Report of the Synod Council 2012

This annual report of the Synod Council to the 21st Synod Assembly is to provide you with a summary of the actions that have been taken on your behalf since the Synod met in Assembly on May 13-14, 2011 at the Melville Marriott in Melville, New York. These actions are divided into appropriate sections as they relate to the work of the Synod Council.

Calls Rev. Robert Wollenburg: VP for Fund Raising, Spiritual Care and Church Relations, Eger Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc. Rev. Dr. Daphne Burt: Intentional Interim, Trinity, Staten Island Mr. James Smith: Chaplain, Wagner College Rev. Daniel Ruth: Lutheran World Relief Mr. Benjamin McKelahan: Mission Developer for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Brooklyn Rev. Romeo Dabee: On leave from call Rev. Donald Lemke: Interim Pastor, Christ, Ozone Park Rev. Ronald Gothberg: Interim Pastor, Gloria Dei, New Hyde Park Rev. George Handzo: Health Care Chaplain Rev. Marianne Tomecek: New Hope, Jamaica Rev. Haiko Behrens: On leave from call Rev. Carol Kessler: On leave from call Rev. Stephen Hultgren: Faculty, Australian Lutheran College Rev. David Anglada: Chaplain, Visiting Nurse Service of New York Rev. Romeo Dabee: Chaplain, Christ for the World Chapel, JFK Int’l. Airport Rev. Daphne Burt: On leave from call Rev. Albert Triolo: On leave from call

Appointments Environmental Stewardship Committee Mr. Gerard Falco, Chair Ms. Barbara Hansen Mr. Pat Almonrode

Cultural Competence Planning Group Ms. Barbara Johnson, Chair

Candidacy Committee Rev. William Eschen Rev. Rosalind Brathwaite Ms. Janet Siry

Bishop’s Benevolence Task Force Rev. Brenda Jack Rev. James Sudbrock Ms. Kathleen Schmidt Ms. Sarah Beaty

Salam Ministry Fund Board Rev. Donald Stiger Ms. Kathleen Schmidt Mr. Adnan Naum Mr. Sadek Nakleh

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-1 Seafarer’s & International House Board Rev. James Sudbrock (Bishop’s representative)

Financial Management Committee Rev. Craig Miller Mr. Edward Wagner

MNYS Youth Representation Task Force Dcn. Charles Germain, Chair

MNYS Sexual Misconduct First Contact Rev. Toby Tobias Ms. Antonia Clemente

Audit Committee Ms. Eileen Weber

Synod Worship Team Rev. Rebecca Pollicino

Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialog: Long Island Rev. John Flack

Office Space Task Force Dcn. John Malone Rev. Paul Milholland Ms. Barbara Johnson Rev. Kit Robison

Elections To Executive Committee: The Rev. Paul Milholland Ms. Barbara Johnson Ms. Minerva Melendez The Rev. William Baum

To Synod Council: Ms. Hazel Goldstein (to serve unexpired term)

Resolutions 1. ACTION SC11:06/01 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Council call the Rev. Robert Wollenburg to serve as VP for Fund Raising, Spiritual Care and Church Relations at Eger Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc., Staten Island effective 3 April 2011

2. ACTION SC11:06/02 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Council call the Rev. Dr. Daphne Burt to serve as Intentional Interim Pastor at Trinity, Staten Island effective 17 July 2011.

3. ACTION SC11:06/03 BE IT RESOLVED, that the OSTF continue its original character of activity, and report its activity to the Synod Council in one year.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the membership of the original task force be continued from one year after date of adoption.

4. ACTION SC11:06/04 RESOLVED, that the Bishop’s working group present its plan to the Synod Council for accommodating the continuing ministry of Sion, 119th Street, Manhattan, be extended December 31, 2011.

5. ACTION SC11:06/05 RESOLVED, that Iglesia Luterana Resurrecion, Uniondale be removed from the roster of congregations of the Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA.

6. ACTION SC11:06/06 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Council recommend that the Church Council provide for a period of stability relative to its commitment to campus ministry in our church over a five-year period, with no further cuts from the fiscal year 2012 amounts already announced, while working with synods, state and regional campus ministry boards, local boards, and campus pastors to ensure and develop sustainable funding models.

7. ACTION SC11:06/07 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Council approve the Trexler Fund travel grant proposals submitted by the Rev. Stephen Beyer and the Rev. Dr. Richard Hill for $1000 each.

8. ACTION SC11:06/08 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod re-elect the current Executive Committee (Rev. William Baum, Ms. Barbara Johnson, Ms. Minerva Melendez, Rev. Paul Milholland) for an additional term.

9. ACTION SC11:06/09 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod takes no exception to St. Paul’s, Red Hook sale of a 1.2 acre parcel located on Firehouse Lane, Red Hook, New York.

10. ACTION SC11:09/01 RESOLVED, that the Manual for Synod Council Training and Formation be adopted, as modified through discussion.

11. ACTION SC11:09/02 RESOLVED, that appointments be approved en bloc.

12. ACTION SC11:09/03 RESOLVED, that Mr. James Smith be called as Chaplain to Wagner College, Staten Island, NY, and that a grant of $25,000 per year for two years be provided from the Mission Redevelopment Fund to Wagner toward the compensation and benefits package of the chaplain.

13. ACTION SC11:09/04 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Council invoke Bylaw 8.72.15D to remove the Rev. Rose Ann Vita from the ELCA roster upon her reception onto the roster of the United Church of Canada.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-3

14. ACTION SC11:09/05 BE IT RESOLVED that the Synod Council accept and adopt the Independent Certified Public Accountants report, and

BE IT RESOLVED that the Synod Council again appoint Tait, Welles & Baker LLP as Independent Certified Public Accounts for the year 2011, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Audit Committee be commended for its efforts in this task.

15. ACTION SC11:09/06 RESOLVED, that Dcn. John Malone, Pr. Paul Milholland, Ms. Barbara Johnson, and Pr. Kit Robison be appointed to the Office Space Task Force.

16. ACTION SC11:09/07 RESOLVED, that Mr. Tom Massey and Daxko T2 Consulting be retained to assist the Metropolitan New York Synod in the development of a strategic plan, and authorize project expenditures be taken from the Mission Redevelopment Fund not to exceed $100,000.

17. ACTION SC11:09/08 RESOLVED, that the contract with Rita Fuerst Adams, Charitable and Philanthropic Management Counsel be terminated.

18. ACTION SC11:09/09 RESOLVED, that the Outline of Proposal for MNYS-LSSNY Development Projects, as amended, be adopted.

19. ACTION SC11:09/10 RESOLVED, that Procedures for “Permanent” Synod Administration Requested by the Congregation (S13.24), be referred back for revision and rewording.

20. ACTION SC11:09/11 RESOLVED, that Procedures for “Permanent” Synod Administration Imposed by Synod Council (S13.24), as amended, be adopted.

21. ACTION SC11:09/12 RESOLVED, that Procedures for “Temporary” Synod Administration (S13.25) be adopted.

22. ACTION SC11:09/13 RESOLVED, that Oceanside Lutheran Church be removed from synod administration.

23. ACTION SC11:09/14 RESOLVED, that the loan to St. Michael’s, Amagansett be extended through December 31, 2011.

24. ACTION SC11:09/15 RESOLVED, that the Synod Council approve an expenditure of not more than $50,000, to be taken from the Mission Redevelopment Fund, for the renovation of the St. Luke’s, Clinton Hill,

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-4 Brooklyn apartment (2nd floor) which will be used to house the mission developer of the Young Adult Ministry in Greenpoint; and be it further

RESOLVED, that in conjunction with the expenditures for the repairs, synod will enter into an agreement with St. Luke’s whereby the renovation expenses incurred by MNYS be credited as rent for the apartment at the rate of $2,000/month; and that once the apartment renovation expenses have been fully amortized, the debts owed by St. Luke’s to MNYS will be reduced at the rate of $2,000 per month in lieu of rent for the apartment, until the earlier of the synod vacating the apartment or the debt owed by St. Luke’s to MNYS has been fully paid off.

25. ACTION SC11:09/16 RESOLVED, that upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Metropolitan New York Synod officially designates St. Lydia’s as a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC) of the Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA and designates Emily Scott as their servant leader.

26. ACTION SC11:09/17 RESOLVED, that proposed compensation guidelines for 2012, reflecting a COLA of 2% to base salary, minimum housing allowance of $18,000 and increase in rates for honoraria for Supply Pastors be adopted.

27. ACTION SC11:09/18 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Council approves and supports the covenant agreement between Redeemer Lutheran Church, Queens Village, Saint Peter’s Church, Manhattan and the Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA as described in the provided document.

28. ACTION SC11:09/19 RESOLVED, that the proposed Trexler Grant for the Rev. Karen Kuttler be approved.

29. ACTION SC11:10/01 RESOLVED, that Sarah Beaty be appointed to serve on the Bishop’s Benevolence Task Force.

30. ACTION SC11:10/02 RESOLVED, that Rev. Daniel Ruth be called to serve under specialized call to Lutheran World Relief.

31. ACTION SC11:10/03 RESOLVED, that Mr. Benjamin McKelahan be called to serve as Mission Developer for Youth and Young Adult Ministry in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

32. ACTION SC11:10/04 RESOLVED, that Rev. Romeo Dabee be granted On Leave from Call Status, effective July 1, 2011. ACTION SC11:10/04

33. ACTION SC11:10/05 RESOLVED, that Rev. Donald Lemke be called to Interim Pastoral Ministry at Christ, Ozone Park.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-5 34. ACTION SC11:10/06 RESOLVED, that Rev. Ronald Gothberg be called to Interim Pastoral Ministry at Gloria Dei, New Hyde Park.

35. ACTION SC11:10/07 RESOLVED, that the synod develop a Latino mission strategy for Manhattan centered around the pastor and people of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, and seek to involve the existing Latino ministries in Manhattan in developing this plan; and be it further RESOLVED, that the synod take title to and sell the property located at 217 E.119th St., New York, NY; and be it further RESOLVED, that the proceeds from the sale be used to first reimburse the synod for all monies expended on behalf of Zion since September 4, 2005; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Bishop, the Director for Evangelical Mission, and the members of the Zion Mission Guidance Team meet with the congregation to discuss the best use of the remaining net proceeds from the sale of the property; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Synod Council authorize the synod’s executive staff to locate a home for Zion (temporary or permanent) within one of our existing congregations in Manhattan as quickly as possible; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Synod Council express its gratitude to the Zion Mission Guidance Team and to Pastor Fabian Arias and the people of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church for their efforts over these last six years and their continuing commitment to build up a strong Latino ministry within our synod.

36. ACTION SC11:10/08 RESOLVED, that this procedure for “permanent” synod administration requested by the congregation (S13.24) be adopted.

37. ACTION SC11:10/09 RESOLVED, that the Synod Council Adopt the corrected Operational Ethics Policy as circulated to the members, and be it further RESOLVED, that the corrected Operational Ethics Policy be attached to the file copy of the minutes of this meeting.

38. ACTION SC11:10/10 RESOLVED, that the Synod Council adopt a continuing resolution that would require the annual distribution required by paragraph No. 7 of the Operational Ethics Policy be done at, or as nearly as feasible to, the June meeting of the Synod Council, and be it further

RESOLVED that the policy be included in the Manual for Synod Council Training and Formation.

39. ACTION SC11:10/11 RESOLVED, that Rev. Eric Swensson and Rev. John McKenzie be removed from the roster of clergy of the ELCA since they have become rostered in another Lutheran body.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-6 40. ACTION SC11:11/01 RESOLVED, that Eileen Weber be appointed to a first three year term on the Audit Committee commencing February 1, 2012.

41. ACTION SC11:11/02 RESOLVED, that Rev. George Handzo be called to specialized ministry to serve as Health Care Chaplain.

42. ACTION SC11:11/03 RESOLVED, that Saint James Lutheran Church, Stewart Manor, NY, being served by a pastor not on the roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and having petitioned the Synod Council of the Metropolitan New York Synod for release from the communion of its congregations to unite with another Lutheran church body, is hereby released from membership in the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America acknowledges its continuing fellowship with Saint James Lutheran Church in the Body of Christ; and be it further RESOLVED, that this action is taken with prayer for the eventual reunion of the congregation and the Metropolitan New York Synod.

43. ACTION SC11:11/04 RESOLVED, that Advent Lutheran Church, Elmont, NY, being served by a pastor not on the roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and having petitioned the Synod Council of the Metropolitan New York Synod for release from the communion of its congregations to unite with another Lutheran church body, is hereby released from membership in the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America acknowledges its continuing fellowship with Advent Lutheran Church in the Body of Christ; and be it further RESOLVED, that this action is taken with prayer for the eventual reunion of the congregation and the Metropolitan New York Synod.

44. ACTION SC11:11/05 RESOLVED, that Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New Rochelle, NY, being served by a pastor not on the roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and having petitioned the Synod Council of the Metropolitan New York Synod for release from the communion of its congregations to unite with another Lutheran church body, is hereby released from membership in the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America acknowledges its continuing fellowship with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in the Body of Christ; and be it further RESOLVED, that this action is taken with prayer for the eventual reunion of the congregation and the Metropolitan New York Synod.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-7

45. ACTION SC11:11/06 RESOLVED, that registration fees for the 2012 Synod Assembly be set at: $100.00 per voting member; $50.00 for visitor; and $150.00 for meal plan.

46. ACTION SC11:11/07 RESOLVED, that Reformation Korean Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, NY, be removed from the roster of congregations of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA.

47. ACTION SC12:01/01 RESOLVED, that Rev. Marianne Tomecek be called as interim pastor of New Hope, Jamaica.

48. ACTION SC12:01/02 RESOLVED, that Rev. Haiko Behrens be granted on leave from call status.

49. ACTION SC12:01/03 RESOLVED, that Rev. Carol Kessler be granted on leave from call status.

50. ACTION SC12:01/04 RESOLVED, that Rev. Rebecca Pollicino be appointed to the Synod Worship Team.

51. ACTION SC12:01/05 RESOLVED, that the Partnership Grants were approved as presented.

52. ACTION SC12:01/06 RESOLVED, that the Latino Strategy Team for Latino Ministry in Manhattan be extended to June 30, 2012 and report to the June meeting of Synod Council.

53. ACTION SC12:01/07 RESOLVED, that the financial support to Zion be extended pursuant to the existing agreement until the sale of the property or until the amount of the loan equals the appraised value of the property.

54. ACTION SC12:01/08 RESOLVED, that the Executive Committee is authorized to enter into a contract with Studley for a period of one year after favorable review and negotiation of the contract.

55. ACTION SC12:01/09 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod and its congregations do everything in their power to financially support Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education; and RESOLVED, that members of the Metropolitan New York Synod who have an appreciation for Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education encourage their congregations to hold a Ministries in Higher Education Sunday at least once a year to lift up campus pastors, campus ministries, and the cooperating congregations across the Metropolitan New York Synod who minister to and with the students, faculty, and staff of colleges and universities within the Metropolitan New York Synod; and

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-8 RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan New York Synod Bishop and Synod Council be commended for their efforts to seek cooperation and effective partnership in campus ministry with our full communion partners.

56. ACTION SC12:01/10 RESOLVED, that the Nominations and Elections Procedures for the 2012 Synod Assembly, as presented, be approved.

57. ACTION SC12:01/11 That the following resolutions be presented to 2012 Synod Assembly: RESOLVED, that this Assembly of the Metropolitan New York Synod create one Constitutional Committee, to be called the Nominations and Elections Committee, whose responsibilities shall encompass the duties and responsibilities as listed in the Constitution of the Metropolitan New York Synod and currently relating to the Committee on the Conduct of Elections and the Nominating Committee, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the newly created Nominations and Elections Committee be appointed by the Bishop and approved by the Synod Council.

58. ACTION SC12:01/12 RESOLVED, that Ms. Hazel Goldstein be appointed to serve the remaining term of Janet Sirey until May 2012.

59. ACTION SC12:01/13 RESOLVED, that a Trexler Grant in the amount of $1,000 to Rev. Kimberli Lile be approved.

60. ACTION SC12:02/01 RESOLVED, that the Synod Council recommend to the 2012 Synod Assembly that it adopt the proposed procedure for the election of the synodical bishop in 2014.

61. ACTION SC12:02/02 RESOLVED, that the 2013 Metropolitan New York Synod Assembly be a one day assembly, devoted to our life together, but including necessary business.

62. ACTION SC12:02/03 RESOLVED, that the housing allowances for rostered staff as specified be approved.

63. ACTION SC12:03/01 RESOLVED, that the synod council recommend to the Synod Assembly in May 2012 that it adopt the strategic plan as presented.

64. ACTION SC12:03/02 RESOLVED, that The Rev. Stephen Hultgren be called to serve on the faculty of Australian Lutheran College for a period of three years, effective July 1, 2012.

65. ACTION SC12:03/03 RESOLVED, that The Rev. David Anglada be called to serve as chaplain to the Visiting Nurse Services of New York, effective February 21, 2012.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-9

66. ACTION SC12:03/04 RESOLVED, that The Rev. Daphne Burt be granted On Leave from Call Status, effective January 24, 2012.

67. ACTION SC12:03/05 RESOLVED, that the synod council recommend to the Synod Assembly in May 2012 that it adopt the revised budget for 2012 and the proposed budget for 2013.

68. ACTION SC12:03/06 RESOLVED, that the synod council nominate Mr. Frank M. Suttell to the Synod Assembly in May 2012 for the office of Treasurer.

69. ACTION SC12:03/07 RESOLVED, that the synod council adopt the Agenda for the May 17-19, 2012 Synod Assembly as presented.

70. ACTION SC12:03/08 RESOLVED, that the Synod write off the total expenses paid on behalf of Grace Lutheran Church, North Branch, and that Grace be informed that the Synod will not expend any financial resources to acquire the house adjacent to Grace’s property.

71. ACTION SC12:03/09 RESOLVED, that the foregoing Statement on Preaching and Sacramental Practices be adopted as the policy of the Metropolitan New York Synod with respect to preaching and sacramental practices for congregations in the absence of a regularly called and ordained pastor, and that the council recommend its adoption by the Synod Assembly in May 2012.

72. ACTION SC12:03/10 RESOLVED, that the Synod Council recommends adoption of the resolution (on LIFT), as amended, to the synod Assembly.

The Rev. Robert Schoepflin, Synod Secretary

Commission to Examine Our Process to Elect a Synodical Bishop Proposal from the Commission to Examine our Election Process

Background The Commission was charged by the 2008 Synod Assembly with examining the procedures used by other synods and church bodies for electing a bishop and surveying the members of our own synod, and making recommendations for changes (if any) in our bishop election process. As reported at the 2011 Synod Assembly, numerous other synods of our Church have adopted procedures for nominating/identifying candidates for the office of bishop prior to the Assembly at which a Bishop will be elected. The response to these procedures has been favorable. A survey of members of our synod demonstrated a strong desire that nominees be identified prior to the Assembly so that more informed decision-making will guide our election process.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-10 What follows is the recommendation of the Commission for a modification of our election procedure, to be presented to the voting members at our Assembly, May 17-19, 2012. Procedure A Bishop Election Committee (the “committee”), comprised of ten (10) members, six (6) lay and four (4) clergy, will be selected and installed at the Synod Assembly preceding the Assembly at which the election for bishop will occur (the “Electing Assembly”). *See Appendix A for selection and composition of this Committee].

The Committee will be charged with soliciting nominations from any baptized member of a congregation within the Synod and from any group of baptized members within the Synod, including, but not limited to, congregation councils, conferences, committees, and organizations, for the office of Bishop.

The period during which nominations may be made will begin on September 1 in the year prior to the Electing Assembly and end on January 1 of the year of the Electing Assembly. A nomination must be physically received or post-marked by January 1 to be considered by the committee. The form for making a nomination for the office of Bishop will be available on the website of the Synod no later than September 1 of the year prior to the Electing Assembly. The form will contain detailed instructions for its submission.

All nominations will be received by the Chairperson of the Committee who will send written acknowledgement of receipt to the maker (individual or group) of the nomination.

After the close of the nominating period, the Committee will prayerfully and deliberately select seven (7) nominees to be included on the first ballot for the election of Bishop. This selection process will include face to face interviews with the nominees and careful consideration of how each nominee’s gifts and strengths for leadership and ministry matches up with the strategic plan of the Synod. During this selection process, the Committee will receive written assurance from each of these nominees that he or she consents to stand for election as Bishop and that he or she will participate fully and willingly in the election processes both prior to and during the Electing Assembly, including the providing of all biographical information requested, meeting with the Committee, and attendance at the Electing Assembly and at all informational forums prior to the Electing Assembly. The Committee will have background checks and screening performed, in accordance with Synod and Churchwide guidelines, on each of the seven nominees prior to releasing the names and biographies of the nominees.

The names and biographies of the seven (7) nominees will be announced by the Committee by April 1 of the year of the Electing Assembly. Such announcement will be made via the Synod website, synod e- letter, and by written mailing to each congregation of the Synod. At the same time, the Committee will provide a schedule of informational forums (dates and locations) to be held with the candidates.

In accordance with the schedule provided by the Committee, four (4) informational forums will be held during which members of the Synod may meet, hear and ask questions of the nominees for Bishop. The Committee will determine the form and conduct of the forums. All seven (7) nominees will be required to be present at each of the forums. The locations of the forums will be varied geographically within the Synod and be selected in order to provide for the broadest attendance possible. All forums will be scheduled to occur within the shortest time-frame practicable, and will be concluded no later than the Thursday of the week prior to the Electing Assembly.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-11 The first ballot for the election of the Bishop will contain the names of the seven (7) nominees and one additional space in which a voting member at the Electing Assembly may nominate any other ELCA- rostered clergy person for the office of Bishop. In this manner the ballot is still an ecclesiastical ballot within the provisions of the Constitution of the Synod. If any nominee, including a nominee written on the ballot at the Assembly, receives the required number of votes to be elected (three-fourths of the votes), that nominee shall be deemed elected as Bishop. If no nominee receives the required number of votes to elect on the first ballot, it shall be considered the nominating ballot, and successive ballots shall be held in accordance with current constitutional provisions, until an individual is elected as Bishop. None of the seven (7) nominees places on the ballot by the Committee shall have the right to withdraw his or her name before the second ballot. Any individual nominated on the first ballot by a voting member of the Electing Assembly shall have the right to withdraw his or her name from consideration prior to the second ballot.

During the Electing Assembly the Committee shall provide opportunities for questions to be placed to all the nominees and for each nominee to address the voting members as under current practice.

Timetable for Next Election of a Bishop (2014 Synod Assembly) 2012 Assembly Consideration and vote on new procedure

January 2013 Conferences invited to submit nominations for Election Committee

January - March 2013 Commission receives nominations for Election Committee

2013 Assembly Members of Election Committee selected by lot and installed

June-December 2013 Election Committee meets, elects chair, adds members if necessary, formulates selection plan, develops Bible study materials relating to office/election of bishop for use by congregations and conferences.

September 1, 2013 Nomination Form made available on Synod website.

September 1, 2013- January 1. 2014 Nominations received by Chairperson of Committee

January 1-March 31, 2014 Nominees interviewed. Background checks.

April 1, 2014 Seven (7) nominees announced via website, e-letter and written letter to congregations. Schedule of forums announced.

May 1, 2014 Informational forums begin to be held.

