Congregation Transition Team 2021 update
2021 Assembly Reports: View reports for our 2021 assembly on our assembly report page and in this collection of blog posts.
During 2019 and 2020, the Grand Canyon Synod Transition Team under the leadership of Bishop Hutterer, included Pastor Mark Holman and Dr Jerry Kingston. Pastor Holman retired at the end of 2020.
In 2021, the Grand Canyon Synod (GCS) and the Rocky Mountain Synod (RMS) entered into a collaborative partnership in their ministry to congregations in transition.
The GCS transition team is under the leadership of Bishop Hutterer, and now includes Pastor Sarah Moening (Director of Congregation Transition, RMS & GCS), Pastor Doris Nolan (Transition Administrator, GCS & RMS & GCS Transition Coach), Pastor Pat Reed (GCS Transition Coach) and Dr. Jerry Kingston (GCS Associate for Candidate Identification).
The role of the Transition Coach is to accompany and coach a congregation through the transition process. The GCS Transition Coach guides a congregation through the process of rostered minister transition from resignation of the outgoing leader to installation of a new rostered leader, a process that generally takes 10 – 18 months to complete.
Congregations seeking a new pastor complete a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that describes the congregation’s setting and ministries along with the qualifications and qualities they are seeking in their next rostered leader. (In the ELCA, a rostered leader is a pastor or a deacon.) Rostered leaders who are seeking new calls complete the Rostered Minister Profile (RMP). The ELCA maintains a nation-wide data base with the RMPs of the rostered leaders seeking new calls.
From the ELCA’s database, Dr. Kingston maintains a regional data base of those candidates interested in serving in ELCA Region 2, which is comprised of five synods: GCS, RMS, Sierra Pacific, Southwest CA and Pacifica Synods. The information contained in a congregation’s MSP is compared with the information contained in the RMPs of rostered leaders and focuses on factors such as years of experience, required compensation, self-reported ministry strengths, foreign language capabilities, as well as other data. The goal is to locate 8-10 pastors or deacons whose RMPs match well with a congregation’s MSP. Members of the Transition Team then carefully assess the profiles to determine the ‘best matches’ to recommend to Bishop Hutterer for consideration. The Bishop makes the final decision about which candidates are presented to the congregation’s call committee.
Below is a list of congregations in transition since the last Assembly, June 2019.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dr. Jerry Kingston, Rev. Doris Nolan, Rev. Patricia Reed
Congregations in Transition
Congregations and their status, by year.
Lutheran Campus Ministry, Tucson, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Rebecca Boardman, 2019
Ascension, Paradise Valley, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Randy Winsand, 2019
Community, Las Vegas, NV, Call accepted by Pr. Ben Bergren, 2019
Mount Cross, Payson, AZ, Call accepted by Prs. Linda & Cliff Hanus , 2019
Spirit of Grace, Surprise, AZ, Call accepted by Pr Scott Hackler, 2019
Santa Cruz, Tucson, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Robert Jones, 2019
Love of Christ, Mesa, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Nanette Christofferson , 2019
St Andrew, Phoenix, AZ`, Call accepted by Pr. Kari Williamson, 2020
Maricopa, Maricopa, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Andrew Schlecht, 2020
Covenant, Quartzsite, AZ, Long term supply, 2020
Desert Streams, Waddell, AZ, Holy Closure, 2020
Desert Cross, Tempe, AZ, Call accepted by Pr Thaddeus Book, 2021
Esperanza, Phoenix, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Anne Marie Burke, 2021
New Journey, Fountain Hills, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Beth Gallen, 2021
Lord of Life, Sun City West, AZ, Call accepted by Pr. Pam Reynolds, 2021
Vida Nueva, Glendale, AZ, Interim serving, 2021
Alleluia, Phoenix, AZ, In partnership with Christ Evangelical, Goodyear, 2021
Peace, Peoria, AZ, Call Committee is interviewing candidates, 2021
Shepherd of the Desert, Sun City, AZ, Interim serving, 2021
Faith, Yuma, AZ, Interim serving, 2021
Faith, Phoenix, AZ, Interim serving; Transition Team , 2021
Mount of Olives, Phoenix, AZ, Supply pastor, 2021
Trinity, Phoenix, AZ, Call Committee , 2021
Central, Arizona City, AZ, Call Committee is interviewing candidates, 2021
Gloria Dei, Paradise Valley, AZ, Merging with Palo Christi Presbyterian Church, 2021
Bethany, Scottsdale, AZ, Call Committee is interviewing candidates, 2021
Bethlehem, Mesa, AZ, Call Committee is interviewing candidates, 2021
First Evangelical, Mesa, AZ, Interim serving, 2021
Resurrection, Oro Valley, AZ, Call Committee, 2021
Desert Hills, Green Valley, AZ, Interim serving, Transition Team, 2021
Our Saviour, Tucson, AZ, Call Committee, 2021
Lutheran Church of the Foothills, Tucson, AZ, Forming Call Committee , 2021
Abounding Grace, Tucson, AZ, Long-term Interim, 2021
New Spirit, Tucson, AZ, Term Call, 2021