Santander Arena Reading, PA

Transcription

1 MINUTES of the PROCEEDINGS 28TH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SYNOD of the EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH in AMERICA Santander Arena Reading, PA May 29-30, 2015

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3 CONTENTS: PART I Assembly Program Assembly Committees Assembly Reports Auditor s Report Proposed Budget 2015 Assembly Minutes Voting Members PART II, Page 121 Constitution and Bylaws Standing and Continuing Resolutions PART III, Page 165 Congregational Statistics, 2014 Treasurer s Acknowledgments Synodical Statistics, 2013 & 2014 PART IV, Page 203 Directories for: Synod Council Mission District Councils Synod Ministry Teams Synod Support Committees Boards of Institutions and Agencies Ordained Pastors Specialized Pastoral Care Professionals United Church of Christ Pastors Full-Communion Partner Denomination Pastors Deaconesses Associates in Ministry Diaconal Ministers Synodically Authorized Lay Ministers Slovak-Zion Synod Congregations Congregations, Listed by Location Social Ministry Agencies INDEX, Page 289 3

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5 28 th Annual Synod Assembly Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA May 29-30, 2015 Santander Arena, Reading, PA 2015 Synod Assembly Program Friday, May 29, :30 AM Registration Opens 10:00-12:00PM Plenary Session One Opening Worship (with Order for the Opening of an Assembly) Adoption of the Program Report of the Bishop Report of the Nominating Committee; First Ballot Reports of the Vice President and Synod Council Report of the Secretary Report of the Treasurer Ministry Team Reports First Report of the Committee of Reference and Council Greetings from Bear Creek Camp 12:00-2:00 PM Lunch 2:00-2:30 PM God s Playground 2:30-5:00 PM Plenary Session Two Report of the First Ballot, Second Ballot Greetings from Portico Benefit Services Keynote Address: The Rev. Dr. Karl Krueger Recognition of Hope s Table SAWC BREAK Ministry Team Reports Recognition of Anniversaries of Rostered Service Adoption of 2016 Program Proposal 5:00-7:00 PM Prayer and Dinner

6 7:00-8:30 PM Plenary Session Three Report of the Second Ballot, Third Ballot Address by the ELCA representative, Mr. Carlos Peña Greetings from the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Greetings from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia World Hunger Offering Update on Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA Greetings from Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries Saturday, May 31, : 30-10:00 AM Festival Worship Service (with installation of deans, synod council members and bishop s staff) 10:00-12:00 PM Plenary Session Four 12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Report of the Third Ballot, Fourth Ballot Greetings from Pennsylvania Council of Churches Second Report of the Committee of Reference and Council Acknowledgment of retirements; Recognition of rostered individuals new to the synod Introduction of candidates for the roster Recognition of Susquehanna County Church Without Walls SAWC Keynote Address: The Rev. Dr. Karl Krueger Ministry Team Reports Report of the Fourth Ballot, Fifth Ballot (if necessary) Ministry Team Report Action of 2016 Compensation Guidelines Unfinished Business Report of the Committee on Minutes 12:30-4:00 PM God s Playground 2:30-3:15 PM Ken Medema Concert 3:15-4:00 PM Closing Worship

7 2015 SYNOD ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES The Rev. Kurt Garbe Assembly Coordinator Arrangements/Planning Team The Rev. Jeffrey Carstens The Rev. Christopher deforest David Derr The Rev. Christian Eichorn Marty Everhart, SALM The Rev. Kurt Garbe The Rev. Callista Isabelle The Rev. George Matthews The Rev. Greg Shreaves The Rev. Glenn Simmons The Rev. Suzanne Trump The Rev. Gary Walbert The Rev. Mary Wolfe Bishop Samuel Zeiser God s Playground The Rev. Eileen LeVan-Smith Brian Smith The Rev. Nancy Moore Excuse Ushers The Rev. Bruce D. MacLaughlin, Co-Chair The Rev. Jimmy Lee Werley, Co-Chair The Rev. Mary Gade, Staff Liaison Rosalie Adducie, The Rev. Kathleen Ash-Flashner Pete Baney, Paul Bartlett Janice Clemmer, The Rev. Laura Csellak William Dimmich, SALM Doc Duckworth, Donna Duckworth Martin Everhart, SALM Dave Fox, Donna Fox Jim Hirko, Kim Hirko, Kim Lapp Dottie MacLaughlin, Nicole Marcano The Rev. Barry Mitchell The Rev. Elizabeth Mitchell Rich Moore, Allison Obeid The Rev. Paulette Obrecht, Kate Peires The Rev. Dennis Ritter, Sally Sassaman Bobby Siegfried, Beth Stoner Kevin Taylor, Inge Williams Elections Ed Cool, Chair The Rev. Peter Kuritz, Staff Liaison Dawn Baxter Jim Carey Carol Cool Jim Hemerly Marian Jameson The Rev. Katie Lyon The Rev. Mark Rigg The Rev. Carl Shankweiler Larry Stauffer Deborah Frey Diane F. Hemerly Jim Hemerly Larry Mast, SALM Marcia Mast Catherine Mordosky Ron Mordosky Larry Stauffer Mary Simmons Registration Minutes The Rev. Virginia Biniek The Rev. D Michael Bennethum, Staff Liaison The Rev. Jeffrey Butz Luke Swanson The Rev. Mark Swanson Worship The Rev. Callista Isabelle, Chair The Rev. Martha Sipe Greeters and Volunteers Pastors and members of congregations in the Reading area Reference and Counsel The Rev. D. Michael Bennethum, Staff Liaison The Rev. Carolyn Hetrick The Rev. James Muske The Rev. Carl Shankweiler 7

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9 EXECUTIVE REPORTS (OFFICERS, DEANS) REPORT OF THE BISHOP Dear Friends in Christ Jesus, I am happy to greet you as we prepare for the 28th Annual Assembly of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. What a joy it will be to gather with you at the Santander Arena in Reading! Over the past few months special thematic planning for this assembly has crafted an agenda meant to build relationships among our congregations. As we near the start of Assembly 2015, I hope that you pray for all who will attend, so that we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out our ministries with new faith and renewed commitment. In the year since we last assembled, there have been a few developments in the life of this synod that deserve attention. July 2014 brought a first wave of synod staff transitions that resulted in sharing responsibilities previously attended to by one staff position. January 2015 then brought a second wave of transitions that changed the nature of the staff in terms of personnel and a move to more part time positions. I am very happy with the team that shares leadership responsibilities with me, and I think we are already forming a strong working relationship. Many helpful transition outcomes have resulted, one of which is a group of volunteers willing to give focused attention to the care and maintenance of the Lutheran Center. Our stewardship of building and grounds is now strengthened. With the staffing and structural foundation in place, we are better able to venture into missional efforts across the synod and around the world. I am particularly encouraged by progress being made on three of those efforts on our territory, all of which are made possible by the mission support of your congregations. The Susquehanna County Initiative, an outreach ministry of the Scranton/Wilkes- Barre Mission District, will take on new dimensions as a seminary intern explores ways to build on the ministry already taking place there. The Synod Council recently voted in favor of Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community status for Hope s Table, a new ministry of Hope Lutheran Church in Reading that provides a mid-week meal and worship opportunity to neighborhood residents. Mission of Hope, a full-communion effort by the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, the Eastern District of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod is being nurtured in Shenandoah under the direction of St. John Lutheran Church. Strong mission support also made it possible to 9 respond favorably to congregational requests for ministry enhancement funding. Seven congregations followed up on the offer made by the Synod Council Finance Committee at the 2014 Assembly to submit Doing What Matters Requests. Every request was honored, which means that new efforts at ministry were started and existing ministries were strengthened in those congregations who asked for and received support. The blossoming of such ministry efforts is important as we move into God s future for the congregations of this synod. Recognizing, at the same time, that local circumstances can make it difficult for some congregations to find new opportunities for mission, we seek to be of assistance to congregations that are faced with dissolution or closure. Since last year s assembly, three synod congregations closed. Along with faith-related issues at the prospect of closing, there are legal and ecclesiastical matters that must be addressed properly. The Synod Council, therefore, formed a Task Force on the Closing of Congregations and charged it with creating a document meant to assist in fulfilling all necessary steps. Representatives of each mission district serve on the task force. Since we last assembled, a request came to the Synod Council for the formation of a Creation Care Task Force which would organize and coordinate events, promote advocacy, and disseminate information and ideas meant to encourage environmental sensitivity across the synod territory. The council gave its approval. It is important that we hear from members of this synod who have interest in consequential issues of our time. Voting members at the 2014 Assembly adopted a Synod Council resolution committing this synod to participation in Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA. The goal is to have 100% participation by synod congregations. Information about the campaign can be found on the ELCA website (elca.org) or by contacting Guy Ehler, our synod s campaign coordinator. I have been pleased at the regular campaign contributions coming into the synod office, and I look with anticipation at the outcome of Always Being Made New Sunday on May 3, Support of any of the ten ELCA ministries encompassed by the campaign will strengthen ministries already having profound impact, such as World Hunger, Malaria, and Fund for Leaders, as well as new ministries offering fresh challenges, such as Youth/Young Adult, Disabilities Ministries, and International Leaders Women.

10 Always Being Made New is important to me because it offers congregations small and large - rural, suburban and urban - a substantive and transformative stimulus to do what matters for God. You can make an important contribution to your congregation by rallying support for one or more of the ministries of the campaign. There are resources for each ministry that help members understand the positive impact they have in a world hungry for hope. Use the resources and expand support for the campaign. At last year s annual assembly, voting members elected me to serve a second six-year term. In my response to the election, I said that the call renewed meant for me that it was a call unleashed. Since last May, I have worked to define the meaning of unleashed. A major component of the defining process took shape in the planning process for Assembly During our time together at the Santander Arena, we will explore the outcome of the planning process. Those who have attended previous assemblies will find that Assembly 2015 contains new elements. As in previous assemblies, there will be business to transact; but there will be more opportunity for interaction among voting members than has generally been the case. Among the objectives of the unleashed approach to Assembly 2015 are: putting emphasis upon congregations; giving congregations opportunity to define themselves in terms of ministry; encouraging voting members to speak up about ministries that excite them; inspiring one another to embolden our reforming spirit in anticipation of the Reformation s 500 th anniversary in I hear about and see the commitment our members have to their congregations as I visit week after week. It s time for more of us to discover how God is on the loose in Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod congregations. I look forward to seeing you, hearing from you, and talking to you at Assembly With thanksgiving to God for our life together in Christ Jesus, Samuel R. Zeiser, Bishop REPORT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT Since my last report a year ago, we have had four Synod Council meetings in four different locations: the Lutheran Center; Luther Crest in Allentown; St. Joseph Hill Church, in a beautiful setting outside of Boyertown; and St. Mark, Bethlehem. It is always rewarding to travel around our territory and learn of the important work being performed by our congregations and social ministry entities. We are indeed blessed. The Council continues to support and monitor the local progress of Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA, a five-year effort approved by the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The 2014 Synod Assembly approved our participation in this important endeavor to support the ELCA ministries nationally and internationally. We greatly appreciate Guy Ehler spearheading the campaign in Northeast Penn. The Call Process Task Force is winding up its work. The newly drafted Procedures for Congregations in Pastoral Transition, Checklist for NEPS Congregations in Transition and Pastoral Transition Timeline are being employed by the staff. The need for some tweaking has occurred. Once these improvements are made, we hope the work of the Task Force will be considered a success in improving the call process. The work of the Task Force on Closing Congregations has begun in earnest. Manuals from the Upper New York Synod and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod have been reviewed and are serving as valuable resources while the Task Force drafts a manual for use in our Synod. We are blessed as a Synod to have a hard working staff as well as council members and delegates to this Assembly willing to devote the necessary time and effort to doing important work on behalf of the greater church at the Synodical level. Thank you. Donald F. Smith, Jr., Vice President REPORT OF THE SECRETARY As of April 1, 2015, the following changes have taken place since the 2014 Assembly: ROSTER OF ORDAINED MINISTERS Ordinations Recher, Julie P., September 27, 2014 Williams, Inge M., November 1, 2014 Received from Other Synods Coleman, Kathleen G., Lower Susquehanna Synod, June 5, 2013 Garman, Timothy R., Upper Susquehanna Synod, November 26, 2014 Kramer, Robert A., Lower Susquehanna Synod, August 1, 2014 Middeke-Conlin, Rebecca E., New England Synod, May 15, 2014 Moore, Richard, Southeast Pennsylvania Synod, October 1,

11 Received from Other Synods Coleman, Kathleen G., Lower Susquehanna Synod, June 5, 2013 Garman, Timothy R., Upper Susquehanna Synod, November 26, 2014 Kramer, Robert A., Lower Susquehanna Synod, August 1, 2014 Middeke-Conlin, Rebecca E., New England Synod, May 15, 2014 Moore, Richard, Southeast Pennsylvania Synod, October 1, 2014 Transferred to Other Synods Carlsson, Andrew E., Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, February 12, 2015 Hasemann, Marilyn, Nebraska Synod, June 1, 2014 Kaltenbaugh, Robert G., Allegheny Synod, March 22, 2015 Lemons, Melissa P., Delaware-Maryland Synod, August 14, 2014 Liepe, Alexandra, Up State New York Synod, October 31, 2014 McMackin, Tricia A., Lower Susquehanna Synod, October 1, 2014 Pearson, John G., North Carolina Synod, February 19, 2015 Reeser, Vicki L. Lower Susquehanna Synod, October 15, 2015 Schwabe-Fry, Nancy L., Lower Susquehanna Synod, April None None Resigned from the Roster Removed from the Roster Deaths Erb, Alfred H., May 10, 2014 Harding, Marvin L., July 18, 2014 Henderschedt, Donald, L., November 16, 2014 Gulliford, Roy Edwin, January, 10, 2015 Loucks, Robert H., August 15, 2014 Martin, Albert C., March 25, 2015 Stippich, Gunther J., December 1, 2014 Weiser, Conrad W., April 1, 2015 The Rev. Alfred H. Erb, the son of Alfred J. and Dorothy V. (Fox) Erb, was born on June 27, 1925 in Philadelphia. He graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1946 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Ordained by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania in 1949, he was called to be the pastor of the Strausstown Lutheran parish, which he served for ten years. From 1959 until his retirement in 1990 he served as pastor of the Shoemakersville-Gernants Parish. He also served on the board of the Inner Mission Society of Schuylkill and Berks from 1984 to On May 16, 1981, Pastor Erb married Elsie Keck. The Rev. Marvin L. Harding was born on August 5, 1926, in Mohnton, the son of Paul and Debbie (Stoner) Harding. He graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1950 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Following his ordination by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania in 1953, Pastor Harding served two congregations: Jordan, Orefield ( ) and Schwarzwald, Jacksonwald ( ). In retirement, he served as the interim pastor of Trinity, Gouglersville, pastoral assistant at Grace, Shillington, and Dean to the retired pastors. On May 30, 1954, he was married to Dorace Hornberger. They are the parents of two children, Constance and Joel. The Rev. Roy E. Guilliford, the son of William and Emily (Lauff) Gulliford, was born on December 20, 1934 in Philadelphia. He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1956 and Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Following his ordination by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania, he served several congregations: St. John (Mayfair), Philadelphia, PA ( ); St. Paul, Lionville ( ); and Reformation, Reiffton ( ). In 1970, he became executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Lutheran Camp Corporation, where he served until his retirement in He was active in the American Camping Association, serving as section vice president, and also served on the synod s Parish Life Committee. Pastor Gulliford married Marilyn Kreider on May 24, They are the parents on one son, Bradley. The Rev. Robert H. Loucks was born on December 29, 1930, in Camden, NJ, the son of Earl and Kathryn (Dingler) Loucks. He graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1952 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Ordained by the New Jersey Synod in 1955, he served as the mission developer of St. Stephen s, South Plainfield, NJ ( ); as pastor of Trinity, Topton ( ); Faith, Hillsborough, NJ ( ); and Nativity, East Brunswick, NJ ( ). In retirement, Pastor Loucks served as interim pastor of Holy Trinity, Bethlehem, St. James, Coopersburg, and Christ, Easton. He also 11

