West Virginia - Western Maryland Synod
(19 September 2024)
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Page
Contents
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Clergy compensation guidelines for 2025 have been posted
on the Clergy Compensation page.
Mission Support
All things mission support are posted on our Mission
Support page, including
- mission support request for 2025
- remittance forms,
- commitment (pledge) forms, and
- a little synodical mission support history
Grants for Congregations
DEM Sherri Schafer has emailed to the synod clergy a list
of three grant opportunities for congregations.
ELCA Disability Ministries
For this grant, congregations apply directly. You do not
need to go through the DEM. For more information, click here.
As explained by ELCA Disability Ministries:
Grant applicants must follow the guidelines below to be eligible to receive grant funding through Disability Ministries.
All applicants seeking funds from Disability Ministries must demonstrate how the request or initiative addresses at least one of the following goals:
- Raising up people with disabilities for leadership positions, encouraging the participation of those with disabilities in the wider church and preparing leaders for serving people with disabilities.
- Equipping our synods, congregations and members with relevant and practical information that enables them to welcome and support individuals with disabilities so that they might participate fully in the life of the congregation and that, together, all might experience being the body of Christ.
- Gathering and connecting people with disabilities and various groups in the church so that they might help us become an inclusive, supportive and whole community of faith.
Additionally, all applicants must show that they have or are actively building a relationship with people in their settings who live with disabilities.
This church wants to move beyond the attitude that “if we build it, they will come.” So, for example, don’t request funding for a ramp simply for the sake of installing one; instead, explain how your project would benefit disabled people in your setting and your ministry, and enrich your mutual relationship as disciples of Jesus Christ.
We will award grants in the range of $5,000-$10,000, for a total of $50,000. Previous applicants who were not funded may reapply.
The application window opened May 28 and will close July 31, or earlier if we have received 30 completed applications. Projects receiving grants will be announced before the end of October 2024.
ELCA Evangelism Initiatives
The Christian Community and Leadership Program Unit of
the ELCA is offering new grants in three different
categories, These grants must be applied for through the
DEM. For details on application, criteria, etc., click here. As explained by by the
Christian Community and Leadership Program Unit:
Evangelism Initiatives
The Gospel compels the Church to always share the good news of Jesus Christ. Evangelism initiatives are meant to add and enhance more ways God’s people can engage in evangelism through congregations and synod work.
These grants support congregations, conferences and/or synods throughout the ELCA as they share the good news of Jesus Christ. Preference is given to lay-led initiatives and training opportunities for evangelism.
Congregational Outreach Ministries (COM)
The purpose of a Congregational Outreach Ministry (COM) is evangelism. These are congregation-based and centered in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through intentional, invitational discipleship and/or outreach ministries located in congregations.
Synod Authorized Outreach Ministry (SAOM)
The purpose of a Synod Authorized Outreach Ministry (SAOM) is evangelism. These are synod-based and authorized, centered in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through intentional, invitational discipleship and/or outreach ministries.
Calvin Institute for Christian
Worship: Worshiping Communities
The Calvin Institute offers grants for vital worship and
vital preaching initiatives. Any congregation may apply
for these grants. For more information, click here.
Research & Evaluation
Congregation Pulse Surveys
The Office of Research and Evaluation is rolling out a
new instrument this year, the Congregation Pulse Survey.
Replacing Form C, these quarterly surveys will sample
congregations of the ELCA on a variety of topics. For more
information, visit our Research
& Evaluation page.
Parochial Reports
*C9.12(b). The pastor of this congregation: shall submit a summary of such statistics annually to the synod.
The online system for 2023 Form A and Form C submissions
has opened.
For more information on the Parochial Report and access
for filing your congregation's parochial report, visit our
Research & Evaluation
page.
New Page for Research & Evaluation
We've radically redesigned the Parochial Reports page. Now it includes information on the Congregation Pulse Survey and access to resources provided by Research & Evaluation, e.g., the number crunching and reporting of the results of Parochial Report submissions. Visit our Research & Evaluation page to explore.
Church & Taxes
Portico provides a guide to help congregations understand their federal tax requirements. You can download, at no cost, Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches from either myPortico or EmployerLink.
Mutual Ministry Committee and
the Driesen Manual
At the direction of the Synod Assembly 2021, the Synod
Mutual Ministry Committee is promulgating the Driesen
Manual as a resource for mutual ministry committee work.
Learn more here.
Supply
Preachers
Do you need coverage for a service? Click here for the Supply
Preacher page.Having trouble finding supply preachers? Apply To Be a Reader!
Having trouble finding supply preachers? In some parts of our territory, it's not easy. There simply aren't folks within a reasonable drive or the few that are are already engaged. To address this problem (as well as reform our longstanding Bishop Lay Worship Leaders Program, Synod Council has authorized the new Synodical Lay Worship Leaders Program, and the first license that is now being rolled out is the "reader" license.Readers do not prepare their own sermons. Instead, they select a sermon from a reputable source in consultation with an assigned supervisor. They also lead worship, using one of the approved liturgies (i.e., ante-communion, service of the Word, matins, or vespers). While it may be difficult to find a pastor or authorized lay preacher in your vicinity, it shouldn't be too hard to identify a trusted lay member (perhaps more than one) in your congregation and suggest licensure. To learn more about the program, visit the Synodical Lay Worship Leaders page.
