sets of numbers, preceded by an “S”: the chapter number,
followed by a period and a two-digit number. A period follows the two-digit number. Thus, one required
constitutional provision related to “Conferences, Clusters, Coalitions, Area Subdivisions, and Networks” in
Chapter 12 is codified as “†S12.01.” In accordance with Chapter 18, titled “Amendments, Bylaws, and
Continuing Resolutions,” there are three types of constitutional provisions in each synod’s constitution:
1. Required constitutional provisions adopted by the Churchwide Assembly are designated by a dagger
“†”, as discussed above (†S18.11.);
2. Recommended constitutional provisions adopted by the Churchwide Assembly may be adopted by
majority vote at one meeting of the Synod Assembly (†S18.12.);
3. Other constitutional provisions, including different versions of the recommended provisions referred to
in the previous paragraph, may be initiated in and adopted by individual synods, but such provisions
may not conflict with the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America. Such synodical constitutional amendments are adopted and become effective in
accordance with †S18.13.
b. Bylaw provisions follow constitutional provisions to which they apply. They are not intended to be
organized in a separate document at the end of the constitutional provisions. Bylaws are codified with
three sets of numbers: the chapter number (preceded by an “S”), the related constitutional provision
number, and a two-digit number. There are periods after the chapter number, after the reference to the
constitutional provision, and after the bylaw number. Thus, a bylaw relating to synod networks would be
codified as “S12.01.01.” Although the Constitution for Synods contains some required bylaws and
continuing resolutions, there is not a model set of bylaws or continuing resolutions because bylaws and
continuing resolutions normally relate to specific practices and details of each synod’s organization,
operation, and life. Thus, each synod has discretion and may develop its own bylaws and continuing
resolutions, including bylaws and continuing resolutions under required constitutional provisions, but no
such bylaw or continuing resolution may conflict with constitutional provisions in the Constitution for
Synods, mandatory synod bylaws or continuing resolutions, or with the Constitution, Bylaws, and
Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Bylaws are adopted and amended
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 1 -
in accordance with Chapter 18. Newly adopted bylaws or amendments to bylaws shall be reported to the
secretary of this church.
c. Continuing resolutions are intended to provide descriptions of operational patterns and practices or of the
ongoing responsibilities of committees or other units within the organizational structure of the synod. They
follow the relevant constitutional provision or bylaw to which they refer. Continuing resolutions also are
codified with three sets of numbers, except that the third set is preceded by a capital letter. Thus, a
continuing resolution describing the contents of a Synod Council report to the Synod Assembly in Chapter
10 might be numbered “S10.03.A13.” The initial numbers “S10.03” indicate that the continuing resolution
relates to the designated constitutional provision, which in this case states that the functions of the Synod
Council include providing a report to the regular meeting of the Synod Assembly. The final letter and
numbers “A13” designate that this is the first continuing resolution “A” and the year that it was adopted, in
this example 2013. Continuing resolutions are adopted and amended in accordance with Chapter 18.
Unlike constitutional provisions and bylaws, continuing resolutions may be adopted either at a legally
called and conducted meeting of the Synod Assembly (by a majority vote) or by the Synod Council (by a
two-thirds vote). New continuing resolutions or amendments to existing continuing resolutions shall be
reported to the secretary of this church.
➤ Missing numbers: You will notice that certain numbers are missing from the numbering sequence in some
chapters. These omissions are intentional. For example, in some chapters the number “.10.” and multiples thereof
have been reserved for possible use as section headings in future editions.
➤ Selection of options: Alternatives are provided in some places within the Constitution for Synods.
Alternatives are noted by brackets or blank lines. For example, constitutional provision †S8.51. allows synods to
choose the length of terms for the vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The appropriate number of years should be
filled in by each synod. In addition, †S8.51.c. provides that the treasurer may be elected by the Synod Assembly or
appointed by the Synod Council. Each synod should select one of those options.
➤ References to church: In the governing documents, “Church” with a capital letter refers to the one, holy,
catholic, and apostolic Church. The words “church” or “this church” in lower case letters refer to the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.
➤ Consultation and concluding comments: In order to assist synods, the Office of the Secretary is available
for consultation, both about potential amendments to the Constitution for Synods and about the review process for
congregational constitutions.
The important task of amending a constitution is challenging. It is, however, an essential endeavor that merits
thoughtful work. In addressing the synod’s constitutional responsibilities, may God grant you and your colleagues
wisdom, discernment, and commitment to the unity of this church in faithful witness to our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
David D. Swartling
Secretary
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
September 15, 2013
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 2 -
INDIANA-KENTUCKY SYNOD, ELCA
Constitution / Bylaws / Standing Resolutions
(† = Required provision)
(Sn.nn. => constitution provision)
(Sn.nn.nn. bylaw or standing resolution)
Chapter 1.
NAME AND INCORPORATION
†S1.01.
†S1.02
†S1.11.
†S1.21.
The name of this synod, as determined by the Churchwide Assembly, shall be the Indiana-Kentucky
Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
For the purposes of this constitution and the accompanying bylaws, the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is hereafter designated as "this synod".
This synod shall be incorporated. Amendments to the articles of incorporation of this synod shall be
submitted to the Church Council for ratification before filing.
The seal of this synod is a cross with three united flames emanating from the base of the cross and three
entwined circles beside the cross. The name of this synod and the year of its constituting convention
form the circular outer edge of the seal.
Chapter 2.
STATUS
†S2.01.
†S2.02.
†S2.03.
This synod possesses the powers conferred upon it, and accepts the duties and responsibilities assigned
to it, in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, which are recognized as having governing force in the life of this synod.
The name Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA or “this church”) as used herein refers in
general references to this whole church, including its three expressions—congregations, synods, and the
churchwide organization. The name Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is also the name of the
corporation of the churchwide organization to which specific references may be made herein.
No provision of this constitution shall be inconsistent with the constitution and bylaws of this church.
Chapter 3.
TERRITORY
†S3.01.
†S3.02.
The territory of this synod, as determined by the Churchwide Assembly, shall be the Commonwealth of
Kentucky and the State of Indiana.
“Determined by the Churchwide Assembly", as stipulated by †S3.01, is understood to include the
reported changes in synod relationship made by any congregation in a border area agreed under ELCA
bylaws 10.01.11 and 10.02.02.
Chapter 4.
CONFESSION OF FAITH
†S4.01.
†S4.02.
†S4.03.
This synod confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This synod confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the Gospel as the power of God for the
salvation of all who believe.
a. Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose
life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
b. The proclamation of God`s message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing
judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the
history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
c. The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by
God`s Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God`s revelation centering
in Jesus Christ. Through them God`s Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and
fellowship for service in the world.
This synod accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of
God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 3 -
†S4.04.
†S4.05.
†S4.06.
†S4.07.
This synod accepts the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of this
synod.
This synod accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging
as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered
Augsburg Confession.
This synod accepts the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the
Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large
Catechism, and the Formula of Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
This synod confesses the Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scripture and confessed in the ecumenical creeds
and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God’s
mission in the world.
Chapter 5.
NATURE OF THE CHURCH
†S5.01.
†S5.02.
All power in the Church belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, its head. All actions of this synod are to be
carried out under his rule and authority.
The Church exists both as an inclusive fellowship and as local congregations gathered for worship and
Christian service. Congregations find their fulfillment in the universal community of the Church, and
the universal Church exists in and through congregations. This church, therefore, derives its character
and powers both from the sanction and representation of its congregations and from its inherent nature
as an expression of the broader fellowship of the faithful. In length, it acknowledges itself to be in the
historic continuity of the communion of saints; in breadth, it expresses the fellowship of believers and
congregations in our day.
Chapter 6.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
†S6.01.
†S6.02.
†S6.03.
The Church is a people created by God in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear
witness to God’s creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.
To participate in God’s mission, this synod as a part of the Church shall:
a. Proclaim God’s saving Gospel of justification by grace for Christ’s sake through faith alone,
according to the apostolic witness in the Holy Scripture, preserving and transmitting the Gospel
faithfully to future generations.
b. Carry out Christ’s Great Commission by reaching out to all people to bring them to faith in Christ
and by doing all ministry with a global awareness consistent with the understanding of God as
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of all.
c. Serve in response to God’s love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating
dignity and justice for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, and
standing with the poor and powerless and committing itself to their needs.
d. Worship God in proclamation of the Word and administration of the sacraments and through lives of
prayer, praise, thanksgiving, witness, and service.
e. Nurture its members in the Word of God so as to grow in faith and hope and love, to see daily life as
the primary setting for the exercise of their Christian calling, and to use the gifts of the Spirit for
their life together and for their calling in the world.
f. Manifest the unity given to the people of God by living together in the love of Christ and by joining
with other Christians in prayer and action to express and preserve the unity which the Spirit gives.
Each synod, in partnership with the churchwide organization, shall bear primary responsibility for the
oversight of the life and mission of this church in its territory. In fulfillment of this role and
consistent with policies and procedures of this church, the synod shall:
a. Provide for pastoral care of congregations and rostered leaders in the synod;
b. Plan for, facilitate, and nurture the mission of this church through congregations;
c. Strengthen interdependent relationships among congregations, synods, and the churchwide
organization, and foster relationships with agencies and institutions affiliated with or related to
this church as well as ecumenical partners.
d. Interpret the work of this church to congregations and to the public on the territory of the synod.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 4 -
†S6.03.01.
†S6.03.02.
†S6.03.03.
In providing for pastoral care of congregations and rostered leaders in the synod, the responsibilities
of the synod include the following:
a. providing for pastoral care of congregations, ordained ministers, associates in ministry,
deaconesses, and diaconal ministers in the synod, including:
1) approving candidates for the ordained ministry in cooperation with the appropriate
seminaries of this church, which may be done through multi-synodical committees;
2) authorizing ordinations and ordaining on behalf of this church;
3) approving associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal ministers, which may be done
through multi-synodical committees;
4) authorizing the commissioning of associates in ministry, the consecration of deaconesses,
and the consecration of diaconal ministers of this church; and
5) consulting in the calling process for ordained ministers, associates in ministry, deaconesses,
and diaconal ministers.
b. providing for leadership recruitment, preparation, and support in accordance with churchwide
standards and policies, including:
1) nurturing and supporting congregations and lay leaders;
2) seeking and recruiting qualified candidates for the rostered ministries of this church;
3) making provision for pastoral care, call review, and guidance;
4) encouraging and supporting persons on the rosters of this church in stewardship of their
abilities, care of self, and pursuit of continuing education to undergird their effectiveness of
service; and
5) supporting recruitment of leaders for this church’s colleges, universities, seminaries, and
social ministry organizations.
c. providing for discipline of congregations, ordained ministers, and persons on the official lay
rosters; as well as for termination of call, appointment, adjudication, and appeals consistent
with Chapter 20 of this constitution.
d. providing for archives in conjunction with other synods.
In planning for, facilitating, and nurturing the mission of this church through congregations, the
responsibilities of the synod include the following:
a. developing of new ministries, redevelopment of existing ministries, and support and assistance in
the conclusion, if necessary, of a particular ministry;
b. leading and encouraging of congregations in their evangelism efforts;
c. assisting members of its congregations in carrying out their ministries in the world;
d. encouraging congregations to respond to human need, work for justice and peace, care for the
sick and the suffering, and participate responsibly in society;
e. providing resources for congregational life;
f. grouping congregations in conferences, clusters, coalitions, or other area subdivisions for mission
purposes.
In strengthening interdependent relationships among congregations, synods, and the churchwide
organization, and in fostering relationships with agencies and institutions affiliated with or related to
this church as well as with ecumenical partners, the responsibilities of the synod include the
following:
a. promoting interdependent relationships among congregations, synods, and the churchwide
organization, and entering into partnership with other synods in the region;
b. fostering organizations for youth, women, and men, and organizations for language or ethnic
communities;
c. developing relationships with social ministry organizations and ministries, participating in their
mission planning, and providing partnership funding;
d. supporting relationships with and providing partnership funding on behalf of colleges,
universities, and campus ministries;
e. maintaining relationships with and providing partnership funding on behalf of seminaries and
continuing education centers;
f. fostering supporting relationships with camps and other outdoor ministries;
g. fostering supporting relationships with preschools, elementary schools, and secondary schools
operated by congregations of the synod;
h. fostering relationships with ecumenical and global partners;
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 5 -
i.
cooperating with other synods and the churchwide organization in creating, using, and supporting
regions to carry out those functions of the synod which can best be done cooperatively with other
synods and the churchwide organization.
†S6.03.04.
In interpreting the work of this church on the territory of the synod, the responsibilities of the synod
include the following:
a. encouraging financial support for the work of this church by individuals and congregations;
b. participating in churchwide programs;
c. interpreting social statements in a manner consistent with the interpretation given by the
churchwide unit or office which assisted in the development of the statement, and suggestion of
social study issues;
d. providing ecumenical guidance and encouragement.
†S6.04.
Except as otherwise provided in this constitution and bylaws, the Synod Council shall establish
processes that will ensure that at least 60 percent of the members of the synod assemblies, councils,
committees, boards, and other organizational units shall be laypersons; and that, as nearly as possible,
50 percent of the lay members of assemblies, councils, committees, boards, or other organizational units
shall be female and 50 percent shall be male; and that, where possible, the representation of ordained
ministers shall be both male and female. This synod shall establish processes that will enable it to reach
a minimum goal that 10 percent of its assemblies, councils, committees, boards, or other organizational
units be persons of color and/or persons whose primary language is other than English.
†S6.04.A01. It is the goal of this synod that 10 percent of the membership of synod assemblies, councils,
committees, boards and/or other organizational units be persons of color and/or persons whose
primary language is other than English.
†S6.04.B09.
It is the goal of this synod that at least 10 percent of the voting members of the Synod Assembly,
Synod Council, committees, and organizational units of this synod be youth and young adults. The
Synod Council shall establish a plan for implementing this goal. For purposes of the constitution,
bylaws, and continuing resolutions of this synod, the term “youth” means a voting member of a
congregation who has not reached the age of 18 at the time of election or appointment for service.
The term “young adult” means a voting member of a congregation between the ages of 18 and 30 at
the time of election or appointment for service.
†S6.05.
Each assembly, council, committee, board, commission, task force, or other body of this synod or any
synodical units shall be conclusively presumed to have been properly constituted, and neither the
method of selection nor the composition of any such assembly, council, committee, board, commission,
task force, or other body may be challenged in a court of law by any person or be used as the basis of a
challenge in a court of law to the validity or effect of any action taken or authorized by any such
assembly, council, committee, board, commission, task force, or other body.
†S6.06.
