Welcome to the call process.
“Come, Holy Spirit,” is our prayer for you in this time of discernment. Below is an outline of steps on the journey from the completion of one pastor or deacon’s call to the installation of the next, followed by additional documents and videos that may be helpful for you during this process. You can also download the complete call process document.
For more details about each step, please contact Pastor Amy Ziettlow, Assistant to the Bishop for Transformational Leadership, at 217-753-7915 or .
- Call process overview
- Call process checklist
- Parochial records certification
- “What’s next” bulletin insert
- Communication during a pastoral vacancy
- Sample announcements
- Congregational ethics: former pastor
- Response to the emotional dynamics caused by a pastoral vacancy
Videos
- Welcome
- Discernment
- What is discernment?
- How is calling a pastor different from hiring?
- How to root yourselves in spiritual practices at this time, such as dwelling in the word.
- Discover & Invite
- Instructions for completing the Ministry Site Profile
- Question to the congregation council
- Checklist for documentation for the synod office
- Ministry Site Profile sample
- Seven reflections on ministry and context
Video
- MSP Audience: How the audience of the MSP is congregations, bishops/synod staff, and pastoral candidates
- Call committee description
- Why do call committees work with confidentiality?
- Five sources of potential pastoral nominees
- Interview guidelines
- Interview aids and sample questions
- Questions a nominee may ask
- Interview feedback form
- Expense voucher
- Call committee devotions
Videos
- How to form a call committee
- How to form a call committee (check your constitution!) and who best to serve
- Nominations
- How nominations are made and how a call committee can prepare for a candidate’s visit
- Interviews
- How to build community as a call committee
- Importance of confidentiality
- How to communicate process with the congregation
- How to put together interview questions
- How to process after interviews
Video
- Congregational vote
- How to prepare for the congregational vote
- Guide for Completion of Worksheet and Signed Final Form: “Definition of Compensation, Benefits, and Responsibilities of the Pastor”
- Worksheet of compensation and benefits
- Compensation guidelines for rostered leaders of the C/SIS
Video
- Compensation
- What is total defined compensation?
- Portico Benefits