12 served on the synod s World Hunger Appeal Task Force. Pastor Loucks married Ruth Marion Pedersen on October 20, They are the parents of three children, Wendy, Timothy, and Kristin. The Rev. Albert C. Martin, the son of Albert F. and Elizabeth (Voelker) Martin was born on July 26, 1949 in Wilkes-Barre. He graduated from Wilkes College in 1971 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Following his ordination by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod in 1977, he served as pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in Hollis, NY ( ) and Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Floral Park, NY ( ). On June 18, 1977, Pastor Martin married Linda Alver. They are the parents of two sons, Jonathan and Adam. The Rev. Gunther J. Stippich was born on April 13, 1914 in Collinsville, Connecticut. He was the son of the Re. Herman and Marie (Paulsen) Stippich. He graduated from Wagner College in 1936 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1939 and subsequently earned an S.T.M. from that same institution. Ordained by the New York Synod of the ULCA, he served as the assistant pastor of St. Matthew, Bronx, NY ( ) and the pastor of Emanuel, Brooklyn, NY ( ); St. Michael, Philadelphia ( ); and St. John, Reading ( ). He continued to serve there until his retirement in Following his retirement, Pastor Stippich served as interim pastor at St. Paul, Lobachsville and Zion-St. John, Stouchsburg, and visitation pastor at Alsace, Reading. For more than 20 years, he was also a professor of German at Alvernia College in Reading. Pastor Stippich was predeceased by his first wife, Elsie Bothe, whom he married of September 9, 1939; and his second wife, Millicent Lengel, whom he married on July 10, On March 18, 2001, he was married to Jane Dickinson. He is also survived by two stepsons, Stephen Hartranft and John E. Dickinson The Rev, Conrad W. Weiser, the son of Harvey and Kathryn (Hagenbuch) Weiser, was born in Pottstown on November 18, A 1961 graduate of Muhlenberg College, he graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in He subsequently earned an M.A. from Marywood College and a Ph. D. from Temple University. Following his ordination by the Eastern Pennsylvania Synod in 1964, he served as pastor of Peace, Reading ( ); campus pastor at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University ( ); curriculum developer, writer and editor for the LCA s Division of Parish Services ( ); and director of Center 1, a counseling and training center ( ). In 1976 he was called by the synod to tent-making ministry, which involved consulting with congregations, intervening in conflicts, working with candidacy committees and providing a range of counseling services. Pastor Weiser retired in 1994 but continued to serve as consultant to many synods and other denominational bodies. He is the author of numerous articles and books. Pastor Weiser married Carol A Lanz on December 29, They are the parents of two children, Christine and Mark. On June 9, 1984 he married Barbara Holmberg Pastoral Changes Baumann, Richard, St. Paul, Allentown, to on leave from call, June 1, 2014 Brown, Oliver, Chaplain, on leave from call, to St. James, Hobbie, December 1, 2014 Buckwalter, Kenneth L., St. John s, Honesdale, to St. John, Emmaus, January 18, 2015 Butz, Jeffrey J., Grace. Belfast, to Zion s Union Church, Maxatawny, November 23, 2014 Coleman, Kathleen G., Lower Susquehanna Synod, to retired, June 5, 2013 Diefenderfer, Lee A., Trinity, Wernersville, to St. Paul, Orwigsburg, September 2, 2014 Fritch, John, St. James, Coopersburg, to retirement, April 30, 2015 Garman, Timothy R., Upper Susquehanna Synod, to on leave from call, November 26, 2014 Goodwin, Virginia A., on leave from call, to retirement, October 1, 2014 Hamm, MaryAnn, Life Choice Hospice, Dresher, to St. John, Kutztown, October 1, 2014 Hammond, James R., Mt. Zion, Krumsville, to on leave from call, February 1, 2015 Handwerk, Gene E., PT Associate of the Bishop, to retirement, January 31, 2015 Heffelfinger, Harry L., Arcadia Hospice, Allentown, to retirement, May 1, 2014 Hetrick, Carolyn K., Holy Spirit, Reading, to Christ, Conyngham, January 11, 2015 Horst, Susan, M., Life Choice Hospice, Shoemakersville, July 26, 2014 House, Donna M., St. John, Nazareth, to Friedens, Oley, August 18, 2014 Kaltenbaugh, Robert G., Shepherd of the Hills, Dushore, to retirement, August 1, 2014 Knox, Rebecca W., St. Luke s-christ Partnership Parish, Reading, to St. Daniel s, Robesonia, November 16, 2014 Kramer, Robert, Lower Susquehanna Synod, to interim pastor, St. Mark s, Birdsboro, August 1,

13 Kringle, Roxanne, on leave from call, July, 26, 2014 Lane, Larry, to Trinity, Bangor, March 1, 2015 Lyon, Katie E., on leave from call, to St. Luke s- Christ Partnership Parish, Reading, September 1, 2014 Machamer, Robert D., Jr., St. Paul s, Fleetwood, to St. John, Boyertown, April 16, 2015 Mathews, George J., Jr, Trinity, Clark s Summit, to retirement, February 2, 2015 Matthy, Christian P., on leave from call, to St. Paul, Albrightsville, April 7, 2014 McKeeby, Douglas S., Trinity, Hazleton, to on leave from call - disability, March 28, 2014 McMackin, Tricia A., New Jerusalem, Saucon Valley, to Lower Susquehanna Synod, October 1, 2014 Middeke-Conlin, Rebecca E., New England Synod, to associate pastor Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Emmaus, May 15, 2014 Moore, Nancy, St. Matthews, Weissport, to on leave from call, August 5, 2014 Moore, Richard L., Southeast Pennsylvania Synod, to St. John, Sinking Spring, October 1, 2014 Neel, Thomas A., on leave from call, to retirement, July 1, 2014 Obrecht, Paulette K., Hope, Cherryville, to on leave from call, August 15, 2014 Opalinski, Fred S., Trinity, Reading, to retirement, July 31, 2014 Osterhout, Bruce G., St. Luke s-christ Partnership, Reading to Zion, Perry Township, September 1, 2014 Pearson, John G., St. John, Boyertown, to retirement, June 1, 2014 Pfeffer, Peggy Sue, Trinity, Pottsville, to associate pastor, St. John, Friedensburg, May 1, 2014 Potteiger, Bruce, Salem Belleman s, Mohrsville, to retirement, April 30, 2015 Recher, Julie P., newly ordained to associate pastor, Atonement, Wyomissing, September 27, 2014 Richter, John C., Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, Allentown, to retirement, May 31, 2014 Santiago, Rashion, St. Paul, Easton, to on leave from call, October 22, 2014 Schoffstall, Paul L., Holy Trinity, Palmerton, to retirement, September 1, 2014 Simmons, Glenn L., PT Associate of the Bishop, to retirement, December 31, 2014 Stinner, Franklin S., Trinity, Bangor, to on leave from call, November 28, 2014 Truebenbach, Kim, family leave, to on leave from call, November 1, 2014 Trump, Suzanne M., Grace, Allentown, to St. John Windish, Bethlehem, July 16, 2014 Uhler, Willard J., St. John, Hamburg, to retirement, April 1, 2014 Walbert, Gary L., St. Paul, Catasauqua, to Good Shepherd, Kreidersville, July 1, 2014 Williams, Inge M., newly ordained, to pastor, Friedens, Shartlesville, November 17, 2014 Wimmer, Mark A., ELCA Mission Investment Fund, to Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, July 2, 2014 Ziel, Catherine A., Exec. Associate of the Bishop, NEPA Synod, to retirement, July 31, 2014 ROSTER OF ASSOCIATES IN MINISTRY Received from Other Synods No Additions or Changes None Resigned from Roster Removed from Roster Wimmer, Leesa L., Oct.4, 2014 None ROSTER OF DEACONESSES No Additions or Changes None None None None None Received from Other Synods Transferred to Other Synods Resigned from Roster Removed from Roster Deaths Deaths CONGREGATIONAL CHANGES Epiphany, Temple merged into Calvary, Laureldale, April 13, 2015 St. Joseph s, Allentown, closed, May 24, 2015 St. Mark, Lackawaxen, closed, May 28, 2014 Zion Evangelical, Girardville, closed, December 29, 2013 SYNODICALLY AUTHORIZED WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY CHANGES Source of Love Indonesian Chapel, Scranton, discontinued, July 26, 2014 Hope s Table, Reading, authorized, October 24, 2014 Susquehanna County Church Without Walls Ministry Exploration, authorized, March 26, 2015 Respectfully Submitted, Barbara J. Belón, Synod Council Secretary 13

14 REPORT OF THE TREASURER Mission Support Total Mission Support from congregations for the past 10 years is pictured in the chart below. Although the downward trend over this time horizon is apparent, our experience in 2013 and 2014 provided hope that we had reached a plateau in the $2.5 million range. Unfortunately support from congregations declined 9.5% in the year ending January 31, The spending proposal to be voted on at the assembly reflects anticipated support for the work of the Church of $2.4 million for (chart $000). Mission Support $3,500 $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $ Spending Proposals The NEPS budget (portion of spending proposal used within the synod and for support of sponsored agencies has declined in proportion to the change in Mission Support received during this time frame as well (chart $000). $1,800 $1,600 $1,400 $1,200 $1,000 $800 $600 $400 $200 $ Budget Performance (Year ending January 31, 2015) At this point in time we do not have a final report from our auditors, but we anticipate a surplus for the fiscal year (receipts exceeding expenditures). David Hinrichs, Treasurer 14

15 REPORT OF THE SYNOD COUNCIL The Synod Council met four times since the last Assembly. Numbers preceding resolutions of the Council indicate the year, month and sequence number of the resolution. Recommendations for Assembly action appear in bold face type. All items are presented for review by the Assembly. Administration ( ) Resolved, that the Synod Council affirms the staff appointments made by Bishop Zeiser for his second term. ( ) Resolved, that the NEPA Synod approve the formation of a Creation Care Task Force. ( ) Resolved, to approve the synod s receipt of the St. Mark, Lackawaxen church property and authorize sale of the property. ( ) Resolved, that the part of the 2015 Executive Staff salary to be designated as housing be as follows: Zeiser - $20,000 Handwork - $6,500 Garbe - $13,000 Gade - $24,000 ( ) Resolved, that 2015 Executive Staff compensation be set in accordance with the following schedule, reflecting 1) total compensation, and 2) for ordained staff members the amount of base salary, social security allowance, and housing allowance. The amounts designated as housing allowance were acted upon at the October 22, 2014 meeting and shall apply to calendar year 2015 and all future years unless otherwise provided by this Synod Council. (Numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar.) This represents a 3% increase over 2014 with the following exception: Pastor Garbe who is receiving a $5,000 increase to bring his salary more in line with synod guidelines. Note: Pastors Crawford, and Kuritz are just beginning their service in NAME*** BASE SALARY HOUSING SS TOTAL Zeiser $63,626 $20,000 $6,927 $90,553 Garbe $51,161 $16,000 $5,563 $72,724 Gade $49,151 $24,000 $6,060 $79,211 Matthias-Long $55,914 $4,632* $60,545 Bennethum $20,600** $20,600 Huber $15,450 $15,450 Richter $17,510 $17,510 Crawford $15,000 $15,000 Kuritz $15,000 $15,000 * Employer s required portion of Social Security ** Pastor Bennethum s salary as DEM is paid by the ELCA. This amount represents additional compensation for working as the synod s Executive Associate of the Bishop. *** Compensation for the associates serving the Northern Lehigh Valley, Pocono and Schuylkill Mission Districts is paid to their congregations under a purchase of services arrangement And that Pastor Garbe s housing allowance be increased from $13,000 to $16,000. ( ) Resolved, that all executive staff be required to complete the Child Abuse History check and the PA State Police Criminal Record Check every 36 months, as required by law and that Criminal Record Checks be required of support staff as well, with the Synod paying the cost. ( ) Resolved, that future meeting dates for the council be established as follows: March 26, 2015, 3:00 pm (Location: St. Mark, Bethlehem) July 11, 2015, 9:00 am October 21, 2015, 3:00 pm January 20, 2016, 3:00 pm March 17, 2016, 3:00 pm ( ) Resolved that Synod Council, in accordance with S13.21, supports and has approved the vote by members of St. Joseph s Lutheran Church, Allentown, to dissolve as of June 24th (Pentecost Sunday.) ( ) Resolved, that the congregation of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Temple be merged into the congregation of Calvary Lutheran Church in Laureldale, effective April 13,