References herein to the nature of the relationship between the three expressions of this church—
congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization—as being interdependent or as being in a
partnership relationship describe the mutual responsibility of these expressions in God’s mission and
the fulfillment of the purposes of this church as described in this chapter, and do not imply or describe
the creation of partnerships, co-ventures, agencies, or other legal relationships recognized in civil law.
Chapter 7.
SYNOD ASSEMBLY
†S7.01.
S7.02.
This synod shall have a Synod Assembly, which shall be its highest legislative authority. The powers of
the Synod Assembly are limited only by the provisions in the Articles of Incorporation, this constitution
and bylaws, the assembly’s own resolutions, and the constitutions and bylaws of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.
Duties of the Synod Assembly. The Synod Assembly shall:
a.
Gather, inform, edify, inspire, and empower the people of the synod.
b. Give direction to the life and mission of this church on the territory of the synod.
c. Speak publicly to the world, calling for peace and justice, and proclaim God`s love for the world.
d
Make visible the unity and inclusiveness of the synod, in the celebration of the Eucharist.
e. Establish program goals and adopt budgets.
f.
Receive reports from the synod officers.
g
Receive reports from the Synod Council.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 6 -
†S7.11.
S7.11.01.
S7.12.
S7.13.
S7.13.01.
S7.13.02.
S7.14.
†S7.21.
†S7.21.01.
h. Review the work of the synod committees, and for this purpose require and receive reports from
them and act on business proposed by them.
i.
Elect officers, Synod Council members, members of the Consultation Committee and Committee
on Discipline, board members, voting members to the Churchwide Assembly, and other persons as
provided in the constitution or bylaws.
j.
Fulfill other functions as required in the constitution and bylaws.
k. Conduct such other business as necessary to further the purposes and functions of the synod.
A regular meeting of the Synod Assembly shall be held at least biennially.
Date. The Synod Assembly shall meet annually, within six months after the end of the fiscal year of the
synod. The Synod Assembly shall not be scheduled to meet on the dates for the following holy days:
the Transfiguration of Our Lord, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, The Resurrection of Our Lord, The
Ascension of Our Lord, The Day of Pentecost and the Holy Trinity.
Special meetings of the Synod Assembly may be called by the bishop with the consent of the Synod
Council, and shall be called by the bishop at the request of one-fifth of the voting members of the
Synod Assembly.
a. The notice of each special meeting shall define the purpose for which it is to be held. The scope of
actions to be taken at such a special meeting shall be limited to the subject matter(s) described in the
notice.
b. If the special meeting of the Synod Assembly is required for the purpose of electing a successor
bishop because of death, resignation, or inability to serve, the special meeting shall be called by the
Synod Council after consultation with the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
Notice of the time and place of all meetings of the Synod Assembly shall be given by the secretary of
this synod.
Notification. At least 120 days before each annual meeting of the Synod Assembly, the secretary of
synod shall 1) notify the congregations of synod by mail, 2) place notices in the official synodical
publication, and 3) provide registration forms and assembly information for the members. At least 15
days before a special meeting of the Synod Assembly, the secretary of synod shall take the same
measures.
Reports. Reports of committees, task forces, and institutions of the synod and synodical units of the
auxiliaries of the church shall be submitted to the secretary of the synod at least 90 days before each
annual meeting of the synod assembly. All reports shall be made on the calendar year. The secretary
shall send out a bulletin of reports to all members of the Synod Assembly at least 30 days before each
regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.
One-half of members of the Synod Assembly shall constitute a quorum.
The membership of the Synod Assembly, of which at least 60 percent of the voting membership shall
be composed of lay persons, shall be constituted as follows:
a All ordained ministers under call on the roster of this synod in attendance at this Synod Assembly
shall be voting members.
b. All associates in ministry, deaconesses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and
diaconal ministers, under call, on the official lay rosters of this synod shall have both voice and vote
as lay voting members in the Synod Assembly, in addition to the voting membership of lay
members of congregations provided in item †S7.21.c.
c. A minimum of one lay member elected by each congregation with fewer than 175 baptized
members and a minimum of two lay members elected by each congregation with 175 or more
baptized members related to this synod, normally one of whom shall be male and one of whom shall
be female, shall be voting members. The Synod Council shall establish a formula to provide
additional lay representation from congregations on the basis of the number of baptized members in
the congregation. The Synod Council shall seek to ensure that, as nearly as possible, 50 percent of
the lay members of the assembly shall be female and 50 percent shall be male. Additional members
from each congregation normally shall be equally divided between male and female.
d.. Voting membership shall include the officers of the synod.
Voting members shall begin serving with the opening of a regular Synod Assembly and shall continue
serving until voting members are seated at the next regular Synod Assembly.
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S7.22.
The synod may establish processes that permit retired ordained ministers, retired associates in ministry,
retired deaconesses, and retired diaconal ministers on the roster of this synod to serve as voting
members of the Synod Assembly, consistent with †S7.21.c. above. The synod may establish processes
that permit ordained ministers, associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal ministers who are on
leave from call, or those designated as disabled, on the roster of the synod to serve as voting members
of the Synod Assembly, consistent with †S7.21.c. above. If the synod does not establish processes to
permit the rostered leaders specified above to serve as voting members, they shall have voice but not
vote in the meetings of the Synod Assembly.
S7.22.01. Retired Clergy. Retired clergy on the roster of this synod shall have the privilege of voice and vote at
meetings of the Synod Assembly.
S7.23.
The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and such other official
representatives of this church as may be designated from time to time by the Church Council shall have
voice but not vote in the meetings of the Synod Assembly. Like privileges shall be accorded to those
additional persons whom the Synod Assembly or the Synod Council shall from time to time designate.
S7.24.
Ordained ministers under call on the roster of this synod shall remain as members of the Synod
Assembly so long as they remain under call and so long as their names appear on the roster of ordained
ministers of this synod. Associates in ministry, deaconesses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, and diaconal ministers of this church serving under call on the roster of this synod shall
remain as members of the Synod Assembly so long as they remain under call and so long as their names
appear on the official lay rosters of this synod. Lay members of the Synod Assembly representing
congregations shall continue as such until replaced by the election of new members or until they have
been disqualified by termination of membership. Normally, congregations will hold elections prior to
each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.
S7.24.01. Lay members. Each congregation shall elect its regular and alternate members of Synod Assembly and
report the names and addresses of its members to the secretary of synod at least 90 days prior to the
Synod Assembly. Those members shall serve a term which shall end when the congregation next elects
members of the Synod Assembly. They are eligible for re-election.
S7.24.A93. Voice. The presidents of the Synod Lutheran Youth Organization, the Synod Lutheran Men in Mission,
and the Synod Women of the ELCA, and the chairperson of each Synod Conference shall be given the
privilege of voice at the Synod Assembly.
†S7.25.
Except as otherwise provided in this constitution or in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing
Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, each voting member of the Synod
Assembly shall be a voting member of a congregation of this synod.
S7.26.
This synod may establish processes through the Synod Council that permit representatives of
congregations under development and authorized worshiping communities of the synod, which have
been authorized under ELCA bylaw 10.02.03., to serve as voting members of the Synod Assembly,
consistent with †S7.21.
S7.27.
Duly elected voting members of the Synod Council who are not otherwise voting members of the
Synod Assembly under S7.21.shall be granted the privilege of both voice and vote as members of the
Synod Assembly.
†S7.31.
Proxy and absentee voting shall not be permitted in the transaction of any business of this synod.
S7.32.
Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern parliamentary procedure of the Synod Assembly.
S7.32.01. Assembly Committees. In the first session of each regular Synod Assembly the bishop shall announce
the appointment of the Assembly Committees, to wit:
a. Committee on Conduct of Elections
b. Committee on Minutes
c. Committee on Reference and Counsel
d. Committee on Registration and Attendance
e. And other committees, as deemed necessary
S7.32.02. Committee on Conduct of Elections. The Committee on Conduct of Elections shall consist of at least
six members. The committee shall conduct the elections of the synod in keeping with the provisions of
its constitution and bylaws, reporting thereon at the call of the bishop.
a. They shall provide ballots and biographical information, and supervise the counting of the ballots.
S7.32.03. Committee on Minutes. The Committee on Minutes shall consist of at least six members.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 8 -
S7.32.04.
S7.32.05.
S7.33.
a. The secretary shall submit the minutes of the Synod Assembly, session by session, for this
committee's scrutiny and suggestions. Approval of the minutes of the session(s) of the final day of
the assembly shall be the responsibility of the bishop and secretary of the synod.
b. The bishop and secretary shall, after making any necessary corrections therein, certify two copies of
the printed minutes of each Synod Assembly as the official protocol of said Synod Assembly, and
shall submit the same to the next regular meeting of the Synod Assembly for approval and deposit in
the archives.
Committee on Reference and Counsel. The Committee on Reference and Counsel shall consist of at
least six members.
a. Congregations conferences, ministeriums, synodical committees, synodical boards, and members of
the Synod Assembly may submit to the committee proposed resolutions to be considered by the
Synod Assembly. Such resolutions must be submitted at least 45 days before the Synod Assembly
with this one exception: resolutions endorsed by Conference Assemblies may be submitted not less
than 15 days prior to the opening of the Synod Assembly. This endorsement of the conference shall
stand in place of 50 signatures, which shall not be required. Resolutions submitted by all others in
accordance with the 45-day rule shall be provided with the Bulletin of Reports.
b. The committee shall review and organize these proposed resolutions, in such a way as to facilitate
consideration of the matters in question. The report of these proceedings shall be distributed to the
c. During the meeting of the Synod Assembly, the committee shall:
1. Receive resolutions of a general character not germane to a pending question or report supported
by the signatures of at least 50 voting members of the Synod Assembly and report thereon to the
Synod Assembly with its recommendations.
2 Recommend special orders for the hearing of representatives.
3. Grant or deny permission to distribute printed matter not issuing from the office of the secretary.
4. Give such assistance to the bishop as the bishop may request in the course of the meeting.
Committee on Registration and Attendance. The Committee on Registration and Attendance shall have
eleven members, one from each conference of the synod. The committee shall:
a. Assist the secretary of the synod in the accreditation and registration of Synod Assembly members.
b. Report to the Synod Assembly on attendance.
"Ex officio" as used herein means membership with full rights of voice and vote unless otherwise
expressly limited.
Chapter 8.
OFFICERS
†S8.01.
S8.10.
†S8.11.
†S8.12.
The officers of this synod shall be a bishop, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer.
Bishop
The bishop shall be elected by the Synod Assembly. The bishop shall be a pastor who is an ordained
minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
As this synod’s pastor, the bishop shall be an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament who shall:
a. Preach, teach, and administer the sacraments in accord with the Confession of Faith of this church.
b. Have primary responsibility for the ministry of Word and Sacrament in this synod and its
congregations, providing pastoral care and leadership for this synod, its congregations, its ordained
ministers, and its other rostered leaders.
c. Exercise solely this church’s power to ordain (or provide for the ordination by another synodical
bishop of) approved candidates who have received and accepted a properly issued, duly attested
letter of call for the office of ordained ministry (and as provided in the bylaws of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America).
d. Commission (or provide for the commissioning of) approved candidates who have received and
accepted a properly issued, duly attested letter of call for service as associates in ministry;
consecrate (or provide for the consecration of) approved candidates who have received and accepted
a properly issued, duly attested letter of call for service as deaconesses; and consecrate (or provide
for the consecration of) approved candidates who have received and accepted a properly issued,
duly attested letter of call for service as diaconal ministers of this church.
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e. Attest letters of call for persons called to serve congregations in the synod, letters of call for persons
called by the Synod Council, and letters of call for persons on the rosters of this synod called by the
Church Council.
f. Install (or provide for the installation of):
1) the pastors of all congregations of this synod;
2) ordained ministers called to extraparish service within this synod; and
3) persons serving in the other rostered ministries within this synod.
g. Exercise leadership in the mission of this church and in so doing:
1) Interpret and advocate the mission and theology of the whole church;
2) Lead in fostering support for and commitment to the mission of this church within this synod;
3) Coordinate the use of the resources available to this synod as it seeks to promote the health of
this church’s life and witness in the areas served by this synod;
4) Submit a report to each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly concerning the synod’s life and
work; and
5) Advise and counsel this synod’s related institutions and organizations.
h. Practice leadership in strengthening the unity of the Church and in so doing:
1) Exercise oversight of the preaching, teaching, and administration of the sacraments within this
synod in accord with the Confession of Faith of this church;
2) Be responsible for administering the constitutionally established processes for the resolution of
controversies and for the discipline of ordained ministers, other rostered leaders, and
congregations of this synod;
3) Be the chief ecumenical officer of this synod;
4) Consult regularly with other synodical bishops and the Conference of Bishops;
5) Foster awareness of other churches throughout the Lutheran world communion and, where
appropriate, engage in contact with leaders of those churches;
6) Cultivate communion in faith and mission with appropriate Christian judicatory leaders
functioning within the territory of this synod; and
7) Be ex officio a member of the Churchwide Assembly.
i. Oversee and administer the work of this synod and in so doing:
1) Serve as the president of the synod corporation and be the chief executive and administrative
officer of this synod, who is authorized and empowered, in the name of this synod, to sign deeds
or other instruments and to affix the seal of this synod;
2) Preside at all meetings of the Synod Assembly and provide for the preparation of the agenda for
the Synod Assembly, Synod Council, and the council’s Executive Committee;
3) Ensure that the constitution and bylaws of the synod and of the churchwide organization are duly
observed within this synod, and that the actions of the synod in conformity therewith are carried
into effect;
4) Exercise supervision over the work of the other officers;
5) Coordinate the work of all synodical staff members;
6) Appoint all committees for which provision is not otherwise made;
7) Be a member of all committees and any other organizational units of the synod, except as
otherwise provided in this constitution;
8) Provide for preparation and maintenance of synodical rosters containing:
a) the names and addresses of all ordained ministers of this synod and a record of the calls
under which they are serving or the date on which they become retired or disabled; and
b) the names and addresses of all other rostered persons of this synod and a record of the
positions to which they have been called or the date on which they become retired or
disabled;
9) Annually bring to the attention of the Synod Council the names of all rostered persons on leave
from call or engaged in approved graduate study in conformity with the constitution, bylaws, and
continuing resolutions of this church and pursuant to prior action of this synod through the
Synod Council;
10) Provide for prompt reporting to the secretary of this church of:
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a) additions to and subtractions from the rosters of this synod and the register of congregations;
b) the issuance of certificates of transfer for rostered persons in good standing who have
received and accepted a properly issued, duly attested, regular letter of call under the
jurisdiction of another synod; and
c) the entrance of the names of such persons for whom proper certificates of transfer have been
received;
11) Provide for preparation and maintenance of a register of the congregations of this synod and the
names of the laypersons who have been elected to represent them; and
12) Appoint a statistician of the synod, who shall secure the parochial reports of the congregations
and make the reports available to the secretary of this church for collation, analysis, and
distribution of the statistical summaries to this synod and the other synods of this church.
