CROSS+CURRENTS July/August, 2010
An e-publication of the Florida-Bahamas Synod
LTSS Professor Speaks in Gainesville on Bible Interpreting Differences The Rev. Dr. Brian Peterson, Professor of New Testament at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS), spoke on April 17 at Gethsemane, Gainesville, on the topic, “Why Do We Read the Bible Differently.” The event was sponsored by the Pinelands Conference. About 30 lay and clergy members attended from conference In three separate presentations, Dr. Peterson addressed how it is that people can read the same scriptures and come to different conclusions, according to Pastor Nancy Vogel of Gethsemane, who oversaw and hosted the event. “Dr. Peterson said that often we might know what the bible says, but don’t know how to read it,” stated Vogel. “The bible is what the Word is about, not just what it says.” In that regard, “true resurrection faith focuses on God’s action, on the life saving grace of God and is always open to new and surprising acts of God,” said Dr. Peterson, according to Vogel. “Scripture is the way in which God is working in and through creation.” Dr. Peterson went on to state that different readings of the same scripture happen “when we give different weight to the influence of tradition, reason, and experience,” said Vogel. “In addition, the development of language and interpretation of words change over time.” Dr. Peterson concluded by saying that “the Holy Spirit is present and helps us make decisions on interpretation,” according to Vogel. A question and answer period followed after each presentation, “with good questions and conversations,” said Vogel. “There was spirited but respectful conversation following his third and last session, which was entitled ‘The Bible and Homosexuality.’”
For further reading, Dr. Peterson has published two papers on similar topics that are available online:
“The Bible, the Church and Faithful Discernment,” at http://columbiadeclaration.wordpress.com/drbrian-peterson-new-testament-i/ “Faithful Discernment in the ELCA: Further Thoughts,” at http://columbiadeclaration.wordpress.com/drbrian-peterson-new-testament-ii/ Several other papers by LTSS faculty on the response to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly actions on ministry and sexuality are also available online at http://columbiadeclaration.wordpress.com/.
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Video on Reading Captures Worldwide Audience; Producer Is Pastor’s Wife, Interviewed on Oprah Janet Bergh has been working with teens at Ocoee Middle School in Ocoee, FL for the last 13 years, most recently as a reading specialist. And in those years, she has developed an understanding of what teens respond too. So when it came to developing an idea to promote reading and literacy in a big way, she took her inspiration from television. “When I saw the flash mob dance performed on the Oprah show with her audience and the Black Eyed Peas, I knew right away that I wanted to try this,” said Bergh. “It was very infectious and inspiring, and I knew our students would love it.” That was last summer. The result six months later was a video rendering of “I Gotta Feeling” that became “Gotta Keep Readin’” and included nearly every student and staff member at Ocoee Middle School – that’s a cast of about 1,700 dancing and singing. The music video captured a worldwide audience on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6D9jiEYxzs) and landed Bergh in an interview on the Oprah show. Bergh, who is the wife of Pastor Johan Bergh of Ocoee and a member of St. Stephen Lutheran in Longwood, stated that she is always looking for ways to promote reading. “Students have so many other interests that reading may take a back seat if we are not intentional about it,” she said. “Many people struggle to read, and this has life-long consequences. We need to continuously stress the
importance of reading as a life-long skill in a way that is relevant and engaging to our students.” Bergh stated that she was also wanting “to create a positive connection to school” for the students – “a moment they would never forget and something school-related that they could be proud of. I think we accomplished all of that.” THE PROJECT The producing the video took no small amount of planning and coordination. After getting the approval of the school principal, Bergh had to secure permission from music publishers and then rewrite the lyrics herself to go with the reading theme. Then she rallied the band director and a former chorus director to coach students to sing and play the song and engaged the school’s drama teacher to plan the choreography. The school’s digital arts teacher and some parent volunteers created the set. And finally Full Sail University did the filming and editing for the video. “It was truly a group effort,” said Bergh. “One of our side projects was for our media production students to shadow the folks from Full Sail. Our students then produced their own ‘making of the video’ video.” The cost for all this? “Full Sail provided their services gratis,’ said Bergh. “There was no fee for the rights to use the music. We paid for a few hours of studio time to record the song. Our costs were next to nothing.”
