By Bishop Michael Rinehart Let me begin this article about getting a Doctor of Ministry degree by saying thank you for the sabbatical. You offer a three-month sabbatical after seven years of service. As I begin my 16th year serving in this call, I am thankful. The sabbatical was actually scheduled for summer of 2020: June-August. As the pandemic began to ramp up in March and April of 2020, it became clear that I wouldn’t be able to walk away from the synod and go off the grid for three months...

By Chris Markert, Bishop’s Associate for Mission Hurricane season is upon us, running from June 1 through November 30. Forecasters at the National Weather Service are predicting above-average hurricane activity this year. This makes it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season, with climate change being a major factor. The NOAA is expecting between 14 and 21 named storms this year. (NOAA reference). Now is the time to prepare, before a storm hits. The Gulf Coast Synod’s Disaster...

By Tracey Breashears Schultz, Bishop’s Associate for Leadership When you are driving down the interstate, there are certain things you do to prepare to exit. You watch for signs, you slow down, and you make your way off the ramp. In much the same way, when a pastor or deacon is preparing to leave a call, the bishop and I invite them to an Exit Interview. This is an opportunity to slow down, to reflect on what this call in this place has meant to them, to share memories, and to say goodbye...

By Lisa Brenskelle The mission of Lutherans Restoring Creation is to promote incorporation of care for creation into the full life and mission of the church, working in five areas:  worship, education, discipleship, building & grounds, and public ministry/advocacy.  For some timely information in these areas, see below: Worship Check out these climate vigil songs for worship. Reconnect worship of the creator with creation by forming a wild church. Civic engagement on moral issues is key...

By Bishop Michael Rinehart For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. ~Galatians 5:13-15 In May, we tragically experienced the worst school shooting in Texas history. The...

By Tracey Breashears Schultz, Bishop’s Associate for Leadership Compensation Guidelines are the synod’s guidance about how and what pastors and deacons should be paid. They are updated annually, with the hope that they will be used by congregations who are completing a call process and offering compensation to their new minister as well as by congregation councils in anticipation of their pastor or deacon’s annual review. Besides salary information, guidance about continuing education,...

By Chris Markert, Bishop’s Associate for mission Several years ago, the Gulf Coast Synod went through a strategic planning process. Out of that process, we identified four strategic priorities: 1) Deepening faith; 2) Holy Hospitality; 3) Bold Leadership; and 4) Flexible Governance. With these priorities, I became the staff “champion” (i.e., relator) for our hospitality ministries. As the synod started to lean into these priorities, we began to gain an understanding of hospitality as how we...

By Bishop Mike Rinehart Lutherans and Catholics have had many rounds of bilateral dialogs, beginning in 1965. In 1999, the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was a huge milestone. More recently the Declaration on the Way: Church Ministry and Eucharist, gathered together the 32 agreements of understanding between Lutherans and Catholics. In 2017, From Conflict to Commuion laid out a path for a joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in a...

By Elizabeth A. Eaton Browsing through my work journal recently, I noticed the date when my entries stopped: March 19, 2020. The next week the Chicago-based churchwide staff began sheltering in place. I remember moving the magnets on the Office of the Presiding Bishop’s attendance board to “out” for all of us, wondering when or if we would all return. In the early days of the pandemic there was confusion, uncertainty and some fear. But there was also a sense of adventure as I stocked up on dry...