†S8.13.
The synodical bishop may appoint an attorney, admitted to the bar within the territory of the synod or
the state where the synod is located, to be Synod Attorney. The appointment must be approved by the
Synod Council and reported to the Synod Assembly and to the ELCA secretary. The appointment
continues until resignation or until a successor is appointed. The Synod Attorney provides legal advice
and counsel to the synodical officers and the Synod Council. The Synod Attorney is expected to be
familiar with the governing documents and policies of the synod and, as necessary, to attend meetings
of the Synod Council. The Synod Attorney serves without salary but may be retained and
compensated for specific legal services requested by the synod.
S8.14.
The bishop may have such assistants as this synod shall from time to time authorize.
S8.14.01. Assistants. Assistants to the bishop shall be elected by the Synod Council on nomination by the bishop.
Assistants shall serve until a new bishop takes office, except that they may be recalled or dismissed on
proper notice by action of the Synod Council.
†S8.15.
The presiding bishop of this church, or the appointee of the presiding bishop, shall install into office, in
accord with the policy and approved rite of this church, each newly elected synodical bishop.
†S8.16.
Conflicts of Interest
†S8.16.01. The following procedures shall govern matters of potential conflicts of interest for synodical bishops:
a. Whenever a synodical bishop determines that a matter of the kind described in †S8.16.01.b. may
require his or her determination or action with respect to a related individual as defined in
†S8.16.01.c., the synodical bishop shall withdraw from personal involvement in such matter and
shall so notify the presiding bishop. The presiding bishop shall then appoint another synodical
bishop from the same region to handle the matter to conclusion. In dealing with such matter, the
appointed bishop shall exercise all of the functions and authority to the same extent as if the
appointed bishop were the elected bishop of the withdrawing bishop’s synod.
b. Matters include any proceedings under Chapter 20, proceedings under provision 7.46. of the
Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(†S14.13.), candidacy, reinstatement, and similar matters where determinations or actions by the
synodical bishop could change, limit, restrict, approve, authorize, or deny the related individual’s
ministry on one of the official rosters of this church.
c.
A related individual is one who, with respect to the synodical bishop, is a spouse, parent, son,
daughter, sibling, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, including corresponding
members of blended families and in-laws (parent, son, daughter, or sibling of a spouse, spouse of a
sibling, or the parent or sibling of the spouse of a sibling).
S8.20.
Vice-president
†S8.21.
The vice president shall be elected by the Synod Assembly. The vice president shall be a layperson. The
vice president shall be a voting member of a congregation of this synod. The vice president shall not
receive a salary for the performance of the duties of the office.
S8.22.
The vice-president shall chair the Synod Council.
S8.22.01. The Vice-president shall be an ex officio synod delegate to the Churchwide Assembly.
S8.23.
In the event of the death, resignation, or disability of the bishop, the vice president, after consultation
with the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, shall convene the Synod
Council to arrange for the conduct of the duties of the bishop until a new bishop shall be elected or, in
the case of temporary disability, until the bishop resumes full performance of the duties of the office.
S8.30.
Secretary
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†S8.31.
†S8.32.
S8.32.01.
S8.40.
†S8.41.
S8.42.
S8.42.01.
S8.50.
†S8.51.
S8.52.
†S8.53.
†S8.54.
The secretary shall be elected by the Synod Assembly. The secretary shall be a voting member of a
congregation of this synod. The secretary may be either a layperson or an ordained minister.
The secretary shall:
a. Keep the minutes of all meetings of the Synod Assembly and Synod Council, be responsible for the
printing and distribution of such minutes, and perform such other duties as this synod may from
time to time direct.
b. Be authorized and empowered, in the name of this synod, to attest all instruments which require the
same, and which are signed and sealed by the bishop.
c. In consultation with the bishop, classify and arrange all important papers and documents and deposit
them in the archives of this synod.
d. Submit to the secretary of this church at least nine months before each regular Churchwide
Assembly a certified list of the voting members elected by the Synod Assembly.
The secretary shall be an ex officio synod delegate to the Churchwide Assembly.
Treasurer.
The treasurer may be elected by the Synod Assembly or may be appointed by the Synod Council. The
treasurer shall be a voting member of a congregation of this synod. The treasurer may be either a
layperson or an ordained minister.
The treasurer shall provide and be accountable for:
a. Management of the monies and accounts of the synod, its deeds, mortgages, contracts, evidences of
claims and revenues, and trust funds, holding the same at all times subject to the order of the synod.
b. Investment of funds upon the authorization of the Synod Council.
c. Receipt and acknowledgment of offerings, contributions, and bequests made to the synod, collecting
interest and income from its invested funds, and paying regular appropriations and orders on the
several accounts as approved and directed by the Synod Council. The treasurer shall transmit each
month to the treasurer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the funds received by the
synod for the general work of this church, in accordance with S15.11.b.
d. Maintenance of a regular account with each congregation of its benevolence giving to the synod and
informing the congregation, at least quarterly, of the status of this account.
e. Rendering at each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly a full, detailed, and duly audited report of
receipts and disbursements in the several accounts of the synod for the preceding fiscal year,
together with the tabulation, for record and publication in the minutes, of the contributions from the
congregations.
f. Obtaining a fidelity bond in the amount determined by the Synod Council for persons handling
synod funds, which bond shall be in the custody of the secretary. The premium for the bond shall be
paid by this synod. Fidelity coverage provided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
shall be deemed a fulfillment of this requirement.
The treasurer shall be an ex officio synod delegate to the Churchwide Assembly.
General Provisions
The terms of the office of the officers of this synod shall be:
a. The bishop of this synod shall be elected to a term of six years and may be reelected.
b. The vice president and secretary of this synod shall be elected to a term of four years and may be
reelected.
c. The treasurer of this synod shall be appointed to four-year term and may be reappointed.
The terms of the officers shall begin on the first day of the third month following election/appointment
or, in special circumstances, at a time designated by the Synod Council.
Each officer shall be a voting member in a congregation of the synod, except the bishop need not be a
member of a congregation of the synod at the time of election.
Should the bishop die, resign, or be unable to serve, the vice president, after consultation with the
presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, shall convene the Synod Council to
arrange for the appropriate care of the responsibilities of the bishop until an election of a new bishop
can be held or, in the case of temporary disability, until the bishop is able to serve again. Such
arrangements may include the appointment by the Synod Council of an interim bishop, who during the
vacancy or period of disability shall possess all of the powers and authority of a regularly elected
bishop. The term of the successor bishop, elected by the next Synod Assembly or a special meeting of
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 12 -
S8.55.
†S8.56.
†S8.57.
†S8.58.
the Synod Assembly called for the purpose of election, shall be six years with the subsequent election to
take place at the Synod Assembly closest to the expiration of such a term and with the starting date of a
successor term to be governed by constitutional provision S8.52.
Should the vice-president, secretary, or treasurer die, resign, or be unable to serve, the bishop, with the
approval of the Executive Committee of the Synod Council, shall arrange for the appropriate care of the
responsibilities of the officer until an election of a new officer can be held or, in the case of temporary
disability, until the officer is able to serve again.
The Executive Committee of the Synod Council shall determine whether an officer is unable to serve;
the officer may appeal the decision of the Executive Committee by requesting a hearing before the
Synod Council. A meeting to determine the ability of any officer to serve shall be called upon the
request of at least three members of the Executive Committee and prior written notice of the meeting
shall be given to the officer in question at least ten calendar days prior to the meeting.
The recall or dismissal of an officer may be effected in accordance with the procedure established by
the churchwide Committee on Appeals.
If the bishop is to be temporarily absent from the synod for an extended period, the bishop, with the
consent of the Synod Council, may appoint as acting bishop for such period an ordained minister of this
church. Except as limited by action of the Synod Council, an acting bishop shall possess all of the
powers and authority of a regularly elected bishop other than authority to ordain or to authorize the
ordination of properly approved candidates for ordination.
Chapter 9.
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
†S9.01.
†S9.02.
S9.03.
S9.04.
S9.04.01.
The Synod Assembly shall elect such officers of this synod and such other persons as the constitution
and bylaws may require, according to procedures set forth in the bylaws.
In all elections by the Synod Assembly, other than for the bishop, a majority of the legal votes cast shall
be necessary for election.
There shall be a Nominating Committee which shall serve for each regular meeting of the Synod
Assembly. Additional nominations may be made from the floor for all elections for which nominations
are made by the Nominating Committee.
The bishop shall be elected by the Synod Assembly by ecclesiastical ballot. Three-fourths of the votes
cast shall be necessary for election on the first ballot. If no one is elected, the first ballot shall be
considered the nominating ballot. Three-fourths of the votes cast on the second ballot shall be necessary
for election. The third ballot shall be limited to the seven persons (plus ties) who received the greatest
number of votes on the second ballot, and two-thirds of the votes cast shall be necessary for election.
The fourth ballot shall be limited to the three persons (plus ties) who receive the greatest number of
votes on the third ballot, and 60 percent of the votes cast shall be necessary for election. On subsequent
ballots a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for election. These ballots shall be limited to the
two persons (plus ties) that receive the greatest number of votes on the previous ballot.
There shall be a process to prepare voting members to participate in the ecclesiastical ballot when a
bishop is to be elected.
a) In September in the calendar year proceeding the year that the bishop’s term expires, the vice
president of the synod shall request from every congregation a list of the gifts deemed important for
the holder of the Office of Bishop and matters of priority to be dealt with by the bishop during the
bishop’s upcoming term of office. The vice president shall gather these responses and publish them
to all congregations no later than January of the calendar year in which the election of a bishop shall
take place. The form that the vice president shall use to solicit the responses of each congregation
shall be approved in advance by the Synod Council.
b) Contemporaneously with publishing the results of (a) above, the vice president shall solicit from
each conference council and each conference ministerium names of individuals who are eligible for
election to the Office of Bishop who shall be identified by such conference council or ministerium
for consideration for nomination to the Office of Bishop on the first ballot. Such identification shall
be completed no later than March 1 of the year in which an election shall take place. Such
identification is not a nominating process, and any individual whose name is identified must be
nominated pursuant to § 9.04
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S9.05.
S9.06.
S9.07.
S9.08.
S9.09.
†S9.12.
c) The vice president shall provide to each person whose name has been identified a biographical form,
which form shall be approved in advance by the Synod Council. The form shall include questions
designed to assist voting members in determining (1) what gifts the potential nominee has which
would assist in performing the tasks of the Office of Bishop and (2) the top priorities he/she believes
need to be dealt with during the next term of the bishop. These biographical forms shall be returned
no later than April 1.
d) The vice president shall distribute the biographical forms to all voting members of the synod
assembly. The vice president shall determine the manner in which the forms shall be distributed.
Such distribution must take place at least 14 days before the assembly in which the election of a
bishop shall take place.
e) Those individuals receiving the ten highest number of votes (plus ties) on the first ballot
(nominating ballot) shall be requested to complete a biographical information sheet if they have not
done so already, and such sheets shall be provided to the voting members of the Synod Assembly at
least two hours prior to the distribution of the second ballot.
f) In the event that a bishop is to be elected at a special assembly, the synod council shall determine
the deadlines for the procedure set out in this bylaw.
The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one person for vice president; additional
nominations may be made from the floor.
The Synod Council shall nominate at least one person for secretary; additional nominations may be
made from the floor.
If the treasurer is elected, the Synod Council shall nominate at least one person for treasurer; additional
nominations may be made from the floor.
In all elections, except for the bishop, the names of the persons receiving the highest number of votes,
but not elected by a majority of the votes cast on a preceding ballot, shall be entered on the next ballot
to the number of two for each position unfilled.
The result of each ballot in every election shall be announced in detail to the assembly.
Background checks and screening shall be required and completed for persons nominated as synodical
officers prior to their election/appointment, if possible, or as soon as practical after their
election/appointment. The specific procedures and timing of background checks and screening shall be
determined by the Synod Council.
Chapter 10.
SYNOD COUNCIL
†S10.01
†S10.02.
S10.03.
The Synod Council, consisting of the four officers of the synod, 10 to 24 other members, and at least
one youth and at least one young adult, shall be elected by the Synod Assembly.
a. Each person elected to the Synod Council shall be a voting member of a congregation of this synod,
with the exception of ordained ministers on the roster of this synod who reside outside the territory
of this synod. The process for election and the term of office when not otherwise provided shall be
specified in the bylaws. A member of the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, unless otherwise elected as a voting member of the Synod Council, may serve as an
advisory member of the Synod Council with voice but not vote.
b. The term of office of members of the Synod Council, with the exception of the officers and the
youth member, shall be 3 years.
The Synod Council shall be the board of directors of the synod and shall serve as its interim legislative
authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly. It may make decisions which are not in conflict
with actions taken by the Synod Assembly or that are not precluded by provisions of this constitution or
the constitution and bylaws of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The functions of the Synod Council shall be to:
a. Exercise trusteeship responsibilities on behalf of the synod.
b. Recommend program goals and budgets to the regular meetings of the Synod Assembly.
c. Carry out the resolutions of the Synod Assembly, and oversee the execution of program goals and
the financial affairs of the synod.
d. Provide for an annual review of the roster of ordained ministers and of other official rosters, receive
and act upon appropriate recommendations regarding those persons whose status is subject to
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S10.04.
S10.05.
S10.06.
S10.07.
S10.07.01.
S10.07.02.
S10.07.03.
S10.07.04.
S10.07.05.
reconsideration and action under the constitution and bylaws of Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, and make a report to the Synod Assembly of the Synod Council's actions in this regard.
e. Issue letters of call to ordained ministers and letters of call to associates in ministry, Deaconesses of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as authorized by Chapter 7 of the constitution and
bylaws of ELCA.
f. Elect or appoint representatives to the steering committee of its region.
g. Fill vacancies until the next regular meeting of the Synod Assembly except as may otherwise be
provided in the constitution or bylaws of the synod, and determine the fact of the incapacity of an
officer of the synod.
h. Report its actions to the regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.
i. Perform such other functions as are set forth in the bylaws of the synod, or as may be delegated to it
by the Synod Assembly.
Any proposal to appropriate funds, whether by amendment to the budget or otherwise, which is
presented to a meeting of the Synod Assembly without the approval of the Synod Council shall require
a two-thirds vote for adoption.
No elected member of the Synod Council shall receive compensation for such service, but may receive
reimbursement for expenses.
