Dear Friends in Christ,
Transitions! Life is full of them. Sometimes they are positive transitions that bring about change that is needed or hoped for. Sometimes they are sad transitions that are unexpected and not really wanted. But for life to truly be alive, life must change. Old things must depart for God’s new life to enter in. And so we find ways to respond in healthy ways to the transitions that come.

The Montana Synod office is currently experiencing some transitions which will affect the staff and the whole synod over the next few months. Two of these transitions are exciting, with the possibility of new opportunities for the synod as well as some hoped for stability. One upcoming transition brings sadness with some goodbyes but also has potential for the Spirit to work new things in the Montana Synod.

The first transition is the addition of Milissa Jones (pronounced My-lissa) as our new office manager. MJ, as she likes to be called, started last week and comes to us from the
hospitality industry. Already, she has been fitting in well, bringing some excellent skills to the job and tackling the many office manager responsibilities with enthusiasm. Please see below for MJ’s bio and picture. She is in the office every weekday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. so feel free to call the office or email her with your questions. Keep in mind, though, that she is only a week and a half in so please be patient as she climbs the steep learning curve of being the Montana Synod office manager. MJ, welcome to the team as together we at the synod office work to equip the synod for the ministry of the gospel.

The second transition is also an exciting one. This past week our own Colter McCarty began his studies in the Leadership and Innovation Masters of Arts program at Luther Seminary on the Word and Service track toward becoming an ordained deacon in the ELCA. He will be engaging these studies through Distributed Learning which means he’ll continue to live in Great Falls and work full time for the Montana Synod office. Colter will focus his studies on the intersection between ministry and technology which will take him beyond online worship into reflecting on ministry through the ever-growing tools and mindset that technology presents us. (Think: how did the printing press change the church and then bring it to the 21st century.) I am delighted to support Colter in this endeavor and I ask you to support him as well with your patience, compassion, and prayers as he takes on these greater responsibilities not only for his own sake but also for the sake of the Montana Synod and the wider church. This focus on ministry and technology is a long time coming as we so clearly learned during the pandemic. Congratulations and thank you, Colter, as you engage in this important work.

The third transition is a sad one for me and I’m expecting will be for the whole synod. The current Associate to the Bishop, Pastor Jason Asselstine, has accepted a new call as a pastor of a congregation in the Nebraska Synod and his last day with the Montana Synod will be October 31, 2022. It has been a blessing to have Jason serving as my associate since I took office as the bishop in 2019. His gifts, skills and presence made becoming bishop so much easier than it could have been and I can’t offer enough gratitude to God, to Jason and to his family for all they have given to the synod and the wider church over the past
nearly 10 years. And while I am sad to see Jason leave, I hope and pray for God’s blessings
to rest upon him as he enters the new adventure on which the Holy Spirit is sending him
and his wife, Jen. I invite your prayers, well-wishes and “go with God’s” for Jason during
this transition in his life. I also invite your prayers and support for the MT Synod as we too
transition into the new possibilities that God has in mind for us. I am in the process of
seeking and naming the new A2B (as we affectionately call the Associate to the Bishop)
and will make an announcement as soon as that person has been selected and properly
called.
Change happens. Life is change and change is life. What matters is how we choose to
transition through the change. As the Psalmist writes: “God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change…”
(Ps 46) As long as we open our hearts and minds to the God who guides us through our
transitions, we have nothing to fear. For God will be our strength and refuge during the
positive and the difficult changes ahead and will guide us into amazing possibilities when
we let the Spirit lead. May God bless us all in this time of transitions.
In Christ’s love,
Bishop Laurie

Bishop Laurie is in Switzerland and Germany this week, representing the ELCA and
Montana Synod at the Lutheran World Federation. Read more about her event here and
view more pictures here!

From the LWF Facebook page:
Bishops and Presidents of LWF’s member churches worldwide are in Geneva this week
for the annual Retreat of New Elected Leaders (RoNEL). The program, which kicked off
with orientation on 4 September, continued today, with eucharistic worship in the Chapel
of the Ecumenical Center, followed by an address by LWF General Secretary Rev. Anne
Burghardt.

“Leadership and the Episcopal Ministry in the LWF Communion” is the theme of this
year’s RoNEL, attended by 17 heads of churches, dioceses, and synods from LWF member
churches in 14 countries. It is the first in-person gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the opening worship, LWF Regional Secretary for Africa Rev. Dr. Samuel Dawai
delivered the sermon on the Prophet Elijah’s difficult mission and despair over his failure
to lead and save his people who had turned away from God. (1 Kings 19: 1-18). In his
encounter with God on Mt Horeb, the prophet understood that his “jealous zeal for God,”
was not because he was exceptional or firm as a leader but because of God’s grace and
love, Dawai said.

The program continues with the church leaders sharing from their own contexts, and
discussions on LWF’s strategic work.