Assembly 2014 Election of Bishop

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-12

APPENDIX A— Process for nominees to the Bishop Election Committee

10 persons to be placed on the committee: 6 lay and 4 clergy Selection to happen by lot (Acts 1:21-26 – the choice of Matthias to be an apostle)

21"So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." 23So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. NRSV

Selection to occur at the 2013 Synod Assembly: two baskets, one with laypersons’ and one with clergypersons’ names; to be drawn by one of the ecumenical guests visiting assembly that year. Each conference of the synod will be asked to submit suggestions to serve on the committee: 3 laypersons and 2 clergy.  Names do not necessarily need to be from the specific conference that suggests  Names must be of active members of a parish in the Metro NY Synod  In the suggestion of names, Conferences are asked to be mindful of the great diversity of our synod when suggesting names, being conscious of ethnic, geographic, economic, type/size of congregation, age, LGBT, other, issues  Person suggested must be contacted and agree to serve if chosen, understanding that there will be several meetings shortly after the 2013 Synod assembly, but that there will be a heavy commitment of work from January – March of 2014. (The dean of the conference that suggests will be responsible for securing permission from the nominee.)  It is understood that no person that might be a potential candidate for bishop shall be a person serving on the selection/call committee, thus any pastor who believes she/he might discern that God is calling them to serve as bishop shall not allow their name to be submitted  Person must understand the vital nature of confidentiality within the process, and will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement and pledge before the 2013 Synod assembly that they will abide by this  Though a person can be suggested any number of times by any conference, should they meet the above, their name will appear in the “selection basket” only once  Trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as happened in Acts, the names shall be drawn. Should the committee determine that they do not effectively reflect the rich diversity of our Synod, they may choose to appoint no more than 5 additional persons to serve  The committee shall choose its own chairperson, understanding that this person will have responsibilities throughout the process in addition to committee meetings (including receiving potential bishop candidate names/resumes and supervising any contracted staff person to assist the committee with its work) Robert Schoepflin, Synod Secretary (charged with chairing this Commission)

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-13

Committee for Congregational Viability Norms

Final Report to the Synod Assembly—May 18, 2012

At the May 2010 Synod Assembly, a resolution was presented to establish a Committee for Congregational Viability Norms. Time ran short at the Assembly, so the motion was referred to our Synod Council for consideration.

At its June 8, 2010, meeting our Synod Council adopted the following:

Whereas, the number of Metropolitan New York Synod congregations at-risk or under synod administration is abnormally large and continues to grow, and

Whereas, the bishop in his 2010 Synod Assembly Report envisions the probability that the synod will shrink from 208 to 150 congregations in the next seven to ten years, and

Whereas, there is no strategic plan to manage this phenomenon, and

Whereas, the overall mission of the synod deserves planning that is realistic, therefore be it

Resolved, that a Committee for Congregational Viability Norms be established consisting of:

the Bishop (or his appointed representative) the Secretary of the Synod the Treasurer of the Synod a representative of the Conference of Deans, nominated by that body and elected by the Synod Council the Assistant to the Bishop for Congregations two lay members of the Synod Council, elected by the Council and two lay persons (At large) nominated by the Conference of Deans and elected by the Synod Council; and be it

Resolved, that the purpose of this committee is to further the articulation of norms guiding when congregations should be encouraged to close or merge, or when synod administration (MNYS Constitution 13.24) should be invoked; and be it

Resolved, that this committee report quarterly to the Synod Council and annually to the Synod Assembly; and be it

Resolved, that the Synod Assembly debate and vote on whether to establish these norms as the policy of this synod; and be it further

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-14 Resolved, that this committee conclude its work at the Synod Assembly in 2012.

Committee Members

Following extensive consultation with our Conference of Deans, Synod Executive Committee, Synod Council and Synod Staff, the Committee was staffed with the following people:

Robert Buescher, Treasurer of our Synod, Our Redeemer, Seaford

Pastor Robert Schoepflin, Secretary of our Synod, Abiding Presence, Fort Salonga

Pastor Gary Schulz, Conference of Deans’ Representative, Holy Trinity, Bellerose

Pastor Kathleen Koran, Assistant to the Bishop for Congregations, Emanuel, Pleasantville

Deacon Ingrid Compton, Lay Person at Large, St. Stephen’s, Brooklyn

Muriel Davis, Lay Person at Large, Trinity, Middle Village

Dr. Carlos Lopez, Synod Council Lay Person, Advent, Manhattan

Deacon John Malone, Synod Council Lay Person, Holy Trinity, Brooklyn

Pastor William Baum, Bishop's Representative, Committee Chair, Saint Barnabas, Howard Beach

Advisors

Pastor Michael Church, Synod Historian, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania, Cluj

Pastor Jack Horner, Assistant to the Bishop for Evangelical Mission, Emanuel, Pleasantville

A Resolution on Congregational Viability Norms From the Synod Council for Consideration By the Synod Assembly

Whereas, at its June 8, 2010, meeting our Synod Council resolved:

“that a Committee for Congregational Viability Norms be established, and that the purpose of this committee is to further the articulation of norms guiding when congregations should be encouraged to close or merge, or when synod administration (MNYS Constitution 13.24) should be invoked; and that this committee report quarterly to the Synod Council and annually to the Synod Assembly; and that the Synod Assembly debate and vote on whether to establish these norms as the policy of this synod; and that this committee conclude its work at the Synod Assembly in 2012.” and

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-15 Whereas, we are called to be faithful stewards of the resources entrusted to us in service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and

Whereas, our Metropolitan New York Synod Constitution provides that:

“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.” (Metropolitan New York Synod Constitution, Section S13.24) and

Whereas, our Synod Council seeks guidance in discerning when to encourage congregations to close or merge, or to invoke its constitutional responsibility to apply Synod Administration to a congregation; and

Whereas, a congregation’s ability to effectively self-govern is a necessary basis enabling it to fulfill the purposes for which it was organized to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; therefore be it

Resolved, that when a significant number of the norms cited below is lacking, there is good reason to conclude that a congregation has lost the capability for effective self-governance and therefore its mission has concluded and its ministry is complete; and be it

Resolved, that our Synod Council see that each congregation be able to demonstrate the ability to:

1. Gather Weekly for Worship 2. Call a Pastor 3. Hold an Annual Meeting of the Congregation 4. Elect Congregation Council and Officers as Required by Congregational Constitution & New York State Law: President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary 5. Provide Audited Financial Statements 6. Share in the Fellowship of our Synod & the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Provide Financial Synod Mission Support, Attend Synod Assembly 7. Submit an Annual Parochial Report to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 8. Maintain the Upkeep and Safety of Buildings and Property 9. Secure Adequate Insurance for Property and Persons 10. Keep Current with Financial Obligations

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-16 And be it Resolved, that based upon these norms our Synod Council establish a process to regularly review the viability of the congregations of our Metropolitan New York Synod and prayerfully discern appropriate action with attendant pastoral care. Summary of the Committee’s Work

The Committee on Congregational Viability Norms provided an Interim Report to the Synod Assembly in May 2011. That report focused on the necessity of a congregation to have a pastor in order to pursue its ministry. It is appended at the end of this report.

This past year, the committee met five times from September through April. In addition, two presentations about the committee’s work were given to the Executive Committee, the Synod Council and the Conference of Deans. The committee’s Conversations About Congregational Viability which were offered during February and March in Poughkeepsie, Manhattan, Middle Village and Deer Park, were attended by approximately 200 people.

The next section of this report features highlights of an insightful conversation helping illuminate the work and relationship of the Committee on Congregational Viability Norms and our synod’s Strategic Planning Process. Following our Viability Committee presentation in Poughkeepsie, Deacon Charlie Germain, a member of our Synod Council, offered a thoughtful review. Our Synod Historian, Pastor Michael Church, a consultant to the committee, responded to Charlie’s comments. And then, Deacon John Malone, a member of the committee and our Synod Council, responded to them both.

Comments from Deacon Charlie Germain

My problem with the Viability Study is that it doesn’t go far enough. It’s only a first step in developing a strategic plan. And maybe that’s all it was meant to be. But when you separate it out from the strategic plan and treat it separately, you run the risk that some people are going to look at it and say, “Yes, we’re a viable congregation” and then stop at that point without looking at where they might be in 3, 5 or 10 years down the road.

The ten norms proposed for our Synod Council to use to determine if a congregation is viable describe what is often referred to as a “conventional congregation.”

Conventional worship is arguably the dominant mode of worship among mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations. Conventional worship (and with it, conventional Christianity) focuses in one direction on the maintenance of the church as an institution and in the other direction on the individual as a recipient of spiritual benefits; it tends to support the social and political status quo.

What this is about is how consumer capitalism has shaped the church. The ten norms are about maintaining an institution. It’s not where the Gospel calls me to be. The Gospel calls me:

to continue in the covenant God made with them in Holy Baptism, to live among God’s faithful people, to hear his word and share his supper to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-17 You’ll recognize this as the confirmation promise. And you’ll recognize it as our mission as our strategic planning consultant laid it out for us at our Synod Council retreat. These are in stark contrast to the ten norms. Are we about maintaining an institution, or are we about proclaiming the Gospel? Many congregations had their annual meetings in January. Were most of those meetings about “proclaiming the good news, serving all people, and striving for justice and peace in all the earth?” Or were they primarily about how much money they need to keep the doors of the church building open? Before you tell me that we need to maintain the institution to proclaim the Gospel, please finish reading George Barna’s book “Revolution” distributed at our last Synod Council meeting. *Barna envisions new models of church emerging.]

But let’s assume for the moment that conventional church is the means for proclaiming the Gospel. Then we need to ask ourselves if conventional congregations are sustainable? I would argue that they are not. Again, at our Synod Council retreat, conversation came up about old members leaving their congregation (they die or move away). You may recall that the Bishop stated that it takes 14 new younger members of a congregation to replace the financial giving of one old member who leaves. The younger members have less discretionary income and have different giving patterns. You might be “viable” today, but you won’t be down the road. The critical issue is, what new structures do we need to develop since the old structure is no longer sustainable?

Response from Pastor Michael Church, Synod Historian

Briefly, I have three thoughts:

(1) At one level, of course, Charlie, you are correct. The work of the Viability Committee is closely connected to the broader strategic plan which our Synod is now developing. Together, they are an honest and forthright attempt to understand where we are as a community, and where we hope to go together.

But—and this is important—they are not the same. Our Synod Council has delegated to the Viability Committee a comparatively small, finite task: to assess the bare minimum levels of functionality below which a congregation may not be able to continue, so that the greater community has a chance to intervene before disaster strikes.

In contrast, a strategic plan is a much larger, more complex and—by definition—more flexible blueprint, which reflects both the hopes and the realistic expectations of our broader community. It is not about bare minimums, but rather about the full expression of the church in all its glory.

(2) You are also correct to distinguish between conventional congregations—and, sure, conventional Christianity—and other forms of religious life which are emerging around us now, and may emerge in the future. To catch hold of these new forms, which really means to discern the action of the Holy Spirit, is the never-ending work of the whole church.

But because the norms for congregational viability must be based on historical data—that is, experience —they cannot take full account of future developments. While tempting, it seems to me that it might be naive of us to "discern" norms which are divorced from the experience of so many congregations in our synod. Worse, it might make us false prophets, trying to assert our own vision rather than waiting patiently for God's.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-18 In other words, even though God may well someday establish congregations which carry out their mission with neither called pastors nor safe meeting-places nor financial record-keeping, we can't right now say that a congregation is "functioning" when it lacks the organizational coherence to provide any of those things.

(3) I want to remind you of two dangers:

(i) The first is the temptation to replace honest reflection with hopeful slogans. Frankly, there has been a lot of that in our synod over the years. Although well-intentioned, it has often had a deceitful effect. Telling a church whose roof is caving in that "healthy churches have strong outreach programs" is like telling a man with Stage V cancer that "healthy people avoid fatty foods." It's true enough, but hides the greater truth.

(ii) The second is the danger that non-viable congregations pose to the work of our synod, and to its proclamation of the Gospel, in whatever form that may take. Just as no Christian lives alone or dies alone, so no congregation of our synod does either. Because we are united, not only in our faith but also by binding expressions of solidarity, the decline and collapse of one of our congregations has an effect on all of us. Often, this effect is spiritual: a gradual souring of Christian sentiment in one place spreads through the neighborhood, and infects everybody. But no less often, they are legal and financial: the disorganized winding-up of a congregation's business affairs creates legal liability for our synod, ties up our bishop’s and other staff members’ time and keeps them from doing the essential evangelical work that we have called them to do.

Each such disorganized, contentious event -- and they have been the rule rather than the exception when congregations close -- has the potential to engage us in a long and costly legal process. As a member of our Synod Council, you no doubt know of as many examples as I do. Both the spiritual and material consequences of a disorderly closure are damaging to our synod, and potentially catastrophic in their effect upon the future Lutheran witness to the Gospel in our area.

I hope that this helps clarify the purpose of our Committee on Congregational Viability Norms, and how it is—and I think should be—distinct from the more comprehensive objectives of our Strategic Planning process.

Response from Deacon John Malone

I think Charlie has hit on something important here. The ten norms we are proposing are not (and were never meant to be) descriptions of how God calls us to live as individuals. When Charlie lists the 'confirmation promise', I don't think there's any one of us who could sum it up any better of how God calls us to live our lives.

But the problem is, "How do we do that in fellowship with other believers and work together for the proclamation of the Gospel?" While Charlie is correct that there are different ways and models to have that happen (and these will happen, according to George Barna), the reality is that in this time and place the predominant model is that of the congregational church. I'm not saying that it is right or wrong, just the reality that we face.

The other reality we face is that a very large percentage of our congregations (for whatever reasons) are not sustainable. The growing numbers of congregations that are not viable takes too many of our

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-19 resources away from the actual proclamation we strive to make. I'm not talking money here, although there is that reality as well, but people. Too much energy and time is spent maintaining the very institution that needs to be re-shaped to answer God's call for the future. If that call is to have different models of mission, great. Yet if we don't have the time, energy, and patience to hear that call because we're too worried about paying the heating bill, or whether we can call a pastor, then we are not only not hearing that call, but basically telling God to shut up while we take care of the things we think are important.

I truly believe our synod needs to take drastic steps to address these issues. Not just because we are wasting obscene amounts of money maintaining properties that are not being used to their full potential, but because of what God is calling us to do in this world. The way things are, in too many instances, is just plain not working.

While the work of our Viability Committee is just a starting point, it is a critical starting point. Our entire synod must have ownership of the norms adopted. It is only by starting this process with agreed norms that we can begin the work of honestly looking at ourselves and seeing that in too many cases our present congregational model doesn't work. As we do this, we will be able to take a step back and hear what God is calling us to as individuals and as a synod.

Concluding Thoughts

Our many thanks to Deacons Germain and Malone, and Pastor Church for tackling in great form some of our FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).

Jesus tells us: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (Matthew 18.20)

The fullness of the gospel is present in the smallest gatherings around word and sacrament. Our Lord is present. The Church is present.

The Church of Christ remains forever. But congregations come and go. They are called into being by the Spirit to pursue a mission in a given time and place. And when that mission is fulfilled their ministry is complete. The congregation may disband confident in God’s care. Well done, good and faithful servants.

Our synod desires the closing of no congregation. Yet when a congregation has fulfilled its mission our Synod Council is responsible for discerning when to act for the greater good. The constitution of our synod provides:

“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.” (Metropolitan New York Synod Constitution, Section S13.24)

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-20

So, based on what norms would you like your Synod Council to act?

Well, first, you might wonder, how come there are no numbers in the ten norms we’ve proposed? As the committee discussions evolved we realized there were a few different approaches we could take. One way to think about congregational viability is through numbers. Simply put, how many people and how many dollars make for a viable congregation? This is, in fact, the first instinct most of us have when invited to think about the question. And yet, our congregations vary widely in setting and context and no particular measure of numbers fits all. There is no cookie cutter formal. And numbers become rather arbitrary. After all, if the cut-off number is 20 people in average Sunday attendance, what really is the difference between 20 people or 19 people?

Another way to approach the question is to evaluate how well a congregation fulfills the purpose for which it was founded. These purposes are outlined in chapter 4 of the Model Constitution for Congregations. We might ask, how well does a congregation proclaim the gospel, engage in outreach, and serve its community? But, since these are highly subjective questions, conversations along these lines do not readily reach conclusions enabling action.

The committee came to feel that a more practical approach would be to examine markers of a congregation’s capacity for effective self-governance and its faithful participation in the interdependent ministry of the wider church. Our congregations enjoy great autonomy and with that comes responsibility and accountability to the wider church, and (perhaps surprisingly to some) to the government.

While all congregations are assemblies around Word and Sacrament, not all assemblies around Word and Sacrament are necessarily congregations. A congregation of our synod is a very specific entity governed by the provisions of the constitutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Metropolitan New York Synod, and its own constitution which is to be in accord with the Model Congregational Constitution of the ELCA. And very importantly, our congregations are also governed by the laws of the State of New York, specifically, the Religious Incorporations Act. Further, they generally hold their federal tax exemptions through affiliation with the ELCA.

What happens when a congregation loses the capacity for effective self-governance? In our synod’s experience, when congregations are unable to come to terms with the conclusion of their ministry, they become vulnerable to exploitation by internal or external unauthorized individuals. This results in unfortunate significant losses. In such cases, the costs of our Synod Council’s delay are great. Over recent years our synod has paid to reclaim from New York City buildings that were foreclosed ("in rem") for back taxes and it has paid the bill for multiple building code violations. For every empty building our synod holds title to, and there are many, the costs in utilities, insurance and management fees averages about $60,000 a year. All the while, we are incurring substantial legal costs. According to our Synod Treasurer, Bob Buescher, over the past eight years, together all these expenses have easily surpassed 4 million dollars. Can we think of ways we would rather spend 4 million dollars? So, congregational viability is a matter of our shared stewardship of the assets that God and our forebearers in the faith have handed down to us. Will we wisely steward these resources for the next generation?

As we consider the question of congregational viability we do well to be mindful of the larger picture of God’s mission to reconcile all things to himself. Even when a congregation’s ministry comes to completion, God’s mission goes forth. God will not be without a witness.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-21

God spoke through the prophet Isaiah: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43.19)

When God is about to do a new thing, the truth is, that generally, no, we do not perceive it. In fact, we hate it. We wish that God would stop doing new things and upsetting our settled lives. New things are generally not welcome on our doorstep.

And, clearly, God is doing a new thing among the congregations of our Metropolitan New York Synod. We, along with synods, congregations and denominations across the country are coming to terms with a period of institutional decline of historic proportions. In truth, it has been building for the past few decades, but is now in full crescendo.

Naturally, we experience this change as wholly negative. We have staked our lives on “growing” the church, come what may. And yet, now we have many congregations that have fulfilled their mission; their ministry is complete. Growing has reached maturity. Every congregation has a natural life cycle: a beginning, middle and end. Every congregation has a God given mission; better yet, God has a mission in a specific time and place and the Spirit calls, gathers and enlightens into being a congregation to fulfill that mission. So now, even in the midst of our personal and communal pain and anguish, in many places, God’s mission is being brought to fulfillment.

So, what’s next? We will discuss new things this afternoon when we consider our Synod Council’s proposed Strategic Plan prepared for this Assembly at the request of the 2011 Synod Assembly.

I thank the members of the committee for their faithful diligence and prayerful insights.

Pastor William Baum, Chair

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-22 MNYS Staff Reports Bishop Rimbo’s report will be distributed at the assembly.

The Rev. Perucy Butiku, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministries of African Descent African Descent MinistriesA frican Descent Ministries are: Many Voices, Tell the story, Create the vision, Build the future. These ministries are made of African American, African Caribbean and African National communities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). They are gifted and culturally diverse. The diverse group in North America and the Caribbean is referred to as “people of African descent” or “the Black People.” People of African descent represent 13 percent of the total population of the United States of America. Currently with the ELCA there are 54,189 members of African descent. This represents one percent of the ELCA total membership. The ELCA has 252 congregations with at least 25% African descent membership. At present, there are about 242 African descent pastors and 83 African descent leaders preparing themselves for the ministry.

The Vision People of African descent in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, are Christ–centered communities in ministry, sharing gifts, empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the power, love, and presence of Jesus Christ. The vision calls us to live out God’s call in and through: visionary pastoral leadership, worship, discipleship, stewardship, family ministries, social justice, unity and diversity. These areas of ministry work together in an integrated, holistic approach to our call of building the body of Jesus Christ in mission and are also affirming the gifts and leadership of African descent people across the United States and the Caribbean. The Metropolitan New York Synod has been and is working closely with all ministries of African Descent.

Urban Leaders Institute The Urban Leaders Institute is a ministry of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was founded by the Black Pastors group of the Metropolitan NY Synod in 2002. In its tenth year, this conference seeks to bring the best thinking about the challenges on ministry in an urban setting, along with the knowledge on issues pertinent to clergy and lay leaders in our congregations. It is organized through the Metropolitan New York Synod by the Black Pastors Group. Urban Leaders Institute is a three-day conference for all ordained and lay leaders. Every year there are workshops on different topics, among other things fundraising, transformational ministry and many more exciting workshops. The Institute meets in July every year. At the end of the workshops the Institute ends with a revival worship service. Participation is open to all churches of the Metropolitan New York Synod. This year the Urban Leaders Institute will be held at the Interchurch Center (475 Riverside Drive, in Manhattan, where the Synod offices are) from July 25th to 27th, 2012.

The African Descent Lutheran Association At the last biennial meeting (in California) of the African Descent Lutheran Association (formerly known as the African American Lutheran Association), a vote to change the name was taken; this new name represents all people of African descent who live in the United States of America. The association is a “caucus” of members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); the primary purposes of the association are to:  Help Assure that each individual, made in the image of God, will be respected as a unique gift to the community.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-23  Encourage members to become fully involved with the affairs of the congregation as well as synod and church-wide assemblies.  Provide a Vehicle to unify and convey the needs of African Descent members of the ELCA— especially through all existing expressions of the ELCA, especially through the commission for Multicultural Ministries.  Strengthen the Christian bonds of the African Descent Community of believers. African Descent Lutheran Association is also committed to forging linkages between African peoples throughout the world.  Develop a Full Partnership between the ELCA and the whole African Descent community through evangelism, education, stewardship, worship and social ministry. African descent Lutheran Association has chapters and leaders of those chapters in every synod. The Metropolitan New York Synod has a chapter led by Mr. Homer Alexander as its president.

The Black Pastors Group of the Metropolitan New York Synod The Black Pastors’ group is a gathering of pastors of African Descent in the Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA. It was established in the mid 1990’s; the purpose of the group is to provide a forum for pastors to gather, worship, study and share common concerns they experience in various urban ministries they represent. It is this group that founded an annual conference, called ‘The Urban Leaders Institute’ in 2002. In its tenth year, this conference seeks to bring the best thinking about challenges of ministry in an urban setting, along with the best knowledge on issues pertinent to clergy and lay leaders in their congregations.

This group is not only concerned about ministry in our Synod, but also reaches out to ministries in need of assistance that stretches beyond the reaches of our synod. To that end, the Black Pastor’ group sponsors an annual concert in which all churches represented in the group participate. This concert unites all the participants and guests in spirit-filled fellowship and joy. The free-will offering from this concert is used to support ministries such as Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and many more.

The Black Pastors’ group also actively supports candidates for ordained ministry of African descent in our synod and at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

In August, 2011, ten members of our synod’s Black Pastors group traveled to Tanzania. They worshiped in several Lutheran churches. Before embarking on their pilgrimage journey, the group had been briefed about the plight of Tanzanians born with albinism. They raised funds for an organization helping those who are being brutally persecuted simply because they are albinos. Funds raised were given to the Prime Minister of Tanzania.

The Black Pastors’ Group enables the pastors of African Descent in Metropolitan New York Synod to affirm their witness to the gospel, share mutual support for their struggles, and unite to make the Metropolitan New York Synod richer culturally.

Sarah Gioe, Director of Communications and Interpretation A good way to describe the purpose of synod communications is the word “connect.” We want to connect members to the ongoing life of the synod. We seek to connect our congregations with the churchwide organization. We connect churches with resources and information. And, finally, we’d like to help connect congregations with one another.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-24

How do we make these connections? Our communications take a variety of formats:

 E-letter Our weekly e-letter remains the fastest, easiest way to communicate with our constituents. Sent each Tuesday, the e-letter provides brief announcements about upcoming events, new resources, business matters, clergy transitions, and prayer requests to nearly 2,000 subscribers. Our subscription list has grown by over 200 people in the past year, mostly through encouraging those who attend synod events to sign up. This year we set up a text- to-subscribe feature (text “MNYS” to 22828 to get started). If you don’t currently receive the e-letter, consider subscribing and invite other leaders from your congregation to do the same. The e-letter empowers lay people—news no longer has to be funneled through the pastor to get to congregations.