A member's place on the Synod Council shall be declared vacant if the member:
a) Ceases to be a member in good standing on the roster of the synod if an ordained minister; or
b) Ceases to be a voting member of a congregation of the conference which nominated them if a
layperson; or
c) Is absent from three successive regular meetings of the Synod Council without cause.
The composition of the Synod Council, the number of its members, and the manner of their selection, as
well as the organization of the Synod Council, its additional duties and responsibilities, and the number
of meetings to be held each year shall be as set forth in the bylaws.
Membership. Membership of the Synod Council shall be the officers of this synod, eight clergy under
call, and at least ten lay members.
Election of clergy members. Clergy members shall be elected as follows:
a. They shall be elected by the Synod Assembly, after nomination by the Nominating Committee.
b. They shall be elected at large.
c. They shall serve a term of three years, and may be re-elected. They may serve no more than two
terms consecutively.
d. The terms of members who are not officers of synod shall begin at the end of the meeting of the
Synod Assembly at which they are elected. Members of Synod Council shall be installed before the
conclusion of the meeting.
e. When a vacancy occurs between elections, the Synod Council shall elect a clergy member to serve
until the next election.
Lay Rostered Leader. A Lay Rostered Leader shall be elected at large by the Synod Assembly, upon
nomination by the Nominating Committee, for a 3-year term and may be re-elected. The Lay Rostered
Leader may serve no more than two terms consecutively. When a vacancy occurs between elections,
the Synod Council shall elect a Lay Rostered Leader to serve until the next election.
Election of lay members. Ten lay members shall be elected as follows:
a. They shall be elected by the Synod Assembly. Nominations shall be provided by the Conferences
and there shall be no nominations from the Synod Assembly nor from the Nominating Committee.
b. Each conference shall be entitled to one member of the Synod Council, who must be a member of a
congregation in the conference while serving.
c. Each member shall serve a term of three years and may be re-elected, except that the seat shall
alternate between a female and a male member every six years.
d. The terms of members shall begin at the end of the meeting of the Synod Assembly at which they
are elected. Members of Synod Council shall be installed before the conclusion of the meeting.
e. When a vacancy occurs between elections, the Synod Council shall elect a member from that
conference to serve until the next election.
Persons of Color. In case the election of officers, the election of clergy members (S10.07.02), and the
election of lay members (S10.07.03) does not elect two persons of color and/or persons whose primary
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S10.07.06.
S10.07.07.
S10.07.08.
S10.07.09.
S10.07.10.
S10.07.11.
S10.07.12.
language is other than English, the Synod Council, at its first meeting following the Annual Synod
Assembly shall elect to the Synod Council for a three (3) year term up to two (2) lay members to insure
that there are two (2) persons of color and/or persons whose primary language is other than English on
the Synod Council.
Youth Member. The youth member shall be elected at large by the Synod Assembly, upon nomination
by the Nominating Committee, for a two-year term. The youth representative shall be a confirmed
person, a member of a congregation of the synod, and shall not have attained the age of 18 at the time of
the election. When a vacancy occurs, the Synod Council shall elect a new member to serve the
unexpired portion of the term.
Additional duties. In addition to duties listed in the constitution of this synod, the Synod Council shall:
a. Approve and oversee special appeals for funds within synod, and then appoint appropriate task
forces to coordinate them.
b. Determine the formula by which congregations shall be apportioned members of the Synod
Assembly, pursuant to Section 7.21 of the synod constitution, and notify each congregation of the
synod how many members they shall select to the Synod Assembly, no later than December of each
year.
c. Review proposed changes in congregational constitutions.
d. Each biennium, the Synod Council shall designate the chair of the Committee on Discipline from
among the members of the Committee on Discipline elected by the Synod Assembly.
e. Recommend to each congregation of the synod a benevolence commitment that would enable the
work of the synod, and encourage congregations to fulfill their commitments.
f. Appoint Assembly Committees, upon nomination by the bishop.
Meetings. The Synod Council shall meet at least four times a year. Meetings shall be called by the
bishop. If the bishop is unable to call a meeting, the vice-president shall call a meeting.
Women's organization representative. The president of the synod Women of the ELCA or her
representative shall have the privilege of voice at meetings of the Synod Council.
Men's organization representative. The president of the synod Lutheran Men in Mission or his
representative shall have the privilege of voice at meetings of the Synod Council.
Youth organization representative. The president of the synod Lutheran Youth Organization or his or
her representative shall have the privilege of voice at meetings of the Synod Council.
To the extent permitted by state law, meetings of the Synod Council and its committees may be held
electronically or by telephone conference, and notice of all meetings may be provided electronically.
Chapter 11.
COMMITTEES
†S11.01.
There shall be an Executive Committee, a Consultation Committee, a Committee on Discipline, a
Mutual Ministry Committee, an Audit Committee, and such other committees as the synod may from
time to time determine. The duties and functions of such committees, or any other organizational units
created by this synod, and the composition and organizational structure of such units, shall be as set
forth in this constitution or in the bylaws or continuing resolutions, and shall be subject to any
applicable provisions or requirements of the constitution and bylaws of the Evangelical Lutheran
S11.01.01. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be composed of seven members of the Synod
Council: the bishop, the vice president, the secretary, the treasurer, one clergy member, one lay female
member, one lay male member.
a. Members other than officers shall be chosen by the Synod Council to serve for one year, and may be
reappointed.
b. The bishop shall preside over meetings of the Executive Committee.
c. The Executive Committee shall make recommendations to the Synod Council, and review reports to
those meetings.
d. The Executive Committee shall assume those responsibilities assigned by the Synod Council and
other responsibilities to the extent necessary to facilitate business between Council meetings.
S11.01.02. Mutual Ministry Committee. The purpose of this committee shall be to support and counsel the bishop
and assistants to the bishop. The committee shall:
a. Meet with each individual at least once a year.
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b. Annually review compensation, and make recommendations to the Synod Council.
c. Report to the Synod Council such of its work as the individuals and committee agree to report. The
committee shall not report to the Synod Assembly.
d. Members of this committee shall be appointed by the Synod Council upon nomination by the bishop
to terms of three years, with about one-third of the terms expiring each year. Members may be
reappointed only once.
e. Members of the Synod Council or other members of the synod may be appointed to this committee.
S11.01.03. Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee shall be composed of a chair and ten members, one from each conference.
a) The committee shall nominate qualified persons for the elections by the Synod Assembly, except
officers, lay members of the Synod Council, and voting members to the Churchwide Assembly.
b) At least 120 days prior to each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly the committee shall publish
a list of positions for which nominations will be made and provide a mechanism by which
suggestions for nominations or the willingness to serve of individuals can be communicated to the
committee.
c) The Committee shall also receive the names of any proposed nominee from any agency or
institution to whom the Synod Assembly shall elect a board member.
d) The Committee shall transmit to the Secretary of the synod its nominees; this shall be done no later
than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of the Synod Assembly; and further the committee
shall publish its nominees in any and all publications of the Synod.
e) The Committee shall be responsible to determine what biographical information would be
appropriate for distribution for voting members of the Synod Assembly, obtain this material from
nominees, including those nominated from the floor, and distribute it to all voting members of the
Synod Assembly.
f) The Committee shall also present nominees of voting members to each Churchwide Assembly only
those nominated by the conferences.
i)
§6.04 shall be the standard for determining the lay/clergy, male/female, and percentage of
persons of color and/or persons whose primary language is other than English.
ii)
Each conference shall nominate two lay persons for each seat assigned to the conference for
election by the Synod Assembly. After taking into account the number of lay officers who
shall serve as voting members, the committee shall assign 1 lay delegate seat to each
conference, except:
1) where the total number of voting members to be elected is more than the number of
conferences, the extra voting member seat shall be assigned to the conference on a
rotating basis, and
2) where the total number of voting members to be elected is less than the number of
conferences, the voting members shall be assigned to the conferences on a rotating
basis.
iii) Each conference shall nominate for election by the Synod Assembly two clergy for each seat
assigned to the conference for voting members to the Churchwide Assembly. The committee
shall assign the clergy of voting members to the conferences on a rotating basis.
iv)
The rotating basis used by the Nominating committee shall provide the conferences with the
opportunity of nominating the same lay or clergy person for two successive churchwide
assemblies.
v)
If necessary so that the synod may comply with §6.04 of the Constitution, the Nominating
Committee shall ask two conferences each to nominate two persons of color and/or persons
whose primary language is other than English.
vi)
The committee shall report to the secretary its determination as to the assignment of lay and
clergy seats for the churchwide assembly voting members no later than January 30 of each
year in which elections are to be conducted at the synod assembly.
S11.01.03A.That those persons nominated to serve as voting members of the Church wide Assembly, who are not
elected, be designated as alternates.
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S11.01.04. Volunteer Committee. The purpose of this committee shall be to recruit individuals to serve on various
synod committees and task forces, as well as to identify persons with leadership capabilities who can
serve the synod in a variety of capacities. This committee shall:
a) Maintain a registry of persons with leadership ability and experience within the synod, with special
notation of skills, interest, experience, and whether they are persons of color and/or persons whose
primary language is other than English.
b) Assist the bishop in finding nominees to serve on committees and task forces of the synod.
S11.01.05. Task forces. Task forces may be appointed by the Synod Council. Task forces shall report to the
Synod Council. Task forces appointed by committees of the synod are not task forces of the synod but
of that committee. Any task forces appointed, whether of the synod or of a committee, shall be
provided in writing with specific purposes, and with a deadline by which their work shall be completed
and the task force disbanded or re-appointed.
†S11.02. The Consultation Committee of this synod shall consist of at least six persons and not more than 12
persons, of whom half shall be ordained ministers and half shall be lay persons, who shall each be
elected by the Synod Assembly for a term of six years without consecutive reelection. The functions of
the Consultation Committee are set forth in Chapter 20 of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing
Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and in Chapter 17 of this constitution. The
size of the Consultation Committee, in accord with this provision, shall be defined in this synod's
bylaws.
†S11.03. The Committee on Discipline of this synod shall consist of 12 persons of whom six shall be ordained
ministers and six shall be lay persons, who shall each be elected by the Synod Assembly for a term of
six years without consecutive reelection.
a. The functions of the Committee on Discipline of this synod are set forth in Chapter 20 of the
Constitution, Bylaws, and continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
b. The terms of committee members shall be staggered so that the terms of four committee members
(two clergy and two lay) expire every two years.
c. The Synod Council shall fill vacancies on the Committee on Discipline for any unexpired term.
†S11.04. The Mutual Ministry Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee of the Synod Council
to provide support and counsel to the bishop.
S11.04.01. Meetings. Unless otherwise stipulated, committees shall meet at least once a year. The appointed
chairpersons of all committees shall convene their meetings.
S11.04.02. Appointment of members.
a. Other Committees and their chairpersons shall be appointed by the Synod Council, upon nomination
by the bishop of the synod, except the conferences shall select the members of the nominating
committee from the geographic area of the conference.
b Except as otherwise stipulated in the bylaws, committees shall consist of from three to fifteen
members. The size of a committee shall be as designated by the Synod Council.
c. Except as otherwise specified in the constitution, bylaws, and resolutions of the synod, committee
members shall be appointed for terms of three years with about one-third of the terms expiring each
year. Members may serve no more than two terms consecutively.
d. Chairpersons shall be appointed annually.
e. The terms of committee members shall begin on August 1 and terminate on July 31, appointments
being made at the first regular Synod Council meeting following the annual meeting of the Synod
Assembly and published with the Synod Assembly minutes.
f. A member's place on any synod committee shall be declared vacant if the member:
1) Ceases to be a member in good standing on the roster of the synod if an ordained minister; or
2) Ceases to be a voting member of a congregation of the synod if a lay person; or
3) Is absent from three successive meetings of the synod committee without cause.
g. Appointments made to fill a vacancy or to expand a committee may be made by the Synod Council,
for the balance of a term.
S11.04.03. Committee for Congregational Life.
a. The purpose of this committee shall be to oversee the synod`s work of assisting congregations in
carrying out all of their own ministries at the congregational level. These include:
1) Worship
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2) Education and nurture, including programs to strengthen the ministry of the laity.
3) Social ministry.
4) Evangelism.
5) Stewardship.
6) Management of finances and property.
b. The committee shall work with conferences in supporting and enhancing the life and mission of
their congregations.
c. The committee shall have a relationship with the synod youth organization, and shall be responsible
for the synod`s oversight of youth ministry.
S11.04.04. Synod Assembly Planning Committee.
The committee shall function under the direction of the Synod Council and in consultation with the
bishop’s office. The secretary of the synod shall be a member of this committee.
a. In conjunction with synod staff, the committee shall oversee short term and long range planning for
Synod Assembly with respect to site, accommodations, logistics, program, and worship.
b. Members of this committee shall be appointed for three-year terms, so that one-third of the
members` terms will expire each year. Members shall include persons selected for specific
responsibilities in accordance with their particular gifts and interests.
S11.04.05. Long Range Planning Committee. This committee shall serve as an advisory committee to the Synod
Council. The committee shall:
a. Study the effectiveness of the synod in fulfilling its mission;
b. Receive and consider suggestion about the work of the synod; and
c. Propose to the Synod Council, and revise annually, a long range plan for the mission of the synod.
d. Members of this committee shall be appointed for four-year terms, and may serve no more than two
terms consecutively.
S11.04.06. Synod Outreach/Evangelism Team
The purpose of the Synod Outreach/Evangelism Team shall be to assist the synod as a committee in
keeping evangelism, both proclamation and action, at the center of its life and witness. To this end, the
committee shall extend the work of the synod by developing and supporting ministries and
congregations. The committee shall:
a. Communicate the Church’s mission of invitation to Word and Sacrament.
b. Strategize synod-wide plans and visions for evangelism and outreach which will:
1) Broker information about educational and financial resources available to congregations and
ministries.
2) Publish stories and offer encouragement throughout the synod, celebrating mission and lifting up
possibilities.
3) Be attentive to attempts that didn’t live up to potential, enabling the whole synod to learn from
synod, conference, and congregational efforts
4) Equip the Conference Outreach/Evangelism Teams and Campus Ministry representatives for
their own mission work, enhancing the life and mission of their ministries.
c. Develop and recommend policy for, and then assist in, the development of new ministries and
congregations, the support of existing ministries and congregations and of urban, suburban, and
rural coalitions.
d. Provide support to congregations having difficulty maintaining their ministry. Work with
congregations in discerning the future of their ministries and supporting and assisting congregations
in Renewal, Yoking, Merging, Consolidation, Hospice and Closure.
e. Be responsible for the synod-wide Mission Partners program. Develop a network of Mission
Partners able and willing to be in mission with other congregations or ministries.
f. Establish, support, and plan for the outreach of this Church to persons of color and persons whose
primary language is other than English.
g. Oversee disbursements of grants for mission in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod:
1) Establish the level of financial support, review previous allocations periodically, and identify the
most appropriate sources and amounts of funding.
