Bishop David Zellmer of the South Dakota Synod finally has responded to my letter resigning from the ELCA clergy roster because I had been received as a pastor of the North American Lutheran Church. You can read my letter here.
Here are some excerpts from the bishop's letter dated August 17 (please note parts in bold):
"I write to acknowledge your letter of resignation from the roster of ordained ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, effective April 12, 2011. . . .
"Please bear in mind that, from the perspective of this church, you are now to function as a layperson in a congregation. While you are not on this church's roster of ordained ministers, your ordained status is in suspension.
"As someone who is not on the roster of this church, you must no longer perform any duties or acts associated with ordained ministry. You are not to use the title "Pastor" or "the Rev." Neither are you to baptize, preside for Holy Communion, perform marriages, or wear vestments normally associated with an ordained minister such as a stole or clerical collar.
"If under some circumstances, you were asked to substitute due to the absence of a pastor, you could do so not as a supply pastor but as a layperson serving without clerical vestments in leading a Service of the Word. Only in the most unusual circumstance and then only with the explicit permission of the synodical bishop could you preside for Holy Communion, in keeping with the policy of this church, as defined in "The Use of the Means of Grace--A Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament."
Thank you for your years of service as an ordained minister. Be assured that this church remains grateful to you for your pastoral ministry. God bless you in your new arena of endeavor.
Sincerely,
Bishop David B. Zellmer
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Free Stewardship Resources from Sola
For congregations planning a Fall Stewardship emphasis, Sola Publishing is providing free downloadable materials on our Sola website. The theme for this year's Stewardship Emphasis comes from Jesus' words to his disciples in John 4, where he speaks of our calling to "sow and reap" by serving his mission in proclaiming God's Word in our daily lives.
Look on the Sola website under the tab menu "Free Sola Resources" or go directly to the Stewardship Page HERE for these downloads:
a) Color Theme Poster (like the one right)
b) Bulletin Insert-Devotional
c) Giving Plan Card
d) Sample: Time and Abilities Sheet
e) Children’s Story Page
f) Children's Stewardship Plan
g) Black and White Logo
h) Full Color Logo
Permission is granted to reproduce these materials for local congregational use.
Friday, August 12, 2011
John Bradosky elected bishop of North American Lutheran Church
The Rev. John F. Bradosky of Centerville, Ohio, was elected Bishop of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Thursday, Aug. 11.
Bishop Bradosky, who has served as the General Secretary of the NALC since January, was elected by the NALC Convocation, the church body’s annual meeting, which met Aug. 11-12 in suburban Columbus, Ohio. Eight hundred Lutherans from throughout North America gathered at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church at Mill Run in Hilliard, Ohio, to elect leaders and to set direction for the newly-formed church body.
Bishop Bradosky, 59, was formally installed as bishop at the closing worship service of the Convocation Friday afternoon.
“Today I stand before you even more deeply honored and humbled. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me,” Bishop Bradosky told those at the Convocation after the voting results were announced Friday morning. “Thank you for this opportunity to serve you. You have the promise of my prayer for each of you and your ministries that together, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will boldly confess Christ.
“I cannot fulfill this office by anything within me. My wisdom and experience is completely insufficient. I can only fulfill this office through the work of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the promise of your faithful prayers and support,” he said.
“The local congregation is the front line for mission and ministry. Our work is to support, facilitate and encourage the ministry and mission work of local congregations. This is where people come to faith in Jesus, where disciples grow and mature in their faith, where people experience Christian community.” Bishop Bradosky said. “Our structure must keep pastors and congregations connected for learning, growing, offering support and care.
Bishop Bradosky has 32 years of pastoral experience with diverse experience in organization and administration. He has served in urban, suburban, and multicultural settings.
Prior to his appointment as General Secretary, Bishop Bradosky senior pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Dayton, Ohio. He has also served St. John Lutheran Church in Springfield, Ohio; Trinity Lutheran Church in Canton, Ohio; and Grace Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Bishop Bradosky is a graduate of Hamma School of Theology at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa.
Bishop Bradosky’s hobbies include being a private pilot, running, scuba diving, and skiing. He also serves as a high school and collegiate sports official for basketball, soccer and football.
He has completed seven marathons including the 2011 Boston Marathon which he completed with his son, Jacob (winner of the 2010 Marine Corp Marathon).
Pastor Bradosky and his wife, Kristi, have been married for 34 years. Kristi is a registered nurse. They have four children — three of whom are still living — and one grandson. Their first-born son, Joshua, died in a tragic car accident at the age of 6.
The North American Lutheran Church was constituted at the 2010 Convocation of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) Aug. 26-27, 2010, in Grove City, Ohio. The NALC has been growing rapidly since then. More than 250 congregations, representing more than 100,000 Lutherans, have joined the NALC in its first year.