16 Assembly ( ) Resolved, that the 2015 Synod Assembly be held May 29-30, 2015 at the Santander Arena in Reading. ( ) The following resolution is recommended to the 2015 Synod Assembly: Resolved that the 2015 Assembly program (as printed in the Bulletin of Reports) be adopted. Bear Creek Camp ( ) Resolved, that the request of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Pennsylvania Camp Corporation to sell the home and lot located at 3611 Bear Creek Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, PA be approved. Budget ( ) The following resolution is recommended to the 2015 Synod Assembly: Resolved, that the 2016 program proposal (February 1, 2016, to January 31, 2017) be adopted. The Synod Council is hereby authorized to establish the 2016 spending program no later than its January, 2016, meeting, making any necessary adjustment to the budget proposal in light of both realistic anticipation of receipts and synod priorities (in consultation with the ELCA Treasurer with respect to the ELCA portion thereof.) Calls, Appointments, and Roster Maintenance ( ) Resolved, that David DeCampli, Elsbeth Haymon, Sandra Jarva Weiss and Daniel Wilson be elected to three-year terms on the Board of Trustees of the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, terms commencing in 2014; and that the Rev. John C. Richter be elected to fill the remaining one year of a term commencing in ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with sections and of the ELCA Constitution, on leave from call status be approved as follows: Clergy (fourth year, study leave): Roxanne Kringle Clergy (disability): Douglas McKeeby Associate in Ministry (disability): Bruce Saylor Associate in Ministry (fourth year, family) Amy Jahn de Torres ( ) Resolved, that a call to be special service be extended to the Rev. Mark Wimmer to serve as Vice President for Church Relations, Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, effective July 2, ( ) Resolved, that a two-year term call be extended to the Rev. Peggy Sue Pfeffer to serve as half-time assistant pastor of St. John, Friedensburg, effective May 1, ( ) Resolved, that a two-year term call be extended to the Rev. Robert Kramer to serve as transitional pastor of St. Mark, Birdsboro, effective August 1, ( ) Resolved, that a call to be special service be extended to the Rev. Susan M. Horst to serve as chaplain at Life Choice Hospice, Shoemakersville, effective July 26, ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with ELCA bylaw and upon endorsement by the bishop,the following rostered leaders be granted the roster status of retired : The Rev. Oliver E. Brown, effective June 1, 2014 The Rev. Harry L. Hefflefinger, effective, May 1, 2014 The Rev. Robert G. Kaltenbaugh, effective August 1, 2014 The Rev. Thomas A. Neel, effective July 1, 2014 The Rev. Fred S. Opalinski, effective August 1, 2014 The Rev. John C. Richter, effective June 1, 2014 The Rev. Paul L. Schoffstall, effective September 1, 2014 The Rev. Willard J. Uhler, Jr., effective April 1, 2014 The Rev. Catherine A. Ziel, effective August 1, 2014 ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with sections and of the ELCA Constitution, on leave from call status be approved as follows: Clergy (first year) Richard Baumann Nancy Moore Paulette Obrecht Rashion Santiago Clergy (6th year, family leave) Kim Truebenbach 16

17 ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with sections and of the ELCA Constitution, that the status of Pastor Oliver Brown be changed from retired to on leave from call, first year. ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with ELCA bylaw , and upon endorsement by the bishop, the following rostered leaders be granted the roster status of retired : The Rev. John Pearson, effective June 1, 2014 The Rev. Virginia Goodwin, effective October 1, 2014\ Associate in Ministry Melanie Werley, effective November 1, ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with sections and of the ELCA Constitution, on leave from call status be approved as follows: Clergy (first year) Paulette Obrecht effective August 15, 2014 Clergy (3rd year) Jennifer Oaks effective September 30, 2014 ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with ELCA bylaw , and upon endorsement by the bishop, the following rostered leaders be granted the roster status of retired : The Reverend Glenn Simmons, effective December 31, 2014 The Reverend Gene Handwerk, effective January 31, 2015 The Reverend George Mathews, effective February 1, 2015 ( ) Resolved, that in accordance with sections and of the ELCA Constitution, on leave from call status be approved as follows: Clergy (first year) Frank Stinner (effective 11/28/2014) James Hammond (effective 2/1/2015) ( ) Resolved, that a two-year term call be issued to the Rev. Larry Lane to serve as pastor of Trinity, Bangor, effective March 1, ( ) RESOLVED, that in accordance with ELCA bylaw , and upon endorsement by the bishop, the following rostered leaders be granted the roster status of retired : The Reverend John Fritch, effective April 30, 2015 The Reverend Bruce Potteiger, effective April 30, 2015 Campaign for the ELCA ( ) Resolved, that May 3rd be designated as Always Being Made New Sunday within the congregations in the NE PA Synod. Elections ( ) Resolved, that the Rev. Barry Spatz and the Rev. Jeff Odgren be elected to fill vacant positions on the synod council, to serve until the 2015 Synod Assembly when there will be an election to fill the unexpired 2 year terms of Pr. Jeff Butz and Pr. Jerry Kulp. 17 Finance ( ) Resolved, that the following grants be made from the Prosser/Pahse/Mission Fund: Allegheny, Mohnton - $650 for mailing for parish education; St. John, Stroudsburg - $12,000 for Astroturf for daycare; New Jerusalem, Saucon Valley - $4000 for meal ministry and senior seminarian; Hope, Reading - $6,000 for meal ministry; Arndt s, Easton - $4,000 for preschool and living nativity education program; Adult Lutherans Organized for Action - $300 for senior ministry festival. ( ) Resolved, that the spending limit for the Kelchner Fund for 2015 be set at 10%, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia be informed that $138,776 will be available for that year. ( ) Resolved, that in honor of the 150 th anniversary of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, the synod make a one-time gift to the seminary of $75 for each LTSP graduate serving in rostered ministry in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, for a total of $21,675, the funds to come from the Prosse/Pahse/Mission Fund. ( ) Resolved, that when considering financial proposals, two bids be sought for any project costing more than $5,000.

18 ( ) Resolved, that a grant of $15,000 from the Prosser/Pahse Mission Fund be given to Zion s Lutheran Church, Weatherly for several projects that will enhance the congregations ministries. Approved Unanimous ( ) Resolved, that spending policies for synod funds for 2015 be established as follows: 10% of the Prosser/Pahse Mission Fund - $74,847 10% of the Student Education Fund - $13,955 7% of the Leadership Fund - $3,881 10% of the Social Ministry Fund - $51,780 ( ) Resolved, that the following persons be approved as signers for synod financial accounts: Bishop Samuel Zeiser, Pastor Mary Gade, Pastor D. Michael Bennethum, Mr. David Hinrichs. ( ) Resolved, (As presented by Carl Shankweiler, regarding St. Paul s, Gordon) to utilize $5,000 from the sale of the church property to be directed to the Lutheran Archives Center in Philadelphia. ( ) Resolved, that the 2015 budget of the Hazleton-Lehighton Mission District be approved. ( ) Resolved, that Synod apply to Thrivent for the addition of NEPA Synod to their list of approved organizations who can receive member-directed funds. Property ( ) Resolved, that we accept the proposal of Keystone Paving for $81,600 to pave the parking lot of the Lutheran Center, and that the expense be financed from the Prosser/Phase/Mission Fund. ( ) Resolved, to award a contract for up to $4,600 for HVAC services for the Schoenersville property. Synodically Authorized Worshipping Communities ( ) Resolved, that the designation of Source of Love, Scranton, as a synodically authorized worshipping committee be rescinded ) Resolved, that Hope s Table, a new ministry housed at Hope Lutheran Church, 601 N. Front Street, Reading PA, 19601, be designated as a Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod and that (until such time as a mission developer be identified) Pastor Mary Wolfe be designated as the ministry s servant leader. ( ) Resolved, that $12,000 be granted from the Prosser/Pahse Mission Fund to the Common Ground Recovery Ministry, Wyomissing and that $12,000 be granted from the Prosser/Pahse Mission Fund to Hope s Table, Reading. ( ) Resolved, that a grant of $12,000 from the Prosser/Pahse Mission Fund be given to the Susquehanna County Church Without Walls Initiative. ( ) Resolved, that the Susquehanna County Church Without Walls Initiative be designated as a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community Exploration of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod and that Pastor Jira Albers (who will supervise the seminary intern screened for mission development) be designated as the ministry s servant leader. Barbara J. Belón, Secretary REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE OF DEANS The Committee of Deans met five times since the last synod assembly. Consideration of roster matters was an ongoing task of the deans at all of their meetings. At its June meeting, the deans shared impressions of the 2014 synod assembly as well as of the recognition event for rostered leaders celebrating major anniversaries. The deans affirmed decision to hold this event at the Lutheran Center at a time preceding the assembly. At the September meeting, the deans began preparations for the 2015 anniversary recognition worship and luncheon. In December, the deans began formulating a strategy for supporting congregations and their leaders as they implement Pennsylvania's new Mandated Reporter law. They also considered a policy for congregations using supply preachers when worship needs to be cancelled due to inclement weather. With the goal of honoring the preparations of those who serve as pulpit supplies without placing an unnecessary burden on congregations, the deans decided that if worship is cancelled less than 48 hours before a worship service due to 18

19 inclement weather, the expectation is that the pulpit supply will be compensated fully, minus the mileage reimbursement. The February meeting gave the deans an opportunity to meet Ms. Yvonne Lembo, hired by the ELCA Foundation to be the synod's new "gift planner." At its March meeting, Pastor Mary Gade met with the deans to help them further plans to assist congregations in complying with the clearances and training requirements for the Mandated Reporter law. There was also further conversation about the upcoming worship service and luncheon for rostered leaders celebrating major anniversaries. Anniversaries of Rostered Service 2015 marks the 15th anniversary of service for the following leaders: The Rev. Elizabeth A. Melot The Rev. Elna M. Stratton The Rev. Rebecca W. Knox The following rostered leaders are celebrating 25 years of service: The Rev. Barbara J. Shade The Rev. John E. Lamb The Rev. Kenneth L. Buckwalter The Rev. Kim L. Lengert The Rev. Lisa K. Borrell The Rev. Peter A. Pettit Observing their 40th anniversary of consecration or ordination are: Sister Verna E. Meckes The Rev. Bruce W. Potteiger The Rev. Charles F. Terhune The Rev. David L. Roper The Rev. Gerald C. Arndt The Rev. Gregory A. Stoddard The Rev. Guy R. Grube The Rev. John C. Richter The Rev. John W. Harding The Rev. Kenneth A. Gould The Rev. Norman E. Dresher The Rev. Paul E. Bartlett The Rev. Robert K. Bohm The Rev. Rodney H. Saylor The Rev. Thomas E. Richards, Jr. Celebrating their 50th anniversary of ordained service are: The Rev. Andrew J. Stauffer The Rev. Larry R. Hassler The Rev. LeRoy H. Aden The Rev. Stanley R. Trout Celebrating 55 years of rostered service are: The Rev. Hartland H. Gifford The Rev. James L. Henderschedt The Rev. Jay C. Klick The Rev. Jerry Mraz 19 The Rev. Norman C. Krapf The Rev. Rodney R. Heckert The Rev. Walter H. Wagner Celebrating their 60th anniversary of ordination are: The Rev. Harold S. Weiss The Rev. Klaus G. W. Molzahn The Rev. Manfred K. Bahmann The Rev. Paul L. Buehrle The Rev. Richard R. Boyer Observing 65 years of ordained service are: The Rev. Charles E. Fair The Rev. Paul F. Kramp, Jr. Marking the 70th anniversary of his ordination is: The Rev. Glenn G. Neubauer THE REV. LEROY H. ADEN, the son of Reamer and Nellie (Reiter) Aden, was born in Palmer, Iowa on September 28, A 1951 graduate of Wartburg College, he graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary in He subsequently earned an M.A. from Chicago Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. Following his ordination in June of 1965 by the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Synod, he served as pastor of First Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh ( ) before being called to be the Professor of Pastoral Care at the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia. He served in that role until his retirement in Pastor Aden has authored a number of books and articles, both during his active ministry and in retirement. On December 17, 1951 Pastor Aden married Ruth M. Meyer. They are the parents of two children, David and Elizabeth. THE REV. LARRY R. HASSLER, was born on June 5, 1940 in Lyons Station. The son of LeRoy B. and Esther Mae (Rohrbach) Hassler, he graduated from Kutztown University in 1962 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in Ordained by the Eastern Pennsylvania Synod in 1965, Pastor Hassler served as assistant pastor at Alsace, Reading ( ) and pastor of the Rehrersburg-Bethel Lutheran Parish ( ) and St. John and St. Matthew, Pine Grove ( ). Since his retirement, he has served as a supply pastor in a number of synod congregations. On October 17, 1965, Pastor Hassler was married to Peggy Deborah Angstadt. They are the parents of the Rev. John P. Hassler.

20 THE REV. ANDREW J. STAUFFER, the son of Charles B. and Verna A. (Boyer) Stauffer, was born on January 26, 1940 in Topton. He graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1961 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in Following his ordination by the Eastern Pennsylvania Synod on May 30, 1965, Pastor Stauffer served the following congregations: the Mt. Bethel Lutheran Parish in Bangor ( ); St. James, Geigertown ( ); St. John, Tremont ( ); the Lobach's-Shalter's Lutheran Parish in Oley ( ); St. Paul, Lobachsville ( ); and Christ Stone Church, Mt. Bethel ( ). Following his retirement, he has served the synod as a frequent supply pastor for congregations in transition. On October 21, 1961, Pastor Stauffer married Sharlene A. Moyer. They are the parents of two daughters, Jennifer Ann and Bethany Joy. THE REV. STANLEY R. TROUT was born on April 11, 1940 in Reading. The son of Stanley and Dorothy (Burk) Trout, he graduated from Bloomsburg State College in 1962 and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg (B.D., 1965; M.Div. 1972). He was ordained by the Eastern Pennsylvania Synod on May 30, He was called to serve as the associate pastor ( ), then as the pastor of Holy Trinity, Hershey ( ), the coordinator of the Allentown Area Lutheran Parish ( ), and the pastor of Christ, Hazleton ( ). In retirement, Pastor Trout has served at the interim pastor of Zion, Old Zionsville and St. John, Fogelsville. His service to the larger church included serving as a leader in synod worship days. On August 30, 1964, he married Carole Anne Smith. The Rev. D. Michael Bennethum, Executive Associate of the Bishop 20