 Website The synod’s website, www.mnys.org, debuted in May 2011 after a complete restructuring. (The site had last been redesigned in 2007.) The end result has been incredibly well-received. The new website features vastly improved navigation, a more dynamic and informative homepage, a useful search feature, and a robust calendar module. It is significantly easier to maintain and our website management company far more reliable. In the last month, the site received over 1,760 visits. About 35% of visitors are new, and visitors tend to spend an average of three and a half minutes on the site. We are encouraged by such strong statistics and happy that people are using the site. Content is changed frequently—be sure to check the website for the most up-to-date directories, event information, news stories from around the synod, and more.

 Facebook presence Our synod joined Facebook in August and over 225 people “like” us. From videos to blogs to photos, each post reaches hundreds of people. But the real benefit of having a Facebook presence is that it creates a space for congregations to interact with each other. Anyone can ask questions, post photos, share resources, explain best practices, or publicize news from their ministries. Have you “liked” Metro New York Synod on Facebook? Visit www.facebook.com/mnyselca to join the conversation.

 The Lutheran New Yorker The Lutheran New Yorker is our synod’s print newsletter. Full print issues are delivered to churches before Easter and before Thanksgiving; this past year The Lutheran New Yorker focused on themes of wellness and the arts. In addition, we continue to produce quarterly bulletin inserts, available online and through the e-letter, that are easily downloaded and printed to share in congregations.

 Mission interpretation While the synod’s Mission Interpreter Network is no longer active, we continue to promote the benefits of mission interpretation by incorporating mission moment training into the annual Stewardship Emphasis prepared by Pastor Jack Horner and the Stewardship & Mission Support Table.

During my maternity leave this spring/summer, Rebekah Wedge will be covering the Director of Communication and Interpretation position.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-25

Communication is a two-way street; we depend on hearing news from congregations in order to share it. Synod members are always encouraged to share feedback, thoughts, complaints, story ideas, and pictures!

The Rev. Dr. Jack Horner, Assistant to the Bishop for Evangelical Mission “Amazing things are happening here.” This motto is on a plaque at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. I believe with my whole heart it also applies to what I see taking place throughout our synod. People are fed, children are formed in the faith, multigenerational and multicultural communities of faith meet to worship and share. Grace abounds…amazing!

My work is centered in encouraging and developing leaders and congregations to do the amazing work of mission. My role as the Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) is to be the bridge between churchwide organization and the synod to provide missional leadership and resources for congregations and leaders. I encourage congregations to become more missional, more evangelical and more generous and work directly with pastors and lay leaders to help them discern their mission and ministry strategies.

Working closely with the Mission Strategy Table, we identify opportunities for engaging mission in our congregations as well as plan new ministries throughout our synod. This year our synod began two ministries, both centering on the young adult communities that are growing in Brooklyn. St. Lydia's is a "dinner church" with an early church model of agape meals. Supported early in its life by Trinity, Lower East Side, St. Lydia's became a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC) this year and moved their ministry to Brooklyn. Its leader is Emily Scott, who in her last year of the candidacy process. In the Greenpoint and Williamsburg sections of Brooklyn, the Church of the Parables is a creative ministry focusing on building relationships through the art community. The ministry is led by Pr. Ben McKelehan. These ministries are made possible through our congregations generous mission support.

The ELCA's LIFT document encourages all congregations of the ELCA to plan for mission in their contexts. To aid our congregations I am developing a mission planning process that incorporates a leadership retreat, including a congregational process to attend to the three great listenings (listening to God, listening to the community, and listening to the congregation). Building relationships with God and people is key to missional renewal. Working with the viability task force, a congregational assessment tool to measure the ministry resources and missional attitude was created to help congregations in their own self assessment. It may be used by individual councils or facilitated (recommended). This year we had a number of congregations request missional consultations. It is always a pleasure to support the work of congregations in their discernment of mission. The bishop is encouraging these sorts of conversations as we face an uncertain future.

Again to help congregations in their discernment, we created a resource, Renewal Strategies through Missional Partnerships. The document offers definitions for a variety of strategies including merger, consolidation, partnership grants, or cooperative ministry ,as well as questions leaders must ask in the formation of a renewal strategy.

In March we also began a strategic planning process with our Latino ministries in Manhattan. The first meeting was led by Pr. Ruben Duran, the Director of New Starts for the ELCA, a good beginning for very important work of our synod.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-26 At the request of the bishop, procedures on the use of synod administration were created and vetted by the Mission Strategy Table, the conference of deans and approved by the synod council. The procedures outline clearly the process and planning for congregations, the bishop's office, and synod council for synod administration.

The Outreach Committee meets regularly to support congregations receiving partnership grants from the Congregational and Synodical Mission unit of the ELCA and/or our synod. The committee receives and reviews new applications and approves grants, reviews progress in ministry goals and provides for ministry reviews. The members of the Outreach Committee have a passion for ministry on the territory and a deep awareness of the need to best steward our resources for mission.

The Stewardship and Mission Support Table has been very active promoting individual and corporate lives of greater generosity and thanksgiving. This year we developed a Stewardship Emphasis for November 11, 2012. Themed "The Widow’s Might,” the emphasis incorporates spiritual formation for the congregation, worship and preaching materials, and communication ideas to encourage greater generosity. Materials are available online and at the synod assembly. I have conducted a number of stewardship consultations with pastors and congregations and developed a basic stewardship learning program entitled Stewardship 101 for leaders. This year the table will be focusing on developing greater generosity in mission support of the wider church.

July 14-21 I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa with Pr. Carol Fryer, to raise money for our synod's participation in the ELCA's Malaria Campaign. Malaria is a devastating disease that kills 800,000 Africans (mainly children and women in pregnancy) every year. We hope to raise $100,000, a "penny a foot." Let's conquer malaria together!

The Rev. Kathleen Koran, Assistant to the Bishop for Congregations

I made a note to myself to start this report with the joys of my ministry. There are many. But I needed a reminder. The most recent joyous laughter and deep hopefulness has come from a visit to the Western Suffolk Conference where I participated in their hosting of Peter Steinke and his leadership of a training event, New Visions: Leadership for Mission. Pastors and lay leaders came together to plan for developing local, congregationally based “mission schools.” We were reminded and remembered that the church is about God’s mission, and God’s mission is like an elephant! There’s where the laughing came in.

“There were six men of Hindustan…” Google the poem. You’ll find many variations. Essentially, six blind men each touch an elephant in different places and declare with great authority that an elephant is like – a rope, a fan, a tree trunk, a wall. Whether they argue or not differs with the version, but Steinke’s admonition is that the elephant (mission) is big enough to have many, many places we touch now, and many more places to dream and imagine touching in the future. We had some light-hearted fun exploring this sometimes confusing and at times conflicted role of the church in our families, neighborhoods and the world.

The Delaware Hudson and Southwest Brooklyn Conferences have been hosting the Healthy Congregations workshops. Opportunity for joy and laughter has also come during these events, as we’ve discovered ourselves in naming the challenges of change, anxiety, resistance, healing, and looking forward. Think you can prevent or halt change? Try doing just a ten-year timeline of your life or your

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-27 congregation’s history. That should be good for a laugh or two – change happens! Change is a natural part of life – including congregational life. How we address that change marks who we are – and whose we are. Also a Steinke resource, Healthy Congregations helps strengthen healthy leaders to help build healthy congregational systems. We have many trained Healthy Congregations facilitators in our Metropolitan New York Synod, and are working together to make more of these learning opportunities available in the future.

The Committee on Congregational Viability Norms has continued to work for a second year. A “traveling conversation” brought our team to 4 locations in the synod on four Sunday afternoons. Good attendance and faithful discussion marked each of the gatherings. We also presented the basics of these conversations during our Bishop and Staff visit to the Northeast/Southeast Queens conferences, both at the Lay Leaders dinner on Sunday evening and the ministerium of Monday morning. Voting members to this year’s Assembly will be hearing and participating in important decisions based on this committee’s work over the past two years.

Our nineteen Deans serve as liaisons between the Bishop’s office and conference congregations and as an advisory panel to the Bishop and staff. Our conversations around policy and even theology (imagine that!) enrich our life together. Among their many tasks, Deans continue to do important supportive work in times of pastoral transition – exit interviews with pastors and councils, certification of parish records, in some cases serving as coverage pastors and in others helping identify coverage or interim pastors. Some even do “practice interviews” with call committees! A representative of the Conference of Deans attends synod council meetings, adding another line of connectivity for our church. I meet with our Deans on a monthly basis at our synod office, and most have provided reports of their work for this year’s Assembly bulletin of reports.

I also meet every other month with those pastors serving our synod as Intentional Interims. Their specialized ministry provides intense work with congregations that have significant issues to be addressed during a time of transition. We have been reading and discussing together Peter Steinke’s A Door Set Open: Grounding Change in Mission and Hope. I commend this small but important book.

I preach regularly in congregations experiencing transitions in pastoral leadership, in our Deans’ congregations at the time of our Staff visits to the conferences, and occasionally “just” as a supply pastor. As an ordained pastor of our church, these opportunities give me great joy, centering my service in word and sacrament ministry.

Of course, at the heart of my call to this staff position is assisting congregations in the transition between one called leader and the next. Here’s how a recent process moved forward (the congregation had completed their Ministry Site Profile, established and trained a call committee, and was ready to interview candidates): through the ELCA database, using the parameters identified by the congregation as important for their next leader, I identified 40 candidates who matched those parameters and had identified region 7 as an area of geographical preference. After reading Bishops’ recommendations and the candidates’ particular needs, strengths and expectations for ministry, those forty became ten. Prioritizing our top five choices, with Bishop Rimbo’s input, letters of inquiry were sent out. Of the five, one had just accepted a new call, two were not interested in the particular congregation, and one was unsure about coming to New York. One is very interested in continuing the conversation. The congregation wants to interview multiple candidates. On to the next five, back to the drawing board and data base. This is on-going, challenging work, sometimes frustrating for me as it is for

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-28 congregations awaiting candidates. Always I get to connect with wonderful and committed leaders throughout our church. Our synod currently has 24 congregations in some stage of the call process. Giving thanks for all these joys, I also need to report on those tasks that most challenge me. I am often the staff person responding to questions about conflict in congregations, concerns about pastoral leadership, and congregations and pastors transitioning from full time to part time calls. Much more could be said. I am excited about our Strategic Plan, about new and innovative ministries I see and hear about throughout out synod, Campus Ministry, new leaders at Koinonia, congregations working in partnership with one another. I give thanks for my colleagues serving on our synod staff, our Synod Council and especially our Bishop. It is a challenging time to be the Church. It is an exciting and GOOD time to be the Church. Praise to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has called us and strengthens us for this ministry.

Calls Extended April 2011 to March 2012 Ms. Julie Hagen: Associate in Ministry, Advent, Manhattan The Rev. Mark Erson: St. John’s, Christopher St. (Manhattan) The Rev. Tom Taylor: St. John, Lindenhurst The Rev. Rebecca Pollicino: Grace, Uniondale Ordained August 27, 2011 The Rev. Johanna Andritz: St. Paul, Liberty Ordained December 3, 2011 The Rev. Robert Rainis: Epiphany, Bronx Ordained December 3, 2011 The Rev. Benjamin McKelahan: Mission Developer Ordained December 3, 2011 (Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Brooklyn) The Rev. James Smith: Wagner College, Staten Island Ordained December 3, 2011 The Rev. Omar Ortiz: Trinity, Brooklyn (18th Ave.) Ordained December 3, 2011 The Rev. Stephanie Kershner: Grace, Scarsdale Ordained December 10, 2011 The Rev. Perucy Butiku: New Hope, Valley Stream The Rev. Dan Ruth: Lutheran World Relief The Rev. Donald Lemke: Interim Pastoral Ministry, Christ, Ozone Park The Rev. Harry Schenkel: Transfiguration, Harlem The Rev. Robert Wollenburg: VP for Fund Raising/ Spiritual Care, Eger Lutheran Home, Staten Island The Rev. Daphne Burt: Interim, Trinity, Staten Island The Rev. George Handzo: Health Care Chaplain The Rev. Kevin O’Hara: Redeemer, Queens Village The Rev. Marianne Tomecek: Interim, New Hope, Jamaica The Rev. Vanessa Cardinale (UCC): Associate Pastor Trinity, Brooklyn (46th Street) Ms. Mary-Elaine Leake: Associate in Ministry, Grace Lutheran School and Queens Lutheran School The Rev. Joel Brandt: Gloria Dei, Huntington Station The Rev. Stephen Hultgren: Lecturer in New Testament, Australian Lutheran College The Rev. A. David Anglada: Hospice Chaplain, Visiting Nurse Services of New York

On Leave From Call The Rev. Romeo Dabee July 1, 2011 The Rev. D. Andrew Fetters December 31, 2011 The Rev. Haiko Behrens January 24, 2012 The Rev. Carol Kessler January 24, 2012 The Rev. Dr. Daphne Burt January 24, 2012 The Rev. Albert Triolo February 15, 2012

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-29 Retired The Rev. Larry Johnson September 1, 2011 The Rev. Richard Michael June 1, 2011 The Rev. Clint Padgitt October 1, 2011 The Rev. Hector Ribone January 1, 2012 The Rev. Ursula Scheike April 26, 2012

Removed from the Roster Karen Syrdahl, Associate in Ministry April 9, 2011 The Rev. Rose Ann Vita September 17, 2011 The Rev. Napoleon Plaza October 3, 2011 The Rev. Eric Swensson November 19, 2011 The Rev. John McKenzie November 19, 2011 The Rev. Henry Schriever April 1, 2012

Congregations Removed Mount Calvary, Ruby March 15, 2011 St. Luke’s, Bronx May 14, 2011 Ascension, Glendale June 12, 2011 (merged with Trinity, Middle Village) Resurrección, Uniondale June 14, 2011 Advent, Elmont November 19, 2011 Holy Trinity, New Rochelle November 19, 2011 St. James, Stewart Manor November 19, 2011 Reformation Korean, Brooklyn November 19, 2011

The Rev. Jonathan Linman, Ph.D., Assistant to the Bishop for Formation I am now completing my third year in the call to serve as Bishop’s Assistant for Formation. This position divides my time and energies between sharing in the oversight of various educational and faith formational ministries (see below) and serving as a teaching theologian who is available to plan and to lead educational and formative events for our leaders and for all of God’s people in the Metropolitan New York Synod and for full communion partner churches (see also various items below). I spend about 50% of my time engaging in direct teaching ministry activities and leading formative experiences among constituents of our synod and with partner churches. Approximately 25% of my time is devoted to Candidacy-related matters. The other 25% of my time is divided among other ministries and initiatives for which I have administrative oversight responsibilities. For an overview of what formation means, and for an articulation of the ministries and opportunities that come under the wide umbrella of formation, I call your attention to the formation pages of the MNYS website: http://www.mnys.org/vocation__formation/

Here is a summary of activities and initiatives (highlights in bold) by area of responsibility in alphabetical order during my third year in the call as Assistant to the Bishop for Formation (April 2011 - March 2012):

Campus Ministry  MNYS staff liaison with Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education and the Student Christian Center at SUNY New Paltz via email and phone correspondence, and overseeing grants to these ministries. This year campus ministry at SUNY New Paltz is energized by the call of a new campus pastor

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-30  Member of the Board, Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education o Attendance at LMHE board meetings (June 14, July 30, Dec. 1) o Attendance at LMHE baptism and fund-raising event, Columbia University Chapel (Dec. 4)  Churchwide staff cuts and re-structuring are having significant effects on how campus ministry is supported, overseen and undertaken in the ELCA. Conversations with Region 7 Coordinator, Pr. Peggy Wuertele, are underway about what this will look like in MNYS, for example, the possibility of creating a synodical campus ministry committee that would exercise some of the functions of what had been churchwide involvement.  As part of this re-structuring, I participated in a Region 7 sub-committee that received applications for and made allocation decisions for ELCA campus ministry grants in this region

Candidacy and Theological Education for Emerging Ministries  Member of the MNYS Candidacy Committee on behalf of the Bishop. Attendance at Candidacy Committee meetings (April 30, June 11, Sept. 10, Nov. 12, Dec. 10, Febr. 11)  Share in leadership of these efforts with Pastor Jeffrey Kolbo, who is contracted by the Synod to oversee the Candidacy process and to serve as Chair of the Committee  My focus is to attend to initial enquiries about Candidacy and to assist persons in their vocational discernment processes prior to their application for Candidacy  Another focus is to provide guidance and supervision to candidates seeking ordination/rostering via alternate routes (TEEM and those ordained in other traditions)  Serve on Endorsement panels and a member of Theological Review Panels o Attendance via conference call, seminarian endorsement interview, Luther Seminary (October 18) o Endorsement interview for two seminarians, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (October 21) o Endorsement Interview at Yale Divinity School (March 22)  Oversee the allocation of Fund for Leaders scholarships for MNYS students in Candidacy— Allocated $14,000 of MNYS Fund for Leaders to five seminarians in their final year of education for public ministry in 2011  Oversee Candidacy Committee development, especially in inviting additional persons to serve on the committee, seeking greater ethnic and racial diversity and balance among lay and clergy members o Coordinated efforts to appoint three new members of the Candidacy Committee, namely, Pr. Rosalind Brathwaite, Pr. Bill Eschen, and Janet Siry o Secured Pastor Peggy Wuertele to orient/train new committee members  Relate to and support persons in various stages of the Candidacy process in practical and pastoral ways  Convener for Theology Reading Group (Lutheran Homiletics; Lutheran Liturgy; Lutheran Spirituality; North American Lutheranism; ELCA polity) for students in the Candidacy process, but not enrolled in seminary—Meetings of Reading Group, which I convene, principally for people in candidacy ordained in other traditions: North American Lutheranism and ELCA Polity (July 20 and August 2)  Attendance at Region 7 Candidacy Consultation, LTSP (October 20)  Met with congregation council, Saint Peter’s Manhattan, to discuss and interpret Candidacy processes (October 25)  Internship Supervisor for Emily Scott, St. Lydia’s, Brooklyn; completed supervision of Bob Rainis and Omar Ortiz

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-31  Efforts underway to list important Candidacy-related dates on the MNYS website  Plans to re-institute some form of the “relater” system, such that people in candidacy can have someone to turn to for communication and information, thus making the process more personal and relational  Plans for further committee training and formation—Interview training occurred at the December Candidacy Committee meeting  Plans to institute a process of meeting review that will assist the committee in its ongoing training and formation  Efforts to attend to “rule of life” themes for candidates to address their spiritual disciplines and wellness themes as part of the entrance process  Development of a document to aid local pastors and congregations in their walking with people in discernment about vocations to public ministry, with focus on what the Bishop and staff would ideally like to see as qualities for faithful and effective public ministry in our context—A draft of this document is under editorial review currently

Child, Youth and Family Ministry  Member of the Child, Youth and Family Ministry Network—Attendance at CYFM meetings: May 24, September 8 at Our Saviour’s Jamaica; November 8 at Grace, Uniondale; February 20 at Advent, Manhattan  Available to lead educational events for those engaged in ministries with children, youth, young adults and families  Visioning for the Future Meeting of the CYFM Committee (May 24) At this visioning meeting, the decision was made to discontinue the use of the term “committee” for this group, using instead “network.” The meeting format for CYFM will be changed to include time for Bible Study and devotions, mutual conversation and consolation, best practice sharing, and then also finally attention to CYFM business. The goal: to not be yet another committee attending to programmatic business, but a spiritually formative and supportive working group for those engaged in CYFM ministries. We will no longer typically meet in the synod office, but at various sites throughout the synod. diakonia Program Serve as synod staff liaison to the diakonia program steering committee  Attendance at diakonia Steering Committee meeting at Trinity, Long Island City (July 25)  Otherwise correspond with diakonia steering committee leaders and members via phone and email

First Call Theological Education  Serve on the planning team for the First Call Theological Education Region 7 annual event  Am available to meet with and support pastors in their first three years of ordained ministry  The annual event in January of each year, the focus for First Call Theological Education in our synod, has shifted from being an event with keynote speakers and workshops (known as the Institute for Congregational Ministry) to becoming a Leadership Guild with focus on goal setting, and peer group interaction and accountability o Participated in planning for inaugural Leadership Guild event to be held 1/23-26, 2012 o Serve to support the team of small group facilitators who will meet regularly with first call pastors o Attendance at First Call Theological Education Leadership Guild event (January 23-25)

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-32

Formation Round Table  May 17 saw the inaugural meeting of a Formation Round Table (with 17 in attendance). Plans resulting from this meeting: to form three smaller working groups (1. Individual and Group Spiritual Guidance, 2. Educational Events and Programs, 3. Wellness Promotion among Leaders).  Attempts to establish meeting times for smaller working groups have not borne fruit, except for the group to promote wellness among leaders, which has had a January 2012 meeting. Likely way forward: initiatives will be undertaken in relation to our synodical strategic plan and its foci, and methods of planning and implementation

General Administration  Oversee with Kathy Schmidt the Formation items of the synodical budget  Efforts at being a prompt and faithful correspondent in attending to significant volumes of email, phone calls, and traditional mail  Attendance at many and various meetings with staff members, Deans, Synod Council, and committee chairs and members at the synod office and elsewhere throughout the synod, especially Bishop’s visits to Conferences  Regular attendance at MNYS staff meetings  Convene Synod Council Culture and Process Work Group, developing recommendations for greater effectiveness of the Council as a Board and community of spiritual leaders  Work was completed on the final draft of our synod council culture and process proposal document which was taken up by Synod Council at the September 17 meeting  This draft now has the status of a training manual that guides the planning and work of our Synod Council  Trexler Grant information and application form are available now on the MNYS website

Lutherans Schools Association  Member of the Lutheran Schools Association Board o Attendance at LSA annual meeting and dinner, Martin Luther High School, Maspeth (May 25) o Attendance at LSA Board Meeting: November 10 at Christ, New Hyde Park  Synodical staff liaison between MNYS constituents, our schools and learning centers and the LSA organization—Meeting with LSA Executive Director and Board Chair concerning leadership development with LSA (December 22)

Pastoral, Liturgical and Preaching Ministry  I have had the privilege of preaching and/or presiding over 50 times, an average of about once a week, in a number of congregations and ministry settings in the past year, including: Epiphany, The Bronx; Our Saviour’s, Brooklyn; St. Lydia’s, Trinity Lower East Side; St. John-St. Matthew-Emmanuel, Brooklyn; Bethlehem, Brooklyn; New Hope, Valley Stream; Emmanuel, Staten Island; Grace, North Bellmore; Our Saviour, Manhasset; Good Shepherd, Plainview; St. Paul’s, The Bronx; Christ Church, Manhattan; Trinity, St. Alban’s; Leif Ericson Day School, Brooklyn; Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Manhattan; Episcopal Church of the Holy Nativity, The Bronx; Cathedral of St. John the Divine; our synod office chapel  With the Bishop and other synodical staff members, share in the pastoral care of leaders in our church, especially those under my care as part of my professional portfolio

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-33  I have also had the privilege of visiting as a worshiper various congregations in the synod, especially those reflecting and embodying our ethnic and cultural diversity, and led by persons in Candidacy or as First Call pastors  Periodically represent the Bishop at various events and occasions  Attendance at and participation in MNYS Chrism Mass (April 19)  Emcee for Deacons Setting Apart liturgy, Grace, Yorktown Heights (May 7)  Attendance at Lutheran Health Care Dinner (May 7)  Attendance at MNYS Assembly with responsibility for Formation Table and sermon with my wife in honor of 10 years of full communion with the Episcopal Church  Attendance at Eastern Nassau Conference Ministerium visit (May 23)  Attendance at worship, workshops, Urban Leaders Institute (July 27 and 28)  Meeting with Diocese of New York staff concerning cooperation between Epiphany, The Bronx and Church of the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church (August 31)  Preacher and attendance at banquet, 100th Anniversary and 9/11 Commemoration, Emmanuel, Staten Island (September 11)  Attendance at synodical 9/11 10th Anniversary commemoration, Holy Trinity Central Park West (September 11)  Represented Bishop at Evening Prayer prior to the opening of the UN General Assembly, Holy Family Catholic Church, Manhattan (September 12)  Preacher and attendance at luncehon for 25th Ordination Anniversary for Pr. James Krauser, Grace, North Bellmore (September 18)  Attendance at 10th Anniversary Called to Common Mission Evensong, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Manhattan (September 25)  As part of Western Nassau Conference visit, attendance at Lay Leaders’ Dinner, Christ, New Hyde Park (October 23)  Represented MNYS at Episcopal Charities Gala (November 29)  Attendance at and cantor for MNYS Ordination Liturgy (December 3)  As part of Bishop’s visit to the Bronx Conference, attendance at meeting of ministerium, Transfiguration, The Bronx (December 5)  Preacher: Epiphany Liturgy and Installation of Robert Rainis as Pastor of Epiphany Church, The Bronx (January 6)  Greetings on behalf of Bp. Rimbo, Hector Ribone Retirement Liturgy, Saint Peter’s Manhattan (January 8)  Attendance at Martin Luther King, Jr. Worship, Prince of Peace, Cambria Heights (January 8)  Attended consecration of Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New York (March 10)  Attendance at meeting of NE/SE Queens Conference Ministerium (March 12)