The 2010 Lutheran CORE Convocation elected provisional leaders for the first year of the NALC. The Rev. Paull Spring of State College, Pa., a retired former ELCA bishop, was elected as provisional bishop to guide the NALC through its first year. The congregations and individuals that have joined the NALC will elect their own leaders this week.
Most NALC congregations and members left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America because of what they see as the ELCA’s movement away from using the Bible as the norm of the church body’s faith and life. The ELCA has lost hundreds of congregations and more than 300,000 members since 2009.
The NALC embodies the theological center of Lutheranism in North America. It is a church body committed to the authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life. The NALC believes all doctrines should and must be judged by the teaching of Scripture.
The NALC is committed to shaping its life around four core values: Christ-Centered, Mission-Driven, Traditionally-Grounded, and Congregationally-Focused.
Elections for all NALC positions took place at the 2011 Convocation. Among those to be elected at this week’s Convocation are a new bishop and eight members of the NALC’s Executive Council, its national Board of Directors.
More information is available online at www.thenalc.org.
Bishop Bradosky, who has served as the General Secretary of the NALC since January, was elected by the NALC Convocation, the church body’s annual meeting, which met Aug. 11-12 in suburban Columbus, Ohio. Eight hundred Lutherans from throughout North America gathered at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church at Mill Run in Hilliard, Ohio, to elect leaders and to set direction for the newly-formed church body.
Bishop Bradosky, 59, was formally installed as bishop at the closing worship service of the Convocation Friday afternoon.
“Today I stand before you even more deeply honored and humbled. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me,” Bishop Bradosky told those at the Convocation after the voting results were announced Friday morning. “Thank you for this opportunity to serve you. You have the promise of my prayer for each of you and your ministries that together, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will boldly confess Christ.
“I cannot fulfill this office by anything within me. My wisdom and experience is completely insufficient. I can only fulfill this office through the work of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the promise of your faithful prayers and support,” he said.
“The local congregation is the front line for mission and ministry. Our work is to support, facilitate and encourage the ministry and mission work of local congregations. This is where people come to faith in Jesus, where disciples grow and mature in their faith, where people experience Christian community.” Bishop Bradosky said. “Our structure must keep pastors and congregations connected for learning, growing, offering support and care.
Bishop Bradosky has 32 years of pastoral experience with diverse experience in organization and administration. He has served in urban, suburban, and multicultural settings.
Prior to his appointment as General Secretary, Bishop Bradosky senior pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Dayton, Ohio. He has also served St. John Lutheran Church in Springfield, Ohio; Trinity Lutheran Church in Canton, Ohio; and Grace Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Bishop Bradosky is a graduate of Hamma School of Theology at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa.
Bishop Bradosky’s hobbies include being a private pilot, running, scuba diving, and skiing. He also serves as a high school and collegiate sports official for basketball, soccer and football.
He has completed seven marathons including the 2011 Boston Marathon which he completed with his son, Jacob (winner of the 2010 Marine Corp Marathon).
Pastor Bradosky and his wife, Kristi, have been married for 34 years. Kristi is a registered nurse. They have four children — three of whom are still living — and one grandson. Their first-born son, Joshua, died in a tragic car accident at the age of 6.
The North American Lutheran Church was constituted at the 2010 Convocation of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) Aug. 26-27, 2010, in Grove City, Ohio. The NALC has been growing rapidly since then. More than 250 congregations, representing more than 100,000 Lutherans, have joined the NALC in its first year.
The 2010 Lutheran CORE Convocation elected provisional leaders for the first year of the NALC. The Rev. Paull Spring of State College, Pa., a retired former ELCA bishop, was elected as provisional bishop to guide the NALC through its first year. The congregations and individuals that have joined the NALC will elect their own leaders this week.
Most NALC congregations and members left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America because of what they see as the ELCA’s movement away from using the Bible as the norm of the church body’s faith and life. The ELCA has lost hundreds of congregations and more than 300,000 members since 2009.
The NALC embodies the theological center of Lutheranism in North America. It is a church body committed to the authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life. The NALC believes all doctrines should and must be judged by the teaching of Scripture.
The NALC is committed to shaping its life around four core values: Christ-Centered, Mission-Driven, Traditionally-Grounded, and Congregationally-Focused.
Elections for all NALC positions took place at the 2011 Convocation. Among those to be elected at this week’s Convocation are a new bishop and eight members of the NALC’s Executive Council, its national Board of Directors.
More information is available online at www.thenalc.org.
Monday, August 01, 2011
New Releases from Sola Publishing
As we approach the beginning of a new school year, Sola Publishing has released it new catalog of materials for Summer 2011. Click HERE to download an individual page pdf.Some of the many new resources available:
- new Sunday Schoolhouse Series - Bible Story Lesson Book (B1)
- new men's and women's group study "The Wise and the Foolish"
- new installment in Sola Confirmation Series on the Ten Commandments
For those attending the Lutheran Core and NALC Convocations in Columbus next week, come and visit our Sola display!
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