2) Maintain geographical integrity.
3) Observe the parameters of the Mission 2000 Endowment case statement.
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4) Nurture our partnership with the Division for Outreach
5) Pursue the Synod Outreach and Evangelism Strategy.
h. The Synod Outreach/Evangelism Team shall meet at least quarterly. The Team shall be made up of
one representative from each Conference Outreach/Evangelism Team who has vote regarding
disbursements of funds, plus a Campus Ministry representative who also has vote. All other persons
from Conference Outreach/Evangelism Teams, congregations, and ministries are welcome to attend
all meetings and will have voice but not vote.
S11.04.07. Committee on Ministry. The purpose of this committee shall be to provide for the guidance and support
for the various areas of synodical lay and professional ministry, including recruitment, leadership
support, lay worship leaders, clergy, AIM, deaconess, and diaconal ministers, compensation guidelines
and other similar responsibilities as may be developed by or delegated to this committee.
S11.04.08. Committee on Communications. The purpose of this committee shall be to inform the people of the
synod about the work of the synod, as well as to edify, educate, and inspire the people of the synod.
a. Communication may include the use of print media, newspaper, the Internet, television, videotape,
radio, speaker bureau, and other systems of transmitting information.
b. It shall also be the work of this committee to facilitate and strengthen all communication efforts
throughout the synod.
c. To accomplish these ends, the committee shall
1) Publish and distribute a synod newspaper.
2) Recommend to the Synod Council an editor for the synod newspaper or other type of synod
publication requiring an editor. The committee shall support and give direction to the editor(s.
3) Provide information about the synod and congregations and pastors to The Lutheran.
4) Develop and oversee a web presence for the synod, along with recommending ways to improve
electronic communication among the individuals and congregations of the synod by electronic
mail or other means.
5) As requested, provide programs and workshops for other committees and congregations in the
area of communications.
6) Utilize any other means available to keep the congregations, pastors, and other individuals of the
synod in contact with each other and to share appropriate information.
S11.04.09. Committee on Global Mission. The committee shall:
a. Work with conferences and congregations and at meetings of the Synod Assembly to promote
awareness and encourage support for the global mission of the church.
b. Be the liaison of the synod with the ELCA Division for Global Mission.
c. With the Office of the Bishop and the ELCA Division of Global Mission, the Global Mission
Committee will coordinate and provide oversight to Companion Synod relationships.
S11.04.10. Committee on Ecumenical Ministry. This committee shall function under the guidance of the bishop,
who is the chief ecumenical officer of the synod. The purpose of this committee shall be to encourage,
facilitate, and coordinate ecumenical partnerships at the synod, state, and local levels, within the
guidelines of the ELCA.
S11.04.11. Committee on Campus Ministry. This committee shall:
a. Oversee the synod`s ministry to students in non-Lutheran institutions.
b Make recommendations for the extension and improvement of this ministry.
S11.04.12. Leadership Support Committee
Among the functions of this committee shall be:
a. Planning and convening an annual ministerium for rostered professional leaders which will provide
continuing education, mutual conversation and encouragement, and an opportunity for conversation
with the bishop and the synod staff regarding the mission of the synod.
b. Develop ways to support retired rostered persons, including convening synod and/or regional
gatherings to explore existing needs and resources for such persons, and seeking ways in which
talents and experience can be further utilized in the life of the synod and its congregations.
c. The chairperson of the committee, in consultation with the bishop following the receipt and analysis
of annual Reports to the Bishop, shall determine trends and needs that this committee may address to
assist rostered persons.
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S11.04.13.
S11.04.14.
S11.04.15.
S11.04.16.
d. Encourage continuing education among rostered persons and administer the funds of the synod that
are available for continuing education grants,
e. Support first call persons through the First Call Theological Education program of the ELCA.
f. Be in conversation with those rostered persons in specialized ministries to offer support and
collegiality.
Committee on Social Ministry Organizations. This committee shall encourage and assist congregations,
conferences and the synod to witness to the Gospel through responding to human needs and social
issues. It shall:
a. Work with conferences and congregations and at meetings of the Synod Assembly to raise
awareness and promote action regarding issues of justice and peace, the care of the earth, and other
local, regional, national and global social ministry concerns.
b. Be the liaison between the synod and the ELCA Division for Church in Society.
c. Assist congregations, conferences and the synod to study, interpret, and implement the teaching and
social statements of the ELCA.
d. Coordinate the synod's relationship with the organizations, activities, and social ministry agencies,
including the Federation of Lutheran Social Ministry Organizations of Indiana and Kentucky, on the
territory of the synod.
Committee on Outdoor Ministry. This committee shall:
a Recommend outdoor ministry policy to the Synod Council.
b. Review and evaluate implementation of this policy.
c. Conduct, promote, and improve the camps owned and operated by the synod, except that all
decisions affecting the encumbrance, acquisition and/or transfer of real estate or the improvements
thereon must be taken, or concurred in, by the Synod Council.
d. Coordinate sites, develop leadership, and execute programs at the camps of the synod.
e. Present regular financial reports and program proposals and an annual program report to the Synod
Council.
Committee for Candidacy. There shall be a Candidacy Committee to act on behalf of the ELCA in the
candidacy process for the rosters of the ELCA. The Candidacy Committee shall use churchwide
standards, requirements, and expectations for discerning and determining the readiness of persons to
enter the candidacy process and to begin theological education, for endorsing candidates for a specific
roster of this church, and in the approval process for determining an individual's qualifications and
readiness to serve in rostered ministry. The Candidacy Committee shall provide guidance,
encouragement, and support for candidates throughout the candidacy process.
a. The size of the Candidacy Committee shall be determined by the number of candidates for which
the committee is normally responsible. A ratio of one committee member for no more than ten
candidates is most desirable. The number of members shall not be less than six.
b. The membership of the committee shall normally include equal numbers of rostered leaders and
laypersons. At least one of the rostered leaders shall be from a lay roster.
c. The synod bishop or the bishop's designate and the chairperson of the committee shall be voting
members of the committee.
d. Members shall be appointed for a term of five years and may serve no more than two terms
consecutively.
e. Terms of members shall be staggered so that no more than one third of the committee membership
retires in a given year.
The Academy for Mission
a. In support of the Synod’s Mission and Vision, the Academy shall:
1) Encourage the use of resources that help pastors to be mission director; congregations,
conferences, and ministries to be mission centers; and members to be missionaries.
2) Discover or create such resources and provide them in ways that meet the needs of pastors,
congregations and members.
3) Communicate learning opportunities within the territory of the Synod.
b. Liaisons from each of the following Synod Committees will attend Academy meetings as needed:
Outreach/Evangelism, Stewardship, Christian Education, Worship, and Leadership.
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S11.04.17.
S11.04.18.
S11.04.19.
S11.04.20.
c. Academy appointments for members and the chairperson are covered under S11.04.02 of the Synod
Constitution. The committee shall consist of 3-15 members, who will serve terms of three years,
with one-third of the terms expiring each year. Members may serve no more than two consecutive
terms.
Christian Education Committee
The purpose of the Christian Education Committee is to support congregations of the Indiana-Kentucky
Synod in faith formation and discipleship training. To this end, the committee shall:
a. Pray for congregation members, education leaders, and pastors as they undertake this primary
ministry of education and discipleship.
b. Foster the quality and growth of educational ministries such as Bible studies; small groups and
classes; midweek summer programs; an Confirmation/Catechism classes.
c. Organize and promote Sunday School and Adult Education leader workshops.
d. Provide a clearinghouse for educational materials.
e. Share ideas through newsletters (e.g. the “ed.network”) and presentations.
f. Support God’s people life-long learning.
The committee shall consist of at least six members from geographically diverse areas of the Synod.
Older Adult Ministry Committee
The purpose of the Older Adult Ministry Committee is to focus on the development of an intentional
older adult ministry in the synod and the congregations.
a. To encourage activities and programs affirming older adults who want to be useful and remain
independent, to search for meaning and purpose in life, to grow spiritually and to provide
meaningful service to others.
b. To encourage congregations to survey their church properties and, if necessary adapt to meet needs
of older adults.
c. To provide resources to congregations to encourage participation in Older Adult Week in the
Indiana-Kentucky Synod.
d. To establish a network of contact persons in each convergence for continuing information about
older adult ministries.
Lay Ministries Committee
There shall be a Lay Ministries Committee to develop programs, provide training guidelines, maintain
rosters of lay worship leaders, and provide guidance for conferences to do annual training events for lay
people.
The Lay Ministries Committee will:
a. Seek methods and strategies that enrich the ministry of lay people in institutional and daily life.
b. Recommend to the Bishop those who should be listed as approved Lay Worship Leaders. The
committee will recommend annual training requirements to maintain certification.
c. Recommend to the Bishop the requirements to be appointed as a Lay Parish Minister and the annual
training requirements.
d. The committee may develop a Lay School of Theology for the Synod. This will provide educational
opportunities for Lay Worship Leaders, Lay Parish Ministers, and other interested lay people.
Youth Ministry Committee
Purpose
The Youth Ministry Committee exists to shepherd, equip, and encourage youth as they grow in faithful
witness in the Body of Christ. This is to be accomplished through:
a. Word and Sacrament ministries in congregations and appropriate authorized settings.
b. Relationship based and age-specific ministry.
c. Initiating, facilitating and implementing educational and spiritual opportunities for youth, their
families, and their leaders.
d. Assessing needs and implementing responses for a holistic approach to the growth and maturation
of individuals and families within the framework of the Christian community.
e. Establishing and nurturing on-going communication with all the sub-committees, synod staff, and
congregational groups involved in youth oriented ministries.
Membership and Leadership
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a.
†S11.05.
The Youth Committee is composed of designated liaisons from each of the three sub-committees
plus LYO (Lutheran Youth Organization) and the synod staff links.
b. Sub-committee memberships:
1) Leadership Training Steering Sub-committee will be composed of ratio of approximately
three adults to one youth who are involved in planning and leading the training. The
chairperson is appointed by the synod staff person responsible for youth ministry.
2) High School Sub-committee is composed of one youth and one adult per conference in the
synod selected based on leadership qualities as well as knowledge of youth and family
ministry. The term of service is two years. Half of the members are appointed each year on a
rotating basis. The chair is responsible for obtaining membership recommendations from
conference deans and synod staff. The Chairperson is appointed by the synod staff person
responsible for youth ministry or can be an adult elected by the committee membership.
3) Middle School Ministry Sub-committee – Two adults who are active and knowledgeable in
confirmation/middle school ministry from each conference in the synod. The term of service
is two years. Half of the membership is to be appointed each year on a rotating basis. The
chairperson is appointed by the synod staff person responsible for youth ministry or elected
from the committee membership.
Sub-committees
a.
Leadership Training Steering Committee – Plan and execute an annual leadership training for high
school youth each summer to equip, encourage and empower participants by presenting principles
of Christian leadership through workshops, special speakers, and small group experience.
b. Middle School Ministry Committee 1) Address developmental and spiritual needs of youth in grades 6-8.
2) Seek to encourage faith growth through intergenerational relationships.
3) Facilitate regional educational workshops in the North, Central, and South parts of the Synod
to train adults involved in middle school age youth and family ministry by sharing ideas.
4) Create a youth and family ministry newsletter to be mailed by e- mail or regular mail at least
twice a year to the coordinator of middle school youth and family ministry in congregations.
c.
High School Ministry Committee
1) Address developmental and spiritual needs of youth in grades 9-12.
2) Facilitate regional opportunities for training and inspiration involving programming of a
diverse nature that congregational youth groups normally would not be equipped to provide.
The congregations in closer geographic proximity would have the greatest potential for
attending. Key youth and family ministry people from other areas of the synod would be
notified so they could attend or inform others who could benefit.
3) Create a youth and family newsletter to be e-mailed to high school youth and youth workers.
4) Shepherd and encourage quality training of professional and lay leaders in youth programs
across the synod through attending workshops and conventions and then sharing information
with others.
Youth Committee and Sub-committee meetings
a.
The Youth Ministry Committee composed of liaisons from the sub-committees will meet at least
twice a year and send minutes and/or general information to all sub-committee members and other
key individuals and groups involved in strengthening youth ministry in the synod.
b. Sub-committees shall meet at least annually and send minutes and/or general information to the
Youth Ministry Committee plus other pertinent youth ministry groups and individuals.
The Audit Committee of this synod shall consist of three to six persons, none of whom are members of
the synod staff. Up to half of the committee members may be Synod Council members. The Audit
Committee members shall be elected by the Synod Council for a term of three years and be eligible for
re-election to a second consecutive three-year term. The terms of the Audit Committee members shall
be staggered. The Audit Committee shall be responsible for assisting the Synod Council in fulfilling its
general oversight of the synod’s accounting, financial reporting, internal control systems, and external
audit processes as provided in †S15.31.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 23 -
S11.06.
S11.10.
S11.11.
This synod shall in its bylaws or by continuing resolution establish a process to insure that the members
of its committees and other organizational units will be persons possessing the necessary knowledge
and competence to be effective members of such units, and to meet the requirements of *S6.04.
General Provisions
Other Committees. Committees shall be appointed to oversee and implement the work of the synod.
Committees shall relate to their counterparts in the ELCA and in the region. Committees shall report to
the Synod Council after each committee meeting. Unless otherwise stipulated, every committee shall
submit to each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly a written report of its activities along with such
recommendations as it may desire.
Chapter 12.
CONFERENCES, CLUSTERS, COALITIONS,
AREA SUBDIVISIONS, AND NETWORKS
†S12.01.
S12.01.01.
S12.01.02.
S12.01.03.
S12.01.04.
S12.01.05.
S12.01.06.
This synod may establish conferences, clusters, coalitions, area subdivisions, and networks as
appropriate within its territory and in collaboration with other synods and partners, as specified in the
bylaws and continuing resolutions. The purpose of such groupings shall be to foster interdependent
relationships for missional purposes among congregations, synods, the churchwide organization, and
other partners.
Conferences. The synod shall be divided into ten conferences, consisting of congregations clustered
around, geographic areas of service and communication. The Synod Council shall determine with
which conference congregations are aligned. Alignment of congregations with conferences shall be
included in the annual report of the Synod Assembly.
Purposes. The Conference shall:
a.
Plan programs to strengthen the church's ministries of proclamation, worship, learning, youth
work, witness, service, stewardship, and advocacy within the congregations.
b. Foster shared ministries within the conference, and through coalitions or clusters.
c
Facilitate communication.
d. Plan and implement meetings, retreats, fellowship events, study, and training;
e.
