Page Map In General Sabbatical Region 8 Cont. Ed Sharing First Call Theological Education Plenary 2026 Biannual Synod Clergy Continuing Ed Event The Planning Team Fall 2026: Luther's Political Theology Past Events Reclaiming the A-Word Boundaries Training Chautauqua: Chaplain of the Week

Having all the information about clergy-specific continuing education on the main education page unnecessarily cluttered the Education for Clergy & Laity page. We've pulled the standards, recommendations, and clergy continuing ed materials here. Anything that would be open to both clergy & laity is on the Education for Clergy & Laity page. Be sure to check there too for educational offerings.

In General

WV-WMD typically holds two main clergy cont. ed events each year, one in fall, the other in winter. More about that below.

It is worth noting that CA97.2.7(a)(1)(a), an action of the Churchwide Assembly, encourages "a minimum of 50 contact hours per year of intentional continuing education, or 150 contact hours each three-year period." N.B., a contact hour is defined (as found on the rostered leader's annual report to bishop) as 50 minutes of class time or the equivalent. Time in worship, at meals, etc. does not count as contact hours. You may review the Report on Life-Long Learning and Development for Faithful Leaders (1997), the recommendation of the Church Council, the ensuing debate, and the final action in the Minutes of the Churchwide Assembly 1997 (excerpted).

Who would go to a doctor or a lawyer who did not engage in continuing education? Arguably, the stakes are higher when it comes the the clergy. Congregations should, therefore, not think of continuing education as a reward or a benefit but as an investment. Mutual ministry committees should discuss continuing education plans with their clergy and support education that will advance the professional development of their clergy and, in turn, advance the ministry.

Sabbatical

Region 8 Continuing Ed Sharing

There has been lots of new postings on the Region 8 Facebook page. It's good to see this much activity, and it is especially good to see us all moving beyond our synodical silos.

Synods across Region 8 hold continuing education events, and, on occasion, the Region sponsors an event jointly. It is often, though not always, possible to join another synod for its event. Be sure to check with the appropriate sponsor. If, however, the event is listed on the Region 8 Facebook Page, you may assume that it is open to clergy from across the Region. Check it out.

First Call Theological Education

CA95.6.55 ...To require, by the fall of 1997, that all newly rostered pastors and lay leaders participate, throughout their first three years of ministry under call, in structured programs of theological education, designed and supervised by their synods, according to churchwide standards;....

FCTE Region 8 Plenary

The Biannual Synod Clergy Continuing Ed Event

Synod Clergy Cont. Ed Event Team Pr. Devin Ames (UOVC), Chair Pr. Patrice Weirick (OKVC) Pr. Carrie Hoff (MVMC) Pr. Karen Erskine-Valentine (PC)

The Planning Team

At the Winter 2018 Synod Clergy Cont. Education Event, the presbyteral college elected to establish a committee for the design, planning, and management of synod sponsored clergy continuing education with one representative from each of the four conferences. Synod Clergy Cont. Ed, as we currently have it configured, provides approximately 12-17 CEUs per year, assuming attendance at both events.

Serving on the the Continuing Ed Committee we have The Revs. Daniel Collins (PC), chair, Patrice Weirick (OKVC), and The Rev. Devin Ames (UOVC) with Bp. Riegel as an advisory member and staff support. Synod clergy should feel free to talk to their conference's team member about ideas and concerns related to continuing ed.

Thanks are owed to The Revs. Christine Olson (past chair), Sherri Schafer (past chair), Daniel Collins (past chair), Paul Schafer, Casey Linemann, Ryan Heycock, Ruth Bullwinkle, Kevin Mackey, Randy Richardson, Sally Bartling, Darick Biondi, and Ben Erzkus for their now concluded service on the team.

Winter/Spring 2027

The planning team is digesting feedback from those gathered at the Fall 2026 SCCEE. As soon as we have information, we'll post it.

Fall 2026: Luther's Political Theology

The Fall 2026 WV-WMD Synod Clergy Continuing Education Event was held at Priest Field, 9-11 November 2026, with The Rev. Dr. Anthony Bateza presenting on Luther's political theology.

Presenter

The Rev. Dr. Anthony Bateza is Associate Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College. He is a specialist in Martin Luther, moral theology, and Christian ethics. Luther’s political theology is his primary area of research, focusing on the reformer's understanding of human agency and his relationship with the virtue tradition and Augustinian thought. He is also personally and professionally invested in questions of race, identity, and social justice. He has written on Black liberation theology and connections between Lutheran teaching and confronting racism in the United States. 