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
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FROM YOUTUBE TO OPRAH
was given 7 books to take home for their personal collection. It was very touching.”
The video was premiered at an evening event for students and their parents of Ocoee Middle School at the turn of the year. “After that, we posted it on our website where it then took on a life of its own,” said Bergh, including a posting on YouTube that has recorded over a half million views. By the end of February, the folks at Harpo Productions, the producers of the Oprah Winfrey television show, had gotten wind of the video and contacted Bergh about an interview. That interview with Oprah took place on March 5 before a live audience and included Bergh, Ocoee’s principal Sharyn Gabriel, and two students.
“It was scary, fun, exciting, thrilling,” Bergh reported. “Everyone associated with Harpo Productions was kind, gracious, and professional.” The story could have ended there, but it didn’t. The Oprah people work together with Target and the Heart of America to provide library makeovers for schools, and so they promptly went to work at Ocoee Middle School after the March Oprah show. “We had to shut down the library for about 5 weeks when nobody was allowed in until the day of the reveal,” explained Bergh. “More than 200 volunteers from Target and the Heart of America worked to make this happen for us in a very short period of time. Not only were we given a ceiling to floor makeover, new technology, and 2000 books to add to our existing collection, but each student
The school held a big celebration when they reopened the new library, and the Oprah film crew was there to capture the event, which was then shown in a 60 sec spot on the May 4 show (http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/TargetUnveils-New-Library-Video). WORLDWIDE ATTENTION Bergh admits that she has been surprised how far the video project has reached. “This was an amazing experience to know that we have touched so many people,” she said. “I have heard from schools and authors all over the world about what this has meant to them. It’s clear that everyone is struggling with the issue of literacy and wants to help.” Bergh figures the video will continue to inspire other similar projects for the sake of students. “I know other schools will think big and engage kids in a way that is relevant and meaningful to them,” she stated. “Our students need us to do that. Why wouldn’t we?” Pictured at top is Janet Bergh, Reading Specialist at Ocoee Middle School, on the set for the filming of the music video “I Gotta Keep Readin’” that she produced last December. Other pictures are from that video.
Jessica Fairfax Receives Appointment as ELCA Volunteer Missionary Jessica Fairfax, a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Cape Coral, receives ELCA appointment to serve as a volunteer in the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission Program. This year, 43 volunteers will serve in Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, IsraelPalestine, Slovakia, Hungary, South Africa and the United Kingdom. It costs approximately $10,000 to send her to South Africa for the year, of which she must raise at least $4,000. The Global Missions staff appreciates any and all financial support for Jessica. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Christ Lutheran Church (2911 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33904) with a memo line of “Jessie Fairfax – YAGM”.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010
First Call Pastors Writing Contest 2010 / Academy of Parish Clergy Invitation: To pastors serving their first parish or who have recently completed a first call pastorate to submit an article for the Academy’s quarterly journal Sharing the Practice that will illumine the unique challenge(s) of the “first call” pastorate, the deployment of the spiritual gifts of pastor and people, and theological reflection upon the experience. Eligibility: Any pastor who has been serving a first pastorate for at least 2 but not more than 7 years, or completed such pastorate within the last year by time of submission. Open only to pastors serving parish congregations. Focus Questions: How is your congregation engaging the 21st century in ministry & mission? Where have you found God at work in your ministry & congregation? Things to considering writing your article that will be of interest to our readers: Transformative experiences, surprises of grace, theological growth. Process of leadership, decision-making, planning, and implementation toward mission and ministry. The means of assessing effectiveness. The role of lay leadership, member involvement, congregational decisionmaking, pastoral support and leadership. Demons you may have confronted, obstacles overcome, resources used, the power of prayer, and courageous action. Challenges that you did not anticipate, resources/strategies/modalities you employed, and resources you wish had been available to you. It will be helpful to give specific examples and to go deep in explaining dynamics. You may focus on change in the culture of congregation, evolving