Be involved in the process of allocating human and financial resources.
f.
Develop relationships with other religious and secular organizations dedicated to advocating
justice and providing services to meet human needs.
g.
Sponsor other functions that will strengthen the mission of the church.
h.
Nominate a lay member of the Synod Council as assigned by the Synod Nominating Committee.
i. Present nominees for Churchwide Assembly delegates as assigned by the Synod Nominating
Committee for election by the Synod Assembly S11.01.03d).
Treasury. Conferences may have treasuries, and may solicit funds within their conference to carry out
their purposes.
Conference Assembly. Conferences shall meet in assembly at least once a year. Conference
Assemblies shall set goals and priorities for the conference, and shall elect officers.
Representation. Representation in the Conference Assembly shall be:
a. All members of the ministeriums within the conference.
b. Lay members from each congregation, as determined by the synod constitution for the Synod
Assembly. Where practicable, lay members to the Synod Assembly shall be members of the
Conference Assembly.
c. Members of the Synod Council from the conference.
Officers. Conferences shall have the following officers: a chairperson, a secretary, and a dean. They
may have a treasurer.
a. The chairperson, who shall be lay, shall be elected by the Conference Assembly.
b. The secretary and the treasurer (if any) shall be elected by the Conference Assembly. Both
positions may be served by the same person.
c. The dean of the ministerium shall be chosen by the ministerium.
d. An attempt shall be made to include male and female leadership.
e. Officers shall be elected to two-year terms, and may serve no more than two terms consecutively.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 24 -
S12.01.07.
S12.01.08.
S12.01.09.
S12.01.10.
S12.01.11.
S12.01.12.
f. Election of the chairperson shall be held at the first meeting of the Conference Assembly after the
annual meeting of the Synod Assembly in odd-numbered years.
g. Elections of secretary and treasurer shall be held at the first meeting of the Conference Assembly
after the annual meeting of the Synod Assembly in even-numbered years.
h. The officers shall consult prior to a Conference Assembly to set the agenda for that meeting.
i. Should the chairperson, secretary, or treasurer die, resign, or be unable to serve, the dean, with the
approval of the Conference Council, shall arrange for the appropriate care of the responsibilities of
the officer until the Conference Assembly for the election of the new officer is to be held or until the
officer is able to serve again.
Chairperson. The chairperson shall convene and conduct the meetings of the Conference Assembly and
of the Conference Council. In the absence of the chairperson, the dean shall convene and conduct
meetings.
Secretary. The secretary shall:
a. Supervise the keeping of records of the Conference Council and Conference Assembly.
b. Be responsible for the communications of the Conference Council and Conference Assembly.
c. Perform such other duties as the Conference Assembly may assign.
Treasurer. If there is a treasurer, the treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the conference.
Conference Council.
a. The conference shall determine the size of the Conference Council; it shall have no fewer than three
members, who shall be the officers of the conference, and no more than fifteen.
b. Every reasonable attempt shall made to see that for members other than the officers, lay/clergy and
male/female ratios meet the synod standards.
c. The Conference Council shall have the authority to call meetings of the Conference Assembly.
d. The lay and clergy members of the Synod Council shall maintain a liaison between their
conferences and the Synod Council.
e. The bishop or assistant to the bishop shall have the privilege of voice at meetings of the Conference
Council.
Ministeriums.
a. Membership. The ministerium is to include all ordained ministers, associates in ministry,
deaconesses and diaconal ministers within the boundaries of a conference.
b. Purposes. The ministerium shall be responsible for:
1. The spiritual nurture of its members.
2. Support and encouragement of its members.
3. Developing fellowship and community among its members.
4. Encouraging and facilitating continuing education.
c. Dean. At its first meeting after each Synod Assembly in even-numbered years, the ministerium
shall hold an election for dean. The dean shall be an ordained pastor under call in the conference or
retired and residing in the conference and in good standing on the roster of this synod. Should an
elected dean under call go on leave from call before the term is expired, that dean may complete the
term with the recommendation of the bishop of the Synod and the approval of the Synod Council. If
there is no dean, the bishop or a representative of the bishop shall summon a meeting to elect a dean.
In addition to responsibilities as an officer of the conference, the dean shall:
1. Lead the ministerium in accomplishing its objectives.
2. Assist the bishop in ministering to members of the ministerium and their families.
3. At the direction of the bishop, install ordained ministers and associates in ministry called to
service within the conference.
d. Meetings. The ministerium shall meet regularly, as called by the dean.
Conference Outreach/Evangelism Teams (CO/ET)
The purpose of the CO/ET shall be to assist the conference in keeping evangelism, both proclamation an
action, at the center of its life and witness. To this end, the team shall extend the work of the conference
and synod by developing and supporting ministries and congregations.
The team shall:
a. Communicate the Church’s mission of invitation to Word and Sacrament.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 25 -
b. Strategize conference-wide plans and visions for evangelism and outreach.
c. Support the mission director and Synod Outreach/Evangelism Team regarding:
1. determining mission fields in the conference,
2. supporting the development of new ministries and congregations,
3. developing transformational ministries and other models of ministry,
4. encouraging existing ministries and congregations and
5. assisting urban, suburban, and rural coalitions.
d. Support and plan for the outreach of this Church to persons of color and persons whose primary
language is other than English.
e. Assist with ministry reviews as needed in conference outreach/partnership supported congregations.
Communicate with the SO/ET the need or desire of any congregation in the conference which
requests or needs a ministry review.
f. Study growth trends and identify sites for new ministries. Complete ministry area profiles as needed
for site approval of new ministries.
1. Support, assist, and communicate with conference pastor-developers and mission congregations.
g. Help congregations develop mission initiatives.
h. Identify potential mission leaders who can be mentors or serve in new or redeveloping
congregations.
i. Develop a mission-partner resource list and assist the mission director and SO/ET with synod-wide
mission partner needs and resources.
j. Make recommendations to the SO/ET regarding funding needs in the conference. Advocate for and
be a liaison with conference congregations, ministries, Dean, Council and Assembly.
k. Communication:
1. Share information about educational and financial resources available to congregations and
ministries.
2. Share stories with the conference and synod celebrating mission and lifting up possibilities.
3. Advise the SO/ET of attempts that didn’t live up to potential, enabling the whole synod to learn
from conference and congregational efforts.
l. The conference Outreach/Evangelism Team shall meet at least quarterly. The Team shall be made
up of seven to fifteen persons who are nominated by the conference council and Dean and elected by
the conference at its Spring Assembly. One member of each CO/ET (chosen by the CO/ET) will
serve on the Synod Outreach/Evangelism Team. The CO/ET will elect a Chairperson to convene
and run the CO/ET meetings.
S12.01.A87. Conferences of the Synod
CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCES
East Central Indiana Conference
20072 Our Blessed Savior
Alexandria, Indiana
02203 St. John
Anderson, Indiana
02202 Redeemer
Bryant, Indiana
02309 St. Paul
Connersville, Indiana
02368 St. John
Elwood, Indiana
13204 Zion
Hartford City, Indiana
10714 Resurrection
Marion, Indiana
13260 Church of the Cross
Muncie, Indiana
02226 Holy Trinity
Muncie, Indiana
02227 Holy Trinity
New Castle, Indiana
02313 Zion
Pershing, Indiana
02262 Zion
Portland, Indiana
07384 Faith United
Richmond, Indiana
02314 First English
Richmond, Indiana
13290 St. John
Richmond, Indiana
02316 St. Paul
Richmond, Indiana
13291 Trinity
Richmond, Indiana
13313 Trinity
Union City, Indiana
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 26 -
02232 Our Savior
East Kentucky Conference
07475 Prince of Peace
02319 St. Luke
02378 Hope
07696 Gloria Dei
02324 Faith
13226 Gethsemane
07746 Word of Hope
02325 St. John
07536 St. Mark
07699 St. Thomas
30103 Prince of Peace
07217 Redeemer
Evansville Conference
07766 St. Matthew by the Lake
10638 St. John
02333 Christ
10650 Emanuel
30766 Grace and Peace
02335 St. Mark
10652 Shepherd of the Hills
10682 Christ (Haysville)
02342 Redeemer
02336 St. Paul (Haysville)
10706 Trinity
10710 St. John
07464 Christ
07815 St. Luke
19752 St. John
02359 Faith
02357 St. Matthew
02338 Our Savior
07726 Holy Cross
02341 St. Paul
Indianapolis Conference
10687 Faith
30306 Risen Lord
02204 St. Thomas
02234 Messiah
02217 King of Glory
02206 First
02207 St. George
07644 Christ the Savior
02210 Bethany
02211 Bethlehem
10686 Cross and Crown
10688 First Trinity
02215 Gethsemane
02216 Good Shepherd
30672 *Lamb of God
20080 Our Redeemer
20081 Pilgrim
02218 Pleasant View
02235 Resurrection
02223 Salem
Winchester, Indiana
Bellevue, Kentucky
Cold Spring, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Lakeside Park, KY
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Melbourne, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Richmond, Kentucky
Russell Springs, KY
Somerset, Kentucky
Benton, Kentucky
Dubois, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Jasper, Indiana
Jasper, Indiana
Jasper, Indiana
Linton, Indiana
Loogootee, Indiana
Madisonville, Kentucky
Newburgh, Indiana
Otwell, Indiana
Owensboro, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Princeton, Indiana
Rockport, Indiana
Vincennes, Indiana
Avon, Indiana
Bargersville, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Brownsburg, Indiana
Carmel, Indiana
Columbus, Indiana
Edinburgh, Indiana
Fishers, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana *Congregation under development
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 27 -
30011 Servants of Christ
02224 Trinity
40004 Cross of Grace
02222 St. Stephen
10629 St. Paul
02220 St. Andrew
30305 New Joy
16334 Christ
Lafayette Conference
02362 First
02363 St. Peter
02364 Christ
02367 St. Matthew
02369 St. Paul
02365 Phanuel
30436 Christ
02371 Holy Trinity
02375 Faith
16416 New Hope
02377 Gloria Dei
10802 Christ
02229 Christus Victor
02230 Trinity
02390 Shiloh
02374 Our Savior
North Central Conference
02271 Zion
02274 Augustana
02275 Grace
02276 Redeemer
02290 St. John’s
31076 Faith
02287 Bethany
02291 St. Paul
02292 St. Peter
02293 First English
02294 St. John
02295 St. John
02296 Immanuel
02298 Bethany
10795 Christ the King
02299 Gloria Dei
02300 Good Shepherd
20083 Hilltop Church of the Ascension
02391 Holy Trinity
02266 Grace
Northeast Conference
02238 St. Mark
10566 Calvary
10581 Calvary
02268 St. Paul
02243 St. Mark (Butler)
02263 Eberhard
02245 Grace
02244 Hope (Coesse)
02242 Zion
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lebanon, Indiana
New Palestine, Indiana
Plainfield, Indiana
Seymour, Indiana
Speedway, Indiana
Westfield, Indiana
Zionsville, Indiana
Attica, Indiana
Camden, Indiana
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Delphi, Indiana
Frankfort, Indiana
Hillsboro, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Logansport, Indiana
Monticello, Indiana
Mulberry, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Walton, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
Bristol, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Fish Lake (Goshen), Indiana
Goshen, Indiana
La Porte, Indiana
Middlebury, Indiana
Millersburg, Indiana
Mishawaka, Indiana
Nappanee, Indiana
North Liberty, Indiana
Plymouth, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
Syracuse, Indiana
Albion, Indiana
Angola, Indiana
Bluffton, Indiana
Bluffton, Indiana
Butler Indiana
Columbia City, Indiana
Columbia City, Indiana
Columbia City, Indiana
Corunna, Indiana
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 28 -
02246 Calvary
20075 Epiphany
02247 Faith
20076 Gethsemane
02248 Messiah
07722 Resurrection
30306 Risen Savior
10662 St. John
02252 St. Matthew
02253 Trinity English
07722a Come2Go Ministries
02254 Holy Trinity
02237 Mt. Pleasant
02256 Mt. Zion
02257 Emmanuel
02258 Marquardt
02259 St. Mark
02260 St. James
02261 Zion
02265 St. Peter
10810 Trinity
Northwest Indiana Conference
02272 Bethlehem
07682 Cross of Christ
02278 Bethel
02277 Bethlehem
20078 Griffith
02283 Christ
02285 Gloria Dei
02286 Augustana
10668 Emmanuel
02288 Prince of Peace
10725 St. Paul
02297 Augsburg
16371 Holy Shepherd
30558 St. Luke's United
10808 Christ
02302 Trinity
South Central Conference
02331 Gethsemane
02332 St. Peter
02344 Zion
30943 *Christ Lutheran Chapel
Cromwell, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Harlan, Indiana
Kendallville, Indiana
La Grange, Indiana
La Otto, Indiana
Monroeville, Indiana
Monroeville, Indiana
New Haven, Indiana
N. Manchester, Indiana
Spencerville, Indiana
Wabash, Indiana
Chesterton, Indiana
Crown Point, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Griffith, Indiana
Hammond, Indiana
Highland, Indiana
Hobart, Indiana
Merrillville, Indiana
Merrillville, Indiana
Michigan City, Indiana
Porter, Indiana
St. John, Indiana
Trail Creek(Michigan City), Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon, Indiana
Franklin, Kentucky
Elizabethtown, Kentucky *Synodically Authorized Worshiping
Community
30307
02345
02337
16457
02347
02349
02358
02351
02352
12353
02354
02343
Grace & Glory
Christ
Faith
Ascension
Calvary
First
Good Shepherd (Valley Station)
Messiah-Trinity
St. John
St. Mark
St. Paul (Shively)
St. Stephen (Fern Creek)
Goshen, Kentucky
Jeffersontown, KY
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 29 -
02355 Third
Southeast Indiana Conference
02305 St. Mark
02306 St. Paul
02308 St. Thomas
13079 Trinity
13067 St. Peter (Bear Branch)
13168 St. Peter
02310 Emanuel
02307 St. Paul
13225 St. John
02328 Resurrection
02311 St. Paul
02326 St. Peter
02312 St. John
13309 St. John
13237 Zion (Manchester)
13273 St. Paul (Olean)
Louisville, Kentucky
Batesville, Indiana
Batesville, Indiana
Brookville, Indiana
Brookville, Indiana
Dillsboro, Indiana
Dillsboro, Indiana
Greendale, Indiana
Greensburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Madison, Indiana
Milan, Indiana
Milton, Kentucky
Napoleon, Indiana
Sunman, Indiana
Sunman, Indiana
Versailles, Indiana
Chapter 13. CONGREGATIONS
†S13.01.
