Call Process Booklet

Beginning the Work of the Call Committee
If the Call Committee is the group that prepared the Mission Site Profile (MSP), their
work will continue but take new shape. This is an important turn in the interim period
when all the reflection of the past few months is used to prepare for and interview
potential candidates.
It is the responsibility of synod staff to identify those potential candidates for
congregations. It is not the responsibility or the desire of the bishop to assign rostered
leaders to congregations. There will be occasions in the midst of our clergy shortage
when there will be very few or even only one candidate to interview. In spite of this,
think of synod staff as “pastor yentas.” We look for good potential matches; it is the Call
Committee that determines whether any given candidate is the one that God has in
mind for your congregation.
Once the congregation has submitted their MSP, synod staff use it to identify potential
candidates. Candidates for call come from three sources:
1. The Rostered Leader Profiles (RLPs) of candidates who are interested in serving in
northwest Wisconsin.
2. Self-referrals by pastors or other rostered leaders to the synod office.
3. Requests from the congregation through the Call Committee.
The process for requesting a candidate is this:
• Any member of the congregation can submit a name for consideration to the Call
Committee.
• Potential candidates should not be directly contacted unless synod staff have
vetted the names.
• The Call Committee may or may not forward individual names to their synod office.
This is a matter for the committee to decide. Either way, let the person who
recommended the candidate know what your decision is.
• If the Call Committee would like to recommend one or more candidates, use the
Candidate Recommendation Form found in the resource section of this chapter.
Synod staff will follow every lead given to us.
Some rostered leaders will not be available for interview. Most decline because they do
not feel called to move. Some have not served in their current ministry context for a
sufficient period of time. Some are restricted by their spouse’s work or their life
circumstances. Some do not have leadership gifts which match well the missional
needs of the congregation. Requests for candidates who seem to be “in the ballpark”
of your MSP and are open to call will be forwarded to the Call Committee.
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Walking together † for the sake of mission † in God’s world
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