November 19, 2009
Dear Ascension Member,
This is an exciting time for our congregation. Not only because we’re preparing our hearts for Advent and the joyful celebration of our Savior’s birth, but also because a Call Team has begun a process that will lead to calling a new pastor to Ascension.
We wanted to take this time to update you on the call process, the overall succession plan and a few other items. If you have questions after reading this letter, please feel free to ask either of us (Pastor Frank or John Rodgers), Jim Hahn, Chris Holloway or Rick James. You’re also invited to attend informational sessions to learn more about the process, ask questions and offer your input to the Call Team (see details later in this letter).
Call Team
The Council called and affirmed the following people to serve on the Call Team: Jim Hahn (co-chair), Chris Holloway (co-chair), Mary Ellen Comp, Mike Hoelzl, Mike Jahner, Lois Koepke, Tod Kolinski, Mary Knudten, Kathy Phelan and Bonnie Thiesenheusen. Pastor Frank will work with the Call Team as their spiritual adviser, providing pastoral support to equip them for their task and assisting them in their selection of the best candidate to bring to the congregation. Please pray for these people and support them as they go about their work.
Call Process
A detailed outline of the entire call process was included in October service bulletins and the November newsletter. You also can find it on Ascension’s Web page under the Newsletter tab. Key milestones will include: 1) Hosting congregational information sessions; 2) Advertising for the position; 3) Identifying and interviewing candidates; 4) Holding a congregational vote about issuing a call; 5) Issuing the call and awaiting the response; and 6) Installing our new pastor.
It’s important to understand that calling a new pastor is a deliberate, careful and prayer-filled process. And while it’s impossible to know how long it will take to find, call and install a new pastor, experience tells us it could take several months. But how long it takes is not what’s important; what’s important is that we be patient, pray a lot, and put our faith, hope and trust in the Lord. The Call Team will diligently and faithfully carry out its responsibilities, but it is the Lord who will lead our new pastor to us – according to His timetable, not ours.
Succession Plan
Our intent is to do more than fill a pastoral vacancy with this call. With God’s help, we intend to implement a succession plan that facilitates a continuity of pastoral leadership that will affirm Ascension’s mission, vision and values, and assure the ongoing health, stability and growth of our church. This will involve finding someone who aspires to be a Lead Pastor; a humble servant who respects what’s already here, but also has the courage, faith and vision to lead us in new directions; a person who embraces the things that make Ascension a vibrant, welcoming community of believers; and a spiritual leader who is comfortable with our culture and is energized by serving a congregation of servants.
So, we are not just looking for someone to fill our current vacancy; we also are looking for the person who will someday become Ascension’s Lead Pastor. To that end, Pastor Frank, the Council and the Succession Planning Team envision a three-phase leadership succession plan. In phase one, our new associate pastor will be learning about Ascension, assimilating our culture and getting to know us while we get to know him or her. The new pastor will do a lot of listening in this phase and will be mentored by Pastor Frank and others. In phase two, our new pastor becomes a co-pastor with Pastor Frank. In phase three, the new pastor assumes the Lead Pastor role while Pastor Frank remains for a time to support, assist and facilitate a smooth transition before retiring.
There is no specific timetable for this leadership succession plan. It can’t be rushed. It is wiser to be careful and prayerful than to be hurried and premature by insisting on a short-term process. We need to leave lots of room for the Holy Spirit to work. Faith, trust, patience, love, prayer, open hearts and open minds will be needed in abundance.
Working with the Greater Milwaukee Synod
Ascension's Call Team will receive names of potential candidates from our synod Bishop (to be elected the first weekend in December). Ascension members also may submit candidate names to the Call Team which may be passed on to the Bishop for review. The Call Team will invite résumés from candidates of interest to them and then follow the call process as outlined above. The Call Team is not obligated to accept all candidates provided by the synod. Please keep in mind that the decision to issue a call rests with the congregation, not with the Call Team. Our constitution requires a two-thirds majority of members present at a meeting to issue a call.
Informational Sessions
Your participation in the call process is important. Please plan to attend one of the following Informational Sessions to learn about the call process, ask questions and give your input to the Call Team:
Sunday, Dec. 6 Tuesday, Dec. 8 Sunday, Jan. 10
10:15 a.m. (West Hall) 7 p.m. (Hearth Room) 10:15 a.m. (West Hall)
Noon(Sanctuary) Noon(Sanctuary)
Please know that the entire process outlined above is fully supported by me (Pastor Frank), as well as by the Council and its president, John Rodgers, the co-signer of this letter. We also know that it is the Holy Spirit who will guide us all to the person we are meant to call to be Ascension's next pastor.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, support and prayers during this time.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Janzow John Rodgers
Lead Pastor President