Pastor's Comments

It is an interesting time to be a congregation in Indiana and Kentucky!

The first weekend in June, approximately 1,000 of our brothers and sisters will gather in Covington, KY to worship, to pray, to study the Bible, to learn, and to discern together the calling of the Spirit for our shared and combined ministries in our area.  Two of our members and myself will be present there to listen, learn, study, and voice and vote their conscience.  We invite and covet your prayers for our shared time of being the Body of Christ, called and gathered on behalf of every congregation and ministry in Indiana and Kentucky.

The highlight for me at Assembly is always the worship.  When 1,000 people gather to sing together, pray together, and share the bread and cup of blessing, it shows in ways words cannot that we do not minister alone, but we are, together, the Body of Christ.  That Body, that beautiful, flawed, blessed vessel of Christ’s blessing to the world, isn’t just Holy Trinity and its limited resources.  It is all our brothers and sisters gathered together, ministering in their own language and ways, in their own places.  God’s plan for us is way too big for just one congregation.  It takes us all – together, we can bless almost incalculably more than we can alone.

This Assembly, we will say farewell and Godspeed to Rev. James Stuck, who has served as our bishop now for 12 years.  During this time he has led us in a vision of “Every person a missionary; Every pastor a Mission Director; Every Congregation, Conference and Ministry a Mission Center.”  He has prayed over us, consulted with us, been a resource for us, shepherded us, and been the faithful pastor for the synod, its congregations, and all the pastors and other rostered leaders.  It has been my great privilege to know him these three years.

We will also be electing a new bishop, which is a time for intensive discernment and discussion.  What is the future of being a Synod in Indiana and Kentucky?  What is the future of doing ministry together?  How can a Bishop and staff best serve, lead, and shepherd the congregations of our Synod?  What gifts, talents, and skills should we look for?  Above all – who is the Holy Spirit moving in our midst to serve in this way?

I invite you to join us in praying over this important decision.  Pray that the Spirit will move strongly, and bring forward the right person to lead us in this way.  Pray that God will give us such a sense of vision that our shared ministry will be empowered and enhanced.  Pray that God’s will be done, in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod as in heaven.

On behalf of all the voting members of the Assembly, our members and especially myself I thank you for your prayers, and for our sharing in ministry and mission together with the whole Body of Christ.

In God’s amazing grace,

-Pastor Tim