Page |4 style of ministry, or you may describe the development of a specific ministry or mission. Awards: Two articles will be selected for the December 2010 issue of Sharing the Practice. Writers of selected articles will be given a grant of $600* for registration and travel to the Annual Conference of the Academy at Canterbury Retreat Center in Oviedo, Florida, February 1517, 2011. Dr. Martin Marty will be the Conference Presenter. *room/board/registration-$225; $375 travel allowance
Deadline: October 15, 2010 Submit:
Articles within the range of 1500 to 2500 words should be submitted in Microsoft Word format to Rev. David Imhoff at DIELPADRE@aol.com Attach to submission a short biography, including professional ministry history, ordination / authorization date as well as authorizing body. Additional information available from Rev. Bill Youngkin at wyoungkin@woh.rr.com or at the Academy website www.apclergy.org The Academy for Parish Clergy (APC) APC promotes Growth toward excellence in ministry with clergy serving in various faith communities. Members value honest and affirming dialogue, collegiality, and continued enhancement of pastoral skills and competency. Activities of the Academy include the publication of a quarterly journal Sharing the Practice, a national Annual Conference, regional colleague groups, Pastor of the Year and Book of the Year Awards, and the opportunity for members to be recognized as Fellows for their discipline, study, and practice of excellence in ministry. Information about membership available at www.apclergy.org. P.S. Congratulations to Pr. David Imhoff, recently elected President of APC.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010
First Synod Assembly Perspective by Lou Kerekgyarto from Trinity Lutheran/Jacksonville Bonnie and I were honored to attend the Florida-Bahamas Synod Assembly the weekend of April 30TH through May 2nd. The Synod Assembly is the highest legislative authority of the Synod. The yearly meeting convenes for the purpose of conducting elections, adopting the Synod’s ministry spending plans, receiving and acting upon reports from ministry areas and agencies of the Synod, and conducting other business. Voting members at the assembly include both lay and clergy attendees. The theme for this year’s assembly was “Beyond Words”, a call to action rather than mere words. Bishop Benoway encouraged us to take our church to the street by putting our faith into daily action. A common thread of nearly all of the speakers was for us to go outside of the church, get out of our comfort zone, and love and serve our neighbors with compassion, energy and enthusiasm. Since neither of us had attended an assembly before, we were glad to attend Friday morning’s Orientation for New Assembly Voting Members. That session prepared us for the rather fast-paced voting process to fill vacancies for: Representatives to the 2011 Churchwide Assembly, Synod Council Representatives, Consultation Committee members and Discipline Committee members. The orientation proved quite valuable to us. Although we were only two of over 600 voting members in attendance; we were made to understand how important each voter and each vote is.
Page |5 The actual synod work began on Friday afternoon. Throughout the assembly there was a wonderful mixture of business, inspiring addresses, prayer, worship, singing of hymns, workshops and fellowship. I was surprised that Bishop Edward Benoway was at his podium throughout the assembly. I had expected him to be in attendance, but not necessarily in charge. Make no mistake about it…he was in charge.
The keynote speaker of this assembly was The Reverend Stephen P. Bouman, Executive Director for the ELCA Program Unit of Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission. (I wonder how he fits that title on his business cards.) He was an absolutely wonderful, gifted speaker both on Friday and Saturday sharing messages about how we as a church together in Christ will continue to reach those the world often leaves behind. We do this through our work in evangelism and outreach. He cited the practice of “radical hospitality” as Abram did, taking the risk to invite all to the table of Our Lord. One of the discoveries that I wish to bring to our congregation is that at the assembly the youth attendees are treasured as the “Lutheran Leadership of Tomorrow”. There were 13 voting high-school aged teens in attendance. Perhaps it’s time to give our youth a role in the decision making of our church by having one of them serve on church council? The Synod Assembly was the launching pad for a program named “Together in Mission”, a capital campaign that will raise significant financial resources to support two funding initiatives. This appeal will provide dollars needed to launch this vision for our shared ministry within our synod and
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010 at the same time provide dollars and resources to support our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church of Haiti during their time of great need. The plan is to raise $2million over the next three years for our shared ministry within the synod and $500,000 over the next three years for the Lutheran Church of Haiti.