†S13.02.
Each congregation, except those certified as congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America by the uniting churches, prior to being listed in the register of congregations of this synod,
shall adopt the Model Constitution for Congregations or one acceptable to this synod that is not in
contradiction to the constitution and bylaws of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
a. New congregations. A congregation newly formed by this church and any congregation seeking
recognition and reception by this church shall:
1) Accept the criteria for recognition and reception as a congregation of this church, fulfill the
functions of the congregation, and accept the governance provisions as provided in Chapter 9 of
the ELCA constitution and bylaws.
2) Adopt governing documents that include fully and without alterations the Preamble, Chapter 1,
where applicable, and all required provisions of Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, and
19 in the Model Constitution for Congregations consistent with requirements of the
constitutions, bylaws, and continuing resolutions of this church. Bylaws and continuing
resolutions, appropriate for inclusion in these chapters and not in conflict with these required
provisions in the Model Constitution for Congregations, the constitution of this synod, or the
Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, may be adopted as described in Chapters 16 and 18 of the Model Constitution for
Congregations.
3) Accept the commitments expected of all congregations of the ELCA as stated in *C6.01.,
*C6.02., and *C6.03. of the Model Constitution for Congregations.
b. Congregations from another church body. If a congregation is a member of another church body,
the leaders of the congregation first should consult with the appropriate authorities of that church
body before taking action to leave its current church body. After such consultation, leaders of the
congregation should make contact with the ELCA synod bishop or staff where the congregation is
located.
c. Recognition and reception. Recognition and reception into this church of transferring or
independent congregations by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is based on the
judgment of the synod and action by the synod through the Synod Council and Synod Assembly.
The synod bishop shall provide for prompt reporting of such additions to the secretary of this church
for addition to the register of congregations.
It shall be the responsibility of each congregation of this synod annually to choose from among its
voting members laypersons to serve as members of the Synod Assembly as well as persons to represent
it at meetings of any conference, cluster, coalition, or other area subdivision of which it is a member.
The number of persons to be elected by each congregation and other qualifications shall be as
prescribed in guidelines established by this synod.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 30 -
S13.03.
S13.11.
S13.12.
†S13.19.
†S13.20.
S13.21.
†S13.22.
†S13.23.
S13.24.
S13.25.
S13.26.
S13.30.
†S13.31.
S13.40.
S13.41.
When a congregation wishes to amend a particular provision of its governing documents, the provision
so amended must be consistent with the governing documents of this church.
a. All proposed changes in the constitution of incorporation documents of a congregation will be
referred to the Synod Council. The Synod Council must approve or disapprove of the proposed
changes and must notify the congregation of its decision.
b. The synod should recognize that congregations may organize themselves in a manner they deem
most appropriate.
c. The synod will develop, maintain, and make available criteria on which the synod Council will
evaluate congregations’ constitutions.
When a pastor or when an associate in ministry, deaconess of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, or a diaconal minister of this church resigns, the Congregation Council shall receive the letter
of resignation, report it to the congregation, and at once notify the bishop of the synod.
A congregation under financial obligation to its former pastor or associate in ministry, deaconess of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or diaconal minister of this church shall make satisfactory
settlement of the obligation before calling a successor.
A congregation considering a relocation shall confer with the bishop of the synod in which it is
territorially located and the appropriate unit of the churchwide organization before any steps are taken
leading to such action. The approval of the Synod Council shall be received before any such action is
effected.
A congregation considering development of an additional site to be used regularly for worship shall
confer with the bishop of the synod in which it is territorially located and the appropriate unit of the
churchwide organization before any steps are taken leading to such action.
The alignment of congregations in pastoral charges, and all alterations in any alignment, shall be subject
to approval by the Synod Assembly or by the Synod Council.
Each congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America within the territory of this synod,
except those which are in partnership with the Slovak Zion Synod, shall establish and maintain a
relationship with this synod.
Provision 9.71. of the ELCA constitution shall govern the relationship of this synod and a congregation
of this synod regarding the property of the congregation. This synod may transfer or convey property to
a congregation of the synod, subject to restrictions accepted by the congregation, including provision
that if the Synod Council, in its sole and exclusive discretion, determines (1) that the property is not
being used to serve the mission and ministry needs of this church, or (2) that the congregation has
transferred, encumbered, mortgaged, or in any way burdened or impaired any right, title, or interest in
the property without the prior approval of the Synod Council, then title to the property shall revert to the
synod, and the congregation, upon written demand, shall reconvey the property to the synod.
If any congregation of this synod has disbanded, or if the members of a congregation agree that it is no
longer possible for it to function as such, or if it is the opinion of the Synod Council that the
membership of a congregation has become so scattered or so diminished in numbers as to make it
impractical for such a congregation to fulfill the purposes for which it was organized or that it is
necessary for this synod to protect the congregation's property from waste and deterioration, the Synod
Council, itself or through trustees appointed by it, may take charge and control of the property of the
congregation to hold, manage, and convey the same on behalf of this synod. The congregation shall
have the right to appeal the decision to the Synod Assembly.
This synod may temporarily assume administration of a congregation upon its request or with its
concurrence.
Termination of a congregation's relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in
accordance with constitutional provisions shall act as termination of the congregation's relationship with
this synod.
Discipline
Congregations and members of congregations are subject to discipline in accordance with the
provisions of Chapter 20 of the ELCA constitution and bylaws..
Synodically Authorized Worshiping Communities
Authorized worshiping communities, acknowledged under criteria, policies, and procedures approved
by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, shall accept and adhere to the
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 31 -
Confession of Faith and Statement of Purpose of this church, shall be served by leadership under the
criteria of this church, and shall be subject to the discipline of this church.
Chapter 14.
ORDAINED MINISTERS AND LAY ROSTERED MINISTERS
†S14.01.
The time and place of the ordination of those persons properly called to congregations or extraparish
service of this synod shall be authorized by the bishop of this synod.
†S14.02. Consistent with the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
a. Every ordained minister shall:
1) preach the Word;
2) administer the sacraments;
3) conduct public worship;
4) provide pastoral care; and
5) speak publicly to the world in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, calling for justice and
proclaiming God’s love for the world.
b. Each ordained minister with a congregational call shall, within the congregation:
1) offer instruction, confirm, marry, visit the sick and distressed, and bury the dead;
2) supervise all schools and organizations of the congregation;
3) install regularly elected members of the Congregation Council; and
4) with the council, administer discipline.
c. Every pastor shall:
1) strive to extend the Kingdom of God in the community, in the nation, and abroad;
2) seek out and encourage qualified persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel;
3) impart knowledge of this church and its wider ministry through distribution of its periodicals and
other publications; and
4) endeavor to increase the support given by the congregation to the work of the ELCA churchwide
organization and of this ELCA synod.
S14.03.
The pastor shall keep accurate parochial records of all baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials,
communicants, members received, members dismissed, or members excluded from the congregation,
and shall submit a summary of such statistics annually to this synod.
S14.04.
Whenever members of a congregation move to such a distance that regular attendance at its services
becomes impractical, it shall be the duty of the pastor to commend them to the pastoral care of a
Lutheran congregation nearer to their place of residence.
S14.05.
Each ordained minister on the roster of this synod shall submit a report of his or her ministry to the
bishop of the synod at least 90 days prior to each regular meeting of the synod assembly.
S14.06.
The pastor shall be a member of the congregation that has extended the letter of call. In a parish of
multiple congregations, the pastor shall hold membership in one of the congregations.
†S14.11. When a congregation of this church desires to call a pastor or a candidate for the pastoral office in the
ordained ministry of this church:
a. Each congregation of this synod shall consult the bishop of this synod before taking any steps
leading to the extending of a call to a prospective pastor.
b. For issuance of a letter of call to a pastor or pastoral candidate by a congregation of this synod in
accord with ELCA constitutional provision 7.41., a two-thirds majority ballot vote shall be required
of members of the congregation present and voting at a meeting regularly called for the purpose of
issuing such a call.
c. When the congregation has voted to issue a call to a prospective pastor, the letter of call shall be
submitted to the bishop of this synod for the bishop’s signature.
S14.12.
No ordained minister shall accept a call without first conferring with the bishop of this synod.
S14.12.01. An ordained minister shall respond with an answer to acceptance or declination to a letter of call within
thirty days of receipt of such a call. With the approval of the bishop of the synod and the
Congregational Council of the congregation issuing the call, additional time may be granted to respond
to a letter of call.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 32 -
†S14.13.
†S14.14.
†S14.15.
a. The call of a congregation, when accepted by a pastor, shall constitute a continuing mutual
relationship and commitment which shall be terminated only by death or following consultation
with the synodical bishop and for the following reasons:
1) mutual agreement to terminate the call or the completion of a call for a specific term;
2) resignation of the pastor, which shall become effective, unless otherwise agreed, no later than 30
days after the date on which it was submitted;
3) inability to conduct the pastoral office effectively in that congregation in view of local
conditions,
4) physical disability or mental incapacity of the pastor;
5) suspension of the pastor through discipline for more than three months;
6) resignation or removal of the pastor from the roster of ordained ministers of this church;
7) termination of the relationship between this church and the congregation;
8) dissolution of the congregation or the termination of a parish arrangement; or
9) suspension of the congregation through discipline for more than six months.
b. When allegations of physical disability or mental incapacity of the pastor under paragraph a.4)
above, or ineffective conduct of the pastoral office under paragraph a.3) above, have come to the
attention of the bishop of this synod,
1) the bishop in his or her sole discretion may investigate such conditions personally together with
a committee of two ordained ministers and one layperson, or
2) when such allegations have been brought to the synod’s attention by an official recital of
allegations by the congregation council or by a petition signed by at least one-third of the voting
members of the congregation, the bishop personally shall investigate such conditions together
with a committee of two ordained ministers and one layperson.
c. In case of alleged physical disability or mental incapacity under paragraph a.4) above, the bishop’s
committee shall obtain and document competent medical opinion concerning the pastor’s condition.
When a disability or incapacity is evident to the committee, the bishop of this synod may declare the
pastorate vacant and the pastor shall be listed on the clergy roster as disabled. Upon removal of the
disability and restoration of the pastor to health, the bishop shall take steps to enable the pastor to
resume the ministry, either in the congregation last served or in another appropriate call.
d. In the case of alleged local difficulties that imperil the effective functioning of the congregation
under paragraph a.3) above, the bishop’s committee shall endeavor to hear from all concerned
persons, after which the bishop together with the committee shall present their recommendations
first to the pastor and then to the congregation. The recommendations of the bishop’s committee
must address whether the pastor’s call should come to an end and, if so, may suggest appropriate
severance arrangements. The committee may also propose other actions that should be undertaken
by the congregation and by the pastor, if appropriate. If the pastor and congregation agree to carry
out such recommendations, no further action need be taken by the synod.
e. If either party fails to assent to the recommendations of the bishop’s committee concerning the
pastor’s call, the congregation may dismiss the pastor only at a legally called meeting after
consultation with the bishop, either (a) by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members present
and voting where the bishop and the committee did not recommend termination of the call, or (b) by
a simple majority vote of the voting members present and voting where the bishop and the
committee recommended termination of the call.
f. If, in the course of proceedings described in paragraph c. or paragraph d. above, the bishop’s
committee concludes that there may be grounds for disciplinary action, the committee shall make
recommendations concerning disciplinary action in accordance with the provisions of this church’s
constitution, bylaws, and continuing resolutions.
Ordained ministers shall respect the integrity of the ministry of congregations which they do not serve
and shall not exercise ministerial functions therein unless invited to do so by the pastor, or if there is no
duly called pastor, then by the interim pastor in consultation with the Congregation Council.
The parochial records of all baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials, communicants, members
received, members transferred or dismissed, members who have become inactive, or members excluded
from the congregation shall be kept accurately and permanently, They shall remain the property of each
congregation. At the time of the closure of a congregation, such records shall be sent to the regional
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 33 -
†S14.16.
†S14.17.
†S14.18.
S14.21.
S14.30.
†S14.31.
archives. The secretary of the congregation shall attest to the bishop of this synod that such records
have been placed in his or her hands in good order by a departing pastor before:
a. installation in another field of labor, or
b. the issuance of a certificate of dismissal or transfer.
The pastor shall make satisfactory settlement of all financial obligations to a former congregation
before:
a. installation in another field of labor, or
b. the issuance of a certificate of dismissal or transfer.
During service to a congregation, an interim pastor shall have the rights and duties in the congregation
of a regularly called pastor. The interim pastor may delegate the same in part to an interim supply pastor
with the consent of the bishop of this synod. The interim pastor and any ordained ministers who may
assist shall refrain from exerting influence in the selection of a pastor. Upon completion of service, the
interim pastor shall certify to the bishop of this synod that the parochial records, for the period for
which the interim pastor was responsible, are in order.
With the approval of the synodical bishop expressed in writing, which sets forth a clear statement of the
purpose to be served by such a departure from the normal rule of permanency of the call as expressed in
†S14.13., a congregation may call a pastor for a specific term. Details of such calls shall be in writing
setting forth the purpose and conditions involved. Prior to the completion of a term, the bishop of this
synod or a representative of the bishop shall meet with the pastor and representatives of the
congregation for a review of the call. Such call may also be terminated before its expiration in
accordance with the provisions of †S14.13.
All ordained ministers under a call shall attend meetings of the Synod Assembly, and the pastors of
congregations shall also attend the meetings of the conference, cluster, coalition, or other area
subdivisions to which the congregation belongs.
Official Rosters of Laypersons
The provisions in the churchwide documents and such provisions as may be developed by the
appropriate churchwide unit governing associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal ministers of
this church shall apply in this synod.
a. When a congregation of this synod desires to call an associate in ministry, deaconess, or diaconal
minister or a candidate for these official rosters of laypersons of this church:
1) Such a congregation of this synod shall consult the synodical bishop before taking any steps
leading to extending such a call.
2) Issuance of such a letter of call shall be in accord with criteria, policies, and procedures
developed by the appropriate churchwide unit, reviewed by the Conference of Bishops, and
adopted by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
3) When the congregation has voted to issue a call to an associate in ministry, deaconess, or
diaconal minister, the letter of call shall be submitted to the bishop of this synod for the bishop’s
signature.
b. An associate in ministry, deaconess, or diaconal minister shall confer with the bishop of this synod
before accepting a call within this synod.
c. The call of a congregation, when accepted by an associate in ministry, deaconess, or diaconal
minister, shall constitute a continuing mutual relationship and commitment which, except in the case
of the death of the individual, shall be terminated only following consultation with the synodical
bishop in accordance with policy developed by the appropriate churchwide unit, reviewed by the
Conference of Bishops, and adopted by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
d. Associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal ministers on the roster of this synod who are
serving under call shall attend meetings of the Synod Assembly.