Project Connect  Serve as synod staff liaison between the Director and staff of Project Connect and local MNYS Key Leaders, especially overseeing allocations of grant monies  Co-Presenter, Discernment Mentoring Workshop for Manhattan Conference, Advent, Manhattan (June 14)  Attendance at Project Connect Discernment Event, Oceanside (July 20)  Led Bible Study on Vocational Discernment at event for pastors and leaders, Holy Trinity, Rockville Centre (November 22)

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-34 Service to the Wider Church  Member of the ELCA Churchwide Communal Discernment Task Force o Attendance at task force meeting in Chicago (September 23-24) o Conference Call meeting of the ELCA Communal Discernment Task Force (March 15) o Development of Communal Discernment Practices: using lectio divina, liturgical participation, and a workshop on discernment from a biblical perspective  Member of the Lutheran-Methodist Coordinating Committee that nurtures the implementation of our full communion agreement with the United Methodist Church and serve as Lutheran Co- Chair for this group o Meeting of Lutheran Methodist Coordinating Committee, ELCA churchwide offices (April 7-8) o Conference Call planning meeting (December 15) o Meeting of Lutheran Methodist Full Communion Coordinating Committee in Atlanta (February 27) o Development of Template Format for Local Celebration and Living into Lutheran- Methodist Full Communion  Member of the of Round XII of Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue on “Teaching Ministries in the Church” o Wrote a paper comprehensively summarizing the nature of biblical authority as a source for teaching ministries in the ELCA, ranging from pre-baptismal instruction to education and life-long-learning for public ministries. This was a very helpful and useful exercise for my MNYS position, as I learned a great deal more about ELCA programs and available resources. o Attendance at meeting in Washington, DC (October 12-16)  Elected at the August 2011 Churchwide Assembly to a six-year term on the ELCA Nominating Committee  Attendance at Region 7 Consultation, NE PA Synod Office, Allentown, PA (March 17)

Synod Office Chapel  Oversee activities of synod office chapel  Along with other staff members, provide regular leadership of liturgies in the synod office chapel

Synodical Deacons  Serve as synod staff liaison for synodical deacons’ council  On behalf of the Bishop, read and sign off on the final reports and evaluations of those persons completing formation for our synodical diaconate  Am otherwise available to support our synod deacons in their life and ministry  Attendance at and interviews for Deacons’ Orientation meeting (November 5)

Synodical Retreats  Conceptualized, planned and/or shared in the leading of synodical retreats: o Deans’ Retreat (September 14-15) o Candidacy Retreat (October 6-7) o Bishop’s Retreat (November 16-18) o Synod Council Retreat (November 18-19)  Visits with Gayle Ruege to see various retreat and conference centers in the region for retreat venue planning (especially in light of the closing of Mt. St. Alphonsus), (December 14)

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-35

Theological Advisor and Teacher  Contemplative Eucharist event for Hudson Conference at Redeemer, New Paltz (April 2)  Guest presenter and discussion leader, Theology and Film class, General Seminary: the movie, “Babette’s Feast” (April 4)  Remaining class sessions, Liturgical Spirituality Practicum, General Seminary (April 6, 13, 20, 27)  Contemplative Eucharist Quiet Day, General Seminary (April 16)  Workshop Presenter and Devotions leader, “Spiritual Care for People with Memory Loss,” MNYS and Wartburg, Mt. Vernon event (May 22)  Coordinator for and speaker intro for the Ministerium Event, “Toward Understanding Islam,” The Interchurch Center (May 25)  Co-presenter, MNYS Stewardship Training Event, Trinity, Rocky Point (July 19)  Coordinated with Pr. Gary Mills and Sarah Gioe effort to secure donations of theological books in English for the theological institute in Cluj, Romania as part of our companion synod relationship  Wrote an article summarizing the Lutheran Spiritual Tradition for publication in forthcoming Continuum Guide to Christian Spirituality. This article will be useful for presentations to my MNYS Candidacy-related reading groups on Lutheranism.  Leader for book discussion, Holy Conversation: Spirituality for Worship, Book Club of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh (September 20)  Adult Forum Leader concerning Stewardship, Good Shepherd, Plainview (October 30)  Devotions leader for MNYS and Wartburg sponsored event on Keeping Your Brain Healthy, The Wartburg, Mt. Vernon (October 30)  Completed manuscript of commentaries on lectionary texts for Holy Week 2013 for Fortress Press’ New Proclamation Series (available May 2012)  Adult Forum: “Video Divina (Sacred Viewing): Images of the Annunciation” at Saint Peter’s, Manhattan (December 18)  Completion of draft of document commending best practices concerning altar and pulpit supply and communion by extension, to be voted on at May 2012 Synod Assembly  Planner for “Bringing the Lectionary to Life” preaching event, co-sponsored with New Media Project at Union Seminary and Odyssey Networks (January 12)—This event was so well- received that we plan to offer similar events twice year drawing on regional biblical scholars -- Autumn for Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and January for Lent-Holy Week-Easter-Feast of Pentecost  Adjunct Professor: Liturgical Spirituality Practicum at General Seminary (Easter Term 2012)  Co-planner and Workshop Leader: Renewal Day Ministerium at Advent Church, Manhattan (February 13)—The model of this day which followed the liturgical movements of gathering, word, meal, sending, can be replicated throughout our synod at the invitation of local conferences or other groupings of congregations and ministry settings  Guest Lecturer: Introduction to Lectio Divina, Group Spiritual Direction Practicum, General Seminary (February 23)  Leader for Event on Biblical Hospitality, All Saints, Jamaica (February 25)  Workshop Leader: Spirituality of Children, Koinonia Festival of Workshops, St. Luke’s, New Rochelle (February 26)  Presenter for daylong course: “Spirituality for Ministry” at the Mercer School of Theology, Episcopal Diocese of Long Island (March 6)

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-36 Vocational Advising, Spiritual Guidance, Wellness Promotion and Continuing Education:  I am available to leaders for occasions of short-term spiritual guidance, especially as it pertains to ongoing vocational discernment  I am available to link synod constituents who desire long-term spiritual direction with spiritual directors, and have done so with several of our pastors and others  Oversee the administration of the Trexler grant program  Appointments with pastors and other leaders and also “seekers” concerning pastoral and/or matters pertaining to vocational discernment and program planning: 153  Working Group for Growth in Ethnic and Cultural Sensitivity has been meeting: November 8; December 13, January 17, February 14, March 13  Planner for Safe Church for Children Event, led by Barbara Keller, at Ascension Church, Deer Park (January 7)  Meeting of Wellness Promotion Working Group, the result of which was the Wellness Issue of the Lutheran New Yorker and, in development, a wellness section for our MNYSwebsite (January 10)

John Litke, Director of Synodical Administration I provide services to congregations in areas of management, finance, building maintenance and repair, governance, and strategic and tactical planning. Part of this support includes an annual series of four workshops on Finance, Taxes, Planning and Auditing. I also work with individual congregations and councils to provide specific training or guidance and provide other training events upon request.

I help the synod manage property and buildings released from congregations that close. During the past year, this included 11 buildings at five sites. After some sales and some additions, the responsibility now is six buildings at three sites. Tasks include major and minor repairs, building and boiler permits and inspections, utilities and insurance, security, and the management and reuse of assets. The synod has been successful at conserving and re-using major artifacts from congregations that closed. Notable examples include a historic baptismal font and a historic grand piano from St. Peter’s, Brooklyn, and an altar parament made by the King of Sweden from Bethlehem, Brooklyn. The Synod Council has adopted a protocol for equitable identification, advertisement, and distribution of other reusable items.

Many Metro New York Synod congregations and worshipping communities continue a long, steady decline similar to most other urban and rural areas in the ELCA. As part of my work with strategic and tactical congregational planning, I have met over the last eight years with many leaders, congregations, and congregation groups to explore possibilities for renewal. This experience convinces me that the common pressing problems are not the problems of one or two congregations, but of almost every congregation in the synod and of the synod itself.

Statistical information about MNYS congregations shows that:  Less than 1/2 of our congregations are in passable financial and spiritual health, though most are declining. For these congregations, the traditional approach that advocates for growth with training, support, and motivation may be appropriate. However, the current rate of decline for most will challenge these congregations to resume growth while they are still able.  More than 1/2 of our congregations are in financial or spiritual crisis. These congregations are unlikely to be able to renew themselves. For these, intensive engagement to identify and resolve the crisis is required, often through either dissolution or reinvestment for renewal.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-37  More than 62% have revenue that does not keep pace with inflation by their own self-reporting on parochial reports, and many of those that appear to have increasing income clearly look like reporting anomalies. Although spiritual health is as important as financial health, we often find it easier to identify the stress of financial weakness. For example, if revenue does not equal expenses (including depreciation), congregations can become worried about spending, anxiety creeps into many activities, and ‘optional’ activities are curtailed. Living with these burdens creates a miasmic culture of make-do and risk avoidance that makes it very hard to attract new members and develop new services to support growth. As resources dwindle, the usual attractions for potential new members such as child education, music, youth programs, and fellowship with like-minded adults become impossible to maintain in either quality or quantity. Declining benevolence (often an early candidate for financial reduction when under financial stress) means the larger church’s possibilities for assistance to the congregation are reduced just when aid is needed most.

Any ministry experiencing sustained decline clearly has to consider significant change. There are only two alternatives for those in persistent decline:  Adopt a radically different, lower-cost model for ministry (including merger or closure). This strategy assumes that a stable ministry of a different nature can be achieved in that place. A strategy that just keeps reducing expenses without a fundamental change in the nature of the ministry will not survive.  Make an intensive effort to regain financial and spiritual health. Some locations acquire short- term financial support with substantial rental or partnership agreements, but without other systemic changes, these arrangements are not usually stable over the long term. Increasing revenue and ministry possibilities by increasing membership and members’ discipleship is the best long-term way to financial and spiritual health. However, when leaders advocate for acceptance of many new members, for increased member discipleship growth, and for change in the ways of the current ministry, this will certainly add stress to the community. This solution, if successful, will strengthen the ministry but probably not the same ministry current members know. Renewal is not an easy challenge. There are three substantial difficulties responding to decline:  Congregations and leaders find it very difficult to make and own honest assessments of where they are and where they have been. Denial is rampant, which means that congregations are often too weak to renew when they finally face their situation. Identifying and facing the challenge when organizational strength is sufficient for the renewal task is crucial and very difficult.  The greatest obstacle to enacted renewal is the lack of a deep desire to change for the sake of the future of the congregation’s witness to the Gospel. Change raises anxiety and risk, and congregations and leaders are chronically risk-averse.  The spiritual, people and financial resources both in congregations and in the synod are insufficient to meet all the identified renewal needs, much less the latent needs. Using resources from the healthier congregations to assist those striving for renewal may be effective, but inter-congregational collaboration is very unusual, so it is not clear this is a significant resource. Many congregations, including Lutheran congregations, are renewing and growing. It can be done. We in the Metro New York Synod are now challenged to also be renewed in spirit and mission.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-38

The Rev. Dr. Gary E. Mills, Assistant to the Bishop for Global and Multicultural Mission St Paul tells us that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels,” a treasure that invites, in many ways commands us, as Christ himself commands us, to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” We have this treasure, this privilege as members of the Metropolitan New York Synod to live in the most diverse and inclusive geography in the world. We have this call, this honor to reach out to our neighbors with the Good News of God in Jesus Christ, starting in the Jerusalems of our congregations and neighborhoods, and extending across the oceans and continents of God’s creation.

As a Global Synod, we reach across the oceans and continents in various ways, including: 1. continued relationship with our Lutheran World Federation (LWF) partners, especially in Europe, Asia and Latin America; 2. interchange of pastors with our non-American Lutheran partners; 3. educational opportunities and New York church-life immersion experiences for LWF clergy and lay leaders in our Synod; 4. continued relationship with our Companion Synod partners in the North Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania; 5. through the ministry of our Synod Hunger Committee; 6. the Tanzania and Romania Update newsletter; 7. the Tanzania Speakers Bureau and the annual Fall Udugu Tanzania focus; 8. the work of our volunteers, Stephanie Schmiege and Allison and Aaron Schutte in Tanzania; 9. the work of our volunteers, Prs. Terri and Michael Church in Romania; 10. educational and cultural experiences and participation in international biennial or triennial LWF- related meetings for various ethnic and/or linguistic groups; 11. the Wagner College interfaith class and Israel travel experience.

As a Multicultural Synod, we reach out to our neighbors and work in our congregations in various ways, including: 1. regular meetings of the ordained and lay leaders of the Asian, Arab and Middle Eastern, Latino and European Synod tables; 2. the work of and educational opportunities offered by the Synod Multicultural Commission; 3. the work of and educational opportunities offered by the Synod Immigration Task Force; 4. the work of and educational opportunities offered by the Synod Gay and Lesbian Commission; 5. the work of and educational opportunities offered by the Synod Global Mission Committee; 6. individual immigration advocacy and work.

The work of a global and multicultural synod is broad and multifaceted, one that takes much patience and understanding, one involving faithful people and congregations who are willing to truly reach beyond themselves and their doors and risk stepping outside of the familiar for the sake of the Gospel, one that often moves at a snails’ pace, but one that truly answers the call of God to go into all the world. When one lives in metropolitan New York, the work of a global and multicultural synod truly becomes the work of each and every member and congregation of the Synod. I invite you to reach out, locally and around the world, through active participation in the work of the Synod office for Global and Multicultural Mission. I invite you to speak to me or any member of any of the many groups and committees listed above and see how you and your congregation can join in this great adventure.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-39

I wish to thank all who carry these earthen vessels and the Good News of God in Jesus Christ to the Synod and to the world through the work of the local congregation, the Synod-wide work and service of all the volunteers, chairs and conveners on the many commissions, committees and task forces that work with global and multicultural ministry, Pastor Michael Church, Pastor Terri Luper-Church, Ms. Stephanie Schmiege, Mr. Aaron and Ms. Allison Schutte, Dcn. Karen Nurmi and Ms. Jocelyn D’Angelo, Pr. Leigh Pezet, Mr. Sheldon Erb, Pr. Mark Erson, Pr. Tiina Talvitie and Mr. Imanuel Sidabutar, Ms. Lois Rimbo, Ms. Mary Tennermann, our partners in Chicago, in Bukoba, Tanzania and Cluj, Romania, and our partners in Finland, Norway, Germany (EKD), Sweden, Denmark, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Latvia, Hungary, Palestine, Israel, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand.

Kathleen Schmidt, Assistant to the Bishop for Finance Having been marked with the cross of Christ forever, I am challenged daily in my work to do everything I can to proclaim that we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world. That may seem a little strange coming from a finance person – after all, what do general ledgers, audits, fund accounting, and finance committee meetings have to do with living out such a bold mission statement? In a word– everything. A thorough understanding of our synod’s finances – not just tracking the money coming in and going out, but rather an appreciation for the strategic role that money plays in our mission, the realization that it’s not unlimited and that tough decisions must be made every day – all of this plays into achieving our mission of being claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.

Much of my day-to-day work involves what some (not me, mind you!) might call the mundane work of managing the synod office and its daily financial activity. However, each and every day, it is my joy and privilege to work on something that ties me directly to one of our pastors, treasurers, or congregations. In addition, there are always initiatives and projects that I am involved with outside of the day-to-day work of managing our synod’s finances. Each of these, in their own way, is tied directly into living out our mission statement. Here are a few highlights from 2011:

 Churchwide Assembly – I attended the Churchwide Assembly (CWA) in August 2011 as a voting member and found the experience to be not only very enlightening, but also inspiring and encouraging. Claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world – the ELCA’s Mission Statement was front and center throughout the proceedings: in the daily worship, the presentations, and even in the discussion and voting on resolutions. Participating in the CWA not only made it abundantly clear to me why we need the three expressions of our church but I realized how great an impact our wider church has on the world by utilizing the combined gifts that come from our synods and congregations. The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts!

 Mission Projects – I continue to work with Pr. Jack Horner to address the needs and concerns of several congregations and ministries who receive grants and other financial assistance from the synod. For example, I have spent time working with St. Luke’s (Brooklyn), St. Stephen’s (Brooklyn), and our new young adult ministry that Pr. Ben McKelahan has started up in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area of Brooklyn. As I’ve said before, it is critical that all congregations receiving any form of financial assistance from our synod be held accountable for those funds by regularly reporting on the use of the funds. Are the funds being used in a way

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-40 that fulfills our mission of being claimed, gathered and sent? We are deeply committed to walking with congregations who have the courage to engage in a serious discernment process, not only in terms of their finances (including their ability to address building issues) but also in terms of their ability to address the spiritual and physical needs within their congregation and community. Without a doubt, this is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work.

 Zion, 119th St – Considerable time was spent this last year in continuing to work on the possibility of finding a developer for Zion’s property site in East Harlem. Once it became clear that the economy had not recovered enough to allow the synod to recoup from a developer more than approximately $250,000 of the $1.4 million loaned to Zion over the last 7 years, the decision was made by the Executive Committee and Synod Council in late fall 2011 to cease all efforts regarding the development of the property and to sell the property, repay the synod the full amount loaned, and work with Zion and our other Latino ministries in Manhattan in an effort to develop a comprehensive Latino mission strategy for Manhattan, and to find Zion a new church home in an existing congregation. Although this was not the outcome everyone had hoped for, we are confident that Zion will continue to grow and serve the Latino community as a congregation that has been claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.

 2012 Revised Budget/2013 Proposed Budget – A revised budget for 2012 which includes a reduction of approximately $175,000 in expenses over what was approved by the 2011 Assembly was prepared by the executive staff working with the bishop and then presented to the Financial Management Committee (FMC) and Executive Committee for their review. The 2013 proposed budget includes further cuts of approximately $300,000 which were suggested by the executive staff, the bishop, the FMC and the Executive Committee. The Synod Council reviewed these budgets and is recommending that the Assembly adopt them. A solid budget provides the financial foundation upon which our synod can live out its mission of being claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.

 Synod Benevolence Task Force – The Synod Council established the Benevolence Task Force in 2011 to develop a process for disbursing to the wider church the 10% tithe from the net proceeds of property sales. The task force held its first meeting in October. Initial discussion centered around the need to develop an application process, addressing the types of grants the Wider Church Fund should make, how much should be given away on an annual basis, and whether or not a portion of the current $1.1 million balance in the fund should be set aside to generate income on an ongoing basis, so that grants may continue to be made from this fund. The goal is to begin the actual grant process during the 2012 fiscal year. The work of this task force is tied closely to our mission of being sent for the sake of the world. What organizations should our synod be partnering with through these grants? How best can these funds be used to strive for justice and peace in the world? These are some of the questions the Benevolence Task Force will be attempting to answer, and will do so with input from potential grant recipients, the bishop and the Synod Council.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-41 Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world. That is our mission. How bold! How simple! How profound! God has placed us in such a time as this to execute that mission. A bit scary? Perhaps. But each day as I work with our bishop and other trusted colleagues in our synod office, and as we work together with our Synod Council, I am confident that God has given us the tools and the perseverance to fulfill our mission. I look forward to continuing to serve our synod as we move boldly into the future.

MNYS Conference Reports Hudson Conference Twelve congregations in Dutchess and Ulster Counties make up the Hudson Conference, the northernmost area of our synod. Whenever there is fifth Tuesday of the month, the conference meets to enjoy the food and fellowship of a pot luck supper, to conduct the business of the conference, and to learn about an aspect of ministry (topics for 2011 included "Asset Mapping for Congregations", "Sabbaticals for Pastors", and "Outdoor Ministry"). The clergy of the Hudson Conference also meet monthly for worship, Bible devotions, mutual support and cooperative ministry. Further, during 2011 we sponsored two one-day events for both clergy and laity: a devotional day led by Pr. Jonathan Linman, Assistant to the Bishop and an evangelism workshop led by Pr. Robert Fritch of Jamaica, Queens. Finally, in light of Spring tornadoes that destroyed three ELCA buildings in Alabama and Missouri, the Hudson Conference held a summer fund-raising event, "Lutherans Cruising Down the River.". It was supposed to be a boat ride on the Hudson, but currents from Hurricane Irene kept us moored. Nevertheless, when all money was collected, we had raised $4,800 to help rebuild these churches. Ironically, as we gathered to help churches torn apart by tornadoes, a congregation to our north, Prattsville Reformed Church, was severely damaged by the flood waters of Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Our conference decided to "adopt" this congregation in need. A delegation of clergy and laity visited the clergy couple who are the pastors of Prattsville Reformed Church to learn how our conference could help. What resulted from that visit? The congregations of the Hudson Conference:  shared a small gift so that the pastors could get a little rest and relaxation;  provided Thanksgiving Dinner baskets for all of the Head Start families that met at the Reformed Church until the flood;  contributed $3000 towards the rebuilding of the parsonage (which will include a temporary worship space);  sent members to help with clean up (more work parties may be provided this Spring);  sent the dean of our conference to supply preach for the pastors during their family leave;  are collecting items for "Welcome Home Baskets" that will be distributed by Prattsville Reformed to community residents soon to return to their homes. (You might have read about this cooperative ministry of the Hudson Conference in the January, 2012 edition of The Lutheran New Yorker.)

As of this writing, we are still awaiting the Holy Spirit to send us three pastors to fill our vacancies at Trinity, Kingston; First, Poughkeepsie, and the Lutheran Parish of Northern Dutchess. As we wait, we are fortunate to have retired pastors and an ecumenical partner helping to serve the wonderful people of God in the Hudson Conference.

Good things are happening in the Hudson Conference to the glory of God.

The Rev. Dennis O'Rourke, Hudson Conference Dean

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-42

Delaware-Hudson Conference “Wandering Around” (Personal reflections as Dean on experience of past year) This was my first year as dean. I am thankful for gaining further ministry experience and learning about what kinds of issues the synod deals with regularly. The Catskill Area Lutheran Churches is an example of the faith and resiliency of Lutherans. As a conference we also see the struggle and joys of parish ministry in general. I am thankful for the professional group of colleagues that calls Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and part of Ulster counties home.

Looking Back”(What has the conference been doing?) We have been reading and studying the book Reclaiming the Great Commission. We have been praying for Grace, North Branch. We regularly meet and pray for our congregations and have committed to partaking of the means of grace more often as a group. We will continue to share and discuss strategies and mission statements.

“Looking Ahead” (Upcoming events) Healthy Congregations workshops held at St. Peter’s, Port Jervis, Christ, Newburgh and King of Kings, New Windsor. Thanks to Mary Lou Baumgartner and Kathleen Koran for their vision and leadership. Share youth ministry ideas, possibly trying to raise money as a group for the ELCA youth gathering. Attend viability meetings, stewardship training and other support provided by the synod.