21 MINISTRY TEAMS YOUTH, YOUNG ADULT, AND FAMILY MINISTRY TEAM The mission of the Youth, Young Adult and Family Ministry Team is to strengthen the work being done with children, youth, young adults and families in the communities of Northeastern PA Synod. The work of our team intersects with many of the other ministries of the synod, including Faith Formation, Leadership Development and Global Mission. In August, 2014 we held a TLC day for Youth leaders (Thanks, Link, Collaborate). We will be offering future events to connect people who work with youth as well as offer some continuing education, utilizing the ELCA's Practice Discipleship Curriculum. In November, the Faithapalooza Leadership Training Event for youth leaders in grades 9-12 was held at Kenbrook Retreat and Conference Center in Lebanon County. Facilitated by Associate in Ministry Kathy Schaeffer, this year s event focused on planning skills. On December 28-30, 2014 our team sponsored Reclaiming Jubilee: Following the Star in Bethlehem. The event included opportunity for service, a tour of Bethlehem and hearing from a pastor who was homeless as a youth. Another area of concern was how our synod can assist congregations preparing for the changes in Child Protection Policies and Procedures. Webinars and information on the synod website were offered. Over 600 youth and adults have registered to participate in Rise Up! -the ELCA Youth Gathering which will be in Detroit, MI July Pastor Bruce McLaughlin has been working with a team to help coordinate and communicate information about the Gathering. AiM Kathy Schaeffer is coordinating the Proclaim Story Day - a day of mutual learning for our synod congregations. Many thanks to the dedicated and creative members of this team: Pastor Dan Burris, Pastor Jennifer Dee, Fran Ferarri, Deaconess Deborah Matern Graf - convener, Colleen Hall, AiM Karen Matthias-Long - synod staff liaison, Seth Noggle, and Mark Stana. Deaconess Deborah Matern Graf, Convener LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY TEAM The Leadership Development Ministry Team met quarterly throughout the year centering its work on the synodical priority We will develop leaders for a new church in a new world. Our primary task is to identify candidates for and encourage lay and rostered leaders in the church, to develop and grow their gifts for ministry and to support them as brothers and sisters in Christ. To accomplish this we are committed to providing and communicating opportunities for leadership development and making funds available, allocated by the synod, for programs and grants for educational opportunities. 1. Help congregations to identify, equip and support lay leaders The team supports regular workshops for congregational council presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries and treasurers. These workshops cover Christian leadership principles, technique and style, planning, resourcing, volunteer development and other congregational leadership issues. A congregational council secretary and treasurer s workshop is being scheduled for the fall of The team provided grants to lay leaders to match continuing education funds for congregational leadership programs. 2. Equip and support rostered and other leaders for ministry needs The team supports a grant process for rostered leaders to match continuing education funds. 3. Intentionally seek out candidates for rostered leadership With the winding down of Project Connect the team has held a series of special meetings with participants currently involved in, or with experience in ministries which develop and support leadership, particularly of youth. 4. Provide or insure support for the families of rostered leaders The team maintains and reviews the salary and compensation guidelines found in the bulletin of reports and has included a statement concerning education funds. Please consider applying for continuing education grants! 4. Provide or insure support for the families of rostered leaders The team maintains and reviews the salary and compensation guidelines found in the bulletin of reports and has included a statement concerning the new healthcare benefits recommendation of the ELCA Church Council. Many thanks to the current team members for their hard work and dedication to developing leaders for a new church in a new world; the Rev. David Blitch, the Rev. Rachael Dietz; the Rev. Kurt Garbe; Ilse Hassler, and Dan Scharnhorst. The Rev. Rachael C. R. Dietz, Convener 21

22 2015 MINIMUM COMPENSATION GUIDELINES These guidelines represent a 2% increase over PARISH PASTORS 2015 Minimum Salary Guidelines Resolved that: 1) The 2015 minimum base salary for pastors in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA be in agreement with the following guidelines: Years completed Service in ordained Ministry 2) It is the responsibility of each congregation to provide housing for its pastor(s). This may be accomplished in either of two ways: a) Housing Allowance. A portion of the pastor s salary may be designated as a housing allowance. This amount will vary, depending upon location and the needs of the pastor. Congregations and pastors should check current tax laws in establishing this figure. This amount should be established before the beginning of each year by a resolution of the Congregation Council or the listing of an amount in the congregation s budget. b) Parsonage. This is free use of a church-owned house, including utilities. A portion of the pastor s base salary may be set aside for furnishings and other housing expenses according to the IRS code. An annual equity allowance of a minimum of 3%-5% of salary is recommended for all parsonage situations. 3) Congregations should remember that the figures in the grid are minimums. Congregations are encouraged to exceed these minimum guidelines. Additional compensation should be provided based on criteria such as continuing education, special skills, responsibilities, merit, and local conditions. 4) Each congregation shall establish a Mutual Ministry Committee to facilitate the discussion by which these criteria are evaluated (as well as for carrying out the other functions of mutual ministry). 5) A congregation that fails to meet the synodical guidelines shall submit a report to the bishop on a form to be provided, detailing the reasons why these minimums are not being met and the steps that will be taken to establish these minimums as soon as possible. The following minimum benefits should be provided in addition to salary: 1) A Social Security Allowance equal to one half of the pastor s social security liability. This allowance is taxable for income tax purposes. For 2015, the Social Security liability is expected to be equal to 15.3% of the combined base salary and housing provision. (Parsonages are subject to this tax at their fair rental value.) 2) An Automobile Allowance equal to IRS guidelines per mile for business travel. Pastors reimbursed for auto expense on a per mile basis do not have to report this allowance as income if they submit written mileage reports to the calling institution. 3) Continuing Education provisions including a congregation/agency providing at least $550 for tuition, books, etc., and two weeks of time (not vacation), and the pastor providing at least $250. It is recommended that this money be deposited in the synod s PLACE program. (Programs that include Sundays must be negotiated with the congregation council.) It is encouraged that congregations/agencies and pastors work towards a partnership goal of $1,000. 4) Four full weeks of vacation time annually Recommended Salary Range (including housing allowance) 5) One to two days off per week, and, at least once a month, two consecutive days off Recommended Salary Range (parsonage provided) ,484 53,352 33,698 37, ,558 54,104 34,772 38, ,632 55,696 35,846 39, ,751 58,059 37,995 41, ,393 65,272 39,607 43, ,079 68,494 42,293 50, ,766 77,695 44,980 58,474 22

23 6) For the purposes of Worker s Compensation, pastors are considered to be employees of the congregation and therefore should be included in Worker s Compensation insurance. 7) Health and pension benefits according to the guidelines of the ELCA, including a 12% pension provision. In 2013, the ELCA Church Council recommended that in order to maintain the current level of health benefits for our rostered leaders and lay church workers, congregations offer to provide the Gold + ELCA health plan option in 2014 for their rostered leaders and lay church workers. The Gold + option most closely resembles the 2013 ELCA Primary health coverage. The Leadership Development Team of the NEPA Synod supports this recommendation of ELCA Church Council, and urges all synod congregations to offer the Gold + option (or its equivalent) for rostered leaders and lay church workers each year. 8) Congregations may also reimburse the pastor(s) for professional expenses such as dues, entertainment, supplies, and malpractice insurance. PASTORS WITH PART TIME CALLS Pastors with part time calls should be compensated on a prorated basis in line with the above guidelines, in consultation with the Office of the Bishop. Vacation and continuing education provisions should be prorated, as well. Pension and health benefits are according to the guidelines of the ELCA, including a 12% pension provision. ROSTERED LAY LEADERS 2015 Minimum Salary Guidelines Resolved that: 1) The 2015 minimum salary for rostered lay leaders in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA be in agreement with the following guidelines: Years completed Service in rostered ministry 2) Congregations should remember that the figures in the grid are minimums. Congregations are encouraged to exceed these minimum guidelines. Additional compensation should be provided based on criteria such as continuing education, special skills, responsibilities, merit, and local conditions. 3) Each congregation shall establish a Mutual Ministry Committee to facilitate the discussion by which these criteria are evaluated (as well as for carrying out the other functions of mutual ministry). 4) A congregation that fails to meet the synodical guidelines shall submit a report to the bishop on a form to be provided, detailing the reasons why these minimums are not being met and the steps that will be taken to establish these minimums as soon as possible. The following minimum benefits should be provided in addition to salary: 1) An Automobile Allowance equal to IRS guidelines per mile for business travel. Rostered lay leaders reimbursed for auto expense on a per mile basis do not have to report this allowance as income if they submit written mileage to the calling institution. 2) Continuing Education provisions including a congregation/agency providing at least $550 for tuition, books, etc., and two weeks of time (not vacation), and the leader providing at least $250. It is recommended that this money be deposited in the synod s PACE program. (Programs that include Sundays must be negotiated with the congregation council.) It is encouraged that congregations/agencies and rostered lay professional leaders work towards a partnership goal of $1,000. 3) Four full weeks of vacation time annually Recommended Salary Range Bachelor s Degree 4) One to two days off per week, and, at least once a month, two consecutive days off. 5) For the purposes of Worker s Compensation, rostered lay leaders are considered to be employees of the congregation and therefore should be included in Worker s Compensation insurance Recommended Salary Range Master s Degree ,003 36,361 35,126 38, ,213 37,633 37,344 41, ,369 38,906 38,501 42, ,682 41,450 40,814 44, ,418 47,300 42,549 51, ,309 50,772 45,441 54, ,201 58,762 48,333 62,833

24 6) Health and pension benefits according to the guidelines of the ELCA, including a 12% pension provision. In 2013, the ELCA Church Council recommended that in order to maintain the current level of health benefits for our rostered leaders and lay church workers, congregations offer to provide the Gold + ELCA health plan option in 2014 for their rostered leaders and lay church workers. The Gold + option most closely resembles the 2013 ELCA Primary health coverage. The Leadership Development Team of the NEPA Synod supports this recommendation of ELCA Church Council, and urges all synod congregations to offer the Gold + option (or its equivalent) for rostered leaders and lay church workers each year. 7) Congregations may also reimburse the lay leader(s) for professional expenses such as dues, entertainment, supplies, and malpractice insurance. WORSHIP MINISTRY TEAM The year since the last synod assembly has been one of transition for the Worship Team in terms of both focus and personnel. Focus In the recent past, the Worship Team had been offering regular educational events throughout the year. The current committee found this model unsustainable, both in terms of personnel and in generating interest in and attendance at such events. We therefore adopted a narrower focus of planning and implementing worship for the two major synodical events: the Bishop s Conference and the Synod Assembly. For worship at the Bishop s Conference, the committee acted in a supportive role, helping to implement the worship planned by committee member, the Rev. Charlie Grube. In preparing worship for the Synod Assembly, the committee expressed a strong desire to be a part of the assembly planning process so that worship could be woven into the fabric of the entire assembly rather than just being scheduled in. To that end, the Revs. Callista Isabelle and Gary Walbert represented our committee on the assembly creative and visioning team. Being a part of assembly planning from the start has also helped us to capture the spirit and theme of this year s assembly in ways that we hope will be obvious in the worship you experience at this year s event. Your feedback is always encouraged through the synod assembly evaluation. We also welcome comments and suggestions through any of our members individually, or through our team s nepsworship@gmail.com Personnel The current committee roster includes Jean Grube, the Rev. Callista Isabelle (co-chair), Michael Krentz, Sally Reeser, the Rev. Martha Sipe (co-chair), the Rev. Gary Walbert, and our current Partner in Evangelical Worship, the Rev. Charlie Grube. The Rev. Michael Bennethum served as our liaison to the synod staff for the first part of the year; the Rev.Kurt Garbe is currently serving in that role. Thanks to all for their service. Thanks also to the Rev. Jennifer Ollikainen who helped us to gain our focus by leading us through a visioning process in the fall of The Rev. Martha Sipe, Worship Ministry Team Co- Convener CONNECTION BUILDING MINISTRY TEAM We will build a network that uses our gifts, skills, and resources to maximize what we can do together and strengthen congregations in their ministry. The connections Building Team met regularly throughout the past year. In October we hosted a daylong event with Meredith Gould, author of The Social Media Gospel, as our presenter. The event introduced congregations to the role that social media can play in helping their members stay connected to one another and to the ministries of their congregation. Future priorities include: 1. Providing congregations with how to infor mation on technology. 2. Helping congregations and mission districts to build a simple yet effective website. 3. Helping congregations establish a social media presence. My thanks to the team members who will work on these priorities: Craig Babcock, Pr. Jeff Carstens, Pr. Mary Gade, AiM Karen Matthias-Long, Robert Siegfried, and Carol Weiser. The Rev. Paul Braden, Convener FAITH FORMATION MINISTRY TEAM The Faith Formation Resource Team offers a variety of learning opportunities to nurture the fiath development of people in congregations, mission districts, and the Synod. We also keep apprised of current Christian Education trends and curriculum resources. This year s Learning Ministry Day had to be postponed until April 18 th, due to a snow storm. The event was held at Hope, Cherryville. Our keynote speaker was Debbie Streicher, who talked about Milestone Ministry, and how it is important to 24

25 celebrate everyday milestones in addition to the special church moments. A variety of workshops were held for participants, including one led by our keynoter. Planning has already begun on Learning Ministry Day for 2016, which will hopefully happen on its regularly scheduled day in January. Team members continue to respond to requests from congregations for consultations on a wide variety of subjects. The team is also planning a couple of synod-wide events for 2015 and beyond. In August, the team gathered at a retreat center for three days of brainstorming, planning future events, personal growth and sharing resources. One of the items we will be working on will be planning video blurbs about the Lutheran Basics for the synod web site. The team continues to work on ways to increase our presence on the web through various means. We also continue to explore different resources and ways to disseminate the information throughout the synod. We continue to look for ways to live by faith as we share stories of hope in faith formation for future generations. Team members include Joy Gerhart, recorder, Connie Riedy, Bruce Saylor, Marlene Werkheiser, Samantha Drennan, Roger Timm, Margaret Gable, James Muske, and Karen Matthias-Long as staff liaison. Cheryl Statham, Convener WITNESS AND SERVICE MINISTRY TEAM The Spirit is unleashing congregations and ministry groups to do new and exciting ministry for the gospel. We see this with the specialized ministries we have supported in the past year, ministries whose mission is to ensure that populations that may be ignored or excluded hear the Good News. These ministries included the Common Ground Recovery Ministry, San Martin de Porres, Trinity Deaf Ministry, and Iglesia Cristiana La Hermosa. We see the Spirit unleashing congregations in their engagement for witness, outreach and social ministry. The Witness and Service Ministry Team walks with and assist congregations and ministry groups who have a passion for reaching out to share the gospel in creative ways. During the past year we have seen God unleashed in the following new and expanding ministries: Trinity, Wernersville - Appalachia Trip IHarvest Potato Project St. Paul's, Bethlehem - Backpack Program Good Shepherd, St. John's and St. Mark's in Wilkes-Barre - Bear Creek Summer Day Camp St. Luke's Neighborhood Center in Allentown West Berks Mission District - Summer Day Camp Hunger Task Force - Bike for World Hunger Gay & Lesbian Ministry Task Force - Family Diversity Assembly Table Oley Cluster - Mission Trip Hunger Task Force - Leaders Gathering Northern Berks Community Garden Hope's Table, Reading St. Stephen's Neighborhood Outreach Center of Christ Church, Allentown - Playing in the Park Program St. John's Windish, Bethlehem & Iglesia Esperanza, Bethlehem - Feed the Children St. Paul's, Hawley Task Force on Bulling, Harassment and Related Violence St Luke's, Shoemakersville - Church Mouse Friedens, Oley - Parish Nursing Ministry Holy Trinity, Kingston - "Have Two" Coat Closet The Witness and Service Ministry Team is here to walk with and assist your ministry through evangelism and social ministry grants, specialized ministry and partnership support, and ministry coaching. We re here to help you to be unleashed and do bold things for the Gospel. Robert J. Cimerol, convener The Rev. D. Michael Bennethum, Staff Liaison 25

