Title: ELCA Consultation Examines Future of Word and Service Leadership ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 23, 2007
ELCA Consultation Examines Future of Word and Service Leadership 07-039-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The future of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's professional public ministers of Word and service -- associates in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers -- was the focus of an ELCA consultation in February in Delray Beach, Fla. The central question some 64 participants discussed was how the theology and experience of vocation and service should shape the 21st century roles of these ELCA leaders.
Word and service ministries are based on the concept of "diakonia," or unconditional service to the neighbor in need.
Equal numbers of associates in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers were joined by two ELCA synod bishops and several ELCA churchwide staff members in the consultation, said the Rev. Stanley N. Olson, executive director, ELCA Vocation and Education. The event was sponsored by the Vocation and Education program unit and was made possible by a grant from the ELCA Deaconess Community.
In addition to the three official rosters of Word and service ministers, the ELCA maintains a fourth roster for ordained clergy. Including active and retired personnel, there are 1,080 associates in ministry, 62 deaconesses, 105 diaconal ministers and 17,646 ordained clergy on official rosters of the ELCA. Numbers of professional Word and service ministers are generally increasing at rates faster than ordained clergy, Olson said.
Olson explained that the roster of associates in ministry was established temporarily with the formation of the ELCA in 1987 to include people from several "lay" rosters in predecessor churches. The associate in ministry roster was made permanent in 1993 after completion of the ELCA Study of Ministry. The ELCA Deaconess Community traces its roots through the ELCA and predecessor churches to the mid-19th century, when deaconesses came to the United States from Germany. The diaconal ministry roster was established in the ELCA in 1993. Each roster has developed in distinctive ways, and the bylaws and policies of the ELCA provide for specific preparations for these roles, Olson said.
The 1993 ELCA Churchwide Assembly amended and adopted recommendations from the Study of Ministry. Among its actions, the assembly determined that the entrance rite for diaconal ministers would be "consecration," as it is for deaconesses, and that the entrance rite for associates in ministry would be "commissioning." Clergy continue to be "ordained." The assembly was not unanimous in making these distinctions among entrance rites, and the rites have been a source of continuing frustration for some people serving in Word and service, consultation participants said.
Word and service ministers can have a significant effect on each of the 4.85 million members of the ELCA, Olson said. Because these people serve in public ministries, they remind ELCA members that "every Christian is called to share the Word (of God) in daily life. Every Christian is called to service. These are public ministries that some do on behalf of all of us. That helps (all of) us in our service."
ELCA members have trouble distinguishing among the Word and service rosters, Olson said. "The work of these leaders is not well known in the ELCA and too often has been underappreciated. The existence of the three rosters (of Word and service) has sometimes led to an overemphasis on differentiation among them. There is much overlap in the types of service to which members of these rosters are called," he said.
For example, Olson said, people on all three rosters are working in areas such as youth ministry, Christian education and social ministries such as chaplaincies.
Though the consultation participants did not formulate specific recommendations, they agreed to keep talking together about the future of these types of service in the church. They expressed their desire "to speak to the church with one voice" and recommended that representatives of the four ministry categories continue their conversation carefully and deliberately. Ultimately, the participants said, they hope such a conversation "would attempt to develop a consensus understanding of and proposal regarding the public ministry of Word and service." The original consultation planning team was asked to followup on a number of topics related to the three Word and service rosters.
Consultation participants did not agree on whether there should be one Word and service roster versus three. But they did express a strong preference that the term "lay rosters" no longer be used in describing the rosters of associates in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers, Olson explained. This use of "lay" may diminish the importance of the service of all people and is also seen by some as inadequate to highlight the public and professional roles of these ministries, he said. Some suggested that the collective term "public ministries of Word and service," be used.
Participants express hope for the future
James E. Valentine, associate in ministry, participated in the consultation and helped plan it. He said it provided an opportunity for participants to share their visions for the future and discuss how they could help move the church forward.
It was important for the diverse participants to be able to speak with "one voice," he said. Valentine has served Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Ill., in youth ministry and administration for 27 years. He first became a professional church worker in the former Lutheran Church in America.
"It (the consultation) was for the sake of the mission of the church. Our overall purpose is to do ministry better in the whole church and explore how we can equip the whole church for ministry," he said.
Sister E. Anne Keffer is directing deaconess of the Deaconess Community of the ELCA, and was a consultation planner and participant. Like several other members of the Deaconess Community, she is a diaconal minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
The consultation gave participants a chance to discuss issues that have caused "pain" for many people, as well as the histories and blessings of each of the ministries, she said in an interview. The next step is to engage some conversations with the clergy, Keffer said.
"It may be hard to quantify what happened, but all who participated were clear the Holy Spirit was moving among us. We built relationships even out of pain, we received new vision and new hope that this church and these rosters will partner in ministry with a new sense of mutuality and value," she said in a written report on the meeting.
Tammy L. Devine, diaconal minister, Minneapolis, said many of the consultation participants were not familiar with each of the public service rosters and their histories, she said. Devine, a registered nurse, is wellness coordinator for the ELCA Board of Pensions and helped in planning the consultation.
"Strong leadership" for the church in the future is what's important, she said. "The greatest thing was being able to see the Holy Spirit work to bring these diverse voices together," she said of the consultation. "Our greatest consensus was that we were able to move beyond our pain to have 64 voices agreeing to move forward together," she said.
"It is important for us to respect the gifts of God's people so the full body of Christ may be shared with the world. There's an important role for the diaconate in our church," she said.
For the membership of the ELCA, stronger ministries in Word and service have two immediate implications, said the Rev. Richard J. Bruesehoff, director for lifelong learning, ELCA Vocation and Education, who helped plan the consultation.
First, some congregations are adding to their professional staffs, and they're exploring what kind of specializations they need in leadership, he said. Second, there is a growing emphasis in the church on "Christian vocation." Professionals in Word and service can fill needs for specialization, and they can help equip members who carry out their vocations in the world, Bruesehoff said. Each form of Word and service ministry has also shown it has been flexible and adaptable, he added.
"I think we're at a point in our history now where we're climbing toward greater strength. To be faithful in the 21st century, we must be much more responsive to the cries of the world. These (Word and service professionals) are folks who know how to lead us in ministry to respond to these cries," Bruesehoff said.
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Information about the ELCA's three Word and Service ministries and ELCA Vocation and Education is at http://www.ELCA.org/vocationeducation/ on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news