Pastoral Transition & Vacancy Page
We has gathered together on one page items related to pastoral transitions (coming and going) and pastoral vacancy, but the material related to call process has grown, necessitating two pages. You can still start your exploration at the "transitions" page: check it out.
Polity for Congregations
Procedure in Small Boards
Congregation Council meetings can lose the formality of
parliamentary procedure without sacrificing good order.
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, provides for procedure in small
boards. Check it out.
Education & Training for Congregational Leaders
Are you looking for education and/or training related to
how our polity works, the powers of council, how to
fulfill the duties of officers, how to run an effective
meeting, etc.? Give +Riegel a call (or
email). We can either point you to resources or create
customized education and training offerings.
Polity for Councils: A Crash Course for Congregational Councilors
We're currently offering a workshop for Congregation
Council members on the scope of duties, basis of
authority, and powers of the Congregation Meeting. Let us
know if you would like this offered in your conference or
cluster. Click
here for course page.
| One
can scarcely have had much experience in
deliberative meetings of Christians without
realizing that the best of men, having wills of
their own, are liable to attempt to carry out
their own views without paying sufficient respect
to the rights of their opponents. — Henry M.
Robert*
Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty. — Henry M.
Robert†
It is difficult to find another branch of knowledge where a small amount of study produces such great results in increased efficiency in a country where the people rule, as in parliamentary law. — Henry M. Robert†
*US Army Corps of Engineers, Historical Vignette 038 - An Army Engineer Brought Order to Church Meetings and Revolutionized Parliamentary Procedure. †Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 10th Ed., p. v. |
The Wild and Wonderful World of Procedure
Parliamentary Authority: Robert's Rules of Order
It is not uncommon to hear complaints about parliamentary
procedure, complaints ranging from, "It's confusing," to,
"It slows things down," to, "It complicates what should be
simple." We don't know whether a young Captain Henry
Martyn Robert, U.S. Army, thought the same thing before he
went in to chair his first church meeting, but he came out
convinced that he would never chair another meeting
without a grasp of parliamentary law. A few years later,
he was asked to chair another church meeting meeting; this
time, however, it was worse: the participants came from
all across the United States, bringing their different
local customs, customs which did not fit together. This
inspired the now Major Robert to write his first manual of
parliamentary procedure. That's right, folks: the church
is the birth-mother of Robert's Rules of Order!
A recommended provision in The Model Constitution for Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America states,
C10.07. Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern parliamentary procedure of all meetings of this congregation.
It is doubtful that this recommended provision found its
way into The Model because of the churchly origins
of Robert's Rules of Order. More likely, it is
recommended because it is the most commonly used
parliamentary authority in the nation.
To be
honest, it is not required that a congregation adopt the
latest edition of or even Robert's Rules of Order
at all. C10.07 is a recommended provision. Still, Robert's
Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition, makes
a lot of sense because it is so popular. Many of your
members will be somewhat familiar with it because of prior
experience in civic organizations. Its popularity also
means you can find a lot of help out there if you need it.
It is, however, the prerogative of the congregation to
adopt something other than RONR, e.g., Cushing’s,
Roberta’s, Martha's, Atwood's, etc.
can all be used instead. A body may even write its own
rules of order. It is vitally important that rules of
order, once adopted, be followed. It is also vitally
important that any rules of order adopted preserve the
rights of the members both individually and collectively.
The 12th Edition has just been released. There
is a very helpful appendix covering modification of the
standard rules for electronic meetings. Several sections
have been clarified, and a new coding system has been
added to make it easier for people to talk across the
print and digital versions of the book.
The National
Association of Parliamentarians is the custodian of
Robert's Rules of Order. You will find on their
website educational resources and an online store. It is
even possible to become a member of NAP and acquire
certification and credentials. If you would like further
assistance in matters related to parliamentary law and
procedure, feel free to contact Bp. Riegel.
Congregation Meeting in Time of Pandemic
If you haven't started wondering about this, you will.
The first part and second part of a series related to
Congregation Meeting and the challenges posed by the
pandemic have been uploaded.
- Part I explores not holding a Congregation Meeting and how to handle budget, elections, pastoral compensation, reports, and other constitutional requirements. (Revised 9/16/20)
- Part II
explores meeting in-person in both indoors and outdoors.
It also explores meeting electronically and what to do
if you can't hold an electronic meeting. (Revised 10/7/20)
- Part III will cover adaptation of procedure that
facilitates meeting electronically.
Email Voting by Congregation Council
Guidance has been posted on the question of email voting
by congregation councils, as the question has come up more
than once and will probably come up even more with the
pandemic restrictions that are currently in place. Click here to access.
