Dean’s Job Description

Synod Constitution – S12.01.04
The Bishop shall annually appoint a Dean, whose function will be to convene regular meetings of the Ministerium for the purpose of studying and discussing theological and ecclesial matters. Each Dean will also be a member of a Cabinet of Deans, which shall confer with the Bishop several times a year.

Install new pastors in the Conference
Convene the pastors of the Conference for these purposes:

Care and collegiality
Theological deliberation
Professional excellence and accountability
Mission (dreaming about mission development and renewal in your territory)

Provide pastoral care for the pastors and other rostered leaders in your Conference, both active and retired. This may be accomplished by:

Visit whenever a pastor or a pastor’s family member is in the hospital.
Make a phone call or send a note at significant life events.
When a new pastor enters the synod, take him/her to lunch.
Collect and remember birthdays and anniversaries.

Maintain a current list with contact information of the pastors and other rostered leaders in your Conference, both active and retired.
Pray for the pastors and congregations in your synod.
Facilitate the annual election of the dean in the spring of each year.
Participate in ministry reviews of new and renewing ministries with the Director of Evangelical Mission.
Gather the lay leaders (officers) of the congregations in your Conference into a conference meeting 204 times a year for the purpose of developing and maintaining a mission strategy for the area, that:

Gathers information on population growth and changes in the area
Dreams about mission opportunities
Prioritizes where new mission starts should be planted
Raises congregational support for those missions
Identifies ministries that need transformation in order to adapt to the changing context
Applies for mission funding through the ELCA’s division of Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission
Promotes ecumenical opportunities.