Chapter 15.
FINANCIAL MATTERS
†S15.01.
†S15.11.
The fiscal year of this synod shall be February 1 through January 31.
Since the congregations, synods, and churchwide organization are interdependent units that share
responsibly in God’s mission, all share in the responsibility to develop, implement, and strengthen the
financial support program of the whole church. The gifts and offerings of the members of the
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 34 -
†S15.12.
S15.13.
S15.14.
S15.21.
†S15.31.
†S15.32.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are given to support all parts of this church and thus
partnership in this church should be evidenced in determining each part’s share of the gifts and
offerings. Therefore:
a. The mission of this church beyond the congregation is to be supported by such a proportionate share
of each congregation’s annual budget as each congregation determines. This synod shall develop
guidelines for determining “proportionate share,” and shall consult with congregational leaders to
assist each congregation in making its determination.
b. This synod shall receive the proportionate share of the mission support from its congregations, and
shall transmit that percentage of each congregation’s mission support as determined by the
Churchwide Assembly to the treasurer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The annual budget of this synod shall reflect the entire range of its own activities and its commitment to
partnership funding with other synods and the churchwide organization. Unless an exception is granted
upon the request of this synod by the Church Council, each budget shall include the percentage of
congregational mission support assigned to it by the Churchwide Assembly.
The Synod Council shall authorize expenditures within the budget for the fiscal year. Expenditure
authorizations shall be subject to revision, in light of changing conditions, by a two-thirds vote of the
Synod Council.
Except when such procedure would jeopardize current operations, a reserve amounting to no more that
16% of the sum of the amounts scheduled in the next year’s budget for regular distribution to synodical
causes shall be carried forward annually for disbursement in the following year in the interest of making
possible a more even flow of income to such causes. The exact number of dollars to be held in reserve
shall be determined by the Synod Council.
No appeal to congregations of this or any other synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
for the raising of funds shall be conducted by congregations or organizations related to or affiliated with
this synod without the consent of the Synod Assembly or the Synod Council.
This synod shall arrange to have an annual audit of its financial records conducted by a certified public
accountant firm recommended by the synod Audit Committee and approved by the Synod Council. The
audited annual financial report shall be submitted by this synod to the churchwide Office of the
Treasurer and to the congregations of this synod. The financial reports shall be in the format approved
from time to time by the churchwide Office of the Treasurer.
This synod shall maintain adequate, continuous insurance coverage in accordance with standards
recommended by the churchwide organization. Insurance programs offered or endorsed by the
churchwide organization shall be deemed to fulfill this obligation.
Chapter 16.
INDEMNIFICATION
†S16.01.
†S16.02.
Subject to the limitations and duties imposed by law, each person who is or was made or threatened to
be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the present or former capacity of that person as a Synod
Council member, officer, employee, or committee member of this synod shall be indemnified against all
costs and expenses incurred by that person in connection with the proceeding. Indemnification of any
person by reason of that person’s capacity as a director, officer, employee, or committee member of any
other organization, regardless of its form or relationship to this synod, is subject to the provisions of
section †S16.02.
a. The term “proceeding” means a threatened, pending, or completed lawsuit, whether civil or
criminal, an administrative or investigative matter, arbitration, mediation, alternative dispute
resolution, or any other similar legal or governmental action. Except as otherwise required by law,
the term “proceeding” does not include (a) any action by this synod against the individual seeking
indemnification, or (b) subject to †S16.04., a disciplinary hearing or related process described in
Chapter 20 of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America.
b. The term “indemnification” includes reimbursement and advances of costs and expenses for
judgments, penalties, fines, settlements, excise taxes, reasonable attorneys’ fees, disbursements, and
similar required expenditures.
Whenever a person who, while a Synod Council member, officer, committee member, or employee of
this synod, is or was serving at the request of this synod as (or whose duties in that position involve or
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 35 -
†S16.03.
†S16.04.
involved service in the capacity of) a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another
organization, is or was made or threatened to be made a party to a proceeding by reason of such
capacity, then such person shall be entitled to indemnification only if (a) the Synod Council has
established a process for determining whether a person serving in the capacity described in this section
shall be entitled to indemnification in any specific case, and (b) that process has been applied in making
a specific determination that such person is entitled to indemnification.
This synod may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of itself or any person entitled to
indemnification pursuant to this chapter against any liability asserted against and incurred by this synod
or by such other person in or arising from a capacity described in section †S16.01. or section †S16.02.
When written charges against an ordained minister or a layperson on an official roster of this church are
made in disciplinary proceedings under Chapter 20 of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing
Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by the synodical bishop or when written
charges against a congregation are made in disciplinary proceedings by the Synod Council or the
synodical bishop, and the discipline hearing committee determines that no discipline shall be imposed,
then if such determination is not reversed or set aside on appeal, indemnification shall be made by the
synod to the accused for reasonable attorney’s fees and other reasonable expenses related to the defense
of the charges. The determination of the reasonableness of such fees and expenses shall be decided by
the Synod Council.
Chapter 17.
ADJUDICATION
†S17.01.
†S17.02.
†S17.03.
†S17.04.
†S17.10.
†S17.11.
The synodical bishop and the Executive Committee of the Synod Council shall be available to give
counsel when disputes arise within this synod.
The synodical bishop and the Executive Committee of the Synod Council shall receive expressions of
concern from ordained ministers, associates in ministry, or other persons on the official lay rosters of
this church, congregations, and organizations within this synod; provide a forum in which the parties
concerned can seek to work out matters causing distress or conflict; and make appropriate
recommendations for their resolution. When the matter at issue cannot be resolved in this manner, the
prescribed procedures for investigation, decision, appeal, and adjudication shall be followed.
Allegations or charges that could lead to the discipline of an ordained minister or a person on the
official lay rosters of this church shall not be addressed by the Executive Committee but shall be
resolved through the disciplinary process set forth in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing
Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
When there is disagreement among units of this synod on a substantive issue that cannot be resolved by
the parties, the aggrieved party or parties may appeal to the synodical bishop and the Executive
Committee of the Synod Council for a consultation. If this consultation fails to resolve the issue, a
petition may be addressed by the parties to the Synod Council requesting it to arbitrate the issue. The
decision of the Synod Council shall be final.
When a component or beneficiary of a synod has a disagreement on a substantive issue that it cannot
resolve, it may address an appeal to the synodical bishop and the Executive Committee of the Synod
Council. In this case the decision of the Executive Committee shall prevail, except that upon the motion
of a member of the Synod Council, the decision shall be referred to the Synod Council for final action.
Adjudication in a Congregation
When there is disagreement among factions within a congregation on a substantive issue that cannot be
resolved by the parties, members of a congregation shall have access to the synodical bishop for
consultation after informing the chair of the Congregation Council of their intent. If the consultation
fails to resolve the issue(s), the Consultation Committee of this synod shall consider the matter. If the
Consultation Committee of this synod shall fail to resolve the issue(s), the matter shall be referred to the
Synod Council, whose decision shall be final.
Chapter 18.
AMENDMENTS, BYLAWS, & CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS.
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 36 -
†S18.10.
†S18.11.
†S18.12.
†S18.13.
†S18.20.
†S18.21.
†S18.30.
†S18.31.
Amendments to Constitution
Certain sections of this constitution incorporate and record therein required provisions of the
constitution and bylaws of this church. If such provisions are amended by the Churchwide Assembly,
corresponding amendments shall be introduced at once into this constitution by the secretary of this
synod upon receipt of formal certification thereof from the secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America.
Whenever the secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officially informs this synod
that the Churchwide Assembly has amended the Constitution for Synods, this constitution may be
amended to reflect any such amendment by a simple majority vote at any subsequent meeting of the
Synod Assembly without presentation at a prior Synod Assembly. An amendment that is identical to a
provision of the Constitution for Synods shall be deemed to have been ratified upon its adoption by this
synod. The Church Council, through the secretary of this church, shall be given prompt notification of
its adoption.
Other amendments to this constitution may be adopted by this synod through either of the following
procedures:
a. An amendment may be adopted by a two-thirds vote at a regular meeting of the Synod Assembly
after having been presented in writing at the previous regular meeting of the Synod Assembly over
the signatures of at least fifty members and having been approved by a two-thirds vote of the voting
members present and voting at such a regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.
b. The Synod Council may propose an amendment, with notice to be sent to the congregations of this
synod at least six months prior to the next regular meeting of the Synod Assembly. Such an
amendment shall require for adoption a two-thirds vote of the voting members present and voting at
such a regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.
All such amendments shall become effective upon ratification by the Churchwide Assembly or by the
Church Council.
Amendments to Bylaws
This synod may adopt bylaws not in conflict with this constitution or with the constitution and bylaws
of the churchwide organization. This synod may amend its bylaws at any meeting of the Synod
Assembly by a two-thirds vote of voting members of the assembly present and voting. Newly adopted
bylaws and amendments to existing bylaws shall be reported to the secretary of this church.
Amendments to Continuing Resolutions
This synod may adopt continuing resolutions not in conflict with this constitution or its bylaws or the
constitution, bylaws, and continuing resolutions of the churchwide organization. Such continuing
resolutions may be adopted or amended by a majority vote of the Synod Assembly or by a two-thirds
vote of Synod Council. Newly adopted continuing resolutions and amendments to existing continuing
resolutions shall be reported to the secretary of this church.
Amended by 2014 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly June 2014
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Constitution - Page 37 -
Grace Gathering
August 10-13, 2016 • New Orleans, LA.
The Grace Gathering in 2016 provides an opportunity for all ELCA members to experience
the same inspiring worship, Bible study, service learning activities, fellowship and other
experiences that voting members have when they attend the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
in New Orleans. Anyone eligible to attend the churchwide assembly as a visitor is welcome to
participate in Grace Gathering, to be held August 10-13, the last four days of the assembly.
A special feature of Grace Gathering will be an opportunity to celebrate the 500th anniversary
of the Lutheran Reformation in 2017. The Grace Gathering will also offer workshops and
presentations that equip congregational leaders and synod planning teams to prepare for
observing the 500th anniversary in their local communities.
WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE GRACE GATHERING?
• Anyone who wants to be an active participant in worship, learning, community, service
and celebration
• Lay and rostered leaders who have not previously attended a churchwide assembly
• Synod leaders, council members and staff, communicators and event planning teams
• Family and friends of voting members attending the assembly.
WHAT WILL GRACE GATHERING PARTICIPANTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO?
• Participate in faith-inspiring worship, Bible study, a service and learning activity and
fellowship
• Observe and participate in Churchwide Assembly-related activities
• Attend workshops and presentations, including a state of the ELCA from Presiding
Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
• Be introduced to resources that assist in preparing for local and regional observances of
the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.
For details and updates on this event,
please visit www.ELCA500.org or the
ELCA Reformation 500 Facebook page.
Beyond SNAP*
*Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps)
It is a tradition of the I/K Synod Assembly to support a ministry within the host conference. Many
of the congregations in the Lafayette Conference are involved in programs addressing food insecurity in their neighborhoods. Often food insecure families are also in need of non-food products.
The Lafayette Conference has created a project to collect non-food items that cannot be purchased
using SNAP and we invite the Assembly to join us in this project. The collection will be distributed
by our congregations to our neighbors through local food pantries, women’s shelters and agencies
serving the poor.
We are collecting things you can’t buy through SNAP
1. Toilet paper
2. Laundry detergent
3. Toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss
4. Soap
5. Diapers
6. Feminine hygiene products
7. Deodorant
8. Hair-care products
9. Cleaning products
10.Lotion, powder, sunscreen, lip balm, etc.
1. Skylight Bistro and Wine Bar-located at the Marriott East hotel $$$ American, Coffee, Seafood; 7202 E 21st
2. Subway
$ Sandwiches/Subs; 7050 E 21st St; 0.1mi
Nearby Dining
Breathe, Spirit, Breathe
28th Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly
June 5-7, 2015
Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel
3. Lincoln Square Pancake House
$ American, Diner, Breakfast/Brunch; 7308 E 21st.; 0.1mi
4. Jimmy John's
$ Sandwiches/Subs; 2055 N. Shadeland Ave.; 0.2mi
5. Arby's
$ Fast Food, Sandwiches/Subs; 2079 N Shadeland; 0.2mi
6. Starbucks
$ Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches/Subs; 2045 N Shadeland Ave.;
0.2mi
15
12 Bob Evans
Luca Pizza
I-70
7. Burger King
$ Burgers, Fast Food, 2055 North Shadeland Ave.; 0.2mi
8
E. 21st Street
McDonald’s
19
11
Wendy’s
3
Lincoln Square Pancake House
Beijing
5 Arby’s
7 Burger King
4 Jimmy John’s
6 Starbucks
8. Damon's Grill
$$$ Barbecue, Pub Food, Burgers; 6990 E 21st St.; 0.2mi
9. Four Seasons
$ Diner, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches/Subs; 1935 N Shadeland Ave.;
0.2mi
10. Taco Bell
$ Mexican, Fast Food; 1934 N Shadeland Ave.; 0.3mi
9 Four Seasons
I-465
13
Rally’s
18
Entrance to Marriott East
Shadeland Avenue
Red Lobster
E. 16th Street
2 Subway
Damon’s is part of Ramada Inn
1
11. Red Lobster
$$$ Seafood, Steakhouse, Pub Food; 1752 N Shadeland Ave; 0.4mi
12. Bob Evans Farms
$ American; 2305 N Shadeland Ave; 0.4mi
13. Wendy's
$ Burgers, Fast Food; 1606 N. Shadeland Ave.; 0.5mi
14
16
14. Rally's
$ Fast Food, Burgers; 1520 N Shadeland Ave.; 0.6mi
Texas Roadhouse
17
Shadeland Avenue
10
Tie Dye Grill
Taco Bell
15. Luca Pizza
$$ Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches/Subs; 2525 N Shadeland Ave.; 0.6mi
North
16. Texas Roadhouse
$$ Steakhouse, Burgers, Pub Food; 1405 N Shadeland Ave.; 0.6mi.
17. Tie Dye Grill
$$ Sandwiches, Burgers, Pub Food; 1311 N Shadeland Ave;
0.7mi
18. Beijing
$ Chinese, Fast Food; 8144 E 21st St.; 0.9mi
19. McDonald’s 1934 E Shadeland Ave. $ Burgers, Fast Food; 0.2mi
2014
Leslie Yeager
July 11, 2014
Bonnie Harstad
September 5, 2014
Ellen Klopfer
October 8, 2014
John Stacy
October 27, 2014
Gloria Blankenburg
October 28, 2014
2015
David Schroeder
Jan. 28, 2015