“Dreams” for the future ministry of the conference Our hope is that the people of Grace, North Branch live faithfully with each other, the community and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our hopes include that all pastors get paid fully and regularly, and that their healthcare is paid for by the congregation. I am hoping that each parish pastor is cared for across our conference. I am thankful for the strong stewardship training support provided by the synod. Though this conference covers a wide area, I am hoping for some kind of combined outreach ministry or at least a way we can support one another’s ministries. A regular pericope study is also something we hope to do. The Rev. Ernst Mossl, Delaware-Hudson Conference Dean

Eastern Nassau Conference At the present time our conference is stable. All positions are filled and there are no pressing issues. Long term we are dealing with the aging of bedrock members of our churches while at the same time trying to find ways to attract younger families. These younger families do not seem to share the commitment and dedication to church that previous generations did.

Clergy meet every Tuesday morning at Christ Lutheran, Wantagh for mutual support and Bible study. Some of our churches share special worship, youth events, and educational opportunities.

The Rev Martin R. Nale, Eastern Nassau Conference Dean

Western Nassau Conference This is my last Dean’s Report as dean of the Western Nassau Conference; my last day as a pastor in the conference was February 15, 2012. After decades of decline, many of our congregations simply can no longer afford full-time pastors. There are 13 congregations in our conference. Ten are south of Route

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-43 25A. Five years ago, seven of these ten were served by full-time pastors. Today, only two. It is part of the post-Christian era in which we live. Consider this: according to a recent Barna-Gallup poll, about 65% of the generation born before 1946 are “active members of a Christian-based faith community in the United States.” The number drops with every generation. For those born between 1946-64, it’s 35%; for 1965-83 it’s 18%; for those coming after 1983 it’s a meager 4%.

Understandably, this has led to great anxiety. With declining worship attendance and giving, congregations struggle to meet their financial obligations. People are scrambling for answers. The greatest challenge in this era is to NOT be overwhelmed by the fear but FAITHFUL to God the God who keeps every promise.

Out of chaos, God brings order. This time is filled with new opportunities. Congregations continue to have great resources. It energizes me to see congregations and pastors in our conference working together to participate in God’s mission of healing and reconciliation.

I recently heard someone say, “The church is the Titanic and we’re just standing around playing violins.” Considering what was played that dreadful day 100 years ago, maybe that’s what we should be doing. The song was “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” a statement of faith and hope. Those musicians saw that the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was their very real Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ. When there was nothing left to do, these people remained faithful and stirred faith in those around them.

In the midst of chaos, we are called to remain faithful and to stir faith in those around us. The future of our congregations is not known to us. Not every soul on the Titanic perished; for many it was a new beginning, a second chance at life. After decades of doing things one way, congregations are forced to do them differently; this is a kind of death. But it can also be a time for resurrection. As committed disciples of Jesus Christ, in every passing moment we can also sing, “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” I pray that it is in this spirit—the spirit of faith in the God who brings order out of chaos—that our conference continues to work together, finding new ways to be church side-by-side.

This past year:  Out of financial necessity, three of our full-time pastors came to agreements with their congregations to sever their calls.  The conference focus for the 2011-12 programmatic year is Mission. This is being done through a combination of three worship services, four training events for laity, and two conference-wide mission opportunities.  A group called the “Four-Mile Group” has met several times to consider forms of cooperative ministry between congregations. Lenten and Advent services have been shared by some and there is conversation concerning ways to creatively meet the needs of the pastoral office in light of congregations’ inability to support full-time pastors.  A comprehensive calendar of events for the conference and its congregations is being developed. This calendar is already shared and published in newsletters, bulletins, etc.  An Advent devotional written by members of the conference was produced and shared around the conference.

Upcoming events:  Conversation on mission with Rev. Dr. Jack Horner, Assistant to the Bishop for Evangelical Mission.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-44  Participation in the Kids Against Hunger Campaign hosted by LuHi.  Shared Ascension Eve Worship at Ascension, Franklin Square.  Planning meeting for the 2012-13 programmatic year.

“Dreams” for the future ministry of the conference include:  Continuing to find ways to be church together.  Incorporating more elements of Mission through Word to accompany our already effective Mission through Deed. As Lutheran Christians, we are typically much better at doing what Jesus would do than saying what Jesus would say.

The Rev. Albert W. Triolo, Western Nassau Conference Dean

Southwestern Nassau Conference The twelve congregations of the Southwest Nassau Conference are working together to discern how we can best serve our Lord in this portion of our synod. We have welcomed two pastors to our conference in the past year: Pastor Kit Robison to Bethlehem, Baldwin; and Pastor Rebecca Pollicino to Grace, Uniondale. Two of our congregation – Epiphany, Hempstead and Christ/Cristo, Freeport – are in pastoral transition. Our pastors meet weekly for pericope study and monthly for worship and conversation; in the Fall of 2011, we undertook a series of visits to all of our congregations for the purpose of learning more about each congregation’s ministry as well as reflecting on how we can support each other in the ministry we share in the conference. Our conference gathered for our annual Lenten Eucharist at Holy Trinity in Rockville Centre, at which Pastor Jeff Laustsen was re-elected to a second term as conference dean. Our conference is blessed with a strong ministerium, and we hope to strengthen ties between our congregations. We will continue to gather together for worship and study, and hopefully we can continue to work together in the midst of challenging and at times difficult circumstances.

The Rev. Jeff Laustsen, Southwestern Nassau Conference Dean

Peconic Conference “Wandering Around” I have enjoyed being a part of the Deans meetings and retreats. I have had several opportunities to intervene in congregations where advice is needed. In addition, we are in the process of completing major renovations at St. Andrew’s and it has been a delight to see our facilities in a better place.

“Looking Back”  We have met as a group this year  We have formed a steering committee  We have met twice around stewardship issues  We conducted a roundtable on the topic of youth and family ministry  Clergy have met on a monthly basis September through June  We held our a annual retreat at Little Portion Friary in Mount Sinai last winter

“Looking Ahead”  Clergy plan to meet on a regular basis  We have a retreat for clergy planned for the end of January

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-45  We will reconvene those who attended the roundtable on education  In March we will hold a dinner for church councils  We will continue to find ways to build relationships between people in member congregations of the conference

“Dreams” for the future ministry of the conference  A long term initiative for greater cooperation between congregations  Expanding the exploration of how some of our weaker congregations could be yoked to do ministry more effectively  Greater participation on the part of clergy and laity I conference events

The Rev. F. Robert Modr, Dean of the Peconic Conference

Western Suffolk Conference Congregations of the Conference include: Abiding Presence, Fort Salonga (Rev. Robert Schoepflin, Rev. Toby Tobias, Deacon Lori Scaffidi), Ascension, Deer Park (Rev. Justin Lathrop, Rev. Dr. John Krahn, ret.), Calvary, Hauppauge (Rev. Kristina Ahlman), Christ, East Northport (Rev. James Watrud, Interns Tina Reyes and Alex Kennedy, Deacons Fran Hoyer and Hans Wiedemann ret.), Christ, Islip Terrace (Rev. William Munz), Cross of Christ, Babylon (Rev. Dr. Joanne Bond, Deacon Barbara Faraca), Gloria Dei, Huntington Station (Rev. Joel Brandt, Deacons Gayle Ruege and Richard Thyden), King of Kings, Melville (Rev. Jeff Koenig), Latvian, Melville (Rev. Laris Salins), St. John’s, Lindenhurst (Rev. Thomas Taylor), St. Paul’s, East Northport (Rev.. John Jurik, Interim Pastor), St. Peter’s, Huntington Station (Rev. Frank Nelson), Trinity, Wyandanch (Rev. Mack Smith), and Rev. Mark Kiesel.

During 2011, the Western Suffolk Conference kept focused on worship, collegiality and continuing education.  Members of the ministerium meet monthly for worship with rotating leadership which offers both the occasion for diverse worship experiences and the opportunity for all of us to participate in and immerse ourselves in worship without the practical concerns that attend worship leadership.  Every Tuesday morning, the ministerium gathers for study of the upcoming Sunday’s Scripture lessons: this study is led on a rotating basis as well.  The Ministerium has been reading the book, A Door Set Open, by Peter Steinke. In March of 2012, we will host Rev. Steinke who will share a two day training program, New Visions, for outreach training based on his book and his extensive years of experience. It is anticipated that members of the Peconic Conference, Eastern Nassau Conference and the Interim Pastors will be joining us.

There were a few (almost) ‘disasters’ in the Conference:  St. Peter’s, Huntington Station, had the roof of the Parish Hall collapse, rendering the building unsafe. That has now been repaired and rededicated.  Gloria Dei, Huntington Station, experienced a serious flood with damage. That has been cleaned up. Thanks be to God for recovery and repairs.

There have been a number of transitions in our Conference during 2011:

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-46  Gloria Dei, Huntington Station, is in transition after the retirement of Pastor Paul Britton. Currently, Pr. William Eggers is the interim pastor. As of this writing, Gloria Dei is interviewing candidates.  St. John’s, Lindenhurst, called the Rev. Thomas Taylor to be the new pastor. His installation was a true celebration.  St. Paul’s, East Northport is being served by Pastor John Jurik as interim and hopes to be ready to interview pastoral candidates early in 2012.  Pr. Jenn Casey from Abiding Presence left to take a call to Southern Seminary.  At the Annual Conference meeting in March of 2011, Deacon Austin Stack of the Peconic Conference shared his ministry with assisting previously jailed persons to adjust to life back in the community. His work with locating housing, jobs and addiction recovery support was inspirational. At that same meeting, I was elected Dean. It is no easy feat to follow in the footsteps of the previous Dean of the Conference, the Rev. William Munz, Christ, Islip Terrace. He was our Dean for many years and served us faithfully, capably and with dedication.

The Rev. Kristina V. Ahlman, Western Suffolk Conference Dean

Bronx Conference As a Bronx Conference, we have continued to grow in our life together. Last year we expanded our activities. Our Diakonia groups continue to study our tradition and witness together faithfully each Monday. We added a Retreat for lay folks and clergy which centered on the topic of evangelism. This year we also had a councils’ retreat exclusively for the congregational councils of the Bronx. Despite the many challenges we face as Lutheran congregations in the Bronx, there is a strong sense of common purpose and mission in our life together.

Events in 2011  1/6 Annual Epiphany Celebration @ Epiphany  1/16 8th Annual Bronx Conference MLK Celebration @ Saint Peter’s, 140th  1/8 Installation of the Rev. Fernando Otero @ Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church  1/11 Conference Meeting (Clergy and Lay Leaders) @ Transfiguration  1/22 Bronx Youth Ministry Planning Meeting @ Abiding Presence  3/15 Clergy Meeting @ Transfiguration Parsonage  3/18 Youth Night @ Saint Paul’s  3/31 Conference Meeting @ Calvary  Youth Concert @ Epiphany  4/8 Youth Night @ Saint Paul’s  6/2 Ascension Day Celebration @ Saint Thomas  6/30 Conference Meeting  7/16 Annual Conference Barbeque @ First  10/1 First Annual Bronx Congregation Councils Retreat @ Transfiguration  12/4 Bob Rainis Ordained  12/5-12/6 Bishop and Staff Visit to the Bronx  12/14 Conference Advent Worship @ Bethlehem

In addition to these dates, we held a fundraiser: the Bronx Conference Calendar, which was sold to raise funds for our activities. We also continued the Bronx Location of the Diakonia Program. There are

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-47 about a dozen students in the Diakonia Program, which meets at Saint Paul’s. Many of our clergy attend the weekly clergy Bible study graciously held at Jim and Ellie Sudbrock’s house. Our Councils’ Retreat addressed leadership and governance for councils, with workshops and presenters on various topics. At the Bronx Conference Retreat in January, we welcomed the Rev. Bob Fritch, who led us in deliberation about evangelism. We had some very engaged youth ministry activities in the Spring.

Upcoming Events Many of the activities in 2011 have become annual. This year’s Bronx Conference Retreat will focus on growing disciples, with various workshops presented by leaders throughout the Synod. Twelve of our leaders will graduate from the Diakonia Program on June 2nd, which will be held on our territory at Church of the Abiding Presence. Some of our congregations are going through call processes, so we also hope that there will be new clergy leading congregations in the Bronx.

Dreams for the Future I hope that we will be able to build upon our strengthened relationships with one another to build a more effective witness to the Gospel in the Bronx. We have shown signs of effective collaborative ministry, particularly with youth. I hope that will be able to expand those efforts as we vision a new missionary model for this time and place.

The Rev. Paul Block, Bronx Conference Dean

Staten Island Conference The Staten Island Conference is a collective of…  eight Lutheran congregational mission outposts – Christ, Eltingville, Immanuel, Messiah, Our Saviour, Saint Paul’s-Saint Luke’s, Trinity, and Zion;  one Center of Early Education, Zion Lutheran School, offering an educational ministry for children ranging in grades Nursery to Pre-Kindergarten;  one Education Center, Eltingville Lutheran School, offering an educational ministry for children ranging in grades Nursery to Eighth Grade;  one Center of Higher Education, Wagner College;  one Center of Social Ministry, Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, a haven for residents in need of rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, assisted living, and soon hospice care in its own free-standing facility.

During the year 2011 the Staten Island Conference:  held our annual Epiphany Worship, at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Had weekly gatherings of the rostered leaders for pericope study at Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center;  bid farewell to two faithful servants of the church who moved on to either new mission opportunities or retirement;  held a memorial service for a partner in the Gospel, The Reverend William Peacock, who entered the Church Triumphant on February 5, 2011.

Within the conference there are congregational mission outposts doing mission and ministry together…  Trinity and Our Saviour continue to work in the shared ministry that was forged a few years ago;  Christ, Eltingville, and Messiah began to explore ways to support and promote the outposts mission and ministry in a cooperative manner.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-48

The Rev. Garry W. Squire, Staten Island Conference Dean

Southwest Queens Conference Generally speaking, the Lutheran Church in Southwest Queens consists of a handful of smaller congregations that are working hard to bear a faithful witness, while being confronted with many challenges:  neighborhoods that are changing,  buildings that are older and in need of repair,  locations that are tucked away on side streets with poor visibility and exposure,  leadership that is aging and often overstretched,  financial assets that are being dipped into at unsustainable rates.

At one time, there were twelve congregations in our conference, but over the last several decades, that number has dwindled down to eight, and that trend of decline will most likely continue.

However, the Holy Spirit can be seen at work in Southwest Queens as devoted leaders have striven to keep churches open against the odds, as a Latino ministry grows and takes root, as joint youth group activities have been held, and as innovative uses of facilities have been developed to supplement church incomes. Four congregations are also in the early stages of discussions about envisioning the possibility of a consolidated ministry and the building of a regional church.

So there are signs of hope, but the challenges we face in our conference are real and have forced each of our congregations to re-examine how they do things. Change is coming, and we pray for the Spirit’s guidance to help us meet these challenges, so that we might ensure a strong Lutheran presence (in some shape or form) in Southwest Queens for years to come.

The Rev. Micah Stumme, Southwest Queens Conference Dean

Northwest Queens Conference The Gospel of Jesus Christ is alive and well in Northwest Queens, lived and proclaimed in eleven congregations being faithfully served by ten pastors, several deacons and dozens of seasoned lay leaders. Five of these congregations maintain schools of various kinds; one congregation worships in Mandarin and another in Indonesian. A recent merger brought the good people of Ascension, Glendale, into our conference. Each in its own way, all of our congregations are engaged in their communities and working to shape their ministries to the needs and conditions they find there. As elsewhere in our synod, some are thriving, some are holding on, some are struggling. One constant is that all of our churches report deepening relationships among neighborhood ecumenical partners. All of this is holy, joyful work.

Several of our congregations are facing challenges with building maintenance and renovation; others are experiencing demographic changes that have disrupted historic patterns of ministry. We were pleased to welcome Indonesian Lutheran Church to our conference as a full-fledged congregation of the ELCA. Sadly, one of our newer ministries, GRACE OVERFLOWS (the English language ministry to second generation members of Grace Chinese Lutheran Church in Elmhurst) was discontinued in December of

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-49 2011. Three of our congregations currently receive support from synodical and/or national mission funds.

Queens County contains some of the most ethnically and racially diverse real estate on the planet, and our congregations increasingly reflect that fact. We are rapidly becoming the whole world in microcosm. Here, we are privileged to build on foundations laid by the first Lutherans on Long Island. These were German farmers who gathered for worship in 1851 on the territory of our Northwest Queens Conference, in the chapel at the new Lutheran Cemetery. Our conference congregations have been in ministry for over 160 years. There were times of exponential growth, and also times of struggle, suffering and loss. Most of all, those many years brought constant, massive, unrelenting change to Northwest Queens. By God’s grace we have learned – and are learning – to be resilient, courageous and creative, and it is with this spirit that our ministries continue to offer God’s holy love to the people of this place. May God continue to prosper the work of our hands. Amen.

The Rev. Leo E. Longan, Jr., Northwest Queens Conference Dean

South Shore Brooklyn Conference At the present time our conference has two congregations with full-time called pastors, St. Paul’s in Coney Island and Holy Trinity in Marine Park Brooklyn.

It was sad news that St. Stephen’s closed its school over the last several years. Our conference is being served by several interim pastors. St. Stephen’s is being served by Rev. Harriet Wieber as an intentional interim, and Church of the Redeemer is being served by Rev. Chryll D. Crews, an ordained Baptist pastor as licensed celebrant and stated supply. Rev. Crews is currently engaged in the candidacy process with the Metro NY Synod seeking to become a rostered pastor in the ELCA.

In this last year, Pastor Omar Ortiz has been ordained to Word and Sacrament ministry and serves Trinity Lutheran Church, 18th Avenue, and Advent Lutheran Church (a federated congregation with the Reformed Church) has called a Reformed pastor, Rev. Calvin Spann.

St. James Lutheran Church, Gerritsen Beach, and Church of the Redeemer are being covered by their Dean. Redeemer, Flatbush, is without a pastor and Rev. Ken Simurro remains at St. Paul’s, Avenue J, on a quarter-time basis.

We meet as a conference in January and have continued to keep Wednesday Lenten fellowship and worship. We begin with a light supper and end in worship. This year our Conference worship attendance reflected participants ranging from 55 to 100 and proved as usual to be a very wonderful and enriching experience for all who attended.

In addition to the Wednesday evenings, St. Paul’s, Avenue J, hosted a Seder during Holy Week, and St. Stephen’s hosted the Easter Vigil.

In all, it’s been an honor to serve as Dean of this conference.

The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann, South Shore Brooklyn Conference Dean

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-50 Southwest Brooklyn Conference The Southwest Brooklyn Conference is currently made up of nine congregations (Bethlehem, Good Shepherd, Our Saviour, Redeemer – St. John’s, St. Jacobi, Salam Arabic, Trinity, and Zion, as well as one which is in the process of leaving the ELCA - Christ), two elementary schools (Leif Ericson Day School and Lutheran Elementary School of Bay Ridge), two church-run pre-schools, and four social ministry organizations (Lutheran Health Care – the umbrella organization for such entities as Lutheran Medical Center and Lutheran Augustana Center – our closest hospital and local nursing home; The Healing Center, an agency that assists survivors of domestic violence; the Ecumenical Neighborhood Lunch Program, a weekly feeding program for our community’s poor, low-income, and homeless persons; and the Lutheran Counseling Center – Paul Qualben Site). The Conference encompasses the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

The year 2011 began with a tragedy, namely, the death of Stuart Miller, on January 3rd. Stuart was the 15-year-old son of Pastor Craig Miller of Our Saviour’s and his wife, Nancy Morgan, the brother of CarolAnn Miller, and the grandson of Pastor Richard Miller (retired) and his wife Carolyn, and Harry and Ann Morgan (both deceased). In the midst of this grief and loss, our Conference banded together to support Stuart’s family and friends. None of us fully knew how to be a support in a situation like this, but, together with the family, we learned. Different pastors covered for Pastor Miller both immediately after Stuart’s death, as well as during his bereavement sabbatical in the fall. A sister congregation worshiped with the people of Our Saviour’s during these same two intervals, as they too were deeply grieving, having known Stuart since he was two. Bereavement counselors were brought in twice to meet with Stuart’s friends and fellow youth group members, and once to meet with the congregation as a whole. And Stuart’s friends, under the guidance of Pastor Harriet Wieber, organized a memorial service on the first anniversary of his death. In the end, this traumatic event helped us to become closer as a Conference.

Also at the beginning of the year, Salam Arabic Lutheran Church left its building on Ovington Avenue and moved into the Upper Room at Our Saviour’s, which has been a blessing for both congregations. In addition, the Korean congregation in our Conference, Reformation Lutheran Church, disbanded, and its pastor, the Rev. Jonathan Shin, left us to begin doing ministry in Philadelphia. Our Latvian pastor, the Rev. Janis Pauliks, who headed up our Russian Language Meet-Up, also left in 2011. Yet, we also welcomed a colleague last year. The Rev. Vanessa Cardinale was ordained as a pastor of the UCC at Trinity, and is serving as its Associate Pastor.

The “Founding Council,” a subset of our Conference, which began in 2009 to talk seriously about the future of the Lutheran Church in Southwest Brooklyn, met regularly throughout 2011. Its primary focus throughout the year was establishing a Brooklyn site for the Lutheran Counseling Center. Indeed, the “Paul Qualben Site” of the LCC opened this past February, with the Rev. Dr. Anthony Stephens present every Friday to counsel. The site is located at Good Shepherd (Fourth Avenue and Bay Ridge Parkway).

Conference events in 2011 included a summer “Picnic in the Park,” and a “Dinner and Basket Auction” – a fundraiser for our Conference’s youth group. We also hosted the Synod’s first “Enter into the Joy” Stewardship Workshop, led by Assistant to the Bishop, the Rev. Jack Horner, as well as three out of six sessions of the “Healthy Congregations” program led by Assistant to the Bishop, the Rev. Kathleen Koran. We also continue to host the annual “Marathon of Prayer and Praise” – an ecumenical event which includes breakfast, cheering on the NYC Marathon runners (who run past most of our Conference’s congregations) complete with St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church’s steel band, followed by a

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-51 joint Eucharist. Our Conference is also at the forefront in organizing the annual Ecumenical Lenten Soup Supper – a fundraiser for different hunger programs in our community, as well as the annual series of Lenten Ecumenical Evening Prayer services held at a different denomination’s congregation each week. Additionally, a number of Conference clergy participate in the Ecumenical Clergy Bible Studies.

Conference meetings were held twice in 2011, in March and September. Topics discussed included: a review of the Conference Objectives as stated in the Synod’s Constitution, possibilities for Conference- wide worship, and a program entitled, “Lifting Up One Another’s Ministries,” whereby one ministry of each congregation, school, or social ministry organization will be highlighted for a month at a time to be our focus for education, prayer, and support.

As our Founding Council mission statements says, “Lutheran in Southwest Brooklyn – One Community in Christ, One Message of Hope, One Purpose to Serve,” may we continue in this, our mission, as we move into the future. We ask for your continued prayers, as we pray for you as well.

The Rev. Diane Wildow, Dean of the Southwest Brooklyn Conference

MNYS Committee Reports Archives Advisory Committee Report

The following is a list of accessions made during the past year:  St. John’s, 1343 Fulton Ave., Bronx  Swedish Lutheran Bethlehem Church, 490 Pacific St., Brooklyn  St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 1004 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn  St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 89-19 114th St., Richmond Hill, Queens  Good Shepherd, 201-03 29th Avenue, Bayside, Queens  Atonement Lutheran Church, 3065 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island  St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Ridge  Synod Assembly 2010 minutes  Qualben Collection  Wagner College  Robert Scholz paper  Harry J. Krieder  Record Group 17: East Coast Synod (AELC)  Record Group 18; Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church

The following is a list accessions from Active Congregations:  Trinity Lutheran Church, White Plains

The Archives Advisory Committee

The Rev. Danielle Fey, Chair Mr. Jack Martz Mr. John Daggan, Archivist Mr. Erik Sorensen The Rev. Michael Church, Historian Ms. Marion Palm The Rev. Richard Miller

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-52

2011 Candidacy Committee Report (Feb.-Dec. 2011)

Candidacy Committee Responsibilities Persons seeking rostered vocations in the ELCA as ordained pastors, associates in ministry, consecrated deaconesses and diaconal ministers apply for Candidacy through the Candidacy Committee of the synod in which they hold congregational membership. The Synod Candidacy Committee, which acts on behalf of the Metropolitan New York Synod and the ELCA, is responsible for determining the readiness of persons to enter the candidacy process, 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.