26 SUPPORT COMMITTEES MISSION INTERPRETATION Mission Interpreters share stories and communicate with congregations on how we are using our hands to do God s work. They visit congregations to say thank you and help congregations understand how their Mission Support commitments fulfill many ministries. We are continuing to build the Synod team of Mission Interpreters. Interpreters use printed Synod and ELCA brochures, videos and temple talks to let people know more about how the Synod and ELCA are using their Mission Support dollars. We are always interested to hear from congregations about the ministries they are doing so we can share with others. Workshops are held when requested to train rostered leaders and lay people on how to tell stories and use various resources to share the good news about ministries within the Synod and the ELCA. The Mission Support Table provides guidance for the Mission Interpreter Ministry during the year. In Christ, Georgia Suranofsky Convener WORLD HUNGER APPEAL TASK FORCE The World Hunger Committee continues to put much of its work in planning and implementing our Annual Bike 4 World Hunger. Our event was held on a beautiful May 17 from 9AM to 1PM at the Robert Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park in Trexlertown, PA. We had 27 congregations and 195 participants and raised $ The Rodale Park is an excellent facility for this event. The figure eight track can be used by walkers, bikers, and roller bladders. There is plenty of grass for congregations to gather together and a pavilion for shelter. At the end of 2014 we began our planning for the 2015 Bike 4 World Hunger to be held at the Rodale Park on Saturday, May 16 from 9AM 1PM. Wayne Kaufman, Convener GAY/LESBIAN MINISTRY TASK FORCE Each year at the NEPA Synod Assembly, the Gay and Lesbian Ministry Task Force hosts a display in order to provide printed information and resources on a variety of GLBT concerns. We make every attempt to have a task force member present at the display at all times during the assembly to offer assistance and share in conversation with assembly attendees. The Gay and Lesbian Ministry Task Force works to present a forum workshop on a timely topic at each assembly. In 2014, we presented a forum on Ministry with the Modern Family that included discussion about the divers make up of twenty-first century families. The task force also brings to the assembly resolutions relating to equality issues and ministry with GLBT persons. In 2014, the Task Force was represented at Reading and Allentown area Pride events making information and resources available to the GLBT communities in those areas. We are thankful to In 2014, the Task Force was represented at Reading and Allentown area Pride events making information and resources available to the GLBT communities in those areas. We are thankful to task force member, Dr. Nadine Anderson, for her continued energy and passion in taking a lead role in these events. The purpose of the Gay and Lesbian Ministry Task Force is to assist congregations in welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and their families in the church. We have information, resources, and educational materials available about the full inclusion of our GLBT brothers and sisters in Christ into the life of the church. Task force members are available to meet with pastors, councils, committees, or congregations who wish to know more about being welcoming to GLBT persons and their families. We are also available to help congregations who are considering becoming Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregations through ReconcilingWorks and who wish to publicly state their welcome. The Gay and Lesbian Ministry Task Force meets monthly at The Lutheran Center. New members to the task force are welcome! If you would like more information, have questions about our mission, or have a desire to serve, please, contact us through the Synod website. The Rev. E. Ann Melot, Convener GLOBAL MISSION For the most part, Global Mission in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod plays out through our 4 Companion Synods (Argentina/Uruguay; Saxony, Germany; Slovenia; and the South Central Diocese, ELC Tanzania). Each of our Companion Synods has a sub-committee which is tasked to find the most effective and beneficial way to maintain their particular relationship. Following are the reports of these sub-committees: ARGENTINA-URUGUAY The Argentina Committee serves to foster relations with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod s Companion Synod in Argentina, the United Evangelical 26

27 Lutheran Church in Argentina and Uruguay, or Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida (IELU), in Spanish. IELU consists of 27 churches throughout Argentina and one in Uruguay. The Argentina Committee currently consists of 7 members: Jira Albers, Charles Grube, Jonathan Haab (committee chair), Linda Hess, Philip Kaufman, Peggy Wuertele, and Kurt Garbe as an ex officio member representing the Bishop. This year, our focus has been on building sustainable relationships with our partners in Argentina. We have done this through meaningful discussions and Skype sessions with IELU leaders. We will complete our sustainability discussions when Pastora Wilma, the vice president of IELU, comes to visit our synod. For her visit we have planned many opportunities for her to meet and interact with members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod as well as experience American culture. We are also looking forward to a visit from an Argentine youth who will be attending the National Youth Gathering this summer in Detroit with the members of St. Paul s in Dallas who are going to the gathering. The Argentine youth will attend an orientation in Chicago, spend time with the congregation in Dallas, and then travel with the group to Detroit for the Gathering. Peering into the future, we are looking forward to building upon our already strong relationship with IELU. If you have further questions regarding the work of the Argentina Committee, or would like to join us, please contact Pastor Kurt Garbe, Jonathan Haab, or anyone else on the committee for more infomation! Jonathan Haab, Convener SAXONY, GERMANY This year was a very light year for the Saxony Committee as there were no exchanges planned with our Companion Synod, the Lobau/Zittau District of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony. In the Fall of 2014 we began to plan a Youth Exchange scheduled for October youth and 2 Adults will be coming to spend 10 days with us in the Reading Area. Efforts will be made to visit New York City, Washington, DC and local ministries in the Reading Area. We are also in the planning stage for a trip to Germany in June of The group will visit Berlin, Wittenberg, and Upper Lusatia. This exchange will be held in conjunction with a gathering of all the Companion Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony. The Rev. Wayne Kaufman, Convener SOUTH CENTRAL DIOCESE OF TANZANIA The Global Missions/Tanzania Team continues to share our partnership with our Companion Synod in the South Central Diocese of Tanzania. We continue to work to find ways to strengthen the ties between the synod and diocese as well as between companion congregations. As another way to encourage conversation and communication, we have an occasional newsletter that is sent to those interested in learning more about our partnership and to share news from the Diocese as it becomes available. In 2014, we welcomed Bishop Levis Sanga and his wife to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. They were able to get a taste of American life and our churches during his time in the Synod. He attended a Memorial Day Service and Parade in Shillington, had meetings in various congregations and companions in different parts of the Synod while they were here. They also had a chance to visit Bear Creek Camp and the Lehigh Valley Mall during their visit. They attended and took part in a forum during the Synod Assembly. Bishop Sanga also assisted with the worship service during the Assembly. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Palmerton has become the newest companion as they have been partnered with the Bulongwa Orphanage. A Youth Vision Trip to the South Central Diocese is planned for the summer of This will be the fourth Youth trip to the diocese. We are currently in the process of selecting the youth who will attend this trip. They will have a year of team building and learning about the South Central Diocese before their trip. If your congregation is interested in becoming a companion to a congregation in the South Central Diocese, please be in contact with the Synod Office or me. We can share with you the Guidelines for Companion Congregations. You can also contact me if you want to be included in the Tanzania list. The Rev.Russell Haab, Convener Together as Companion Synods, companion congregations, and partners in Global Mission, we will continue to meet the changes, challenges, and mission and ministry opportunities that God blesses us with on our faith journey. The Rev. Kurt E. Garbe, Staff Liaison ACCESSIBILITY MINISTRY TEAM The "A Team" mission is to " encourage and assist congregations of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod to open their hearts, minds, and doors to all of communication, and attitude that exclude any 27

28 person from full and active participation in the life of God s people by removing barriers of architecture, communication, and attitude that exclude any person from full and active participation in the life of God s people by removing barriers of architecture, Christ's Church." The Team met several times throughout the year. Among the Team s efforts were: A 2014 Annual Synod Spring Assembly display highlighting an expanded 27 page resource for Sunday bulletins, monthly newsletters or Christian Education forums: Accessibility Basics for Congregation includes specific suggestions on how to accomplish the A-Team mission. More pages on Bible Resources, Ministry to Frail Elders and Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Dependency were added. A-Team members are available to offer presentations and discussions for various age groups (Please note Convener, Rev. William M. Horn s phone number and e- mail at the end of this report). The team is redesigning its web page in the Synod website: and adding links to other Internet sites suitable for congregational or individual use. The A-Team members are: Mrs. Barbara Hartman, Rev. William Horn (Convener), Rev. David Kistler (Secretary), Ms. Carolyn Volk and Ms. Mary Smith, Member Emeritus. The team is seeking new members, especially someone to represent people challenged by autism and/or loss of vision. Representatives from the Hazleton-Lehighton, Schuylkill, and Scranton-Wilkes- Barre mission district are also needed. Interested persons may call Rev. Bill Horn at or him at h3027@ptd.net to suggest names or to volunteer. The Rev. William M. Horn, Convener CAMPUS MINISTRY AFFINITY GROUP Lutheran ministries are present on several college and university campuses in our synod, sharing the Gospel through a variety of outreach ministries. The primary outreach is through Partner Congregations located near institutions of higher education. Partner Congregations on the Northeastern PA Synod during 2014 include Trinity and St. John s Kutztown relating to Kutztown University, St. Paul s, East Stroudsburg relating to East Stroudsburg University and St. Peter s Bethlehem relating to Lehigh University. Three other Campus Ministries at work in our synod include the Chapel at Muhlenberg College, an ELCA-related college, and Campus Ministries of the Northeast, an ecumenical ministry that works cooperatively with synod congregations in the northern territory of the synod. Alvernia College continues to be a participating partner in the Synods Campus Ministry Affinity Team, as it continues an outreach ministry to the protestant students on its campus. Pastor Marsha Anderson of Grace Lutheran Church Reading heads up that ministry effort. The Campus Ministry Affinity Group meets regularly for mutual support and conversation about the synod vision for campus ministries. The Affinity Group seeks to support existing Partner Congregations and encourage new campus ministry opportunities on our Synod territory. Synod funding for Campus Ministry comes from congregation benevolence to the synod and ELCA, and is distributed by the Witness and Service team to the Campus Ministry Affinity Group. During 2014, $24,000 was distributed to support Campus Ministry efforts on our Synod territory. Additional grants from the internal grant program were distributed to students at Kutztown University to support its 2014 Alternative Spring Break service trip to New York City. Students from Kutztown University also received a block grant to attend the Jubilee (Young Adult Christian Conference) held in Pittsburgh PA. Friedens Lutheran Church, Oley received a program grant to support its on going outreach to college students within its congregation. Grants up to $250 are available to congregations for special program incentives for students in higher education or Lutheran students of Synod congregations that seek to enhance their growth in faith, through specific activities, during their college experience. If you or your congregation would like to become involved in campus ministry, please contact Associate to the Bishop Pastor Mary Gade at Maryg@nepsynod.org at the Synod office or Pastor Keith Rohrbach at Krohr6@me.com. Pastor Rohrbach functions as the Affinity Group convener. For more information about ELCA Campus Ministries, check Ministry/Campus-Ministry.aspx. The Campus Ministry Affinity Group CANDIDACY COMMITTEE The Candidacy Committee works with those who are in the process of discerning whether God is calling them to public ministry. Our tradition has always held that the call is two-sided both internal and external. On behalf of the church, we are the group in our synod that discerns the external call by prayerfully and carefully engaging the candidate in the ELCA Candidacy process a journey of discovery, growth and development with the intention of determining a person s appropriateness and potential to carry out public ministry and whether or not that person is ready to begin the preparation that, should all go well, leads to such ministry. Because God calls some Christians to public ministry and others to ministry in daily life, and because we are 28

29 churchwide and the seminaries, with making this determination, this work has its moments of great joy but also, sometimes, deep sadness. I am grateful for all of the members of the committee who give considerable time to our work by faithfully reading many pages, considering many factors, and meeting for many hours and for our synod staff liaison, Pastor Mary Gade, who keeps us organized and wellinformed, and Pastor Peggy Wuertele, the ELCA representative to the committee, who knows the rules and makes sure we play by them. Beyond those who have now received positive Approval Decisions [listed below] we have 8 students in various stages of the candidacy process and two who are in the application process. These numbers are down significantly from what had been typical over the years. This is happening in various degrees across the church. than it used to be and synods, including our own, have fewer resources with which to help. This has added a new but necessary dimension to our work with candidates. You can help us and, more importantly, the church, in several ways: 1) Continue to identify those in your congregation who have gifts for public ministry. An internal call is often awakened by an observation of brothers and sisters in Christ who recognize gifts in someone before he or she does. 2) Contribute to the synod s student fund, which provides financial aid to those who demonstrate need. 3) Donate to the ELCA Fund for Leaders, which provides considerable support to students preparing for public ministry at our ELCA seminaries The ELCA is continues to work on revising the candidacy process and seminary education is also evolving, so there are likely to be changes to report in the coming years. I am grateful to all who are carrying out this work with the health and welfare of Christ s church in mind. It is great to end with good news. At our meeting in November, 2014, the committee voted unanimously to give a positive Approval Decision to four students pending the receipt and acceptance of a call: Samantha Wertz Johnson is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Pottsville. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Grove City College, Grove City, PA in She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina in Sami completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA and served as an intern at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Syracuse, NY. Sami and her husband, Joshua, are both assigned to the South Dakota Synod. Anthony D. Setley is a member of Atonement Lutheran Church in Wyomissing. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Lebanon Valley College in He earned his Master of Divinity degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in Tony completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at G.V. [Sonny] Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson Mississippi and served as an intern at Mellingers Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stevens, PA. He has been assigned to the Northwest Ohio Synod. Tony and Stephanie, are the parents of a baby son, Samuel Joseph. Jennifer M. Soltis is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in West Hazleton. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Bloomsburg University in She earned her Master of Divinity degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Jennifer completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. and served as an intern at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Oakdale, PA and at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Arlington, MA. Jennifer is assigned to Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. Karen Ward Talyea is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Pottsville. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Susquehanna University in She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota in Karen completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA and served as an intern at Zion Lutheran Church of Amor in Battle Lake, MN. Karen has been assigned to Allegheny Synod. Karen and her husband, John, married in June of At our meeting that took place in April of 2015 we were pleased to again vote unanimously to give a positive Approval Decision to three additional students pending the receipt and acceptance of a call. Ruth F. Doty is a member of the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Emmaus. She received her Bachelor of Arts Interdisciplinary degree from Valparaiso University in 1970 and a Master of Science in Family Life Education from Purdue in She earned her Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Ruth completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke Hospital in Bethlehem, PA and served as an intern at St. John s Lutheran Church in Sinking Springs, PA. She is assigned to Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. Ruth and her husband, Richard, are the parents of two adult sons. Joshua H. Ferris is a member of New Life Lutheran Church in New Tripoli. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Penn 29

