by Bishop Bill Gohl
There were ultimately 21 applicants for the Assistant to the Bishop cluster positions. Eighteen came from within our ministerium and three were from outside our synod. The applicants were prioritized so that three persons were initially interviewed/evaluated for each position. With one exception, every applicant was eminently qualified and brought the potential of giftedness that, quite frankly, were overwhelmingly gratifying. The prioritization criteria was to ensure: gender and ethnic diversity, diversity of experience and how the candidates might contribute to the morale of the ministerium, ie: the priority was on "in-synod" candidates first. In all three cases, a primary candidate emerged in the first three candidates.
In the Western Cluster, I am pleased that the Rev. Robin Simpson Litton will become the Assistant to the Bishop on a half-time basis while continuing to serve Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Eldersburg half-time. This innovative arrangement will permit Pastor Simpson Litton to add her skills as a former Synod Mission Table leader, Order of St. Stephen Deacon Instructor/Chaplain and a previous career as an educator to the care, support and strengthening of our congregations and ministries in the Western Cluster. Robin is a native of our synod, having grown up in Glen Burnie. Married to Pastor Chris Litton of Christus Victor, Parkville, many of us know Pastor Simpson Litton has two sons, Justin (a professional first responder) and Pastor Jacob Simpson (now serving in the Metropolitan New York Synod). Robin was sponsored for ordination by the former Peace Lutheran Church in Glen Burnie and served as a pastor of Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. before accepting the call to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church.
In the Central Cluster, I am pleased to share the Rev. Dr. Eric Campbell will serve as Assistant to the Bishop on a half-time basis while serving both as our synod’s African Descent Strategy Coordinator and Pastor of Peoples' Community Lutheran Church, Baltimore. Pastor Campbell will conclude his call with Augsburg Lutheran Church in Baltimore, where he has served the last 15 years. Pastor Campbell, who became a Lutheran Christian at Augsburg many years ago returned to serve that congregation after distinguishing himself as a member of the churchwide staff as Director for African American Ministries and also having had served chaplaincy and parish ministry across the church. Married to Sheron, Pastor Campbell has adult children. His is an inspiring story of call, having himself been an ex-offender. His skills for bringing people to the table, creative ministry partnership and an eye toward community-based ministry will be an asset to his work caring for, supporting and strengthening of our congregations and ministries in the Central Cluster.
In the Eastern Cluster, I am pleased that the Rev. Elizabeth (Bettye) Wolinski will serve as Assistant to the Bishop on a half-time basis. Pastor Wolinski will conclude her call as Senior Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Hagerstown to return to her home on the shore of Delaware (her husband, Dave and daughter, Jody are especially excited by this return "home"). A nurse, and then a parish nurse in background, Pastor Wolinski has always had a holistic ministry of healing and deep spirituality. She too was sponsored for ordination through our synod, having been a former Parish Nurse and member of Prince of Peace, Rosedale. Pastor Wolinski served as pastor of Community Lutheran Church, Omar before her current call at Trinity Lutheran Church; she served her internship in Pimlico shared between St. John’s Lutheran Church and Holy Nativity Episcopal Church. A former Synod Council member and Mission Team Leader, her broad experience will bring dependable gifts for the care, support and strengthening of our congregations and ministries in the Eastern Cluster.
The Coordinator for Youth + Family Ministry position brought a number of applications, as well. We prioritized three candidates and the LYO leadership conducted the first round of interviews. I am pleased that Deacon Julie Stecker was their choice and mine. Deacon Stecker has two degrees in Youth and Family Ministry, though she has broad experience having served as an Associate Director of Admissions at our seminary in Gettysburg before accepting Bishop Wolfgang's invitation to serve as Director of Communications for our synod. Julie had been serving as the interim Youth + Family Ministry Coordinator. In her new role, she will relinquish her staff support for the Forward in Faith Campaign. Already our ELCA Youth Gathering Synod Coordinator, Deacon Stecker brings a fresh eye and strong, established relationships to her work with the LYO, the Leaders among Leaders, the adult mentors and her colleagues who serve as Youth Ministry professionals across our synod. Deacon Stecker was sponsored for candidacy by St. Michael Lutheran Church in Perry Hall, where she grew up in the church. She is a member of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in East Baltimore, where she and her fiancé, Matt Herzberg, are in the process of buying a home; they will be married this autumn. At my recommendation, and in recognition of her roster status, the Synod Council called her to be Assistant to the Bishop for Communications, Youth + Family Ministry.
I am also pleased to announce that contracts were extended for:
Karen Kretschmann, currently our interim Director of Evangelical Mission, who will give her attention, passion and gifts to her new role as Associate for Generosity. Karen is a transplant from Wisconsin and brings a wealth of experience from her role on the South Central Synod of Wisconsin staff, as well as the fine work she has done in the last nine months on our synod staff. Karen will provide contractual staff support for the Forward in Faith Campaign, as well.
Cindy VanVliet will transition out of her role as administrative leader of our synod staff and will become Associate for Community, encompassing her continued leadership for Synod Assembly and the larger gatherings of our synod; as well as new focus on the LEAD process. In the latter role, she has taken on the work that Pastor Fred Lehr did in the recruitment and coordination of the LEAD process, for which I thank him even as he now focuses more on the coaching aspect of that process.
Justina Sergeon joins our staff as Associate for Administration. She will be the full-time office manager and will have primary responsibility for providing administrative support for the Bishop, the Executive Assistant to the Bishop and the Treasurer. She will be supported by ongoing contractual arrangements with Pat Walton who is our Associate for the Roster and TJ Smoot who is our Associate for Support and Hospitality.
I am pleased that Pastor Stuart Luce (Synod Leadership Development Director), Candy Maxwell (Lay Leadership Development Director), Elaine Wagenfuehr (CLAIM Coordinator), Alice Benson (Regional Gift Planner with the Lutheran Development Alliance) and Deacon Laura Heller (Creation Care Coordinator) will continue in their roles under ongoing contracts.
As we prepare to install the new Assistants to the Bishop at Synod Assembly, it also means thanking God as three very special people complete their interim ministry among us. Though we will have an opportunity to recognize them at the assembly, there has not been one day in the last nine months in which I haven’t been overwhelmed by my gratitude for Pastor Judy Cobb, Pastor Charles Zang and Deacon Bob Federwitz, our interim Assistants to the Bishop. They have made the load lighter, brought tremendous experience and gifts to the ministry we share and each, in their own way, has mentored me and shaped me as a leader of the church. The credit for many of the successes of the Bishop's Office in the last nine months belongs to these trusted colleagues and friends.
I invite your prayer for our staff in this transition time and I am grateful for your ongoing support and encouragement.
O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. – Psalm 98