We heard an inspiring speaker, Reverend Livenson Lauvanus, pastor of the Lutheran Church of Haiti who gave thanks for the prayers and financial support he has received. If you think that all is well in Haiti since we don’t hear it on the evening news; think again. The need there is great. We were shown slides of the devastation in that poor island country that were simply heartbreaking. As voting members one of our highlights was the opportunity to vote for various positions including one for our Dwane Tyson as a Voting Member to the 2011 Churchwide Assembly to be held in Orlando in August, 2011. There were four Resolutions to the assembly; three of them were voted on. A Synod Council resolution commending the ELCA’s Church Council for its leadership and urging it to “Stay the Course”
Page |6 in regard to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly actions was adopted on 2/27/10 and was forwarded as information and background. A Synod Council resolution calling for generous and sacrificial support of our ongoing synodical mission and the “Together in Mission” vision was passed. A Synod Council resolution to adopt the Ministry Spending Plan was passed. Lastly, a Memorial to the 2011 Churchwide Assembly submitted by the FlaglerVolusia Conference calling for congregation referendums on future ELCA social statements was soundly defeated. Bishop Benoway addressed the assembly on Saturday and spoke of the ripple effect of the economy on the synod. He cited reduced offerings resulting in reduced pensions, reduced mission support and reduced staff. He said the 2009 gay clergy decision at the National Assembly has also negatively affected the financial situation of our synod. Two churches have left the synod including one in Jacksonville. Bishop Benoway stated that we hold on to what we have in common: First is Love-Spread the Good News. Second is RenewalFocus on the scriptures but avoid using the Bible to support your own opinion. Near the end of his address, he used a phrase that I just love. He said “We are God’s Easter People”. I will always remember that. One of the most memorable moments of the assembly was when the Jesus Rey de Gloria Lutheran Church of Hialeah was introduced as a new church in the ELCA. Pastor Remedios Cruz spoke to the assembly in Spanish and it was clear that she was filled with the Holy Spirit and on fire for The Lord. At the beginning of her speech her translator worked hard to keep up with her. However, when she got into it with emotion, she pretty much edged the translator away from the microphone and he finally gave up. That light moment was enjoyed by all. That church also provided a liturgical dance in colorful costume which was enjoyable as well. Synod Vice President Cheryl Stuart gave a report filled with great information. She seemed to me to be a tell-it-as-it-is strong woman. She stated that the synod is alive and well and engaged. She asked us to pray for Bishop Benoway each week in church. She challenged us all to keep
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010
abreast of what is happening in the synod and the ELCA by reading what is out on their websites. We should not be surprised by motions and resolutions when it’s all out there on the websites. What’s coming next?...a social statement on genetics for the 2011 assembly. See the website for details. Cheryl chastised pastors who may try to protect their membership from information. She thanked us for walking through the gay clergy decision stating, “We all come to the foot of the cross together”. She challenged us attendees to go out and tell of what we experienced at the assembly, taking the assembly to our individual churches. There were so many great speakers and messages given throughout the weekend that it would take a full edition of our VOT to cover it all. Keep in mind that my knowledge and experience of the Lutheran Church in action is limited to Trinity in Jacksonville and St Stephens in Ohio over a ten year period. I struggle to find the words to describe how much we learned in this three-day weekend. I was dazzled to discover how many ELCA agencies and organizations there are that perform so many essential functions. Just to name some, think about Lutheran Social Services, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, Lutheran Services of Florida, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Disaster Response, Women of ELCA, The Resource Center and Thrivent Financial. Did you know that there is even a Lutheran Advocates for Maritime Mission? In Savannah they go aboard the merchant vessels to worship with and serve the seafarers. Then I started wondering about how many merchant vessels enter JaxPort each week??? Although we learned so much, it soon became apparent that we still have so much to learn.
