The Indiana-Kentucky Synod Call Process
We believe it is our Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, who guides the call process of a pastor or deacon to be in a mutual ministry with the members of a congregation. This process also represents a valuable partnership between God, the calling congregation and the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. An ideal call process builds on trust, openness, and good communication. When the call process results in a good match between the rostered minister and the congregation, the total mission of the church is furthered.
The links below provide access to the documents and forms which will assist a congregation through the call process, from the time a rostered minister resigns to welcoming the newly called leader.
These documents are to be used along with the assistance of the office of the Bishop and appropriate support from an interim pastor or pastor of record.
As soon as the rostered minister’s resignation is known, a Bishop’s Transition Visit should be scheduled. At the visit, the Bishop will encourage the Congregation Council to begin discerning the next steps of mission and ministry. The Bishop will provide the names and contact information for specific individuals who will help the congregation in addressing their ministry’s mission and vision, leadership needs, and other resources that may be essential in this transition.
Once the Congregation Council has discerned that it is ready to begin the call process, they should provide for the appointment/election of the Call Committee, including notifying the Bishop’s office that this is taking place. A representative of the bishop’s office will meet with the Congregation Council and the newly appointed/elected Call Committee to provide an overview of the Call Process as it relates to the particular congregation.
Below are links to various documents and instruments to help you move through the Call Process well. Please contact Rev. Priscilla Geerdes, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry Transition, if you have any questions: pgeerdes@iksynod.org.
Below you will find two Excel spreadsheets, which are part of the adopted Compensation Standards for Rostered Ministers approved at the June 2024 IN-KY Synod Assembly. If you have questions about these spreadsheets, please see the link to the full Compensation Standards document above.
Transition Resources
-
Installation of Call Committee
Installation of a Call Committee with Prayers for a Shepherd
by The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America[This rite may be downloaded at www.liturgybytlw.com, and is used with his permission.]
P = Presiding Minister
A = Assisting Minister
R = Call Committee
C = CongregationThe order follows the Creed and replaces the Prayer of the Church.
ORDER FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A CALL COMMITTEE
Sit
P. Sisters and brothers in Christ, God has called us to a new time in our life as _______________ Church. It is a time for reflection and prayer, a time for self-examination and seeking, a time for expectation and hope. We need a shepherd to lead our flock, and God has promised that he will provide a shepherd for us.
A. The following persons have been appointed/elected to serve as the Call Committee of our church.
As the names are read, those persons present come forward to the chancel.P. Dear friends, you have been duly appointed/elected to serve as the Call Committee for this congregation in order to seek a pastor to shepherd and lead us.
Sacred scripture guides us in our task, to seek a pastor who strives for righteousness and godliness, faith and love, endurance and gentleness — a pastor who is a servant as Christ himself was a servant — a pastor who is not domineering or quarrelsome, but who leads with care and concern for God’s flock — a pastor who is filled with the Holy Spirit and a trustworthy steward of the mysteries of God.
Yours is a spiritual endeavor on behalf of this congregation. Are you willing therefore to be open to the Spirit’s leading, and, by prayer and holy conversation, to undertake this calling to seek a shepherd for us?
R. Yes, by the help of God.P. Will you be diligent in your seeking, careful in your listening, purposeful in your questioning, and respectful in all that you do?
R. Yes, by the help of God.P. Will you seek the Lord’s guidance through Holy Scripture and prayer and in your deliberations with your fellow committee members until you are brought to one mind and one will in Christ and have chosen God’s shepherd for us?
R. Yes, by the help of God.All stand.
A. Let us pray for those who are being installed today and for our church as we seek the Lord’s guidance during this special time.
Almighty God, you alone are the great Shepherd of the sheep, and we turn to you to lead and guide us in all things. Our trust and our hope is in you.
C. You are the way, the truth and the life.A. As you have raised up faithful servants of your holy word to tend your flock in each time and place, send us now, we pray, a faithful shepherd to lead our flock.
C. Send us a shepherd, O Lord.A. Send us a shepherd of goodness and grace, of strength and faith, of righteousness in your sight.
C. Send us a shepherd, O Lord.A. Send us a shepherd to comfort and care for us, to preach your word, to teach our children, to baptize and commune, to marry and counsel, to visit the sick and lay to rest, to guide us and pray for us.
C. Send us a shepherd, O Lord.A. Give us a holy patience in this time of our seeking, a patience that trusts in you for our present care, knowing that you will bring our good work to fulfillment in your time.
C. O Lord, hear our prayer.A. Keep us faithful in mission, regular in worship, responsible in stewardship, mindful of the needy, and diligent in prayer.
C. O Lord, hear our prayer.A. Fill us all with your Holy Spirit and magnify our gifts of discernment, that we might follow your will and leading into a future yet unknown.
C. O Lord, hear our prayer.A. Bless those who are especially called to serve on the Call Committee. Give them the gifts they need to seek and find the pastor of your own nurturing, the shepherd of your own choosing, that we might be fed by your holy word and sacraments and grow in faith and love and ministry.
C. O Lord, hear our prayer.P. All these things we ask, O God, with whatever else we need, in the name of him who is the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C. AmenThe minister addresses the Call Committee.
P. I now declare that you have been installed as the Call Committee of _____________ Church. May God bring your good work to fulfillment and grace in Christ’s name.
C. AmenP. The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C. And also with you.All share the peace of the Lord. The liturgy continues as is customary after the peace.
Download a PDF of this liturgy. Installation of a Call Committee
-
Exploring God's Expectations
Congregations who are in transition between called pastors will discern the next steps for their mission and ministry through a process called Exploring God’s Expectations.
These questions and more will be explored:
- How do you see God at work in your congregation?
- What are the congregation’s greatest challenges and fears?
- What mission and ministry is happening both inside and outside the church walls?
- Do you have a mission/purpose statement?
- What is your vision for the future?
- Who is God calling you to be and what is God calling you to do in the next chapter of your ministry?
- How does this impact who you will call for your next pastoral leader?
- How do all of you listen deeply to one another and God during this time of transition?
Find an outline of the process as well as tools and resources to facilitate deep listening and reflection in the congregation.
Compensation Resources
After utilizing the IN-KY compensation standards and spreadsheets to formulate the agreed upon compensation for the pastor/deacon candidate, you will need to transfer the information into the appropriate form below which is used during the congregation vote for the call process.
