After the Call Workshop, the Call Committee will write the first draft of the congregation profile. This profile will tell potential pastoral candidates about All Saints Lutheran Church. After review from the Church Council and the congregation, a final profile will be completed and sent to the North American Lutheran Church. This profile will be made available to all ordained pastors of our denomination. All pastors who desire to interview with us will turn in their profiles to the N.A.L.C. and they will be given to the Call Committee. The Call Committee will contact and interview candidates and recommend one person to the Council. If Council approves, an invitation will be offered to that candidate and they will be invited to visit the congregation for a call sermon. The congregation will then vote to offer the call to the candidate. Once offered, the pastor will decide to accept or not.
Until the invitation to visit, the name and information concerning candidates must remain confidential. The Call Committee will keep the congregation informed about the process and how many candidates are being considered but cannot share names or information about them. The national church does not influence the process except to provide a place for the sharing of information between the pastoral candidates and the congregations seeking to call a pastor.
When the Congregation Profile is sent to the N.A.L.C., the work of the interim pastor in the call process is completed. I cannot make recommendations concerning individual candidates. I cannot interfere in any way with the call process. I do not want to know who the candidates are. My future with the congregation will come to an end on April 24th when I plan to officially retire and more back to Pennsylvania to serve a rural congregation near Johnstown. I will not and should not interfere with your next pastor and the future ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church.
What can you do as the process continues? Pray! Support the continuing ministry of the congregation. Pray!! Come to worship. Pray!!! Give of your time, talents and treasures to the work of Christ. Also, you can Pray!!!!
Pastor Baker