LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 95

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 95

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to the ongoing success of
higher education in the LCMS.

Eugene Oesch, Chairman’

Board for Higher Education/Concordia University System
William Meyer

Executive Director, Board for Higher Education
President, Concordia University System

R5-02
Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support

The Mission

The mission of the Commission on Ministerial Growth and
Support (CMGS) is to provide opportunity for the continuing edu-
cation and vocational growth of the church’s workers, to advocate
and facilitate care and counsel for the church’s workers, to support
them in the performance of their official duties, and to advocate
and facilitate support for the personal well-being of the church’s
workers and their family members.

CMGS Membership

The CMGS is composed of 13 voting members. Currently, 11
voting members are in office, with 2 positions vacant.

Voting Members

Roger Gallup (Chair and Parish Pastor Representative)

William Dunk (Corresponding Secretary and Commissioned Min-
ister Representative)

Herbert Mueller (Vice Chair, District President, Council of Presi-
dents’ Representative)

Margaret Hinchey (Commissioned Minister Representative)

Quentin Poulson (Parish Pastor Representative)

Richard Koehneke (Parish Pastor Representative)

Elaine Sipe (College Representative)

Dan Gard (Seminary Representative)

David Peter (Seminary Representative)

Deborah Esala (Pastor’s Spouse Representative)

Lois Peacock (Layperson Representative)

Staff

Bruce Hartung (Executive Director)

Judy Voelz (Manager, Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Sup-
port and Special Projects)

Sheila Soucy (Coordinator)

What A Way

The CMGS is pleased to be one of the three LCMS groups
(along with Concordia Publishing House and the Board for Higher
Education) providing leadership to the development of the What A
Way initiative. The focus of What A Way is “to rebuild active re-
cruitment and retention of church workers as an integrated part of
the LCMS culture and lifestyle at the local congregational level.”

What A Way has three foci: (1) The Road Ahead ... geared to-
ward anyone who is considering a profession in the church; (2) Lead
the Way ... geared toward anyone who knows a potential church
worker or a worker currently serving—likely practically everyone in
our congregations; and (3) On the Road ... geared toward everyone
who serves Christ in a church vocation in His church.

A DVD introducing the Web site will be available at the LCMS
convention and at the Youth Gathering.

Important to note is the intentional and continuing pairing of re-
cruitment and retention opportunities and issues. The philosophy
of What A Way is that it is not appropriate for the LCMS to recruit
without attending to questions of how workers are supported and
given opportunities for professional and vocational growth. We be-
lieve that this approach is, if not unique, at least uncommon in the

church at large. It does reflect, however, that the best recruiters are
workers, parents, and others in the community of faith, and that the
most energized and satisfied workers are going to be more positive
role models and more effective and helpful workers.

Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support

The goal of the Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support
(PALS) initiative is to assist newly placed pastors in the application
of their learning that ministry might be faithful, competent, and joy-
ful; to assist pastors in the development of their knowledge, skills,
and person in relationship to those they serve in the specific context
of their ministries; and to assist and support both pastors and their
wives in the transition from life in the seminary to life in the parish
context. PALS is a synodical initiative (1998 Res. 5-02; 1995 Res.
5-09A).

Desired Outcomes of the PALS Initiative

¢ Pastors whose personal, spiritual, and professional formation is
regularly fostered and enhanced.

¢ Pastors and wives who are helped to make a successful transition
from seminary life to parish ministry.

¢ Pastors and wives who do not experience the sense of isolation
that often accompanies the transition from seminary life to parish
ministry.

e Pastors whose ministries are more readily valued and accepted
by their congregations.

¢ Congregation-pastor relationships that are positive and joyful and
that result in extended first-call ministries.

¢ Pastors who continue to develop the necessary skills to give pos-
itive and healthy leadership to their congregations.

¢ Congregations and pastors who value continuous learing as an
important and ongoing ingredient of pastoral ministry.

Since 1998 over 570 newly placed pastors have participated in
PALS. Forty-five groups are meeting throughout the United States
this year (2004) with over 260 participants. About 70 percent of new
seminary graduates elect to join a PALS group. Three to 12 first-
call pastors meet together on a regular basis with an experienced
pastor who serves as the facilitator of the meeting. Worship, Bible
study, personal sharing, reflection on ministry and its context, and
topic study comprise the bulk of the group’s time together. Not to be
overlooked are the collegial bonds that form among the participants
during their time together. Wives are included in PALS activities
either with their husbands or separately in about 70 percent of the
groups. Informal and formal studies have shown that PALS makes a
difference in the beginning years of ministry with the satisfaction
and longevity in the first call. Further formal evaluations and re-
search are being done to confirm these observations.

PALS has developed over the past six years to better reflect the .
needs and desires of the participants. Regular evaluations are
sought from the participants to make sure that support of the new
pastor and his wife are the central objective.

For the past three years PALS has been partially funded by the
generosity of the Districts of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod. Their contribution provides about half of the cost of PALS.
The remaining costs have been provided by a generous grant from
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. These funds will soon be ex-
hausted, and other means of support are being sought.

PALS facilitators who have served during the triennium and
who have retired from PALS service:

Richard Allsing
Norwood Blanke
Ronald R. Farah

Carl Lilienkamp
Richard Mohr
James Mueller

Randy Golter Mike Newman
Mark Griesse Chris Ongstad
David Gunderson James Russow
Norman Hanan Gerald Scheperle

2004 Convention Workbook