Office of the Bishop Updates: 8/13/2021
The Grand Canyon Synod Council meeting is this weekend, and our rostered staff continues to visit churches. Highlighted meetings are Bishop Hutterer’s visit with retiring pastor Al Cassel, Pastor Jacqui’s meeting with first call pastors, and Pastor Miguel’s meeting with other Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) deans.
View all the details for each team member in this post.
Bishop Deborah K. Hutterer
California Lutheran University Board meeting that I will attend by Zoom.
Grand Canyon Synod Council meeting, where we will welcome our newly elected members and say goodbye to Nancy Davis and Paul Gryniewicz.
I have many meetings this week, but a highlight will be an exit interview with Pastor Al Cassel who is retiring and has served Peace Lutheran Church in Peoria for 14 years.
Rev. Miguel Gomez-Acosta
Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) and Bishop’s Associate for Congregational Vitality
Preach at Holy Trinity Lutheran in Chandler
ELCA New Starts Review Table
Preach at Our Saviour’s Lutheran in Mesa
This week I am excited to meet with other Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) deans of the ELCA. The DEMs in each region elect one of the Directors for Evangelical Mission to be the dean. I was elected in October of 2019. As the DEM dean, I lead our monthly regional DEM meeting and serve as resource for those DEMs that are new to the job. We also help set the agenda for upcoming national DEM meetings and serve as an advisory council for the Director for DEM Relations at the churchwide office.
Rev. Jacqueline Pagel
Bishop’s Associate for Candidacy and Faith Formation
Grand Canyon Synod Council meeting
Visiting St. John’s Lutheran Church in Glendale to congratulate them for hosting an intern.
Gathering first call pastors to plan for education opportunities
Usually the mandatory first call event is planned for the first call pastors by the Associates to the Bishop in Region 2 and first call pastor that agree to advise. We are revamping the program and inviting first call pastors to tell the Associate to the Bishop and Bishop Deborah “how they really feel.” This is part of ongoing hope to build better leaders and better equip or pastors to be the leaders or churches need.
Ms. Theresa Thornburgh
Director for Administration and Events
Roster changes and updates, call process and related documents, and similar recordkeeping issues.
Plans for the 2021 Bishop’s Fall Gathering
Mr. Brian Flatgard
Director of Communication
Catch up on news posts and schedule future news posts
Grand Canyon Synod Council meeting
News category and tag work
It’s been another week of working through a backlog of news items, and doing some prep work for a breakout of our blog into some categories that will help people navigate our archive of news.
Mr. Clint Wasser
Director for Finance
Prepare and submit California agency filing
Process payroll
Prepare Pledge to Actual report
Dr. Jerry Kingston
Special Bishop’s Associate for Mobility
Researching RMPs and MSPs for the Synod