Candidacy Committee Membership Members of the Candidacy Committee whose terms of office expired in June of 2011 included: Pastor Ray Ormand, Dr. Ralph Peters, and Pastor Jeanne Warfield. New appointments to the Candidacy Committee in September of 2011 included: Pastor Rosalind Brathwaite, Pastor William Eschen, and Ms. Janet Siry.

Candidacy Committee membership (September 10, 2011 to present) includes: Pastor Fabian Arias, Pastor Rosalind Brathwaite, Ms. Carolyn Brown, Pastor Romeo Dabee, Pastor William Eschen, Pastor Jeffrey Kolbo (Candidacy Coordinator), Pastor Jonathan Linman (Assistant to the Bishop), Pastor Christopher Mietlowski, Pastor Danielle Miller, Pastor Daniel Penumaka, Ms. Janet Siry, Pastor Jerome Taylor, Ms. Cassandra Wilson and Pastor Peggy Wuertele (ELCA Representative). Professor Paul Rajashekar, serves as ELCA faculty representative to the committee.

Special thanks are extended to Ms. Mary Tennermann, who assisted with the administrative details of the Candidacy Process in 2011, and to Ms. Louise Litke who conducted initial interviews on behalf of the Candidacy Committee.

Candidacy Committee Meetings The Metropolitan New York Synod Candidacy Committee met six times in 2011. Meetings were held at the Synod Office on the second Saturday of the month, with the exception of the April meeting, which was held on April 30. A Candidacy Retreat was held in October. Members of the Committee traveled to ELCA seminaries for endorsement interviews and other meetings.

Steps in Candidacy ENTRANCE begins a journey of discernment that explores an individual’s potential for rostered ministry and readiness to begin the process of theological study and candidacy in the ELCA. One year of active membership in the ELCA is required prior to entrance. The entrance process requires the completion of an application portfolio that includes: application form, biographical essay, congregational registration, initial interview, psychological evaluation/career counseling consultation, background check and entrance interview. Normally, a positive entrance decision is required before an applicant is admitted to an ELCA seminary. Those approved for Entrance to Candidacy in 2011 included:

February 12, 2011  The Rev. Harry Schenkel, Ordained in another Lutheran Tradition

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-53  Eric Mull, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Flatbush

April 30, 2011  Julie Kelly, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Croton-on-Hudson  Nancy Rakoczy, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Manhattan June 11, 2011  The Rev. Chryll Crews, Ordained in another Christian Tradition

ENDORSEMENT encourages and affirms those who clearly demonstrate gifts and qualities for a specific form of ministry in the ELCA, as well as identifies areas for growth and development. Before endorsement, a candidate must complete at least two semesters of seminary study, parish fieldwork, and a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education. Candidates for endorsement complete an endorsement essay, which is discussed with the Candidacy Committee during an endorsement interview. Only endorsed candidates may participate in an ELCA internship. Candidates approved for Endorsement in 2011 included:

September 10, 2011  Emily Scott, Trinity Lower East Side

November 12, 2011  David Hanssen, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pleasantville  Nicholas Sollom, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Manhattan  Marc Almendarez Stutzel, Trinity Lutheran Church, Long Island City

APPROVAL comes at the completion of all academic and practical requirements. The approval process includes the preparation of an Approval Essay and participation in the Approval Interview. A positive decision must be made in order to be available for assignment, ordination and first call for service to the whole church. Candidates approved for ordination or admission to the ELCA Roster in 2010 included:

February 12, 2011  Christopher Wogaman (reapproval)

June 11, 2011  The Rev. Harry Schenkel (admission to the ELCA roster)  The Rev. Donald Lemke (reinstatement to the ELCA roster)

September 10, 2011  The Rev. Mark Kiesel (admission to the ELCA roster)  Omar Ortiz, Trinity Lutheran Church, Brooklyn  Robert Rainis, Ascension Lutheran Church, Deer Park

November 12, 2011  David Drysdale, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, White Plains  Timothy Johansen, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, West Hempstead  Jonathan Racabarren, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Manhattan

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-54 December 10, 2011  Sarah Anderson Rajarigam, Calvary Lutheran Church, Bronx  Leila Ortiz, Resurrection Lutheran Church, Bronx (reapproval)

New Candidates Encouraged If you or someone you know would like to explore the possibility of a vocation in the ELCA as an ordained pastor, associate in ministry, diaconal minister or deaconess, the Candidacy Committee would be interested in speaking with you. For information, contact the Reverend Jeffrey Kolbo, Candidacy Coordinator, 631-744-9355 [[email protected]] or the Reverend Jonathan Linman, Assistant to the Bishop for Formation, at 212-870-2374 [[email protected]]

The Rev. Jeffrey Kolbo, Candidacy Committee Chairperson

Child Youth & Family Ministry Committee

The culture we live in is not static; it’s forever changing. This past year witnessed the “Occupy Wall Street” movement by the “99%” organized through social media. How young people communicate, organize and get things done has radically changed. The landscape has changed. Young people are the ones who understand the new landscape and can guide us through it. They know what we don’t know.

Our synod recognizes the need to change. To effectively make changes, we need a plan and so our synod is in the process of developing a strategic plan. Most of us know where we are now and where we want to go as we move forward, the challenge is how do we get there. The “how to” becomes a function of how to operate effectively in our culture. Any missionary will tell you that the first thing they need to do when they go someplace is to learn the culture they are operating in so they can make their message understood in the context of that culture.

This is where people involved in child, youth and family ministries can have an impact. They have already been working in the millennial culture and have some experience with it. Over the past year CYFM has continued to answer the “how to” question using various events and resources:

1. Encouraged training and professional development: a. Provided Training for the ELCA Youth Gathering. Training sessions were held by our synod coach and coordinator last fall and in the spring. The final gathering of synod people going to the Youth Gathering will be on May 6 at Grace, Yorktown Heights. Approximately 400 people from MNYS are scheduled to attend the Youth Gathering in New Orleans this coming July (www.ELCA.org/youthgathering). b. Identified training opportunities such as Youth Ministry Now at Yale (www.berkeleydivinity.net) c. Provided two $1,000 scholarships for people to attend the ELCA Youth Ministry Extravaganza (www.ELCAYMNET.org). d. CYFM members contributed to the Festival of Workshops at Koinonia’s annual meeting (www.Koinoniany.org).

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-55 2. Identified exemplary efforts by way of the annual Heart of Ministry – Award of Distinction; awarded by CYFM each year at the Synod Assembly. Last year’s award went to Trinity in Rocky Point. Nominate your congregation by going to our synod’s web site (www.MNYS.org), clicking on Ministries, Child Youth & Family, then awards and downloading the nomination form.

3. Networked with other Youth Leaders: a. CYFM participates with SYMBOL (Synodical Youth Ministry Band Of Leaders) meeting at the Extravaganza with others working at the synod level from across the country. b. Members of CYFM attended the 3rd annual Region 7 Youth Summit at Koinonia last October. Five of the seven synods in Region 7 attended. We shared what was happening in each synod and discussed items of common concern. We identified our greatest challenge as how to mentor young people into leadership positions. c. CYFM moved its regular meetings from the synod office in Manhattan to congregational sites to encourage more participation. Moving around made it possible for a few additional people to attended, but not on a continual basis. d. Several members from MNYS attended the Extravaganza; Youth Ministries annual networking and training event.

4. Providing input to strategic planning a. Identify resource information (“The Fly in the Ointment” by J. Russell Crabtree) b. Provide comments at Synod Council and other meetings.

Now more than ever we recognize that families come in many different shapes and sizes; they are a vital part of our congregational identity. CYFM is committed to helping our churches answer the “how do we do youth ministry & family ministry effectively?” question that is pervasive in our synod, as well as in the entire ELCA. Please read the following article which lifts up the challenges of making our youth welcome and vibrant partners in ministry written by CYFM chairperson Charlie Germain.

Information about the committee can be found at our synod’s web site, www.MNYS.org under Ministries, then Child Youth & Family. Visit our blog at Stories in Faith. All committee meetings are open to anyone who is interested, see calendar for upcoming dates. Drop by and check out all the exciting things that are happening in child, youth and family ministry in the MNYS.

Questions or comments? Please feel free to contact the committee’s chair, deacon Charlie Germain at [email protected].

The Challenge of the Millennials by Deacon Charlie Germain

Once when I was talking about Millennials at Synod Council someone asked, “What’s a Millennial?” I am very glad they asked, but it points out that there is a lack of understanding about cultural shifts and how they impact the church. Recognizing that young people are among those missing from the table (see chart), the ELCA made changes to the model constitutions in 2009,

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-56 setting a goal of 10% representation for young people on churchwide, synod and church councils, committees, etc. But where are they? Consider this question: “Where are all the young people who attended the Youth Gathering in New Orleans 3 years ago and what happened to all the excitement and energy that was generated there? Why didn’t the excitement last?” The truth is the excitement did last. But they took their passion outside the church. As a songwriter once said, “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.”

The answer to what’s happening lies in our understanding of cultural shifts; how to operate in a changing world. Society has moved from Baby Boomer to Gen-X and now to a Millennial world. It’s moved from a culture where work and commitment were valued to one where consumption and intimacy are valued. In a world where work and commitment are valued, you work the thing that you are committed to. You devote your time and energy to it, not because you like it, but because it has meaning for you. In a world where consumption and intimacy are the primary values, you consume (take it on as your own) and find intimacy (attachment) with it. If something’s not working for you, if it’s not meeting your needs, you drop it and go where your needs are met. I’m not making any judgments here. I’m identifying two different ways of being. These different ways of being have consequences for local congregation. If I come back from a national youth gathering excited about doing something, and my local congregation isn’t excited, why waste my time and energy in my local congregation when there are other outlets for my passion? Thinking in terms of a changing landscape may be useful in describing how our culture has changed. We talked about that landscape in the meetings we had about the upcoming Youth Gathering. In the “Landscape of Youth Ministry” the dominant religion in America is described as moralistic therapeutic deism (see Kenda Creasy Dean’s “Almost Christian”). Most people believe that there is a god, but god doesn’t necessarily have much to do with my life. They believe that god wants us to be good and that god wants us to be happy. It’s what passes as conventional Christianity. A kind of civil religion everyone can be comfortable with. Over 80% of Americans believe in god, right? But what god do they believe in? The problem with moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD) is that it’s not about the Gospel, it’s about ME and what I want. It reflects how consumer capitalism has influenced the church. I attempt to show this in the chart. There is a vertical and horizontal axis. On the right side of the vertical axis are the joiners, those people who are members of congregations. On the left are non-joiners. The joiners can be thought of as those who make a commitment to an organization and devote their energy to it; i.e. baby boomers. On the left are the non-joiners, those who will try many options and pick and choose what they want, i.e. consumers or millennials. Here’s where it gets tricky. Above the horizontal axis are the “believers” and below are the “non-believers”. I’ll define believers as those who live out their lives according to the Gospel vs the MTD’s who are there for what they can get out of it. Recognize that no one who is a member of a congregation would ever describe themselves as an MTD. But that’s the reality. In almost every congregation, we know the few who show up for the mission trips, to help at the local homeless shelter, etc. The doers vs those who just show up on Sunday morning. We can’t read what’s in people’s hearts and I don’t suggest that we try to. But we do need to ask ourselves, what does the population of the congregation look like, and how does that impact the congregations ability to live out the Gospel and stand for peace and justice in all the world? If the MTD’s

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-57 rule the congregation, and in many cases they do, the ability of that congregation to live out the Gospel in their community is compromised.

Commission for Gay and Lesbian People The Commission for Gay and Lesbian People (CGLP) offers support and advocacy for the ministries and concerns of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities of the Metropolitan New York Synod. Activities during the 2008-2009 program year included:

 This past year, St. John’s (Manhattan) was added to the roster of Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregations.

 CGLP adapted the ELW Marriage liturgy for use with Same-Sex couples.

 CGLP co-sponsored and provided funding for a week-long series of events around National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) at St. John’s. This included a Liturgy for Reconciliation in which Bishop Rimbo took part.

 CGLP is continuing to work with RIC congregations to enhance the Lutheran presence in the annual Pride March. This past year, a float celebrated 5 years of ministry by Trinity Place – a shelter for LGBTQ Young Adults at Trinity, 100th Street. This year a synod Pride Mass will take place on Sunday, June 17, at 6:00 PM. Other events will take place throughout the week leading up to the Pride March on Sunday, June 24.

 CGLP continues to serve as a resource for parishes that are considering the Reconciling in Christ process.

Members of the CGLP: Mr. David Ehlers (co-chair) Ms. Kate McDonough Rev. Mark Erson (co-chair) Mr. John Prosen Rev. Leo E. Longan Rev. Gary Mills (representative, Bishop’s Staff)

Hunger Committee (March 1, 2011-February 29, 2012) Mission: To raise awareness of the hunger issue and to serve as a resource to congregations, assisting them in responding to the needs of hungry people, locally and globally.

Striving for justice is a component of our lives as baptized children of God. Around the globe, 925 million people—including 36 million in the United States—know the injustice of chronic hunger all too well. Following Jesus’ example, we are called to feed the hungry by accompanying them, sharing our resources to help them obtain what they need for a sustainable livelihood: sufficient food, access to safe water, education, healthcare, agricultural and vocational training, and microloans for small “cottage industries.” ELCA World Hunger is engaged in the battle to end hunger through a comprehensive program that involves relief work, development projects, education about hunger issues, and advocacy on behalf of the hungry both locally and globally. The Metro New York World Hunger Committee is part

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-58 of ELCA World Hunger and as such we encourage congregations to support its work. Fighting hunger is God’s work. Our hands.

The major world hunger story of 2011 was, and continues to be, the severe drought and resulting famine in the Horn of Africa—the worst in 60 years! The drought severely restricted access to drinking water, and also caused major losses of crops and livestock. In Somalia the famine was compounded by an unstable political situation that drove thousands of people from their homes to refugee camps in search of food, water, security and a chance to move forward. Relief efforts continue as the over 11 million people affected work to rebuild their livelihoods. Because ELCA World Hunger had been Photo credit: ACT/Paul Jeffrey working and with partners in the area, notably the Lutheran World Federation and Lutheran World Relief, ELCA Disaster Response was able to act quickly. In August the Hunger Committee sent a letter to all congregations in our Synod outlining the situation and asking people to support the work of ELCA Disaster Response and Lutheran World Relief through their prayers and monetary gifts. As these agencies help provide water, keep the camps secure, and encourage refugees to build on existing skills, they continue to need our spiritual and financial support.

One of the committee’s responsibilities is to review applications from congregations and agencies in the Synod territory for ELCA Domestic Hunger grants. A sub-committee read the proposals and made initial suggestions for the committee’s recommendations to the Chicago hunger staff, which makes the final determination. Ten grants totaling $25, 500 were awarded to programs in the MNYS area for 2012. These programs will be highlighted in future committee publications.

Another committee responsibility is to promote giving to ELCA World Hunger. The ELCA goal is that giving average $5 per baptized member per year, which would result in raising about $25 million annually. Across the ELCA we have come close in some years, but the goal has still not been realized. Giving from MNYS averaged $2.69 in 2010—our best effort to date. (We do not yet have the figures for 2011.) If each of us commits to doing one small thing, like giving up a fast food meal or a favorite snack once a week and donating that money to ELCA World Hunger, we could attain this $5 giving goal. More importantly this small action can mean a life-changing difference for someone living with chronic hunger!

The committee also promotes the anti-hunger advocacy work of Bread for the World, an ELCA World Hunger partner. Pastor David Beckmann (ELCA), Bread’s president, has said that we cannot food pantry our way out of hunger and poverty. We need to change systems so that they will better fill the needs of the hungry and poor and help them become self-sufficient. This can only be accomplished by advocating with our nation’s leaders for policies and programs to accomplish this locally and globally. The committee encourages congregations to get involved in this advocacy through Bread for the World’s annual Offering of Letters. The 2011 campaign focused on making foreign aid more effective in combating global hunger, and the 2012 campaign will focus on maintaining funding for programs that help the poor and hungry.

In August of 2011 the Churchwide Assembly endorsed the ELCA Malaria Campaign. Malaria and hunger are interrelated, and efforts in combating one will benefit efforts in combating the other. This committee plans to participate in synodical efforts to promote this campaign. It has already provided

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-59 information about the campaign to congregations through the newsletter and has been involved in discussions with Advent (Manhattan) regarding their Malaria Campaign.

The Hunger Committee communicates information about hunger issues and provides congregations with resources through the Synod e-letter, our webpage on the Synod website, and our newsletter, Bread and Justice, published twice a year. We highlight the work of ELCA World Hunger and its partners, the Lutheran World Federation, Lutheran World Relief, and Bread for the World, as well as what our congregations are doing to fight hunger locally and globally. You will also find monthly suggestions of what you can do individually and as a congregation to be engaged in the fight against hunger.

Jocelyn D’Antonio and Karen Nurmi represented MNYS World Hunger at the Region 7 gathering of global mission and hunger leaders in October. In February Robert Brent and Karen Nurmi attended the ELCA Hunger Leadership Gathering in Ft. Myers, FL, where they had the opportunity to meet with hunger leaders from across the ELCA and also learn about initiatives in the Fort Myers area to combat local hunger.

In January the committee was delighted to welcome a new member—Abby Triebel from St. John’s, Poughkeepsie.

The Committee would like to hear about your congregation’s efforts to fight hunger. We also invite you to become “congregational hunger contact” for your congregation. Contact Karen Nurmi at [email protected] for more information. There is always room at the table!

The MNYS World Hunger Committee: Dr. Jocelyn D’Antonio and Dcn Karen, Co-chairs: Pr.Rosalind Brathwaite, Dr. Robert Brent, Pr. James O’Hanlon, Pr. Danielle Miller, Dcn Beverly Small, P. James Sudbrock, Ms Mary Tennermann, Dcn Richard Thyden, Ms Abigail Triebel, Pr. Alex Walbrodt, Ms Sharon Wilson

Romania Companionship Committee

A major task of the Romanian Companion Synod Committee has been establishing, assisting, and encouraging congregation-to-congregation partnerships. Seven MNYS congregations have been partnered with congregations in Romania. Exchanges of newsletters, photos, emails, Twitter, choirs, youth groups, etc. are some of the ways the congregations can feel connected and build friendships. The congregations participating in this program are as follows; Abiding Presence, Fort Salonga; Trinity, Staten Island; St. John-St. Matthew-Emanuel, Brooklyn; Ascension, Deer Park; Christ, Newburgh; Emanuel, Pleasantville; and Messiah-St. John’s, Brooklyn.

We are grateful to the pastors and members of these congregations who have committed to support this effort. Our hopes are that a true sense of our shared unity in the Gospel, as well as mutual cultural enrichment, will result from these relationships.

In October 2012, the pastors of our Romanian-partnered congregations, along with Bishop Adorjani, will visit us here in New York. The Romanian clergy will spend time with their partnered congregation, have time for study and reflection and, of course, see the sights in New York City. We look forward to this wonderful opportunity to host our Romanian friends and deepen our connection with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-60 Since 2009, Pastors Terri and Michael Church have served the ELCR as English-language missionaries. Their task has been to build an English-speaking worship community in the city of Cluj-Napoca, based at the Lutheran Cathedral Church in this cosmopolitan university town. They have succeeded in accomplishing this and have included bible study, fellowship, and creative integration of the arts in their ministry. We are very appreciative of the fine work done by Pastors Terri and Michael Church.

During 2012-13, the focus of this ministry will be on establishing a group of lay leaders who are committed to the continuation of the English speaking ministry in Cluj-Napoca into its next phase.

Eros Var A Mi Istenuk! (A Mighty Fortress is Our God)

Pastor Leigh Pezet, Chair

Romanian Mission

Overview Since Sept. 2009, the Church family – Pastors Terri and Michael, along with their son Theodore – have served as missionaries to our companion synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania. Their task is to help the church share its distinctive Lutheran witness with English-speakers in the cosmopolitan university town of Cluj-Napoca. The heart of this mission is worship, but it also includes strong elements of learning and fellowship. The mission has been complicated by the disastrous impact upon Romania of the global economic crisis and the instability of the European Community. Participation One important development over the past year has been a growth in the number of Romanians who are active in the church, and who may form the core of a continuing congregation. Sunday worship attendance in 2011-21012 averages 25 during the academic year, more than half being made up of Romanian citizens, of various ethnic heritages; during the summer of 2011, attendance dropped to an average of 10 -- of which 100% was Romanians. At the most recent Bible studies, 100% of the students have been Romanian. Only one of our regular participants is a member of the Lutheran church, and most are members of no church whatsoever. In addition, the community is strikingly young. Most participants are in their 20s or early 30s; Michael and Terri are often the oldest people in church on Sunday evening. This is a significant development. Although the Lutheran church has been established in Transylvania since the days of Martin Luther, its membership has largely been confined to ethnic Hungarians and Germans. (Until 1918, Transylvania was part of Hungary.) Since the end of the Cold War, the number of Hungarians and Germans has diminished severely, and they are a far smaller part of the population than ever before. Furthermore, the Communist period was extremely hard on Romanian churches. While people were not forbidden to worship, those who did so were prevented from holding government jobs, and were often suspected of espionage and treason. The result is that two generations grew up with little or no experience of Christianity at all, and especially of Protestantism. The third generation, now reaching young adulthood, is struggling to find its way between faith and secularism.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-61 All this means that, despite being a local presence for nearly 500 years, and worshiping in many of the largest and most beautiful buildings in the city, the Lutheran church is almost unknown to many Romanians today. Our synod's mission to Romania is a unique opportunity to re-introduce the Lutheran witness to the Gospel in a country where it has a long history, but in which it has been nearly exterminated by changes in politics and demographics, as well as by outright oppression. It is also a chance to help Lutheranism in Romania move beyond its traditional ethnic communities—a transition which is certain to be emotionally and logistically difficult, even while it is essential to the survival of the movement. Restless hearts At first glance, Romania may seem like an illogical location for missionary work. It is a European country with a long Christian history, and at least on paper, a vast majority of its citizens are affiliated with the Orthodox church. But a closer examination shows that Romania is in fact a wide-open field for evangelism, and in fact a country crying out for the particular gifts of the Lutheran church. Although Orthodoxy is the traditional faith of ethnic Romanians, many of them feel very distant from their ancestral church. During the Communist years, many people were raised outside the church for practical reasons, and so neither today's young people nor their parents have much experience of organized Christianity. Moreover, the close association of Orthodoxy with a succession of unpopular governments has weakened its popular prestige. One of the most enthusiastic participants in the mission activities is a young Romanian sociologist named Sorin Gog. Dr. Gog's research, which is focused on the role of religion in post- Communist Romania, has revealed a striking gap between perception and reality. For example, while 98% of Romanians tell researchers that they "believe in God," further questions show that as few as 35% share a belief in the God proclaimed by Christianity. The rest hold only vague ideas of a "creator spirit," usually falling somewhere between folk superstition and New Age syncretism. The bottom line is that, while Romanians have a predisposition to believe, they no longer share a common faith or even know where to look for one. St. Augustine said that "our hearts are restless until they rest in [God]," and Michael Church likes to observe that in this sense, Romania is a nation full of restless hearts, yearning for a truth that has not been presented to them in a way they can truly hear. Romania is a fertile and promising mission field. Other churches know this. Baptist and Pentecostal missionaries have been at work in Romania since even before the revolution, and are very active. However, they lack the theological grounding of Lutheranism, as well as the centuries-long presence in Romanian soil. Our mission is a rare opportunity to share the distinctively Lutheran witness to the grace of God with people who are eager to hear it. The Role of English It is important to understand that English is not merely the language spoken by the British, Australian, Indian and American peoples. On the contrary, it is now a global language, spoken daily by millions of people who have learned it only as their second, third or fourth language.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-62 When he preached at our mission service, the Jesuit provincial in Cluj called it, without a second thought, "the new Latin." English does not merely make our worship and community life available to the foreigners from many countries who come to Cluj for work and study. In Transylvania, a place divided by historic ethnic rivalries, English has the unique ability to serve as a neutral linguistic territory. We offer a chance for Romanian citizens of Romania, Hungarian and German heritage to worship and serve side by side, without swallowing any ethnic pride. The wide applicability of English comes at a price. "Global English," also called "Simple English," is emerging as a distinct dialect, with a modest vocabulary and simplified grammar. Although our mission services use the LBW liturgical texts, they omit some of the canticles and responses, and we use the Contemporary English Version for some Bible readings. This makes the services more accessible to people who may speak English only as a third or fourth language. Romania’s Unrest The global economic crisis has hit Romania hard. Construction halted abruptly in 2009 and has not picked up. Unemployment is high, and even those with "jobs" are frequently not paid. In Romania, as in Greece, Spain and other countries, the government has been forced to implement dramatic austerity measures, which have slashed incomes and pension benefits nationwide. Since late 2011, Romania has been shaken by a series of popular protests all over the country. These have resulted in the resignation of the Prime Minister and a shakeup in the government, but long-term results are unknown and the protests have continued. Although this does not have a direct impact upon our mission, it has meant that many of the young Romanians with whom we work (and quite a few foreigners as well) have found themselves in dire economic straits, struggling to survive. Terri and Michael have put more energy than they anticipated into crisis ministries. New Leadership During 2012 and 2013, the Churches will focus their efforts on assembling and equipping a team of committed lay leaders who can guide the English Mission into its next phase. It is likely that most of these leaders will be young Romanians. One particular challenge will be to include a significant number of foreigners in the leadership team as well. At the same time, a new focus of the synod's staff and Romania Committee will be on the effort to provide pastoral care for the future. Since it is not possible to continue this mission with a fully-funded pastoral presence, we are exploring other possibilities, including the service of a recently-retired pastor in search of adventure. Summer Furlough During the summer of 2011, the Churches were back in the United States for a seven-week visit. Roughly half of this time was spent visiting the congregations and other synod ministries that support the mission, and half on family and vacation. This was their first visit home, and the only one that they expect to make before their return in mid-2013. They are grateful to all the people who welcomed them so warmly, including Camp Koinonia and the congregations which

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-63 take part in Campfirmation, and they are especially grateful to the members of St. Andrew's, Yorktown Heights, who provided them with a wonderful temporary home. Rev. Michael Church & Rev. Terri Church, MNYS Missionaries serving in Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Tanzania Companionship Committee The Tanzania Companionship Committee provides support for the relationship between this synod and the North Western Diocese (NWD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). This relationship has been thriving for 14 years and continues to grow. We work with our respective partners to develop and support mutual companionship guided by the vision of God who works within our midst. May our continued efforts inspire and strengthen us and Christ’s church as we serve God and our neighbors 8,000 miles away.