30 State in He earned his Master of Divinity degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Josh completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and has been serving a residency at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Narbeth, PA. He is assigned to Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. Josh is married to wife, Annie. Chris A. Rothharpt is a member of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Birdsboro. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Studies from Lancaster Bible College in He earned his Master of Divinity degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Chris completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at Reading Health System School of Health Sciences, Reading, PA and served as an intern at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pottsville, PA. He is currently awaiting assignment. Chris and his wife, Lori, have three adult daughters. Please feel free to contact Pastor Mary Gade at the synod office should you have any questions or concerns with regard to the candidacy process. Please keep us in your prayers as we carry out this task for the sake and well-being of the church and in service to our Lord. The Rev. Rick Summy, chair TASK FORCE ON BULLYING, HARASSMENT, AND RELATED VIOLENCE The Task Force on Bullying, Harassment, and Related Violence was formed in November Its original purpose was to encourage new partnerships between churches and schools or community organizations so they might work together to address issues related to bullying, harassment, and related violence and to provide a list of resources for congregations to use. It is felt that these tasks have been addressed and that schools have taken the initiative to address the problem of bullying and youth. A list of resources that can be used is posted on our Synod web-site link. In 2013 the Task Force began exploring resources for helping adults in congregations deal with issues related to adult bullying in both the church and the workplace. Here are some of the things we discovered as we searched for information: There is not a whole lot of information available on this topic. It seems to be a topic that is not discussed openly and not a lot of research has been done. The three areas in church relationships needing to be explored were identified as bullying by congregational members of 30 other members, by congregational mem bers of the pastor, and by the pastor of congregational members.. It would be good to have information on ways for congregations/pastors to heal and recover after experiencing the effects of bullying in the congregation. This year the task force offered two workshops on the topic of bullying in the church. The first one was offered at Synod Assembly where participants learned was that not only children and young people are dealing with this issue. Many adults deal with conflict and the misuse of power in the workplace or their social groups, including in their church. This month (April) a ½ day workshop was conducted and we discussed the value of using a code of conduct in congregations that addresses commitment to open and honest communication, even when there is disagreement. Our speaker, the Reverend Melissa Miller, a leader in the Mennonite Church USA and Canada, offered some good strategies to overcome the power imbalance of bullies and led us to some new resources, which will be shared on our web-site link. The task force meets monthly, usually at the Lutheran Center. Our next steps will be to continue learning more about materials and programs for congregations and adults to use as they address bullying in the workplace and in the church. We will be working on ways to present additional workshops on this topic, including practice in conflict resolution techniques. Members of the Task Force include Rev. Colleen Cox, AiM Marlane Druckenmiller (our Synod Council rep), Mr. Greg Gill, Rev. John Lamb, Rev. Thomas Richards, and Rev. Paulette Obrecht. If you are interested in joining with us, please contact one of the members about meeting dates and times or call the Synod Office. The Rev. Paulette Obrecht, Convener TRANSITION MINISTRY TEAM With the erosion of support and activity among our synod s congregations, it has been very important that interim pastors be provide to assist the congregations and synod staff as they deal with difficult decisions regarding ministry in the near and distant future. The Interim Ministry Committee seeks to assist in any way that it can by providing support, dialogue, and suggestions about various options available for future planning whenever there are questions about the means and feasibility of pastoral leadership. The committee offers information sharing through assembly displays, discussion forums, brochures, and promotional meetings with congregations, outlining the work of interim pastors and explaining the advantages of working with interim pastors in times of congregational transition.

31 The committee provides opportunities to all of our interim pastors for discussion and dialogue four times a year through consultation meetings and presentations in March, June, September, and December. During 2014, the following consultation meetings were held: March Open dialogue regarding the needs of maintenance interim pastors as they encounter congregational transition challenges. June Cancelled due to calendar conflicts. September Presentation of a case study by Pr. Sonja Ware. December Presentation of a case study by Pr. Burl Latshaw. The Committee met five times in 2014 (January, March, June, September, and December). Its work included: Planning and providing a display and forum for the 2014 annual assembly. Recruitment of three person to train for and serve as Intentional Interim Pastors. Formulated suggested edits to the proposed revised document Procedures for Congregations in Pastoral Transition. Met with Bishops Zeiser to dialogue about improving communication between the Bishop, synod staff, and the committee regarding transition/interim ministry issues. Receiving the news of Pr. Glenn Simmons retirement from synod staff and Interim Ministry Committee liaison responsibilities. With that news, the committee was informed in December that Pr. Lori Kochanski would replace Pr. Simmons as the liaison to the staff and the committee. Planning for presentation at the 2015 annual assembly. Received the resignation of Pr. Norman Dresher as Chairperson of the committee. Pr. Sonja Ware was appointed by Bishop Zeiser as the new Chairperson of the committee. The committee holds its meetings at the Lutheran Center in Allentown, Pa. The Rev. Sonja Ware, Convener The Rev. Raymond C. Hitttinger, Interim Ministry 31

32 OTHER COMMITTEES AND GROUPS WOMEN OF THE ELCA (WELCA) The Women of the ELCA functions under three expressions: Congregational Units, Synodical Women s Organization and Churchwide Women of the ELCA. We are active in ministries that promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society and in the world. Our women advocate for those that cannot. They are generous with their financial gifts that are used to provide grants to seminarians and social organizations whose needs complement the mission of Women of the ELCA. We also support World Hunger and Disaster Response. Additionally, Congregational Units continue to support the needs of Lutheran World Relief through their donations of health kits, school kits, baby layettes and quilts. June 13 th annual convention BREAD FOR EVERY- ONE AT THE TABLE will focus on hunger Spring Cluster Events - We are looking at Immigration -- How can we help? Fall 2015 Cluster Events have the topic of Alzheimer s a devastating disease FALL FUN EVENT at Tuscarora Retreat Center Oct , th Triennial Convention & Gathering will be in Minneapolis MN July, 2017 PV for Phebe - The Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America have partnered with the RuralRenewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) to propose the construction of a photovoltaic solar array to serve the energy needs of Phebe Hospital. The PV for Phebe project aims to realize cash payoff of the installation costs within five years, with further savings expected up to and through the system s 30-year lifespan. Check it out -- skip the grid.org Stewardship emphasis in our NE PA SWO is Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services Churchwide Women of the ELCA produce a number of resources that can be downloaded from their website for free, that help women grow in faith and support them on their spiritual journey as they develop and nurture relationships and opportunities to serve. Gather the magazine of Women of the ELCA, offers a mix of articles, theological reflections, devotions, and stories of comfort and challenge that help readers grow in faith and engage in ministry and action. Gather is published 10 times a year with combined issues in January/February and July/August; A new Bible study format, with shorter studies throughout the liturgical year will encourage all to use the studies. Boldcafe.org is an online e-zine that reaches out to younger women. Churchwide Women of the ELCA also utilizes pod casts & social media with Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. 32 Need an on-the-go companion for your faith journey? Daily Grace offers brief reflections every day in which you ll encounter God s extravagant, boundless and often surprising grace. Be comforted, challenged, inspired, consoled and confronted. - See more at: #sthash.oausu5c9.dpuf We communicate to the women of the synod through our Facebook Page, Bold Women of the NEPA Women of the ELCA; a website, nepasynodwelca.org; and The Flame, which is available in print, on our website, and the synod s website. Marilyn Mazsa, President APPALACHIAN SMALL TOWN AND RURAL MINISTRY COMMITTEE (ASTaR) This will be our last report to the Synod. Because of dwindling support from Synods and ELCA Churchwide the Board of ELCMA agreed to dissolve the organization. Much of our committee s work revolved around the Evangelical Lutheran Coalition for MIssion in Appalachia (ELCMA). Five members of our committee attended the final Assembly of ELCMA in May at East Liverpool, Ohio. Wayne Kaufman, Chair REGION 7 The ELCA constitution provides for nine geographic regions for the purpose of administration and shared ministry. Each of the regions is staffed by one full time coordinator, who is churchwide staffr; some regions may have additional staff as the work varies somewhat, depending on the synods of the region. Region 7 is comprised of these six geographic synods: New Jersey, New England, Metro New York, Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania and Southeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, the only non-geographic synod of the church body, the Slovak Zion Synod is assigned as a partner in Region 7. Another key institutional partner is the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. In all regions, the coordinator is the churchwide resource person for the candidacy committees and process of that region, as well as coordinating first call assignment. In Region 7 the coordinator also directs the first call theological event called the Leadership Guild. Regional coordinators also assist the bishops and their staff as well as key synod leaders in a variety of ways. We sometimes refer to ourselves as air traffic control or connective tissue. Region 7 welcomed two new key partners this year

33 with the election of John Macholz as bishop of the Upstate NY Synod and David as the new president of LTSP. New partners bring new energies and vision to any group and the whole of our region will benefit as they share their gifts. Upstate NY Synod and David as the new president of LTSP. New partners bring new energies and vision to any group and the whole of our region will benefit as they share their gifts. This summer will mark my 10 th year as Region 7 coordinator, and I continue to be invigorated, inspired and challenged by this call. Mostly I am honored and deeply grateful to serve the people of the ELCA in this area. Peggy M. Wuertele, Region 7 Coordinator LUTHERAN ARCHIVES CENTER AT PHILADELPHIA President s Letter to Synod Assemblies There is a popular television series airing on NBC television called Who Do You Think You Are? Partnering with the web site Ancestry.Com, this television series has generated some interest in the area of family genealogy. The show focusses on the search for family ancestors by celebrities in the fields of television, movies, and music. According to the show s web site: NBC's acclaimed alternative series "Who Do You Think You Are?" follows some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities as they embark on personal journeys of self-discovery to trace their family trees. From Ireland's freedom fighters to the American Revolutionary War, and from the African nation of Cameroon to Bulgaria, this season will reveal the fabric of humanity through everyone's place in history. Each episode has the celebrities conduct their research in a variety of archives around the world. There is a fascinating diversity of information that is unearthed by these personal journeys of selfdiscovery. Some family members of these celebrities were thieves and scoundrels and others were heroes and role models; there were artists and clergypersons and cab drivers, doctors and teachers and soldiers. In short, the stories unearthed by this television show display the vast panorama of humanity that have brought these celebrities to the places they are now. Who Do You Think You Are? is an entertaining and fascinating way to get people thinking about where they have come from. And that, of course, is one of the purposes of the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia assisting the Church and researchers is remembering where we have come from. The archives contained at your regional Archives Center are the record of parishes, Synods, and ministries that have existed throughout what is now Region Seven of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Our archives stretch from the Colonial period up to the present day. Answering the question of Who Do We Think We Are? as a Church body can be facilitated by a visit to the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia. The archives contained there bear witness to the ways in which the Gospel has intersected the world in a great variety of contexts and situations. The archives at your Center are a testimony to how Lutheran Christians have ministered the Gospel in the northeastern United States since the seventeenth century. With my fellow Officers and the entire Board of Directors, and with our Staff (John Peterson, Curator, and Kim-Eric Williams, Archivist) I bring your Assembly greetings from the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia. We are grateful to the partnerships we have with the Synods of Region Seven, as well as the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia that houses the Center. Synod Archivists serve as Affiliated Directors on our Board, together with our Non-Affiliated Directors who come from ministries and congregations in our Region. Please make sure to pick up a copy of the Archives Advocate, the newsletter of your regional Archives Center, that details some of our work, and please say a thank you to your Synod Archivist at your Synod Assembly for the work that he or she does on your behalf. Feel free to speak to your Archivist about any archival help you may need within your congregation, or about how your Synod is supporting the necessary and Constitutionally-mandated work of preserving our archival heritage, as well as about the treasures contained in the archives. And finally, if you haven t already done so, please come by for a visit! Wishing you blessings on your Synod Assembly! The Rev. J. Francis Watson, Ph.D., President LUTHERAN YOUTH FELLOWSHIP Throughout this past year the Lutheran Youth Fellowship has made huge strides. Back in June, when our assembly was held, three of the four officers were reelected to the executive board. This group of veterans included myself, Garrett Nelson whom was selected President for my second and final term. Ilse Heisler was voted Vice President (who was the former treasurer) and Emily Layden served her second term as secretary of LYF. At the assembly, 3 resolutions were passed, the most resolutions passed at an assembly in a while. These three resolutions included a paperless resolution for all LYF events, an anti-bullying resolution to stop bullying and give an outlet to those who are being bullied to talk about it, and finally a sign of unity when doing the Lord s Prayer, where everyone holds hands as they do the lord s prayer at LYF sponsored events. Then in November we had our winter gathering formerly known as Faithapalooza, at this event we were taught how 33

34 best to lead a person or a group of people. What was best retained from this gathering was the saying a leader can only lead a person as well as he knows that person. Because this explains that you have to get to know people to most effectively lead them. This gathering had about 40 kids attending, primarily made up of new members of the LYF. This is a promising preview for this summer s assembly. This year LYF has their meetings every other month Sunday s, which means we only meet as a full board 6 times a year. This puts a lot of responsibility of kids to do work from home and be prepared at the meetings to do gods work. Much of the work is completed because people feel inspired, that it is Gods work, but our hands. This year s theme, Live the Love from Above, is based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-10: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not selfseeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love This year s theme, Live the Love from Above, is based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-10: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. Because this year LYF is open to all children of god inviting anyone who wishes to experience the love of God. So sons and daughters of God I ask you to join myself and many others like myself for this weekend to experience something you have never experienced before. Come and Live the Love from Above. Garrett Nelson, LYF President 34

35 AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES The Pennsylvania Council of Churches is the statewide ecumenical presence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Formed by 42 church bodies and agencies representing 20 Anabaptist, Anglican, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Protestant communions (denominations), the Council works for Christian unity for the sake of the World. (John 17:20) 2014 was a year of transition for the Council with the retirement of Executive Director Rev. Gary Harke on March 1, the naming of Jan Gulick, the Council s Director of Finance and Facilities, to serve as interim director, the retirement of longtime Executive Assistant Darlene Schlegel in August, and the addition of responsibilities and title change for Rev. Sandy Strauss to Director of Advocacy and Ecumenical Outreach. The Council also initiated a process of discernment for the future. IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Several of the Council s Commissions and Committees have been revamped and revitalized with the addition of new members and staff leadership. The Council of Churches relaunched a quarterly newsletter, Ecumenical News, in the Fall of The Council held a very successful event in November. Witness in Common: An Exploration of Full Communion Agreements in Camp Hill. The conference was well-attended (over 80 in attendance), and evaluations were glowing and indicated that all aspects of the event were wellreceived. The Pennsylvania Religious Leaders Gathering in December in State College provided a space for sharing ideas, concerns, prayer and worship for attendees which included representatives from several Council member bodies, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, and Council staff. COUNCIL MINISTRIES Commission on Public Witness & Public Witness Ministry. The Council s advocacy efforts in 2014 focused on the following areas: Human needs/poverty-related work, primarily in coordination with the Coalition for Low Income Pennsylvanians (Clip) (NOTE: The Director is co-chair of this group.) Much of the effort focused on education legislators working on a poverty initiative launched by Rep. Dave Reed. Other work focused on the cliff effect (how increases in wages affect public benefits) and launching a coalition called Making Work Pay that will address related issues. Efforts to raise the minimum wage, primarily in coordination with the Raise the Wage PA Coalition. Public education funding, primarily in coordination with the Campaign for Fair Education Funding, focusing on developing a new formula for fund public schools in Pennsylvania. Criminal justice reform, primarily in coordination with the Pennsylvania Network Against Torture and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, focusing on the misuse of solitary confinement. The Commission set the direction for the Council s advocacy efforts during the legislative session to focus on education on and boosting of civic engagement, addressing upstream issues (such as many of the issues named above) in order to improve the lives of people on the margins and where possible, addressing the role of money in our political system. Commission on Unity & Relationships. As noted above, a team of planners, under the umbrella of the Commission, planned and carried out the extremely successful Witness in Common: An Exploration of Full Communion Agreements. The Commission is interested in exploring future programs that will foster unity and relationships among Christians in Pennsylvania. Commission on Common Ministries. The Council has continued to provide support to its Trucker/ Traveler Ministry, Leisure Ministries, and Farmworker Ministries. The Commission also started discussion about other areas of ministry where the Council might engage in the future. On a sadder note, the I-80 Truckerl/Traveler Ministry in Brookville lost long-time Chaplain Bob Bickerstaff on September 15. Bob served the ministry since March of Rick Youngdahl assisted Bob in his last days, and is now serving as the full-time chaplain in the ministry. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Council staff have begun meeting regularly to discuss activities and areas where the Council might engage to be of service to our members, the wider faith community, and the world, and how we might boost the council s visibility so as to achieve maximum impact for our efforts. Some areas are: Rebuilding/redesigning the Council s website to make it feel more inviting and user-friendly, with appropriate elements to drive viewers to the site. Making more and better use of social media Conversation with the Partnership for Sacred Places on how the United Church Center can 35

