I have asked Pastor Rudy Mueller to remain on staff as Assistant to the Bishop. Rudy will continue to work with leadership support, roster management, interims, mobility and call process, and worship. Rudy will also work closely with me in ecumenical and interreligious relationships. He will no longer serve as Office Manager or oversee information technology.

Danielle Burrus' title and role will change from Coordinator to Director of Communications. As Director of Communications, Danielle will report directly to and work closely with me as bishop to broaden and deepen the many aspects of our communications ministry. She will also oversee information technology concerns and, like other staff members, pick up aspects of office management.

Some aspects of my current role as Assistant to the Bishop will be addressed through very part-time and interim individuals. Other aspects will remain in my portfolio for the time being, necessarily and unfortunately receiving less time and attention. And, of course, some aspects of synod ministry that have received staff attention in the past will be moved to a metaphorical waiting room or be picked up by volunteers as appropriate.

For example, Pastor Steve Wood (St. Paul’s, Seymour, Indiana), who has been chair of the synod’s Candidacy Committee for a number of years, has agreed to serve as Interim Director for Candidacy.

Jan Philpy (Christ Church, Zionsville, IN), who has served as chair of the Synod Assembly Planning Team for six years, has also agreed to serve as Interim Director of Synod Assembly Planning.

Both Steve and Jan have been offered a very small stipend and reimbursement of expenses to attend to these areas of ministry for five hours a week. This will not provide enough time for the sort of attention that has made for a thriving, effective and pastoral ministry with candidates for rostered ministry and a top notch synod assembly experience, but Steve and Jan and the committees with which they work will keep core processes moving forward until we can call an Assistant to the Bishop.

In September we will conduct interviews for the ELCA's Director for Evagelical Mission position in our synod, and we hope to have someone in this position before the first of the year. Among this person's initial high priorities will be to address mission support (benevolence), stewardship, and renewing congregational mission and ministry throughout the synod.

Administrative Staff

My current Administrative Assistant, April Lynch, will become Administrative Assistant to the Bishop and also Rudy Mueller’s Administrative Assistant. In the short term, April will continue to administer the synod's database, but will begin to transition administrative support for our candidacy and synod assembly ministries to other office staff. Please contact April for any scheduling and other post-September 1 concerns related to the Office of Bishop.

Carol Webb, who serves administratively for Region 6, Freed to Lead, and the Director for Evangelical Mission, will transition into administrative support for candidacy and parts of synod assembly.

Sylvia Ore will continue as the synod’s Bookkeeper and will also transition to administering the synod assembly registration process.

In September, I will ask the Synod Council to take responsibility for some of the personnel management concerns that have been part of the Office Manager's portfolio, most recently held by Rudy Mueller.