Lay rostered leaders: What’s in a name? By Jeff Favre For those serving the ELCA as a diaconal
minister, deaconess or associate in ministry, names—specifically name changes—have been a hot topic for nearly a decade. After discussion and deliberation, the
Word and Service Task Force has officially recommended that the three rosters of church lay leaders be unified into a single body and that its members be known as deacons. If voting members to the 2016 Churchwide Assembly approve the recommendation, the change will be effective Jan. 1, 2017. (For more, search for “Word and Service FAQs” at
elca.org/elca/resources). Cherlyne Beck, ELCA program director for
support of rostered leaders, said the task force hopes that passing this will clarify the role of these lay leaders and strengthen the connection
between church and the world. “What has been interesting to me is that
even though people on the lay rosters have had questions, not one person who responded said, ‘Don’t do this,’ ” Beck said. “I believe that this isn’t just an administrative change. This is a way to help people recognize the variety of gifts and to compliment those gifts.” Liz Colver agrees. As a deaconess and
community-organizing specialist in the Northwest Washington Synod, she looks at her role as being a voice of the church to the world and bringing back to the church a better understanding of what’s happening in the world. Her two part-time calls are her first as a
deaconess. She doesn’t see the unification as having negative aspects.
Liz Colver (striped black T-shirt), deaconess and community-organizer in the Northwest Washington Synod, works with her neighbors on planting a community berry patch in Kenmore, Wash. “[This] neighborhood is experimenting with authentic relationships and a shared economic way of life that includes a new community berry patch,” Colver said. “It’s a grand experiment on being the neighbor Jesus calls us to be and love.”
Photo: Ryan Torma 22 JULY 2016
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