Page |7 It was great to see our Jerry Johnson give his Treasurers Report. He also had the opportunity to speak of the Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA. That organization does outstanding work in making loans to help congregations and related ministries with building and renovation projects and land purchases. What better way is there to earn interest while assisting with helping the church to grow? We were fortunate to have the opportunity to attend two workshop sessions each. Bonnie attended Growing Your Prayer Life also, Marketing Your Congregation. I attended Doing Justice – Real Stories of Real Congregations and Ten Practical Outreach Strategies that Work. These were all great workshops. One of the common things that we noticed at our sessions was that Trinity Lutheran in Jacksonville already uses many of the strategies recommended for outreach and growth. I was proud to realize that we are enthusiastically on track.
While there were other congregations from Jacksonville in attendance, the one individual who was most interesting was The Reverend William Charles “Ham” Hamilton who is the pastor of St John Lutheran Church in Springfield. He served as the Assembly Chaplain and participated in all of the worship services throughout the weekend. The Assembly closed on Sunday with a wonderful, memorable Closing Eucharist Ceremony. The young lady that sang, Marissa Tweed, from Gainesville had a voice that I can only describe as angelic. Bishop Benoway blessed the gathering with holy water that he sprinkled as he walked. (Till then I didn’t know that Lutherans did
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010 that, thinking that sprinkling was merely a Catholic detail of ceremony.) We all sang the hymn, “All Are Welcome”. How appropriate! The homily was given by Reverend Shauna Hannan of Lutheran
Page |8 As a final word, I must mention that whenever we met folks that were familiar with Trinity Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, they would say how fortunate we are to have two wonderful pastors like Pastor Robert and Pastor Janis. It’s not that we didn’t already know that but it was sure nice to hear it from folks we had never met. To that I must say, Amen.
The Summer Reading Challenge Has Begun! You are invited to read “The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church” by Reggie McNeal with other brothers and sisters in the FloridaBahamas Synod and beyond! You still have time to purchase the book at www.amazon.com. You can find the discussion group at www.fbsynod.com, under Making Disciples, and under Resource Center, click on Book Club. Anyone may view the discussion. However, if you would like to participate in the discussion, please register on the left side of the page. Remember that the password must contain 6 characters that include upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special symbol (such as star, slash).
Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia SC. She is a professor of homiletics (the art of preaching) and has our Joanne Martin as one of her students. We later met Reverend Hannan and she spoke highly of Joann. I thought it ironic that as we listened to her homily, Joanne was guest preaching at our church in Jacksonville. I could go on and on but as we prepared to leave the assembly on Sunday, Bonnie and I felt that our time there was so very well spent. We were so caught up in the moment that we decided to offer our services as volunteers for the Churchwide Assembly next August. Heading for the parking lot we were so thankful for this opportunity to attend and participate at the assembly. This was such a blessing in our lives.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010
The 2010 Conference on Ministry 2010 Conference On Ministry Sept. 20—22, 2010 The Life Enrichment Center near Leesburg, Fl The Rev. Dr. Mark Allen Powell
Robert and Phyllis Leatherman Professor of New Testament Trinity Lutheran Seminary
“What is true of the testimonies we find in the Bible is true also of our own experiences. As we share our faith stories and listen to the faith stories of others… we come to understand our own experience of God better, and we come to recognize new possibilities for the life of faith.” MAPowell Dr Powell will speak Monday evening, Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday morning. Mark Allen Powell is an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but he has also held lectureships internationally at schools in Estonia, Tanzania, and Russia, as well as at such American universities as Berkeley and the University of Chicago. Currently, Dr. Powell is Professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. In addition to his academic works, Powell has produced voluminous materials for churches including biblical commentaries, preaching guides, Sunday School curricula and devotional material. Dr. Powell has done groundbreaking work with regard to understanding the Bible as literature and using methods derived from modern literary
Page |9 criticism to enhance biblical interpretation. He was a principal \ architect in the development of “narrative criticism” in biblical studies and his book What Is Narrative Criticism? is still viewed as a standard work for introducing students to this exegetical method. Powell is recognized as a leading scholar in the study of the Gospel of Matthew. He is author of the Harper Collins commentary on Matthew and has written several other books and articles focusing on the first Gospel. For ten years, he served as Chair of The Matthew Group for the Society of Biblical Literature. He has signed a contract with Eerdmans to produce a comprehensive critical commentary on Matthew by 2018. Powell has been a primary researcher in the The Reverend Katie Carroll, Miami, has this to say about Conference on Ministry: I always look forward to attending the Conference on Ministry. The keynote speakers are engaging, leading me to consider new approaches and ideas; in addition, the time for personal reflection rejuvenates me for the busy season ahead. On top of all this, it's a treat to spend time with colleagues, to share stories, mutual support, and plenty of laughter. Hope to see you there! Me encanta asistir la Conferencia sobre el Ministerio. Las charlas siempre son excelentes, introduciendome a ideas nuevas; y mas, el tiempo para orar y pensar me anima. Junto con estos beneficios, es un placer encontrarse con mis colegas para ofrecer apoyo mutuo y compartir historias y muchas sonrisas. Espero verles todos en Septiembre!
