The Conference of Presidents (COP) held its winter meeting in another deluxe Caribbean trip funded by Thrivent on Jan. 3-6. The following items were discussed, avoided, or decided:
- Representatives from the Conference of Presidents will meet with the Board for Home Missions leadership and with several members of the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary faculty as a part of the planning process for the effort to open 10 new home missions in ten years beginning in 2023, God willing.
- Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) is continuing its search for a new president. Mr. Bill Ziche, current NPH president, has announced his plans to retire. Mr. Mark Buske, director of marketing for NPH, will serve as acting president until a new president is found. What about Eve?
- There are currently 143 pastoral vacancies in the synod, 124 of which are parish pastor positions. Forty of the pastoral vacancies are in associate pastor positions (meaning those congregations are still being served by at least one pastor). This year’s graduating class at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary will be larger than those tiny ones in recent years, which will help to reduce the number of pastoral vacancies.
- With expanding enrollment at our WELS schools, the growing shortage of teachers continues, especially in the area of early childhood. The COP discussed ideas for enhancing recruitment efforts and more child development buildings at Martin Luther College.
- The COP recently issued a pastoral letter on Christian freedom. Ironic?
- Compensation for vicars was set at $42,000, slightly lower than last year’s amount.
- The COP expressed thanks to God for the high level of Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO) in 2021. The exact total will be published in the coming days.
- Congregations are asked to submit their 2021 statistics and CMO subscriptions by the Feb. 4 deadline.
- The COP expressed its support for a proposal by Northwestern Publishing House and the Commission on Lutheran Schools to develop a comprehensive K-12 religion curriculum for schools, DPs, and Sunday schools.
- The COP has been making final edits on yet another restatement of the synod’s teaching on male and female roles. It is hoped that the final document will be ready for review by the district conventions this summer.
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| Why not both, male and female? |
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| Why not both, male and female? |
Serving with you in Christ, From the Love Shack:
WELS President Mark Schroeder