Dr. Bateza teaches a variety of courses in the religion department that connect theological and historical questions with contemporary challenges. He has taught in the Enduring Conversations program and currently serves as the program director of the Race and Ethnic Studies program (RACE) and chair of the Race, Ethnic, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department (REGSS). 

Outside of the classroom, Dr. Bateza is involved in a number of important projects at St. Olaf that center the college's strategic efforts to center character and leadership. With the support of an Academic Leadership Fellowship from the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, he serves as the Special Assistant to the Provost and is helping to develop an Academy for Leadership and Character.

He is also the principal investigator on the college's "Character in Community" project, a three-year effort designed to foster the disposition and capacity of St. Olaf students to engage in intentional character development, oriented to discern and pursue the common good, by working in community to identify, assess, and apply learning from exemplars. This project is supported through the Educating Character Initiative, a part of Wake Forest University Program for Leadership and Character, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., which aims to support a wide community of more than 400 institutions to educate character within colleges and universities.

Dr. Bateza has earned degrees from Iowa State University (B.S, 2002), the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (M.Div., 2006), and Princeton Theological Seminary (Ph.D., 2017). He is an ordained pastor in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) and frequently speaks in congregational settings and at church events.

Past Events

Peruse our past events and get a sense of what we do.

• MESS Training
• "Spirits Angels and Demons in the Bible" with The Rev. Dr. Reed Carlson
• "Bonhoeffer and Nationalism" with Dr. Terese Smallwood
  
• "Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma" with The Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner
• "Mark on Mark" with The Rev. Dr. Mark Vitalis Hoffman
• "Walking with God Today: What's Next?" with The Rev. Harold "Jake" Jacobson
• "My Burden Is Light: Making Room for Jesus in Preaching" with The Rev. Dr. Craig Satterlee
• "Grief" with Sr. Carol Riley
• "St. Paul and early Christianity" with The Rev. Dr. Mark Vitalis Hoffman
• Hybrid Church with The Rev. Dave Daubert
• Best Practices for Live Streaming with The Rev. Matt Day
• Best Practices for Pandemical Worship with The Revs. Susan Claytor, Linda Muhly, Ian Reid, and Michael Wright
• Racial Sensitivity raining with Ron Scott
• Creative Christian Education and Empowering Families in Times of COVID with The Rev. Jess Felici

Reclaiming the A-Word

The Potomac Chapter of the Society of the Holy Trinity (in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Chapter) will hold its 2026 annual winter retreat, beginning March 30 at 2:00 p.m. and wrapping up with lunch on December 1 at 12:00 noon, at Bon Secours, Marriottsville, MD, with The Rt. Rev. Matthew Lynn Riegel, STM, presenting under the theme "Reclaiming the A-Word." The lectures will explore the doctrine of adiaphora as developed in the Adiaphoristic Controversy during the Leipzig Interim and codified in the Formula of Concord. Moving beyond the sixteenth century, Riegel will discuss continued doctrinal development, attempting to distinguish between pure and impure adiaphora while also suggesting multiple angles from which to view even pure adiaphora and make decisions between adiaphoristic options, remembering that "adiaphora does not mean unimportant." If you are a Lutheran pastor and would like to attend this event, click here for registration. Registration deadline is November 16.

Boundaries, Diversity, etc. Training

The Churchwide Assembly has at various times (or encouraged) synods to offer training on a variety of topics: boundaries, anti-racism, diversity, etc.

Clergy in the synod are free to secure such training where the wish. The synod may, under some rules, be required to offer, but there is no rule that the clergy must take training under the synod's programming. At the same time, nothing prevents the synod from identifying sources for training outside the synod. Clergy of full-communion partners should follow whatever norms are required by their respective denominations, but they are most welcome to partake of offerings provided by Lutheran entities.

Rostered Leader Training by ULS

United Lutheran Seminary offers a variety of training sessions (e.g., Racial Justice, Cultural Competency, and/or Boundary Training). For more information and to access to an à la carte menu on the registration site, click here.

Chautauqua: Lutheran House Chaplain of the Week

The Lutheran House at Chautauqua offers the opportunity to Lutheran pastors to serve as Chaplain of the Week, and application is no open for the 2027 season. The Chaplain of the Week is responsible for

• presiding and preaching at the Sunday morning mass,
• leading a Thursday evening vespers,
• presence at the Tuesday afternoon social,
• offering a presentation/program of the chaplain's design at a mutually agreed upon time, and
• general pastoral presence throughout the week.