scholarly discipline of understanding Jesus as a figure in world history and is the author of a widely used text book on this subject. He served for eight years as chair of the Society of Biblical Literature’s primary study group devoted to this topic.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com
C+C Summer 2010 His current academic project involves serving as General Editor for the forthcoming third edition of the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, the world’s best-selling dictionary of the Bible. Powell–who began his journalistic career in the ‘70s as a rock critic for The Houston Post–is also regarded as a leading expert on the subject of “contemporary Christian music.” He has published over 1900 reviews and articles on popular music in general and is the author of a 1000-page encyclopedia on Christian pop artists. Event Registration Early Bird Registration (June 1—30) SAVE $25 $170 per person, double room / 2 nights $225 per person, single room / 2 nights Registration (July 1– August 27) Regular Rate $195 per person, double room / 2 nights $250 per person, single room / 2 nights FINAL WEEK (Aug. 28—Sept. 3) $25 Increase $220 per person, double room / 2 nights $275 per person, single room / 2 nights MEALS $49 - All Conference Meals Individual meal tickets : $8 per breakfast $9 per lunch $12 per dinner AFTER SEPT 3 $125 Event fee. No room. No meals
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ROSTER TRANSITIONS ARNHOLT, Robert (RT) – Transferred from the New Jersey Synod. Pastor Arnholt lives in Palm City. BOUDON, Henry L. (Larry) – Ordained 5/29/2010, and called to serve as Transition Pastor at St. James Lutheran Church in Coral Gables. BRESEMANN, Robert W. –Accepted the call to serve as Pastor of Youth & Family Ministry at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Palm City. FREDRICKSON, Jon C.— Resigned as Associate Pastor of Cross+Road Lutheran Church in Orange Park. GILBERT, Daniel – Resigned from the ELCA clergy roster. GORDON, Robert – Resigned from the ELCA clergy roster. GYSAN, Paul (RT) – Transferred from the Metropolitan WA DC Synod. Pastor Gysan lives in Clermont. HANSON, Thomas S. – Roster status is on leave from call. HEBER, Rebecca – Removed from the ELCA clergy roster. HOVEN, Derek – First-call candidate, accepted the call to serve as Associate Pastor at Calvary Lutheran Church in Apollo Beach. Derek will be ordained June 27, 2010, in St. Louis, MO. KERN, Travis E. –Accepted a call to serve as Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Rockville, MD. LUOMA, John K. (RT) –Transferred from the Northeastern Ohio Synod. Pastor Luoma lives in Leesburg. PHILLIPS, Kristen – Removed from the ELCA roster of associates in ministry. RUBINOFF, Sandra – First-call candidate, accepted the call to serve as pastor of Adult Ministries and Christian Educator Director at North Naples United Methodist Church. Sandra will be ordained on June 27, 2010. SCHMALZLE, Robert T. – Accepted call as Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Kissimmee. Pr. Schmalze and his wife Denise come to us from the NE Ohio Synod. SHORT, Beverly – Resigned from the ELCA roster. TWEED, David Gardner—Accepted call as Transition Senior Pastor of Resurrection in Palm Harbor. WAHL, Gerald –Accepted the call to serve as Senior Interim Pastor at Family of Christ in Chanhassen, MN.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA, 3838 W Cypress St. Tampa FL 33607 + 813.876.7660 + www.fbsynod.com