36 become a better resource to the community. Exploring the revival of former events such as the Pastors Conference and a Council advocacy day at the Capitol, as well as new statewide and regional events of interest to clergy and faith leaders in Pennsylvania. Continuing to focus on making the United Church Center a more energy-efficient facility. Exploring how the Service Department could expand and/or improve services. Janet A Gulick, Interim Executive Director and Director of Finance and Facilities LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT PHILADELPHIA Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I write with a heart filled with gratitude for the ministry we share to educate leaders for Christ s Church. This is a mission that The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia has pursued with passion and fidelity for 150 years and will continue to pursue well into the future. But let me be clear: we could not fulfill this mission without your prayers, financial gifts, and partnership in identifying and forming capable congregational leaders, and so we are most grateful for your support. As we all know, the landscape in which our congregations and church-related agencies do ministry has changed dramatically over the last twenty-five years and will continue to change. For this reason, our challenges and opportunities are often bound closely to one another. In this report, I will outline several of those. Financial Sustainability The major challenge facing all seminaries today is financial sustainability. LTSP is addressing these concerns by re-organizing its administrative structures in order to function more effectively and efficiently. The cost savings of these adjustments are absolutely critical to moving to a healthier future. LTSP is also actively seeking a) to make better use of its campus to further the mission of the school and generate additional revenue, b) expand opportunities for life-long learning in response to the requests of congregational leaders throughout our territory, c) more effectively market its specific programs and urban location to prospective students, and d) rebuild and redirect our mission advancement team in order to increase annual unrestricted giving. 36 Partnerships If we are to have a future as a seminary, it will only be as a deeply invested and trusted partner with many other parts of the church. For this reason, we are actively cultivating partnerships with congregations and synods, social ministry agencies, church camps, and other seminaries. In this last category, our work with The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg to share faculty and explore means by which to align our administrative structures has been most exciting. Closer to home, we are currently in conversation with Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University about the possibility of Palmer relocating to our Mt. Airy campus in order to share facilities and to explore other possibilities of collegial collaboration in forming leaders for faith communities. New Programs After an extensive period of conversation with representatives of our supporting synods and other constituent groups, it has become clear that there are needs in our church that LTSP is well positioned to meet. Chief among these is creating robust Life-long Learning opportunities that draw congregational leaders into rich learning, conversation, and collaboration about how best to minister in a changed and changing world. Focusing our D.Min. degree offerings toward particular ministryoriented tracks (biblical preaching, for example) and offering a Distributed Learning program for M.Div. student are two more strategies we are currently pursuing. This past year, we have experimented with a Co-operative model of education whereby students can earn an M.Div. while working in a congregation across three years, a model that will continue to be valuable in our immediate region and will pair well with a DL M.Div. program. As I said at the outset, we couldn t do any of this without your help, and so I would encourage every congregation to place in its budget a commitment to support LTSP in training our future leaders and to hold all the seminaries of the ELCA in prayer. We will live into God s preferred future together or not at all. As we move forward, know of our gratitude for your fidelity and partnership. David J. Lose, President, LTSP EASTERN CLUSTER OF LUTHERAN SEMINARIES REGIONS 7, 8 AND 9 Since its founding in 1995, the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries (ECLS) has fostered strong collaboration between the three eastern schools and other partners, enhancing our common task of theological education for a broad spectrum of students and lifelong learners. In these challenging times when all seminaries seek new approaches to forming leaders for the Church, we are also engaged with the other ELCA seminaries, our regional synods and additional partners in the search for financial sustainability and programmatic flexibility. A separately incorporated entity, the Cluster is governed by a Board of Directors made up of board chairs and other officers from each of the three

37 schools. One of the three seminary presidents serves in rotation as Cluster executive director. With the retirement of Philadelphia s president Phil Krey, the Cluster is pleased to welcome David Lose as the new leader of LTSP. We continue on with only modest core funding from the seminaries. One of the key partnerships that has made the work of the Cluster flourish has been the reception of over $6 million in grants from foundations to support common projects and subsidize seminary budgets. 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. Through the Cluster-sponsored Project Connect, hundreds of young persons have been invited to consider their callings over the past half-dozen years. With project funding from Lilly Endowment now completed, each school s Admissions Office continues working closely with many partners in encouraging persons to consider public ministry. The Cluster is working with a grant researcher who will help to identify potential partners for future work. The Abundant Life Grant was received this past year from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Totaling $750,000, this grant enables each school to engage in research on the subject of seminarian indebtedness and explore means by which to reduce graduate debt. Given the geographical proximity of the two Pennsylvania seminaries, Gettysburg and Philadelphia have joined forces in exploring new ways to work together, including faculty sharing. Future Cluster Directions: Following the merger of LTSS with Lenoir Rhyne University, the Cluster is exploring new directions and new strategic partnerships for the coming years. With Appreciation: The Cluster is grateful for support to theological education and our seminaries from our partner synods and churchwide organization. Special appreciation is expressed to Phil Krey for his many years of faithful service to the Cluster and the church. The Rev. Dr. Bill Trexler, Cluster Board Chair The Rev. Dr. Clay Schmit, Cluster Executive Director EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LUTHERAN CAMP CORPORATION (BEAR CREEK CAMP) Greetings from Bear Creek Camp the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry for the Northeast and Southeast Pennsylvania Synods of the ELCA. The summer of 2014 was a great one at Bear Creek Camp! - For the first time since our summer camp attendance increased in back to back summers saw an increase of 14% over the previous summer and we are up 28% since Summer staff members did an excellent job of showing and sharing the Gospel through activities, Bible studies, games, team building moments and having fun! - Campers, parents and chaplains were very encouraging of the current program that is in place at BCC. Among the comments we received: We were amazed when she shared many verses out of her Bible that were favorites. It's been tough for us to get her interested in reading the Word so we were really shocked to see her interest grow. Camper Parent Faith and song are central for the campers. The daily theme and verse are well done, and help the campers know and think about that biblical center. As a parent, a pastor of the church, and a regular volunteer chaplain, I am so pleased and excited about Bear Creek Camp and the future I see before us. - Chaplain It's like a vacation except one hundred times better. - Camper I had so much fun here. I met new friends, learned about God and had a LOT of fun. - Camper Our Church Day Camp program continues to grow as we will serve 11 churches this summer with our on the road day camp program. Thank you Northeast and Southeast PA Synods and congregations for your ongoing support of the ministry at Bear Creek Camp. We are grateful to work in partnership with each of you and to be an extension of your ministries at our location near Wilkes-Barre. The enthusiasm for the ministry of Bear Creek Camp is spreading we are very excited about the months and years to come. Our associate director, Pete Smith, and I have been very busy visiting congregations to promote BCC and our summer programs. If you are interested in a visit, please contact us after our summer season ends and we will be happy to find a date that works. Please continue to pray for Bear Creek Camp this summer as we have a great time exploring, celebrating and growing in God s creation. Dan Scharnhorst, Executive Director 37

38 MUHLENBERG COLLEGE At Muhlenberg College, admissions, development, academic quality and the student experience continued to be robust during the past year. The College opened the year with a record 15% students of color in the freshman class. The first year class also included 19 international students, including students from Jordan, Afghanistan, Rwanda and nine students from China. This past November, the College also approved its Diversity Strategic Plan. Religious Life continues to thrive at Muhlenberg. Drawing on our relationship with the ELCA, the College welcomes students from all faith traditions. We have a thriving Interfaith Leadership Council, in addition to offering worship services for our Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish students. This year we hosted Eboo Patel from the Interfaith Youth Core and sent ten students to three different national interfaith leadership training events. Muhlenberg Chapel is part of the WestSide Mission Collaborative along with three ELCA congregations in Allentown. Mallory Bernstein '14 earned a Fulbright Grant and biology professor Bruce Wightman was awarded a prestigious NIH grant. The College received a three year grant from the Mellon Foundation. The grant will help the College implement its new general education curriculum, especially in areas of global engagement and digital pedagogy, and provides bridge funding for a faculty position in Religion Studies. In addition, the College is part of the newly formed Pennsylvania Liberal Arts Consortium, also initially funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, which will provide cost-efficient opportunities for faculty and staff development, shared programming, and other benefits. The College also earned "Community Engagement Classification" by Carnegie Foundation. The faculty added public health as a major. This is an exciting new development and will complement Muhlenberg's science and health care professionals program, which have been the flagship programs at the College for many years. Muhlenberg s nationally ranked theatre and dance program produced several outstanding productions, including the summer music theatre productions of Spamalot and A Chorus Line. Creative children's programming included this year s production of Gruff. The mainstage production was Steven Sondheim's rarely produced early musical "Anyone Can Whistle." The Master Choreographers dance concert and New Visions were also well received. The Muhlenberg College choir, under the direction of music professor Michael Schnack, performed at the New York Workshop production of "The Events." Four creative and successful alumni events generated both alumni pride and support. Mulementum, a 24-hour Day of Giving, inspired more than 1600 donors, smashing last year's inaugural day of giving by more than 200and producing many first time donors. In January, the College hosted the second annual THAW events Toast Heard Around the World in more than 30 different locations. People toasted the College from Tel Aviv to Florida to Los Angeles to Hilton Head to New York City. Mule Madness, in its fourth year, produced dozens of new donors and increased participation rates as former athletes rose to the competitive challenge. The Muhlenberg Golf Classic raised significant dollars for the athletic programs. In sports, the Mules won the Centennial Conference soccer championship and advanced to the NCAA playoffs. The football team also earned an NCAA tournament bid. The wrestling team competed in the "Grapple at the Garden" event in Madison Square Garden. The women s basketball team won its eighth Centential Conference Championship and continued to the NCAA tournament. The Center for Ethics brought several nationally recognized speakers to campus, including performance artist and poet Ursula Rucker. This year's theme was "Civility and Disobedience." Other campus programming included "Black Lives Matter: A Luta Continua (The Struggle Continues), a week of interactive, interdisciplinary programming that celebrated the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Artist and curator Vicki Meek delivered the Black History Money keynote address. Student engagement in service continues to be a hallmark of the Muhlenberg. Students volunteer for scores of service projects and organizations in the community and the College has a presence in schools, churches and non-profit agencies throughout Allentown and the Lehigh Valley. This past year, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., partnered with the College to set up a paid internship program at five non-profit organizations. The College has also partnered with the Civic Theatre and the West End Alliance to strengthen the surrounding neighborhood. President Randy Helm, who retires June 30, 2015, had a farewell tour that included 13 stops including Los Angeles, San Francisco, several stops in Florida, plus Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. After leading the College for 12 years, Helm turns the reigns over to John I. Williams, Jr., an entrepreneur and innovator who has been involved as a trustee or life trustee at Amherst College for more than 30 years. Dr. Peyton R. Helm, President 38

39 LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES, INC Lutheran Congregational Services (LCS) builds capacity for service in communities following Christ s call to serve all people according to the example of Jesus Christ and to work for peace and justice in all the world. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Affirmation of Baptism) With congregations, volunteers and your support, we resettled 80 refugees in the Lehigh Valley last year and anticipate resettling more individuals this year out of the LCS office through our partnership with Lutheran Children and Family Service and Liberty Lutheran. Many of these newcomers arrive with barely more than a suitcase and limited English language skills. You can assist with this ministry by donating household items, volunteering your time for conversation or to drive to doctors appointments, or by donating funds for our emergency fund. With congregations, volunteers and your support, we began a Disaster Spiritual Partners pilot program with funding from ELCA Lutheran Disaster Response. This program trains Disaster Spiritual Partners to reach out to congregational leaders in disaster affected communities offering assistance, information, support and ideas for how the congregation can serve its community. Disasters, large and small, happen frequently yet many times, we don t gather the knowledge or experience we need to respond efficiently and appropriately until we ve been through it. Our DSPs are trained to walk with you with their expertise when the time comes. Contact us if you have questions or would like assistance. And we ll call you if we see something happening in your community to see how we can help. In July 2015, LCS will support two Camp Noah volunteer teams travelling to Cristfield, Maryland, a place still recovering and rebuilding from Hurricane Sandy in Fifty volunteers are needed to offer a safe place for children to build resiliency skills and learn about God s abiding presence even in the aftermath of disaster. Contact us at info@lutherancongregationalservices.org or for more information. With congregations, volunteers and your support, the Share Our Surplus Network continues provide food pantries with items not normally covered by assistance programs. We distribute laundry detergents and cleaning supplies in partnership with Diakon s Kathryn s Kloset. We distribute bottled water in partnership with Nestle. And in partnership with The Philadelphia Diaper Bank, we collect and distribute disposable diapers to non-profit food pantries in our service area. You can help by volunteering to stage donations in preparation for distribution to food pantries, coordinate a disposable diaper drive in your community, explore your community connections to discover surplus and unwanted supplies that may be of use to others, or donate funds to support our warehouse and distribution. In 2014, LCS received an ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant in partnership with the Easton Hunger Coalition. With these funds, we took a step beyond food relief to long-lasting solutions by hosting cooking classes for food pantry patrons. Participants learned to plan and cook healthy, economical meals and took home basic cooking equipment and vouchers to try the recipes again. Given the resources our congregations hold in cooking expertise and kitchen facilities, we are certain that this idea can grow into more communities. LCS continues to provide congregations with programs, ministries and services that offer supplemental programming to your congregation s ministries. We offer Marriage Preparedness, Workshops for Confirmands, Lay Eucharistic Visitor Trainings, Grief workshops for the congregation and Journeys through Grief for those who are grieving. Watch for the 2 nd annual Reconciled with Grief workshop on October 31, 2015, a workshop where we explore how the congregation can best serve people who are grieving. Background Check services to congregations continue. We assist congregations with compliance with the new PA state law now that all volunteers and staff need criminal history and child abuse clearances. Our service s background check may be used for the PA State clearance. Soon, we will be able to offer an instant PA Child Abuse Clearance through an online portal. FBI fingerprint clearances are not available through our services. With congregations, volunteers and your support, we look forward to the next year and new opportunities to Help people help people. Thanks be to God for your support and collaboration over this past year. It has been a pleasure to serve alongside the volunteers and congregations of Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Phelps Ollikainen, Executive Director DIAKON LUTHERAN SOCIAL MINISTRIES & DIAKON CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY MINISTRIES Diakon celebrates our partnership with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod and its congregations as we live out our mission to demonstrate God s command to love our neighbor through acts of service. Through Many Hands, guided by One Heart, Diakon maintains a nearly 150-year tradition of care for people of all ages, especially those with limited financial resources. In 2014, Diakon provided $16.23 million in benevolent care, including more than $3.69 million within the synod. 39

