Since March 2022 the Candidacy Leadership Development Working Group (CLDWG) has been actively working on revamping the Candidacy Process of the ELCA. This group gathers diverse leaders from across the denomination. Team members were selected to represent the great variety of stakeholders in the formation of rostered ministers.
This group has engaged research through its work to define what rostered ministers need to know, be, and do. It has made presentations to the Conference of Bishops and the national church council for buy in and feedback. We will be taking constitutional changes to the 2025 churchwide assembly to benefit the church and future rostered leaders.This group has engaged research through its work to define what rostered ministers need to know, be, and do. It has made presentations to the Conference of Bishops and the national church council for buy in and feedback. We will be taking constitutional changes to the 2025 churchwide assembly to benefit the church and future rostered leaders.
We will be proposing a shift in candidacy to a competency-based process. For and updated presentation see the video below and read the accompanying slides here.
The Purpose of this Team
Recognizing that candidacy is a process of accompaniment and ongoing discernment that forms and prepares rostered ministers for public leadership, the candidacy leadership development working group will adapt the candidacy process of the ELCA to serve the needs of the current and future church.
To guide our work and the future of the candidacy process, we have discerned these values:
- For the sake of the gospel through a Lutheran lens for the sake of the world.
- Openness and humility (within the boundaries of #1.
- Relationships.
- Mutual accountability.
Our Vision
Our vision is to recommend a process for candidacy that forms and supports rostered leaders for the current and future church.
Timeline
- Listening sessions made available
- Concluded unified application process as not doable (shared best practices unintended and positive outcome)
- Curated best practices from ecumenical partners
- Better defined how to utilize coaching in candidacy
- Executed survey to excluded populations
- Second in-person meeting
- Reviewed initial feedback from the ELCA-wide listening sessions
- Drafted initial report that was shared with Church Council
- Began to discern what various pathways to rostered ministry might become
- Noted the characteristics desired for rostered leadership are not strikingly different from current defined characteristics
- Further study needed to discern process and outcome pain points
- Continued study of challenges and opportunities in current process
- Tested multiple pathways to rostered leadership with increased authority and responsibility
- Identified synod authorized ministers/parish lay ministers as a category of study
- Finalized and analyzed survey to excluded populations
- Third in-person meeting
- Reviewed and documented governing documents that guide candidacy in order to identify a timeline for recommended changes
- Reviewed challenges and opportunities from listening sessions
- Heard report from excluded populations survey
- Shared updates with Conference of Bishops and Church Council CCL Committee
- Identified ongoing worksome text
- Identify and clarify core competencies
- Create lay minister recommendations in conjunction with synod authorized minister guidelines
- Recommend new, streamlined learning pathways
- Reimagine internship and contextual education
- Hold four listening sessions to share summary reports
- Sessions available to all ELCA members
- Presented the first draft of the new candidacy process to the Conference of Bishops and received feedback
- Incorporated feedback and presented updated version to the Church Council CCL committee
- Worked with feedback for next draft of process
- Introduced constitutional changes to church council
- Continued research with educational trends and constituent needs
- Identified second draft, including competency categories
- Embraced Synod Authorized Ministry as part of the team's finall recommendation
- Vetted competencies with marginalized leaders
- Honed second draft of process
- Presented second draft to Conference of Bishops and received feedback
- Taking feedback to church council
Working Group Roster
Team members were selected to create the diversity (of age, roster status, institutional representation, geographic representation, formation process, ethnicity and gender identity) we intend to build into the candidacy process.