Updating your Congregation's Constitution
Churchwide Assembly (CWA) 2022 adopted revisions to both the required provisions and recommended provisions of the Model Constitution for Congregations. This happens every CWA (which, since 2013, takes place every three years). It is advisable to update your congregation's constitution after every Churchwide Assembly.Remember, both *C16.03 and *C16.04 require that the amended constitution be transmitted to the synod for filing and, in the case of the former, for ratification. When doing so, please include a redline version with the final form (unless it is a revision rather than an amendment of the constitution). It is preferred that a redline version use strikethrough for deletions, italics for insertions, and red font or red highlight for both. If you have any questions, contact the bishop or one of the synod parliamentarians for assistance.
For Constitutions Last Updated with Churchwide Assembly 2019 Changes
If you updated your constitution after CWA 2019, updating will be easy. Download the 2022 Amendments to the Model Constitution for Congregations and follow the procedures for amendment. Note the following:- You have the option of not revising anything in your constitution.
- If you revise anything in your constitution, your constitution must be brought into compliance with all required provisions in the Model.
- If an exception to the rule above is sought, consultation with the bishop is required.
- It is not necessary to adopt the recommended provisions.
- The congregation may, of course, adopt additional provisions which are not in the Model so long as they do not conflict with required provisions in the Model.
- In all this, follow the provisions for the amendment of your constitution scrupulously.
- If none of this makes sense to you, contact the bishop.
For Constitutions Updated with Churchwide Assembly 2016
Changes But Not Updated with 2019 Changes
If you updated your constitution after CWA 2016 but did not
update after Churchwide Assembly 2019, you will have to do a
little extra work because you will have to capture two sets
of changes (those made by CWA 2019 and those made by CWA
2022). Download both the 2019 Amendments
to the Model Constitution for Congregations and
the 2022 Amendments to
the Model Constitution for Congregations and
follow the procedures for amendment. Note the following:- You have the option of not revising anything in your constitution.
- If you revise anything in your constitution, your
constitution must be brought into compliance with all
required provisions in the Model—n.b.,
changes to required provisions made in both 2019 and
2022 must be included.
- If an exception to the rule above is sought, consultation with the bishop is required.
- It is not necessary to adopt the recommended provisions.
- The congregation may, of course, adopt additional provisions which are not in the Model so long as they do not conflict with required provisions in the Model.
- In all this, follow the provisions for the amendment of your constitution scrupulously.
- If none of this makes sense to you, contact the bishop.
For Constitutions Older than Churchwide Assesmbly 2016
If your constitution was not revised after CWA 2016 (or is not in compliance with the Model in areas other than the CWA 2022 update), you may want to contact the bishop. CWA 2016 produced a massive revision to the Model, especially to the required provisions of Chapter 9. The bishop can provide advice on how too reduce the weeping and gnashing of teeth involved in making this sort of update. The first step in this process is to download the 2022 Model Constitution for Congregations. Note the following:- Everything on the list for the simple update applies here along with some additional points (listed).
- It may be easier, depending on how far your constitution is out of compliance with the required provisions of the Model, to start with the Model as your base document and do a wholesale replacement of your constitution.
- When doing so, first go through and identify all your recommended provisions and all provisions unique to your congregation.
- Compare your recommended provisions (i.e., provisions that are not required) with those in the Model and decide which you would like to to keep, modify, or trash.
- Incorporate as appropriate.
- In less drastic cases, entire chapters can be replaced.
- Do the same with any local provisions (i.e., items unique to your congregation) in your constitution.
- Follow the provisions for amendment of the your constitution as they appear in your current constitution (not as they appear in the Model, as they may be different).
WV Congregations: Filing Your Trustees
with the County
If your congregation is in West Virginia, has the
congregation updated its list of trustees at the county
court house? This is important, especially if you are
considering the sale of church real estate. Click here to learn more.Selling Church Property
We have a new page dedicated to polity matters related to the sale of church property. Click here to learn more.COVID-19 Page
COVID-19 poses special challenges for congregations and their leadership. A special page has been set up on the synod web site for COVID-19 related information. Please visit WV-WMD.org/COVID-19 to access the latest material.Workshops & Presentations
The WV-WMD Synod offers workshops and presentations for
congregations on a variety of topics. The following are
currently available, but more will be added as time goes
on. If there is something you would like to see that is
not listed, contact Bishop Riegel. To make arrangements
for a presentation or workshop, email Bishop Riegel
(Bishop@WV-WMD.org).
Worship- Praying Compline
- Praying Matins
- Praying Vespers
- Tips for Singing Psalms
- Polity & Governance
- Intro to Roberts Rules of Order
- Updating Constitutions & Bylaws
- Theology, Bible, Ethics, and History
- Sanctification in a Lutheran Key
- The Rhetoric of First Corinthians
- A Theological Argument for the Political Animal
- German-speaking Lutherans in the Great War's America
- Making End of Life Decisions
- The History of the History of the Reformation
- The Geo-Politics of the Reformation
Events that have been scheduled can be found on the Synod's Education page.
A Seed Planted Mission Fund
Synod Assembly 1996 established “A Seed Planted” Mission
Fund to stimulate innovative outreach by or from
congregations. Awarded grants went for a range of
activities from a coffee house Bible study to printed
promotional material to efforts with unaffiliated
populations. To download information on the fund and
guidelines on application for a grant, click here.
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304-363-4030 + Porter@WV-WMD.org