40 Luther Crest in Allentown dedicated a major construction project, part of whose funding included a successful capital campaign. The multi-million -dollar renovation project represented the last phase of a multi-year repositioning effort, transforming health-care rooms and common areas from a traditional medical model to a residential concept. The project updated interior finishes in 45 skilled care and 30 personal care suites as well as within hallways, dining rooms, common areas, therapy and medical rooms, nursing stations, and bathing areas. The work included the addition of a 3,100-square-foot country kitchen and expansion of personal care accommodations to include memory-support services. Already offering multiple levels of care for those with Alzheimer s disease and similar illnesses, The Lutheran Home at Topton renovated some of its senior living accommodations and continued to participate in Diakon efforts to determine potential long-term uses for the historic Old Main building on the Topton campus. Diakon-sponsored Girls on the Run Lehigh County expanded the number of girls it served in 2014 over the 2013 total, providing self-respect-building running programs for 440, a 29.4% increase. More than 100 volunteer coaches contributed 3,000 hours of service to the program, which secured a number of grants to provide scholarships to girls from specific school regions. Diakon Family Life Services continued efforts to expand its behavioral health services including beginning work with an area school district, aiding 156 clients. Diakon Adoption & Foster Care served 1,679 children and families in the synod, a more than 50% increase over work in The program continued to emphasize post-placement and childspecific recruitment/family-finding programs. Separately, Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries manages the Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network, which served 4,381 children and families in northeastern Pennsylvania. Diakon Community Services in Schuylkill County continued to increase the number of people it serves, offering programming for 13,810 people in 2014, a 19% increase over Among its successful outreach programs is Luther Crest in Allentown dedicated a major construction project, part of whose funding included a successful capital campaign. The multi-million-dollar renovation project represented the last phase of a multi-year repositioning effort, transforming health-care rooms and common areas from a traditional medical model to a residential concept. The project updated interior finishes in 45 skilled care and 30 personal care suites as well as within hallways, dining rooms, common areas, therapy and medical rooms, nursing stations, and bathing areas. The work included the addition of a 3,100-square-foot country kitchen and expansion of personal care accommodations to include memory-support services. 40 Already offering multiple levels of care for those with Alzheimer s disease and similar illnesses, The Lutheran Home at Topton renovated some of its senior living accommodations and continued to participate in Diakon efforts to determine potential long-term uses for the historic Old Main building on the Topton campus. Diakon-sponsored Girls on the Run Lehigh County expanded the number of girls it served in 2014 over the 2013 total, providing self-respectbuilding running programs for 440, a 29.4% increase. More than 100 volunteer coaches contributed 3,000 hours of service to the program, which secured a number of grants to provide scholarships to girls from specific school regions. Diakon Family Life Services continued efforts to expand its behavioral health services including beginning work with an area school district, aiding 156 clients. Diakon Adoption & Foster Care served 1,679 children and families in the synod, a more than 50% increase over work in The program continued to emphasize post-placement and childspecific recruitment/family-finding programs. Separately, Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries manages the Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network, which served 4,381 children and families in northeastern Pennsylvania. Diakon Community Services in Schuylkill County continued to increase the number of people it serves, offering programming for 13,810 people in 2014, a 19% increase over Among its successful outreach programs is GOOD SHEPHERD REHABILITATION NETWORK We are proud to report that, over the past year, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network has executed its mission by providing innovative and outstanding care throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Last year Good Shepherd (including Good Shepherd Penn Partners, our joint venture with Penn Medicine in Philadelphia) served more than 60,000 men, women and children recovering from injury or illness. We provided services at 57 locations, including 36 in the greater Lehigh Valley and 21 in the Philadelphia area. We fulfilled our Core Values compassionate care, excellent service and community partnership in many ways. Highlights from the past year include: The opening of a newly renovated, 4,000-squarefoot-suite on the second floor of the Health & Technology Center in Allentown, which allowed for expansion of many services that focus on performance, function and recovery, including locomotor (movement) training, Pilates rehabilitation, women s health, oncology rehabilitation, vision therapy, vestibular (balance) rehabilitation and Neuro-IFRAH (an integrated therapy program for people affected by lesions of the brain stem and higher).

41 Due to the above renovation, Good Shepherd s Assistive Technology & Mobility Services Department moved to the newly renovated Edwards Center, which offers a larger area for the Wheelchair Clinic. Other facility additions and upgrades included the opening of a new physical therapy site in Forks Township and the renovation and expansion of Good Shepherd Physical Therapy East Greenville, which included the addition of a new warm-water therapy pool. The GSRH Pediatric Unit in Bethlehem, the region s only inpatient rehabilitation facility for children, celebrated its fifth birthday. The unit introduced new programs that include: A recovery program for infants and toddlers who have experienced nonaccidental injury (NAI) or physical abuse and neglect A treatment program for infants who are born with drug dependence and who require inpatient care to address complex medical needs. The Good Shepherd Physician Group welcomed a new Division Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Sandeep Singh, M.D., who specializes in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, as well as new physicians with expertise in brain injury rehabilitation, stroke, musculoskeletal medicine, electrodiagnostic medicine (EMGs), non-interventional pain management and spasticity management. The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital began using tele-health services for inpatients following off-site neurosurgery. The tele-health initiative allows for post-surgical follow-up appointments via two-way, secure HD video conferencing and reduces the number of times patients must be transported off-site and increases their comfort level. Good Shepherd also uses telehealth services for speech therapy and infectious disease appointments. During the 2014 fiscal year, 97 percent of patients at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown reported they are likely to recommend Good Shepherd to others, according to the Press Ganey survey. The Good Shepherd Specialty Hospital, a longterm acute care hospital in Bethlehem, had better outcomes than similar facilities both regionally and nationally, with a higher rate of liberation from mechanical ventilation and shorter length of stay. Good Shepherd continues to be a leader in using technologies to help patients reach their full potential: Good Shepherd received its third Ekso bionic exoskeleton, a device that helps people with paralysis stand up and walk. Patients at Good Shepherd marked a milestone this past year, reaching 1,000,000 steps, more than any other facility in the world. Good Shepherd was the first in the region to offer the AlterG antigravity treadmill, which uses a lifting force to allow people with lower extremity conditions to walk or run at 20 to 100 percent of their body weight. Good Shepherd was the first rehabilitation facility on the East Coast and the third in the country to debut the Bertec Balance Advantage system, which uses virtual reality to evaluate and treat people with sensory processing and balance disorders. Good Shepherd received both the adult and pediatric ZeroG systems, which use a ceiling track and body harness to partially support body weight and reduce fall risk. This technology helps patients undergoing rehabilitation for conditions such as paralysis, stroke, cerebral palsy and amputation. Good Shepherd was the first in the region to offer the ProtoKinetics Zeno Walkway, a state-of-the-art gait and balance analysis system. Good Shepherd and its employees take an active role in the community, making a positive impact through volunteer service, fundraising and by offering a variety of free community programs: Good Shepherd employees raised more than $53,000 for the United Way and thousands of dollars for charitable organizations by participating in the March for Babies, Autism Walk, MDA Muscle Walk, MS Walk and MS City to Shore Bike Ride. Associates who have been designated Community Liaisons serve on the boards or as committee members of more than a dozen community organizations. Free community programs this past year included soccer clinics for children with disabilities held at Soccerfest in Bethlehem during the World Cup and a stroke risk screening for adults at the Allentown Campus. Good Shepherd s long-term care homes received rankings of five stars overall in U.S. News & World Report s Best Nursing Homes for the fourth year in a row. 41

42 Thank you for your support, which is vital in helping Good Shepherd continue its mission and the legacy of our founders, the Raker family. John Kristel, MBA, MPT, President and CEO David G. DeCampli, MS, Chair, Board of Trustees AUGSBURG FORTRESS Ten Things You Might Not Know about Augsburg Fortress Spring 2015 Augsburg Fortress, the ministry of publishing of the ELCA, receives no financial support except through the sale of resources to our partners in ministry. We publish a number of innovative faith formation resources for children including Spark: Activate Faith, Holy Moly, Connect, and Whirl. These all include print resources. In addition, Holy Moly, Connect, and Whirl include animated videos for teaching and learning. Learn more at wearesparkhouse.org Sunday school planning has never been easier than with Sparkhouse Online Sunday School, our webbased subscription resource for our children s faith formation resources. Your congregation may subscribe to one curriculum, several, or all with this innovative online resource. sparkhouse is proud to announce Colaborate, a new Lutheran confirmation resource! This innovative curriculum invites students to ask tough questions and work together to find answers. Colaborate will be published this summer, but information is available now at wearesparkhouse.org/teens/colaborate Augsburg Fortress is delighted to partner with Liturgical Press, the Roman Catholic publishing house, in the co-publication of One Hope: Re-Membering the Body of Christ, a resource to help Lutheran and Catholic communities walk together, recognizing and nourishing unity at a grassroots level. Find out more at onehope For higher education, our Fortress Press imprint publishes in three categories: education (textbooks) academic (specialized monographs), and reference. Learn more at fortresspress.com Later this year, Fortress Press is launching a new initiative, Theology for the People, offering adult readers books that are culturally engaged and grounded in fresh, substantive, and accessible theological reflection. Watch for more information at this fall. Augsburg Fortress continues to partner with churchwide worship staff toward the ongoing renewal of worship in the ELCA, especially through the Evangelical Lutheran Worship and Sundays and Seasons resource families. Since Fall 2014 these resources have included a new annual publication, Sundays and Seasons: Preaching, and a bilingual version of Evangelical Lutheran Worship Setting Seven, Santa Comunión /Holy Communion. Coming in 2015 are major enhancements to sundaysandseasons.com, which has served the ELCA as a rich and reliable online worship planner since We offer free webinars every week on a variety of topics related to congregational life. Explore and register at Want to learn more? Sign up for s and our free enewsletters! ELCA MISSION INVESTMENT FUND The Mission Investment Fund (MIF), a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, makes low-interest loans to established ELCA congregations, new-start congregations and ELCA-related ministries for capital projects. Established congregations use MIF 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. To fund these loans, MIF offers a variety of investments for congregations, their members, synods and ELCA-related ministries to purchase. MIF investments offer adjustable- or fixed-rate terms and earn interest at competitive rates. The Mission Investment Fund is financially strong and stable, with a record of steady, controlled growth: With total assets of $661 million and net assets of $192 million at year-end 2014, MIF achieved a capital ratio of 29 percent maintaining MIF's position in the top tier of well-capitalized church extension funds. At year-end 2014, loans for capital projects for more than 780 ELCA congregations and ministries totaled $461 million. MIF investments by congregations, their members, synods and ELCA-related ministries totaled $464 million. Investments and Loans in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod As of December 31, 2014: 13 Mission Investment Fund loans, with a balance of $2,301,312, are at work throughout the synod. Investments in the Mission Investment Fund by 224 individuals, 99 42

43 congregations, 6 ministries and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod totaled $11,057,336. MIF representative for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod: Gerry Lauro, Regional Manager: Tel. (312) ; gerry.lauro@elca.org Mission Investment Fund 8765 West Higgins Road Chicago, Illinois LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY IN PENNSYLVANIA (LAMPA) In response to God s love in Jesus Christ, we advocate for wise and just public policies in Pennsylvania that promote the common good. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania is a shared ministry of seven Pennsylvania synods, the ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission unit, and Pennsylvania ELCA agencies and institutions. Through LAMPa, Lutherans are supported to voice their faith convictions in the public arena with and on behalf of those who are hungry and vulnerable while seeking greater justice in the commonwealth. In 2014 LAMPa celebrated 35 years of advocacy ministry that supported and deepened your congregational efforts that address hunger, poverty, immigration, child abuse and care for creation. Thanks be to God for our able and committed Policy Council representatives, The Rev. Bruce Osterhout, The Rev. Dennis Ritter and the leadership of Bishop Zeiser. LAMPa advocacy takes place through direct contacts in Harrisburg and involving the LAMPa network in and call-in advocacy, offering testimony, writing letters to the editors and district visits. The impact of LAMPa advocacy in 2014 includes: Connecting Service to Advocacy by providing information, resources and support for congregations and conferences work on the ELCA Day of Service. Feeding the Hungry through increasing funding for the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) in the state budget and making sure more kids start the day right by involving congregations in expanding the School Breakfast Program. Addressing Poverty through supporting the Beyond Poverty initiative of the House Majority Policy Committee to address the roots of poverty in the Commonwealth. Protecting children by providing resources and updates in child protection law changes for ministries, including a web page and access to webinars. Increasing affordable housing through the State Housing Trust Fund to create jobs, strengthen communities and prevent homelessness. Welcoming the stranger by starting a state-wide Lutheran Immigration Leadership Circle, with efforts on passing the state Dream Act and creating a ministry to those held in immigrant detention facilities. Working to halt a several bills that sought to legalize predatory lending bill by lifting Pennsylvania s 24% interest cap to allow short-term lending rates of up to 360% APR. Caring for Creation through work on the ELCA Clean Air for All God s Children campaign. The LAMPa staff also engaged synods, youth assemblies, congregation and conference groups in education on hunger and poverty and the biblical call to serve and do justice. We would be glad to come to you to lead a program, preach, teach or lead a simulation called Hunger 101. Website: Facebook: LAMPaAdvocacy The Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Tracey DePasquale, The Rev. Paul Lubold 43

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