Our Commitment to the North Western Diocese The focus of our partnership is and has been Christian Education in the NWD. A major part of that support has been directed to Kibeta English Medium Primary School (KEMPS) in Bukoba, Tanzania. This school now supports a staff of 15 with over 300 students. We have provided teachers for the school since its inception in 1998. Currently, we have two teachers at KEMPS. Aaron Schutte, who graduated from Wartburg College and has been teaching at KEMPS since 2009, has extended his commitment through June 30, 2013. Our other American teacher, Stephanie Schmiege, has been teaching at KEMPS since the July of 2011. Stephanie graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and is teaching students about the wonders of science and the French language. Stephanie will be finishing her teaching in December , Aaron Schutte’s wife, Allison, will take over Stephanie’s position teaching full time through June 30, 2013. We continue to support Iluhya Secondary School, Mwangaza Partnership for Education, and HUYAWA (an organization serving those with HIV-AIDS).

Clinical Pastoral Education Another aspect of our partnership over the past few years has been the training and certification of one of the NWD pastors as a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervisor. Pastor Lermy Lwankomezi successfully completed the training and has been engaged in leading CPE programs both within the diocese and in other areas. We continue to encourage the NWD to support this ministry.

Journeys to Tanzania Several pilgrimage trips to Tanzania took place in 2010. Bishop and Mrs. Rimbo visited our NWD companions in June 2010 to mark the 100-year jubilee celebration of ELCT Lutheranism. They joined representatives from Kenya, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Indonesia at worship events and participated in a one-day consultation discussing challenges of the church in the 21st century. Bishop and Mrs. Rimbo brought many greetings from members of the MNYS as well as a quilt signed by synod assembly attendees in May 2010. In addition, the Bishop and his wife provided money for 300 new trees on the KEMPS campus, which were all planted by the students.

A delegation was formed this year for teachers in the MNYS to connect with teachers in NWD. The trip was scheduled for July 2012. Unfortunately due to rising costs of fuel and government surcharges for entry in/out of Tanzania it raised the cost significantly preventing, our delegation from going this year. Our next scheduled delegation trip to the NWD will not occur until 2014. If interested, please contact Gary Mills or Mary Tennermann in the synod office.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-64 Global Ministry Companionship A new effort has begun in our reach to establish new relationships with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania. Eight new congregational partnerships were formed earlier this year with congregations in the MNYS with those of the NWD. These newly-formed relationships will establish friendships, explore each other’s culture, and allow the joy of both giving and receiving while sharing in the Gospel. The relationships will cover a minimum term of three years. In these ways we strengthen our companionship and expand our global ministry efforts. If you are interested in having your congregation participate please contact Mary Tennermann in the synod office or Sheldon Erb, chair of the Tanzania Committee ([email protected]).

Udugu Sunday Once a year, usually in September, our committee provides support for our MNYS congregations to celebrate our Tanzanian companionship with special hymns, litany, prayers and Tanzanian food. Udugu is the Swahili word for companionship. We anticipate our congregations will continue to participate in the annual Udugu Sunday event to strengthen the relationship between this synod and the Northwestern Diocese.

May we continue to keep our brothers and sisters of Tanzania, as well as our two American teachers, in our thoughts and prayers as we share our love for Jesus Christ.

Committee members: Sheldon Erb, chair Pr. Gary Mills, staff Pr. Perucy Butiku Heather Petersen John Flack Lois Rimbo Pr. Carol Fryer Mary Tennermann, staff Janet Gay Pr. Dan Ward John Hinsch Jonathan Westerlund Gayle Kliever Pr. John Krahn

Sheldon Erb, Tanzania Companionship Committee Chair REPORTS FROM PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries Introduction

Since its founding in 1995, the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries (ECLS) has fostered strong collaboration between the three eastern schools, enhancing our common task of theological education for a broad spectrum of students. Major Cluster-sponsored programs include Diaconal Ministry Formation (based at Gettysburg), a Doctor of Ministry degree (Philadelphia-based), partnership in the LTSS-sponsored Atlanta extension center, and Project Connect, which has developed a strong network for vocational discernment and seminary recruitment throughout the three regions. A separately incorporated entity, the Cluster is governed by a Board of Directors made up of board chairs and other leaders from each of the three schools. One of the three seminary presidents serves in rotation as Cluster executive director. With only modest core funding from the seminaries, the Cluster has been blessed to receive over $6 million in grants from foundations to support common projects and subsidize seminary budgets.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-65

Current Collaborative Programs  The Cluster’s One Library Under Three Roofs links the collections at Gettysburg, Philadelphia and Columbia, providing students, faculty and other borrowers with access to a vast array of books, periodicals and e-resources.  Vocational discernment emphases focused on young adults are carried out by means of Project Connect, which works in close concert with the Admissions offices of the schools.  Theological Education with Youth (TEY), a program jointly sponsored by the two Pennsylvania schools, is in its 12th year of providing in-depth study, fellowship and service opportunities for junior- and senior-high young persons. A new TEY director, Associate in Ministry Michelle Huth, is also establishing closer connections with a companion Bishops’ School sponsored by Region 9 at LTSS,  Intersections Institute has supported a new MA in Public Leadership at LTSP, and intensive courses at LTSG that can lead to a certificate for social ministry organization executives.

Future Cluster Directions: In view of the anticipated merger of LTSS with Lenoir Rhyne University, the Cluster is revising its governing documents to accommodate this exciting development. We are also reviewing our affiliation with Yale Divinity School.

With Appreciation: The Cluster is grateful for support to theological education and our seminaries from the synods and churchwide organization. As they conclude their service as dean at LTSP and president at LTSS respectively, appreciation is expressed to Dr. Paul Rajashekar and Rev. Marcus Miller.

Rev. John Richter, Cluster Board Chair Rev. Michael Cooper-White, Ex. Director

Koinonia Koinonia is located in Highland Lake, NY approximately 90 miles from NYC. Koinonia is a center for spiritual renewal and leadership development, providing retreats, camps and conferences for families, youth adults and church groups. Koinonia is grounded in the Lutheran understanding of Christian faith and welcomes everyone.

God is at work energizing and transforming our ministry at Koinonia, and the gift of new executive directors is one of the biggest surprise. Paul Hinderlie, Carol Lund Hinderlie and Tom Ahlstrom are extraordinary leaders who embrace the call to 21st century discipleship, enjoy extending hospitality to strangers, and love living in the gift of God’s good news of forgiveness. We invite you to meet Carol, Paul and Tom not only in this writing, but in person at the Synod Assembly and at Koinonia.

Most recently, these three completed a five year call as executive directors of Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center in the mountains of Washington State. There they celebrated core values of community, worship and proclamation, ecology, study – and hilarity - while energizing hospitality and ensuring fiscal health. For 25 years they owned and operated the Harbor View Café, a highly acclaimed restaurant on the Mississippi River in Pepin, Wisconsin, where they managed a staff of 80 employees and every aspect of the business. People came from far and near to enjoy the hospitality of a lively dining room and delicious creations by Chef Paul.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-66 During the past year and a half, Tom, Paul and Carol preached and led worship at Little Plum Lutheran Church in rural Wisconsin. They are talented musicians, writers, theologians, ministry and program designers, leaders, and best of all, friends.

We are excited to announce our new Campaign to revitalize and strengthen our ministry. Koinonia is strong, vital and must grow in three areas: Facilities, Programs and Endowment. After fifty years of use many structures (and roads!) need renovation. Repairing them will help us dramatically increase year- round programming. This is a very exciting time in our ministry! Our programming will be expanded and enriched under the guidance of our new executive director team. Our endowment will offer scholarships, camperships and fund additional staff to make Koinonia available for more people. Your help by way of: prayers, participation and financial support is essential for Koinonia to continue to equip adults, youth, families and congregations to serve God and the world. Please contact us if you or someone you know is interested in investing in the future of Koinonia. Stephanie Wollenburg our Campaign Manager will be happy to answer any questions. She is available via e-mail at: [email protected] or by phone at: 573-838-8217.

The Kairos Conference Center can comfortably accommodate two groups at a time. It contains 20 bedrooms, Great Room, Agape Room, Outdoor Garden, and other quaint meeting spaces. Look for new things-and old-at Koinonia Koinonia has some new and exciting programs in the works!!

New: Classics Beginning of the week retreats for week-end Thanksgiving: November 21-23, 2012 workers: cooks & actors, church organists & stage hands, bartenders & pastors, and their Advent I: November 23-25 friends. Advent II: November 30-December 2 Exciting volunteer opportunities. Advent III: December 7-9 Compelling conversations around many topics with exciting presenters Advent IV: December 14-16

Craft and skill opportunities

Worship, learning, recreation and study for all ages.

In closing we invite you to our beautiful and welcoming facilities. Our mission will work in partnership with yours: Empowered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ Koinonia prepares people to create faith-filled community in their daily lives.

Leif Ericson Day School (LEDS) July 2010 - June 2011 With enrollment steady, and engaging more families through the many opportunities offered by this faith community, Leif Ericson Day School builds on its 46 years of educational ministry. The school continues to evolve and strengthen its mission; as a quality educational ministry, Leif Ericson Day School nurtures the whole person in a safe environment, integrating academic

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-67 excellence and spiritual formation, and equipping servant leaders for the 21st century.

The School’s Board of Directors continues to work on the development of a Strategic Plan for its school’s ministry, including a second capital appeal campaign.

Through the many gifts of a professional, dedicated faculty and staff, students continue to benefit from a state-of-the-art computer lab, as well as technology equipment and training in all classes—pre-school through grade 8—an expanded, one-of-a-kind music and performance program, support from our guidance counselor, and excellent academic achievement in all subject areas.

As one of our benchmarks of success is high school acceptances, I am proud that our 2011 graduates were accepted to Xavier High School, Bishop Kearney, Xaverian, St. Saviour, Nazareth Regional, St. Peter’s, Bay Ridge Preparatory, St. Edmund Preparatory, and other special programs in public high schools. Our early morning and afterschool programs, as well as extra-curricular activities, assist working families in caring for their children in a safe environment. Leif Ericson Day School Building a culture of peace In collaboration with and provided by the NYC Department of One student at a time Education, LEDS offers speech and language therapy, occupational One day at a time therapy, and a special education teacher to our students who require these services. NYS Department of Education’s Title programs have benefited our students and faculty through many professional development opportunities and then purchasing of equipment.

Our annual International Day of Peace celebration, observed in September, with pledges of non-violence as an integral part of each class’s curriculum, continues to be featured on the ELCA website. With monthly classroom “checks,” students discuss the parts of the pledge as it pertains to their daily lives. The celebration moves outside as the students plant Pinwheels for Peace in the front yard. The culmination of this special day is an evening family culture feast and candle lighting worship. Plans are being made to solidify these concepts as part of the school’s cooperative learning curriculum. Next year the school community will adopt a theme of Peace-building—Building a Culture of Peace—One student at a time—One day at a time.

In addition to our weekly morning chapel worship services, LEDS holds 17 evening worship opportunities during the year. Many of these include a family meal, provided by parents, and crafts for kids before our student-led worship services. The school’s Worship Team, comprised of students in grades 5-8 and trained by faculty members, provide leadership at worship. Many alumni are involved in our evening worship services by leading responsive liturgies and lessons, assisting at communion, singing, and playing instruments. Our worship times are lively and engaging!

LEDS Growing to Serve initiative allows students and families to partner with various organizations. During the school year each class learns about an organization (e.g., ELCA World Hunger, Koinonia, LWR, LSA, Wheat Ridge Ministries) and teaches others about it through chapel and assembly presentations.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-68 Funds are raised through morning and evening worship service offerings to support the organizations’ efforts and important, long-term connections are made.

LEDS six-week Summer Creative Arts and Music Program serves many children from the community and will continue to do so during its 15th summer. Choral and instrumental music, arts and crafts, drama, computer graphics, movement, and outdoor water play are some activities offered daily to children ages 3-12.

Leif Ericson Day School’s mission is blessed by a good and gracious God - through an incredibly gifted faculty and staff, supportive and caring families, a concerned and innovative board, and the prayers of its Synod. Visions for future expansion to better serve the community as we share the Gospel message, continue to become real. Thanks be to God!

Ms. Christine Hauge, AiM, Principal

Lutheran Care Network In September of 2010, Wartburg Lutheran Services became The Lutheran Care Network. For more than 137 years, The Lutheran Care Network has been caring for seniors, either in one of our residences or in the comfort of their own home. Began in 1875 by a group of Lutheran churches in Brooklyn, the first residence was a place where people came to retire to the “country.” Our programs and services began expanding in the 1960’s when Medicare and Medicaid came into being and provided a significant change in services for individuals.

The Lutheran Care Network is the umbrella organization for 11 facilities which reach from Long Island to the Albany Capital District area. It includes residences and services for more than 1,150 people. And we are a growing and evolving organization committed to providing innovative solutions to the issues present in the current healthcare environment. Our expansion in the Capital region includes the building of additional apartments at Coburg Village; we also have opportunities to expand at Concord Village, Poughkeepsie with an Alzheimer’s addition to our Lutheran Care Center and assisted-living apartments.

Our Lutheran ministry also provides for the spiritual needs of our residents with Lutheran chaplains. In addition, pastoral visitation by area clergy and laity also occurs on a regular basis. We are committed to providing spiritual care for residents of all faith backgrounds. We have doubled the space of our Chapel/Meditation area at Coburg and look forward its re-dedication in late spring.

TLCN still reflects its heritage and relationship to Lutheran churches. Newly formed, there are regional associations of congregations that support its ministry through financial gifts and member volunteers giving of their time and talents to enrich the lives of those who are entrusted to our care. The Lutheran Care Network is a member of Lutheran Services in America, and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and has official recognition by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The Lutheran Care Network is a ministry of healing, hospitality and community through partnerships in caring.

Ms. Judy Benke, Vice President, Church and Community Relations

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-69 Lutheran Counseling Center Mission Statement: The Lutheran Counseling Center is a healing ministry of the Church offering health, hope and wholeness by serving individuals, families, congregations and our community.

The Lutheran Counseling Center (LCC) of the New York metropolitan and surrounding area is a (501C-3) nonprofit organization with eight counseling sites that offer health, hope and wholeness by providing faith-based individual and family psychotherapy. LCC has licensed professional pastoral counselors, social workers and psychologists from a Christian background. We value each person as a unique and worthy creation of God. LCC recognizes and celebrates the connection between one’s faith and the process of growth and healing.

Our therapists serve persons and families of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. LCC accepts payments for services on a sliding scale dependant on income and also files as an out-of-network insurance provider. In addition, funding is available through membership church programs, grants for specific mental health issues, and our Silent Samaritan program.

Lutheran Counseling Center has sites in the following metropolitan New York locations:

 Advent Lutheran Church, 2504 Broadway, New York, NY  The Interchurch Center, ELCA Offices, 16th Floor, 475 Riverside, NY  Christ Lutheran Church, Woodside, NY  LCC—Paul Qualben Site, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 7420 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY*  Village Lutheran Church, 172 White Plains Road, Bronxville, NY  Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, 132 Jefferson Avenue, Mineola, NY  St. Luke Lutheran Church, 20 Candlewood Path, Dix Hills, NY  Emanuel Lutheran Church, 179 E. Main St., Patchogue, NY *This newest site opened on February 17, 2012

LCC CAN HELP WITH:  Faith-based Individual, couple, children and family counseling for issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, children’s and teen’s issues, couple counseling, strained relationships, parenting, adjustment to life changes, chronic illness, abuse, anger, self-esteem, and personal growth.  Psychological and learning disability testing for children  Depression/stress screenings  Mental Health Seminars for churches and schools  Behavioral In-service trainings for school staff  Ongoing counselor-in residence at schools (part-time based on school’s need and resources)  Counselor-in-residence on weekly basis as per needs of Lutheran schools or one one-time basis for conventions  Counseling consult for pastors and lay church workers  Conflict intervention for churches and schools  On-site grief counselors and debriefings when deaths or tragedies occur for churches or schools  Disaster debriefings  Material resources on health and healing issues

The Center continues to be blessed with the work of many hands, including those of pastors and friends of our metropolitan New York community churches who refer most of our clients.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-70 Also important are the ‘hands on’ partnerships with congregations, Lutheran schools and agencies that remain central to communicating and carrying out the Center’s ministry. LCC has forty-five Association Congregations and Schools that are at the heart of the agency’s ministries of hope and healing. For more information about becoming an association congregation, contact LCC.

Thank you for your help in spreading the word of God’s work at the Lutheran Counseling Center. On behalf of our dedicated Board and Staff, this report is respectfully submitted by:

Molly W. Blancke, Executive Director

Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) The vision of Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) is for every man to have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective men’s ministry in every congregation. LMM lives out that vision through the resources we publish, the events we produce and ongoing leadership development.

LMM realizes that vision through three primary resources. 1. Over 50,000 Master Builder Bibles for Men have been placed in the hands of men and women by either purchase or given to men who commit to starting a regular Bible study group in their church. This NIV translation leads off with detailed instructions on how to organize a men’s ministry and contains Bible references for every type of situation men and women face daily. The Bible is available for purchase at this Assembly for $18.00. 2. The unique One Year To Live retreats that LMM sponsors has been described this way by a participant “In essence, my faith has deepened, become more personal and has greater meaning in my life.” Many have described it as a life changing experience. Our local LMM Chapter is planning such a retreat for this region 7 this fall. 3. Building Men for Christ is training designed to help rostered and lay leaders, male and female, to see ministry with and to men as an integral part of overall congregational ministry and helps them reach and activate men for congregational ministry and outreach. Once the local chapter builds its support base, that training will also be brought to this region.

Among other available resources are the quarterly magazine Foundations, which connects LMM men, activities and events around the country. The most recent issue focused on the impact LMM has had on a 10-year-old and his father and on singer/songwriter Peter Mayer. It is distributed to about 8,000 men and every congregation. In the past year nearly 6,000 Spanish New Testaments, El Nuevo Testamentos, have been given away. Judge Dan Joy, local LMM President, has copies to give away. See him to arrange for delivery. Something new has been added recently. It’s called “Man Talk.” It consists of a deck of playing cards designed to help men engage in meaningful (and fun) conversation dealing with relationships, sports, reflections, ethics and spirituality.

At the Synod level, LMM has adopted a different strategy to build its support base. At its Annual Meeting last March almost the entire meeting was devoted to accentuating the word “mission” in Men in Mission. Men shared ongoing ministries and mission activities and discussed new ones, with the goal of every congregation represented there committing to start or continue a mission project this year. At this Assembly, LMM Board members will be in conversation with men from other congregations about doing the same thing. Then, in the fall another general meeting will be scheduled to assess the progress of various congregations and to provide needed resources and support for those ongoing projects. Since

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-71 men are action oriented, this strategy is designed to help men grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and with each other through active congregational ministries. That is our vision and our mission.

Judge Dan Joy, Local LMM President & Region 7 Representative

Lutheran Schools Association This year the Lutheran Schools Association celebrates 35 years of service to schools and churches in the Metropolitan New York Synod. The mission of Lutheran Schools Association calls us to be a Partner, Advocate and Facilitator to our member schools. The task of operating a Lutheran school in today’s world is a challenging one. There are issues of enrollment, lack of funds, old buildings, declining Christian values, budget cuts, unemployment and the rise of the Charter School movement. We believe that LSA is called to help our schools meet those challenges. We are able to do this all in hope because our Lord Jesus walks with us. As partner LSA strives to serve as the “glue” that holds our Lutheran Schools in the Metro-New York area together. Much of our time is spent forging relationships, visiting schools, talking to administrators, and fostering opportunities for pastors, administrators, and board members, to meet, share challenges, and think about new possibilities. One of the tools for doing this is the Educational Planning Process. This process serves as a tool in which LSA works in partnership with the school, the community and the congregation to identify assets and challenges that face the school ministry. This process results in a written strategic plan for the future. Most of our elementary schools have been through the process and several are in their third and fourth years of implementation. We are beginning to see trends: some enrollment growth, openness to new ideas, creation of healthy, collaborative board structures, the ability to make responsible fiscal decisions, creating a sense of community, finding a “niche” and building an academically sound and deeply spiritual program for their students.

As advocate LSA continues to serve and represent on behalf of Lutheran schools with church, federal, state and local governances, especially as regards available funding to serve and represent. For our early childhood centers we serve as a conduit with the NYC Board of Health Licensing and Services, Office of Children and Family Service (OCFS), and the Universal PreK (UPK) program. We serve as the testing liaison for standardized achievement test in our elementary schools and coordinate the input of student data and provide scoring sites for the NYS ELA and Math tests for the elementary schools and Regent exams for the middle and high schools.

As facilitator LSA upholds our schools as “places of academic excellence” by emphasizing the professional development of our teachers and administrators. Throughout the year we sponsor conferences offering up to date topics and teaching methods. This school year in partnership with several local Universities and Colleges we are providing onsite classroom training and mentoring. Our six cluster groups, led by our coordinators serve as essential meeting opportunities for our administrators, to share ideas and perspectives, and to foster collegiality and support.

We ask that you keep the work of the LSA, our schools and those who serve in them in your daily prayers. We ask that you support our work through participation in our various fundraisers. We pray that God will continue to bless our schools and the fine ministry that is supported through each of them. Should you need any assistance in your desire to explore the opening of a school ministry or need support for an existing school ministry, please do not hesitate to call me.

