Office of the Bishop-West Office of the Bishop-East PO Box 70 1301 Colley Avenue Salem, Virginia 24153 Norfolk, Virginia 23517 Phone: 540-389-1000 Phone: 757-622-9421 Fax: 540-389-5962 Fax: 757-623-5680 www.vasynod.org
The Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
In Partnership with the Islands District, Papua New Guinea
March 31, 2016
To the Congregations of the Virginia Synod,
At the 2015 Virginia Synod Assembly, a resolution was passed instructing the Synod Council to provide a detailed plan for study and discernment off the bishop election that is to take place at the Virginia Synod Assembly in 2017. In addition, the resolution instructed the Synod Council to provide to the congregations of the Virginia Synod a report prior to the 2016 Synod Assembly with recommendations and a plan for the 2017 bishop election. In response to the resolution, the Synod Council formed a "Transition Committee" to study and discern the transition process that the Virginia Synod will face at the 2017 Synod Assembly.
We are blessed with wonderful leadership, both rostered and lay, and I am thankful for the individuals from each of our conferences that agreed to serve on the committee. The Transition Committee met with a representative of the ELCA to gain a clear understanding of the Bishop transition process and studied the ELCA resource "Toolkit for Synod Bishop Elections."
Further, the Transition Committee held a number of meetings to develop a plan for the election of a Bishop in 2017 and the transition that will take place thereafter. Attached to this letter is the report and recommendations of the committee that the Synod Council has approved and endorsed. I want to thank all the members of the Transition Committee for their service to the Synod and I want to specifically acknowledge the hard work of the chairwoman of the committee Blythe Scott.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the 2016 Synod Assembly.
We are Ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us II Corinthians 5:20 Office of the Bishop-West Office of the Bishop-East PO Box 70 1301 Colley Avenue Salem, Virginia 24153 Norfolk, Virginia 23517 Phone: 540-389-1000 Phone: 757-622-9421 Fax: 540-389-5962 Fax: 757-623-5680 www.vasynod.org
The Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
In Partnership with the Islands District, Papua New Guinea
REPORT for Presentation to the 2016 Assembly
Statement of purpose-The transition process provides educational opportunities concerning the ministry of a Lutheran bishop, question gathering through a survey, and discussion of leadership qualities and skills needed based on the mission priorities and challenges identified. This process will assist voting members in discerning the gifts and leadership qualities essential in the ministry of a bishop. The process will not pre-nominate or name specific candidates.
Goal - provide an education regarding the format for the election of the bishop based on the Ecclesiastical Ballot and develop a more extensive list in which will be provided in advance of the assembly, of questions to be posed to the final candidates at the 2017 Assembly in order to provide voting members with more relevant information at the time of voting. The questions may reflect the issues raised from the survey. Goal -educate and remind congregations that this process should be guided by a sense of where God is calling the church to go and how that should influence the choice of the one called to lead the church in that direction. Action -create calendar and assign members of the transition team to attend conference meetings, meet with Deans, and attend events to present the Transition Team plan. Action - Webpage development -create a page that introduces the team, provides information of what action the Synod took after the passing of Resolution 2, lays out a calendar and provides a timeline for the Team's actions. The webpage will also be a location for the list of questions described above to be posted. Action - The Synod Council will develop the equivalent of a Ministry Site Profile for the Virginia Synod to be distributed to congregations so that it may be discussed at the Fall 2016-Spring 20 17 conference gatherings.
In summary, the transition team action plan and goals respond to the resolution by creating a calendar, education plan, survey, and webpage that will educate and inform the Synod about bishop selection through the Ecclesiastical Ballot. Also, the transition team will create ad hoc committees in the future to handle celebration, installation, and mutual ministry care for outgoing and incoming bishop.
We are Ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us II Corinthians 5:20 Office of the Bishop-West Office of the Bishop-East PO Box 70 1301 Colley Avenue Salem, Virginia 24153 Norfolk, Virginia 23517 Phone: 540-389-1000 Phone: 757-622-9421 Fax: 540-389-5962 Fax: 757-623-5680 www.vasynod.org
The Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
In Partnership with the Islands District, Papua New Guinea
Transition Calendar
2015: Sept 18 Synod Council creates transition team Nov 7 First Transition Team Meeting
2016: Jan 29 Transition Team progress report to Synod Council Feb 7 Second Transition Team meeting Feb. 25 Blythe Scott introduction to Deans during Meeting via ZOOM; ZOOM w/Ministerium March 1 1 -12 Lutheran Youth Board and Youth Ministry Committee – Maren Corliss March 18-19 Synod Council - Charlottesville - Transition Team report to Synod Council April 21 Deans - Bethlehem , Waynesboro - Update by Blythe Scott Synod Assembly - June (9)10-12 Introduction, Report Presentation, Breakout Sessions for lay and clergy, Survey June 26-July 1 Kairos - introduction and educational session s, survey – Jody Smiley, Bob Yates, Maren Corliss, Elizabeth Smythe July 14-16 Power in the Spirit - information session, survey - Charles Poston, Aug 5 Women 's Gathering - Jody Smiley Aug. 8-13 ELCA Churchwide Assembly - New Orleans -Blythe Scott attending, meet with ELCA Secretary regarding the election process Aug. 18-20 Candidacy Committee and Conference - Karen Van Stee Sept. 12-13 Orientation to the Virginia Synod- Roanoke College - Jody Smiley, Bob Yates Sept. 15-17 Synod Council – Update by Blythe Scott Sept. 23-24 Lutheran Youth Organization Board I Youth Ministry Committee - Karen Taylor Oct. 17-19 Gathering of the Ministerium - Charles Downs, Lou Florio, Elizabeth Smythe, Karen Van Nov. 17 DeansStee First - Karen Call TaylorRetreat - Karen Van Stee
2017:2017 Jan. 13-14 Synod Council - Update Blythe Scott Winter Celebration # 1 - Maren Corl iss
Jan. 20-22 Winter Celebration #1 – Maren Corliss Jan. 27-29 Winter Celebration #2 - Maren Corliss March 17-18 Synod Council- Update Blythe Scott June (8)9-11 Synod Assembly
We are Ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us II Corinthians 5:20 Office of the Bishop-West Office of the Bishop-East PO Box 70 1301 Colley Avenue Salem, Virginia 24153 Norfolk, Virginia 23517 Phone: 540-389-1000 Phone: 757-622-9421 Fax: 540-389-5962 Fax: 757-623-5680 www.vasynod.org
The Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
In Partnership with the Islands District, Papua New Guinea
Notes:
Conference Dates with Deans will be scheduled through late 20 16 and early 2017. Future Dates for Celebration, Installation, and Mutual Ministry Care to be determined. To include Rostered Leaders and the 2017 assembly voting members to educate them on the process and voting materials
The team reserves the right to alter the dates and which members will attend the events listed in the calendar above due to unforeseen schedule conflicts.
Transition Team Members:
Tidewater: Charles Poston Youth: Maren Corliss Peninsula: Rev. Larry Shoberg Richmond: Rev. Lou Florio Germanna: Dave Raecke Page: Mark Reed Northern Valley: Rev. Jim Utt Central Valley: Rev. Karen Yan Stee Southern Valley: Rev. Karen Taylor Southern: Robert (Bob) Yates New River: Jody Smiley Highlands: Elizabeth Smythe Synod Staff: Rebecca Walls Team Leader: Blythe Scott
We are Ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us II Corinthians 5:20