"How will this affect our church?"
This is a common question asked by the members of our churches. So how will the constitutional amendment that was adopted at our last annual convention affect your church? Will you sense a change in the way your congregation is managed or the way your Sunday morning worship is done? The simple answer is "no." You will not see any changes in those areas. The more complex answer is "it's up to you whether you want to see a difference." The new role of the Regional Pastor is the closest that the constitutional amendment will get to you and your church. However, the Regional Pastor will have no direct authority over your pastor and your congregation. He will be a cultivator, facilitator, encourager, and serve as a link for you to various resources. It will be up to you whether your church wants to be a part of a bigger picture. Why did the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB) feel the need for the role of a Regional Pastor? It actually goes much deeper than helping connect churches with resources or being a pastor to the pastors.

The beauty of the constitutional amendment is seen in the intentional placement of the mission of the Church. The mission of the Church has been given to the local congregations. Actually the mission has always been in the local congregations. Our history as the CLB began with five churches coming together with a common mission. God's Mission has been given to you and me and it is our responsibility to come together as a family within our congregations and as a cluster of congregations; being the hands, being the feet and being the eyes of a larger body. The mission and vision of the CLB will truly come out of our congregations, complementing and enriching the overall mission and vision of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.

The Regional Pastors will give you and me and our pastors a link between one another and easier access to more resources from other regions, the Seminary and International Mission. We will now be able to easily share ideas, talents, experiences and wisdom with one another. We have done that in the past, but in today's fast paced culture it is hard to take the time to connect with other churches and organizations. The Regional Pastor will be there to support your pastor and encourage the mission within your congregation. He will find out how other congregations in the area or other regions can assist in the plans of your church, empowering what you and your congregation is already doing in reaching out to your community!

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:4,5)

Read the Duties and Qualifications of the Regional Pastor
(as described in the CLB constitution) >>>

By Tim Mathiesen

Tim Mathiesen serves as Director of Communications and Prayer for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.

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