Linda S. Mitchell, Executive Director

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-72

Lutheran Services New York Alliance Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) New CPE Supervisor The Rev. Silvia Misina, an ELCA pastor (Slovak-Zion Synod), was called to serve as a full-time CPE Supervisor and began her work on June 1, 2011. She has conducted two summer intensive CPE Units and the Fall-Winter Unit – an 18-week semester program – and has been conducting an Extended Unit – 30-week program – along with an 18-week Winter-Spring Semester program. She was certified as an Associate Supervisor on April 3, 2011 and continues her certification process toward a full certification as Association for Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor.

Change in physical space On June 1, 2011 LSNYA moved its operational office and a meeting place for students to a space at Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church, 334 East 20th Street, New York, NY 10003. LSNYA rents an office for a supervisor and a space for student’s seminars. Subsequently student and organizational records were moved to the new CPE center’s space.

Opportunities for clinical practice Our Sisters’ Place, part of Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSS), one of our five clinical site placements, added a new clinical placement for CPE students in 2011. It is a group home for girls in foster care who are also pregnant or have children. Along with the Muhlenberg Residence and the Bergen Street Residence, Lutheran Social Services of New York offers a rich pastoral care experience for our CPE students.

In the last year, Eger Lutheran Homes and Services experienced financial and personnel changes that impacted collaboration with our CPE Center. Eger now has renewed clinical placements for our students in 2012 and affirmed a future cooperation with pastoral care department.

Environment for learning The change in the physical space of the CPE program for the CPE Supervisor’s office and student meeting space has brought improvement in the environment for supervision of students and privacy necessary for the learning process.

Curriculum Revisions With a new CPE Supervisor at the LSNYA, there were some revisions and changes in the curriculum regarding: reading requirements – books about pastoral care and topics related; development of students’ own theology of pastoral care in writing of a theological dynamics paper; forms for verbatims and students’ final evaluations were revised and changed;

Resources  Library: Library books from different clinical sites were centralized in a new CPE center space into one Library available equally to all CPE students, regardless of their clinical placement. The change in availability of books has increased students’ interest in a pastoral care literature.  Website: During the last year we started to work on the website for the LSNYA CPE Center. It is now finalized and active: lsnya-cpe.org

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-73 Professional Advisory Group membership and involvement The membership changed with a change of a CPE Supervisor; Rev. Silvia Misina became a staff member of the Advisory group. Another new member also was added, Rev. Robert Wollenburg, the new Vice President for Spiritual Care at Eger, Staten Island.

Members Rev. Serge Castigliano (CPE Program Director), Rev. Silvia Misina (CPE Program Manager), Rev. Don Stiger (LSNYA Board Liaison), Christine Connell (Lutheran Social Services of New York), Rev. Melody Meeter (Lutheran HealthCare), Rev. Carol Fryer (Wartburg Adult Care Community), Rev. Robert Wollenburg (Eger Lutheran Homes and Services), Rev. Marsh Drege (Seafarers and International House). Members’ role and involvement in the admission process has changed in that members who are site advisors now are strongly expected to accept or deny the placement of new students for their particular clinical site.

Admission As previously noted, there was a clarification in the role of the Site Advisors in the admission process. Admission to a program is now more clearly a two-step process. First, a CPE Supervisor interviews potential students and determines whether or not a student is qualified to be accepted into a CPE program. However, program acceptance is not finalized until a Site Advisor also accepts the student for placement at his or her agency, preferably by personal contact. The reason for this change is to involve persons more directly in the program acceptance decision who will be working closely with CPE students at their clinical sites.

Financial LSNYA collects a fee for CPE Interns’ ministry service.

Lutheran Social Services of New York As we look over our shoulder at the now passed 10th anniversary of September 11th, we are encouraged to choose LIFE over death, to live in the joy of resurrection. Lutheran Social Services of New York chooses LIFE day after day, committed to strengthening lives, families and communities. In times of economic struggle, we have persevered. Instead of hiding or surviving, LSSNY is thriving. We are celebrating LIFE, and there is much to celebrate. In my eight years here at LSSNY, this has been the best. We continue to build great contracts, grow great relationships, and follow God's will with conviction and faith. We are promoting health holistically with a plethora of services to all generations. Our abundance prohibits me from reporting on all of our services, but below you will find some highlights from this year of excellence:

 Lutheran Social Services of New York is proud to announce Ignite Your LIFE, an exciting initiative coming out of The Ammerman Center for Creative Aging. This past September was the inaugural Ignite Your LIFE symposium. We are in the initial stages of our Scholars in Residence program which will bring experts in many different schools of thought to us to produce a series of webinars that promote living with passion and purpose in all stages of life. This library of podcasts and webinars is a new and visionary tool that will empower aging people to consciously claim a LIFE of vitality, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.

 The New LIFE School has been consolidated into one location. Enrollment is up, and the school

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-74 is doing very well. It continues to provide top rate education to young people, grades 5-12, who may not thrive in a mainstream classroom setting.

 Lutheran Social Services of New York joyfully announces that St. John's House is officially part of Lutheran Social Services of New York. Never before have we been able to serve families specifically in our housing services. Home LIFE provides stability to both families and singles, moving our mission of strengthening lives, families and communities to action.

 2011 has seen an astronomical shift to benefit our children in foster care. Lutheran Social Services of New York is now in four of the five boroughs. In the Bronx we have a LIFE Care Clinic, one location run by our top of the line staff to service specialty needs for our forty most vulnerable foster care children. This medical program ensures that our kids, the ones who need it most, are receiving efficient, high quality care backed by relationship and competency. The quality bar on specialty services has been raised, making a huge impact for all of our youth in foster care.

 Additionally, Lutheran Social Services of New York is now able to offer a new program in higher level preventative care for families in great distress. With this additional support, children at risk of moving into foster care may be able to feel safe in their own homes. Instead of giving families in deep need phone numbers for referrals, Lutheran Social Services of New York is now able to say, “We can help you,” by providing one year of intense services. These two changes are providing great hope for a bright future for more youth in our communities. This is excellent, relevant and quality foster care support.

 Lutheran Social Services of New York is going through some restructuring that began in 2011. Because we are doing well financially and growing so quickly in services, Lutheran Social Services of New York will act as an umbrella to the organization. This will ensure secure judicatory recognition and affiliation for the agency as it thrives.

There is much LIFE to celebrate this year at LSSNY. We thank God for our committed and talented staff, members of the Board of Directors, volunteers, and partners in ministry. Together we live out the truth that happiness is best when shared and that our mission is best lived out in relationship. We invite you to join us in 2012 as we continue to celebrate life, growth and abundance in Christ.

Mr. Ron Drews, President/CEO

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) takes pride in its tradition of being innovative and imaginative, of reading its context and proposing cutting-edge programs for the church of the future. While faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our Lutheran tradition, we also embrace the future that God provides. As the global, national, and ecclesial context has changed again, we are drawing upon our faith, tradition, and the vision of our leaders, synods, ecumenical friends, alumni, staff and faculty to develop a new strategic map for the school.

After two years of listening to resource persons, students, alumni and one another about the state and future of the church and theological education, the faculty, staff, and board under the leadership of our Dean and the planning committee of the board adopted new mission, vision, and values statements for

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-75 the school. We conducted interviews with key constituent groups and influencers to ask what they needed from theological education and what changes we needed to make at LTSP to provide them. We learned many things. Fewer congregations can afford to call full-time ministers, thus increasing the demand for bi-vocational ministers. The new context calls for highly creative leaders who will start new missions and renew old ones. There will always be congregations able to call full-time clergy and staff, and we need to continue to prepare these candidates. The days in which seminaries can prepare only ordained clergy are over, so we must continue to prepare leaders of all kinds, especially in our Master of Arts in Public Leadership (MAPL) program. Our student body and faculty need to become ever more diverse to serve the increasingly multicultural and pluralistic context. The denominational, financial, and environmental challenges that Christian ministry as a profession is facing are dramatically different than they were a generation ago. We learned that, while many congregations are struggling in the current environment, many, including congregations led by our alumni, are thriving.

Our stakeholders value the Lutheran biblical and confessional tradition that we steward. We have a shared vision of ecumenical partnership and passion for public theology. We have a rich diversity of offerings in degrees and programs. We have a long tradition of academic excellence and preparation for ministry and have wonderful alumni who exemplify what they have learned in their various congregational and institutional settings.

We attract a diverse and extraordinarily gifted student body year after year. Our curriculum receives high marks from our alumni for its effectiveness, but it needs to be adapted for current contexts. Our worship and community life on campus is faithfully rich and filled with diversity. Our library and its librarians are a treasure. After 30 years our Urban Theological Institute (UTI) has renewed itself once again and is thriving. We have beautiful buildings and a gorgeous campus!

We are grateful for all who have given so generously to our mission and for all the faculty and staff who work hard to make LTSP such a wonderful school. We are especially grateful for the support we receive in this fragile economic time for the church and the nation. God has given us a new day. To greet this new day we need to be good stewards of our resources. To achieve our transformational goals we need to reach our target for the 150th anniversary initiative in 2014–$32,250,000 for student scholarships, faculty development, endowment growth, and the renovation of student and faculty housing. We covet our wonderful relationships with the synods of Region 7 and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We also value our strong relationships with our full communion and other ecumenical partners in the Philadelphia area.

We give thanks to our God who makes all things new in Jesus Christ.

Philip D. Krey, President John Richter, Chair, Board of Trustees

Mission Investment Fund The Mission Investment Fund (MIF) is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Through MIF, congregations, their members, synods and ELCA-related ministries may purchase a variety of investments that offer adjustable- or fixed-rate terms and earn interest at competitive rates.

MIF uses these investments to make low-interest loans to established ELCA congregations, new-start congregations and ELCA-related ministries. Established congregations use MIF

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-76 loans to renovate, expand or relocate. New-start congregations rely on MIF loans to buy land and construct their first church buildings. ELCA-related ministries use MIF loans for a variety of capital projects.

The Mission Investment Fund is financially strong and stable, with a record of steady, controlled growth. With total assets of $642 million and net assets of $179 million at year-end 2011, MIF maintained a capital ratio of 27.9 percent—a ratio significantly greater than the capital required by regulators and the level maintained by most financial institutions.

At year-end 2011, investments by congregations, their members, and ELCA-related ministries totaled $463 million, and loans for capital projects to more than 760 ELCA ministries totaled $446 million.

Throughout its nearly 100-year history, MIF and its predecessors have always returned full principal and interest to investors.

Investments and Loans in the Metropolitan New York Synod As of December 30, 2011:  Investments in the Mission Investment Fund by 109 individuals and 59 congregations and ministries of the Metropolitan New York Synod totaled $4,754,169.  Twenty-one congregations and ministries were supported by $3,732,288 in Mission Investment Fund loans.

Pr. Mark Wimmer, Area Representative

Region 7 The ELCA Constitution states: “This church shall have regions as a partnership between groups of synods and the churchwide organization for the purpose of exercising mutual responsibilities.” (Chapter 18, section 01) There are nine regions of the ELCA, and Region 7 consists of the synods of New Jersey, New England, Metro NY, Upstate NY, Northeastern PA, Southeastern PA and Slovak-Zion. It is my privilege to work with the bishops and their staff of those synods in a variety of ways, serving as a point of coordination between them, the churchwide offices in Chicago and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

Last year was a time of transition for the Region 7 office. With the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, we moved to our new office in the Lutheran Center in Northeastern Pennsylvania, located in Allentown. It is a lovely space in the newly renovated building that once was the home of Christ Lutheran Church in Schoenersville. It is more centrally located in the region than the former office on the campus of LTSP. Bishop Zeiser and the synod staff have provided a warm welcome and the region has the service of Rita Sodano a few hours a week to assist the coordinator.

My work this year has included working with the candidacy committees throughout the region and with students at LTSP to help prepare new leaders for the church. Our annual candidacy consultation was held at the seminary in October, to provide in-service for the synod candidacy leaders.

I have continued to work closely with campus ministries throughout the region, to help them build closer relationships with their synods, as the churchwide campus ministry structure has diminished

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-77 significantly. We held a regional campus ministry gathering in February on Staten Island with participation from campus ministers from most of the synods. I also helped administer churchwide campus ministry funds this year.

Another change this year was a renewal of our First Call Theological Education event. We have changed it from the Institute for Congregational Ministry to the Region 7 Leadership Guild, to better reflect the current needs of new leaders as they move from a time of preparation to rostered leadership. A planning team worked for two years on the new design, and while we will continue to refine it for next year, we were pleased with our results. A team of 11 facilitators were trained in November and will continue to work with the 100 first-call leaders throughout the year.

Other work that I do in support of the synods of Region 7 includes helping to coordinate bishops’ visits to the eight ELCA seminaries each fall, the assignment of new candidates for ministry (Region 7 received 40 new leaders last year), and annual regional gatherings of global mission leaders and youth ministry leaders. Someone has said that the nine regional coordinators of the ELCA are the “connective tissue” of our church, and as I reflect on all the different things we do, I think that is an apt description!

The Rev. Peggy M. Wuertele, Region 7 Coordinator

Seafarers & International House Stay with us, for it is evening (Mark 24:29)

The Gospel of Luke tells us that the Disciples urged the risen, but unrecognizable Jesus to “Stay with us for its evening and the day is now far spent.” Stay with them he does and reveals himself through the hospitable breaking of bread. When you or your church group stay at our guesthouse, you and we reveal the risen Christ to seafarers in six ports through the hospitality of our eight port chaplains, and you and we reveal the risen Christ to refugees-asylum seekers, domestic violence survivors and persons displaced by local disasters through our resident house chaplains and our MSW intern. Despite a deep and prolonged recession, our guestroom occupancy rose to nearly 80% last year. Despite a drop in international shipping in 2011, we visited virtually the same number of seafarers as the year before and actually increased the services performed for them. And all this was accomplished through your generous support. Thank you for staying with us.

Community Youth Service Gatherings Church Gatherings Community Gatherings 2009 4 37 142 2010 9 38 194 2011 9 25 369

Seafarers Ships Visited Seafarers Visited Van Trips Seafarers Transported Christmas-at-Sea Gifts 2009 1,041 14,400 1,313 3,900 1,160 2010 1,517 16,121 2,109 6,200 1,150 2011 1,324 16,088 2,164 6,635 1,643

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-78

Since 2008 our staff of port chaplains and the number of seafarers we serve i have increased by nearly 70%. Sojourners (Guestroom Accommodation Nights) Refugees-Asylum Seekers Domestic Violence Survivors Local Disaster Victims 2009 92 58 155 2010 300 36 117

2011 1,197 609 168

Those serving on your behalf in our ports

Port of New York/New Jersey Ports in Connecticut/Rhode Island Rev. William C. Fensterer Ruth Setaro Rev. Clint Padgitt Port of Philadelphia Rev. Luisito Destreza Rev. William C. Rex Sigrid Jaeger Erickson Port of Baltimore Rev. Christine Bridge Rev. Gerry F. Rickel . Accomplishments in 2011  Renovated the lobby and first floor offices of our guesthouse at Union Square  Established protocols to serve active and retired seafarers, asylum seekers and domestic violence survivors  Hosted our first adult urban ministry immersion experience  Expanded our port mission to Baltimore and recruited a port chaplain for that port  Engaged our 2nd MSW intern to provide social services to seafarers and refugees-asylum seekers  Installed a new phone system throughout the guesthouse

A Prayer for Those We Serve We lift before you in prayer all those who escape our awareness: seafarers, forced to spend nearly all their time at sea, and asylum seekers, forced to spend the first several months after their escape from persecution in prison, domestic violence survivors, for whom the escape has just begun, and local disaster victims, who may have escaped with only their lives. Raise up in them hope, and raise up in us empathy, that when our paths cross, we and they may share sacred hospitality. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pastor Marsh Luther Drege, Executive Director

St. Olaf College

Greetings from St. Olaf College!

Since 1874, St. Olaf College has educated students in an academic community shaped by its commitment to the Lutheran tradition. At St. Olaf, students work closely with dedicated faculty who challenge them to grow in mind, body, and spirit. St. Olaf has always seen its vital connection to the Lutheran tradition as enhancing its standing as one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the United States.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-79

Like its predecessors, this year’s entering class brings outstanding academic talent to campus. The class’ average academic grade point average in high school was 3.65. The median ACT composite score was 29, and the median combined SAT score was 1330. Fifteen percent of the students identify themselves as having a multi-cultural heritage, and 15% are in the first generation of their families to attend college. The class includes a record number of international students. 45% of this year’s incoming students who indicated their religious affiliation identified themselves as Lutheran.

In both the curriculum and the co-curriculum, St. Olaf students explore theological issues and are challenged to choose their vocations in light of this exploration. All St. Olaf students take two religion courses, one focusing on the Bible and the other on Christian theology. In addition, all students take an ethics course in which they analyze ethical issues from a variety of perspectives.

This year, we are seeking a new College Pastor to serve the St. Olaf Student Congregation and the St. Olaf community. The Rev. Ann Svennungsen is serving now as our Interim College Pastor after the retirement of the Rev. Bruce Benson, who was the College Pastor at St. Olaf from 1981- 2011.

We look forward to welcoming you to visit St. Olaf—either in person or online. Come to campus to join us at concerts, lectures, conferences, or summer camps. Or, visit the St. Olaf website at www.stolaf.edu to join in streamed events online. During the academic year, daily Chapel and Sunday morning worship services are held at Boe Memorial Chapel and streamed online at http://www.stolaf.edu/church/chapel.

We thank you for your prayers and support, we encourage you to send students to St. Olaf, and we wish you well.

David R. Anderson ‘74 President

The Wartburg Adult Care Community Nurturing Body, Mind and Spirit

History & Organization The Wartburg, a Lutheran social ministry, was founded in 1866 as an Orphan Farm School to care for the children left parentless by the Civil War. With the development of the foster care system in the mid- 1900s, the orphanage was phased out from The Wartburg’s operations by 1979. In 1898 the first senior facility opened its doors on our campus and over the past 146 years it has flourished into the organization we are today. Our Lutheran faith-based heritage continues to guide our mission to provide

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-80 ministries of healing and hope through comprehensive services which nurture body, mind and spirit. The Wartburg is dedicated to helping seniors live with dignity and as independently as possible through a continuum of holistic care that meets their changing needs. Its top-rated clinical care, engaging social programs and numerous amenities create a better quality of life for all those entrusted in its care. Each year, more than 1,600 older adults and their families/caregivers are served by The Wartburg, with most hailing from Westchester County, the Bronx and the surrounding region.

Residential & Community Services The Wartburg is one of the only facilities in lower Westchester that offers such a wide range of long- term care choices on a single site. This unique continuum of care allows those we serve to receive consistent and coordinated care as they transition through their later years. The beautiful 36-acre landscaped campus is home to a first-class assisted living residence, an appealing village of independent living cottages, a modern and comfortable Memory Care unit for Alzheimer’s patients, long-term skilled nursing care and a short-term rehabilitation facility. Adult day services and home health care help The Wartburg extend its impact deep into the community and provide essential services that enable hundreds of older adults to age in place.

Lutheran Tradition Lutheran principles of compassion, humility, honor and respect are at the core of The Wartburg’s distinctive and successful approach toward care. The Wartburg is proud to be in partnership with the Metropolitan New York Synod and its congregations in this important ministry, serving God by caring for the vulnerable and the elderly in our communities.

At the center of our campus is The Wartburg Chapel, home to the United Lutheran Church of Mount Vernon, NY and the spiritual core of The Wartburg. Under the leadership of Rev. Carol E. A. Fryer, Pastor: Spiritual Care & Church Relations and Pastor of United Lutheran Church, a full-time ecumenical pastoral care staff tends to the spiritual needs of residents and their families. This strong ministry is reflected in a staff that is driven by compassion for each individual, an environment of excellence and an enduring commitment to serving people of all faiths with the greatest need.

Wartburg Cares!, under the supervision of Rev. Fryer, is a dynamic and growing outreach ministry focused on The Wartburg’s mission: to nurture the body, mind and spirit of those with the greatest need through dignified, compassionate and respectful care. Wartburg Cares! brings together Wartburg residents, registrants and their families, volunteers and employees to participate in a variety of community service, church relations and health programs and events. Ministry activities often have an educational, charitable or advocacy-related focus and take place on The Wartburg campus and in the community.

Community Partnerships Through an extensive volunteer program, The Wartburg engages local colleges, businesses, civic groups, churches and individuals to spend time with the older adults in our care. As a critical resource for the local public health community, staff and board members of The Wartburg help to share the development of programs and services for older adults in the Westchester community through active involvement with key stake holders including the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging, the Collaborative for Palliative Care and the Coalition for Leadership in Aging Services. The Wartburg is also a founding member of Westchester United, an affiliate organization of Metro IAF, for the purpose of creating positive change in Westchester communities.

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-81

Recognition The Wartburg has earned numerous industry accolades. In 2012 for the second year, The Wartburg’s skilled nursing facility was honored as one of New York State’s top 100 nursing homes by U.S. News & World Report. In the fall of 2011, Rev. Dolores McKay, Chaplain at The Wartburg and Associate Pastor of United Lutheran Church, was selected as one of 50 extraordinary seniors from 400 nominees across the U.S. for LeadingAge’s Celebrate Age exhibit in Washington, DC. In January 2012, The Wartburg’s Council for Creative Aging was selected as one of two winners in the Partners for Livable Communities’ 2011 Stories for Change Contest. Highlighted as a “Best Practice” for innovative arts programs addressing the growing needs of older adults, The Wartburg’s Council for Creative Aging will be featured in an international publication supported by the MetLife Foundation highlighting the work of over 70 U.S. organizations. Most recently in March 2012, The Wartburg’s Council for Creative Aging conducted a workshop “Lifelong Learning Through Creative Aging” at the 2012 Aging in America Conference in Washington, D.C. presenting a model upon which other senior care organizations can develop their own creative aging programs similar to ours.

Future Plans The Wartburg is entering an extraordinary period of expansion, having recently received a $27.6 million HEAL NY grant for the construction of a new short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility, new adult day program spaces and a 61-unit affordable senior housing building with supportive services. We are also expanding our innovative creative aging initiative to bring trained teaching artists from local arts community to our campus. The Wartburg has joined Mount Vernon Hospital Partnership to launch a new assisted living program in the Mount Vernon, NY community. With these plans, The Wartburg reaffirms its mission and commitment to our fellow Lutheran congregations and local communities it has served for nearly 150 years supporting the health and well-being of families throughout the surrounding areas.

Wartburg Cares! Congregational Visits Filled with information to share and excited about our future, Wartburg staff members are visiting congregations to deepen our network of friends and partners in the surrounding Lutheran community. We are eager to tell you about our rich history, our ongoing ministries of healing and hope and about our plans for expanding our services in the coming months. We hope that our fellow Lutheran congregations will want to be partners with us in this important ministry of loving and serving our neighbors whose increased years find them in need of our support and care. A congregational visit may be scheduled on a Sunday morning or any other day of the week. Presentations may be offered at a coffee hour or in an adult forum. Please schedule a “Wartburg Cares! Congregational Visit” soon!

Please contact: Rev. Carol Fryer; [email protected] or JoAnn McGraw: [email protected]

Women of the ELCA Greetings from Metro-NY Synodical Women of the ELCA. 2011 was an active year with congregational women’s groups gathering to engage in ministry and service in the spirit of our mission statement, “to mobilize women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ.” At the synodical level we continued to support Susan’s Place, a shelter for homeless women in the Bronx, through monetary donations from direct gifts and from funds raised from the sale of Lucinda pins. In addition we have an on-going ministry of donating hand-knit blankets for each resident. With the 2011 offerings from congregational

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-82 units, we also contributed to the ELCA Malaria Campaign, The Wartburg Adult Care Community and the Parish Resource Center.

In March 2011, we observed World Day of Prayer at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Rye Brook, New York, joining women around the world in prayer. Our annual gathering and convention was held in September at The Wartburg in Mt Vernon. Last year’s theme was “Be Still and Know that I am God.” Approximately 85 women attended this event to elect board members, attend workshops on spiritual health, and to connect with our sisters in Christ. It was a beautiful gathering for all involved.

For more information on the Metro-NY Synod Women of the ELCA, please contact me at [email protected].

Barbara Tormondson, SWO President

MNYS Synod Assembly 2012 Bulletin of Reports B-83