Director for Evangelical Mission/Assistant to the Bishop, Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America • Oil Creek Township, PA

90d

About The Position

Grounded in our purpose and priorities, the Christian Community and Leadership unit (CCL) helps the ELCA reach and engage new people reflecting the diversity of communities, welcoming them into the Christian faith. To this end, we will energize and engage our core membership and work with the whole of the ELCA to recruit, develop and deploy the leadership, both lay and rostered, that the church needs to fulfill its purpose of spreading the gospel and building the church. The Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) represents the ELCA through the Christian Community and Leadership Unit (CCL) in the Southeastern Synod and is responsible for the development of tools to support congregational vitality, which we define as, 'Communities of Jesus that nurture new life-changing relationships with God, one another and the world.' The position also reflects the purposes, principles and commitments of the synod, CCL and the ELCA as a whole. The (DEM) will collaborate and coordinate with Churchwide, synod and congregational leaders to develop strategies designed to help congregations engage their communities so that more people know the way of Jesus and discover community, justice and love. The person in this position is expected to fully participate in the life and ministry of the synod on the synod staff with synod initiatives and is responsible for implementing and building upon ELCA commitments to ministries among diverse cultures and communities, people with disabilities, and the young-adult population, as well as people and communities experiencing poverty. The DEM participates in resourcing the synod mission strategy with an emphasis on congregational vitality, evangelism, and leadership. The person in this position will also serve as an Assistant to the Bishop by representing the bishop in various educational and collegial roles.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience effectively leading an effort that helped bring people to faith.
• Grounding in Christian faith and familiarity with Lutheran theology, evangelism, discipleship and the theories and practice of mission development.
• Rostered minister of word and sacrament preferred.
• Effective communicator in preaching, teaching, writing and evangelical outreach.
• Demonstrated ability working with leaders in agile, adaptive innovation and facilitating group processes.
• Ability to utilize metrics, congregational trend reports and demographic data in the process of the development of congregational vitality.
• Proven effective time-management and administrative experience.
• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, analytical and communication skills.
• Demonstrated competency among communities of color and with people and communities experiencing poverty.
• Willingness to learn and adapt to the culture of Northern Appalachia.
• Active participation in a Christian congregation and God’s mission.
• Appreciation for the mission, vision, and values of the ELCA.
• Experience using Microsoft Office suite of applications and web-based communication platforms.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the formation and coordination of at least one synod team that organizes the vitality of existing congregations and new mission development in the synod.
• Responsible for the administration of the portfolio of supported ministries including the process of application and evaluation of grants through the ELCA Grantmaker (EGM) System.
• Responsible for identifying, recruiting and training leaders for the work of the church including those who can serve as mission developers and rostered ministers.
• Responsible for establishing short- and long-term priorities and sharing learnings with the synod and across the ELCA.
• Responsible for mission support and stewardship (up to ¼ time).
• Oversee Authorized Lay Worship Leaders (ALWL) and Authorized Lay Communion Distributors (ALD).
• Plan and implement continuing education opportunities with the synod.
• Encourage and promote collegiality among rostered ministers within the synod.
• Visit and be present in congregations for Sunday services to build rapport and trust.
• Attend meetings and carry out duties for synodical committees and boards as designated by the bishop.

Benefits

• Employer paid health premiums for employees.
• Health and dependent care FSA’s.
• Health savings account (HSA) with an employer contribution.
• Life insurance.
• Substantial employer contribution to 403b retirement plan (no match required).
• Generous paid time-off policy including 17 paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree