Chapter 9. ROSTERED MINISTER

What do our pastors and deacons do?

About This Chapter

This chapter outlines everything in regards to ministers of Word and Service (pastors) and ministers of Word and Sacrament (deacons). Rostered Leaders vs. Pastors/Deacons

Top Priority: List any ongoing duties of rostered leaders.

Note: Provisions 01-19 roughly parallel provisions 21-39. The former relate to ministers of Word and Sacrament; the latter relate to ministers of Word and Service.

Thoughts and Suggested Provisions

The following is offered merely as suggestions, often based on common provisions in congregational constitutions. It is up to each congregation to determine what is and is not important to include in their own governing documents.

Note: For each suggestion, the congregation must decide whether a provision should be a constitutional provision, a bylaw, or a continuing resolution. Go to the page on types of provisions to understand the differences.

Warning: Remember, required provisions cannot be modified in any way. However, congregations can add bylaws and continuing resolutions under required provisions. Example

C9.01. & C9.21. Authority to Call

Options chosen here should match options chosen in C13.05.

*C9.03. General Duties of Ministers

If the congregation has any restrictions or requirements placed upon baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriages, or anything else that goes in the parochial records according to *C9.12., they do not belong here. The congregation cannot put restrictions on the ELCA-defined role a minister of Word and Sacrament.

Rather, the congregation can put restrictions on how members are received and on the worship life of the congregation. Baptism and confirmation concerns should be put in Chapter 8, and other such items should be put in Chapter 12. Alternatively, all such items could be specified in Chapter 4.

Note: Use this provision as a resource during annual evaluations.

C9.04. & C9.24. Specific Duties of Pastors/Deacons and Compensation

Duties, compensation, and other matters that will be included in a letter of call that are universal to all pastors or deacons of the congregation could be included here so that such duties are not forgotten in the future. This is particularly important for congregations that do not have employee handbooks. Some duties of pastors are already outlined in *C9.12.

Warning: Other than a basic outline, much of the following may more appropriately belong in an employee handbook.

Leave: Vacation, sick, PTO, parental (maternity, paternity, and adoptive), family, medical, bereavement, holidays, jury duty, military, voting
Prayer and spiritual renewal, including daily prayer, prayer retreats, or a spiritual director
Professional expenses, including travel, business lunches, books, subscriptions, supplies (e.g. albs, stoles, communion kits), etc.
Does the congregation have a sabbatical policy?
Are rostered leaders mandatory reporters?
What types of background checks are required and how often are they to be renewed?
What type of trainings are rostered leaders expected to have (e.g. boundaries, anti-racism, first aid, CPR, mental health first aid, upstanders, safe church, etc.)? How long do they have to get these trainings after being called, and how often should these trainings be renewed?
How many hours of continuing education are expected for rostered ministers? Does the compensation support this level of expectations? Are rostered ministers required to develop a continuing education plan each year for approval by the Congregation Council?
Are there groups the rostered leaders are expected to participate in, such as a ministerium?
Are there boards the rostered leaders serve on, such as a local ministry?

Note: Depending on the congregation, some of these might belong under *C9.09. or *C9.27.

Warning: Anything listed here should minimally match synod guidelines and legal requirements. If the congregation's requirements are greater than what the synod provides, be sure to consider how the congregation will help the rostered leaders meet those additional requirements.

Note: The installation vows include prayer and the study of Scripture, but those activities are listed nowhere in Chapter 9.

Note: Though most congregations are not required to, does the congregation abide by the Family and Medical Leave Act?

Note: Definition of Compensation for Ministers of Word and Sacrament (a form that should be completed annually as part of the approval of the budget) can provide some guidance. However, the section on leave is particularly lacking.

Note: ELCA guidelines expect 50 "contact" hours of intentional continuing education annually for every rostered minister. However, it does not require certificates of proof nor are there stipulations on what counts toward meeting this requirement. Many hours may be obtained through free or inexpensive means and may not directly relate to theology, such as a local educational event on opioids. Does the congregation have any specific guidelines for continuing education?

This guideline includes the $700 to $1000 continuing education compensation by congregations. But the guideline was made in 1997. Is that amount of compensation adequate today?

This guideline also recommends a one-to-three-month sabbatical every three to five years. Does the synod have any sabbatical guidelines?

Note: Continuing education may or may not include self-renewal, like a prayer retreat. Continuing education generally does not include required synod meetings, such as a bishop's convocation.

Note: For tax purposes, it is generally better that the congregation cover any professional expenses. However, ELCA guidelines generally recommend sharing many of these expenses (professional, continuing education, and sabbatical) between the congregation and the rostered minister.

C9.09. & C9.27. Individual Responsibilities Among Multiple Pastors or Deacons

Duties, compensation, and other matters that will be included in a letter of call that are unique to each pastor or deacon could be included here so that such duties are not forgotten in the future.

What is the differentiation of duties? Who has the power to do what?
What are the titles and of the positions how do they relate to the titles used by the ELCA? Rostered Leader Titles
What from the previous section belongs here instead?

C9.15. Contracting a Pastor from a Full Communion Partner

Note: C9.15. is not a required provision.

Most congregations should not remove this provision. It allows the congregation to contract a pastor from a full communion partner (e.g. UCC, Methodist, etc.).