I am a week behind on this blog, in part because as soon as I got home from Seattle there was one event after another that I was paying attention to (synod, national, global) and after months of staying healthy, I developed a small cold. But the weekend in Seattle, and how it came to be, are important and I want a record of them for the future.

Seattle University, a Jesuit school in Seattle proper, long had a Master of Divinity degree that a number of ELCA Lutherans earned. That degree program sunsetted, but the Center for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Engagement has remained strong. Last year, the Center’s Michael Trice reached out the ELCA Region 1 bishops about creating a summer certificate program and launching the pilot in 2025. Each of us six bishops was invited to send one person in each category: lay person, seminarian, first call pastor or deacon, specialized minister, later in their career minister. They called it the Discerning Leadership Certificate.

Here’s more language from the flyer: The CEIE Discerning Leadership Certificate is an immersive, intensive residential opportunity for leaders seeking to deepen self-knowledge, refine their leadership skills, and explore their leadership future in a safe and nurturing environment. The certificate is facilitated in a method of Ignatian discernment and guided by spiritual directors and coaches in a 5:1 cohort model.The Certificate begins May 1, with an online instructional resources, preparatory reading and reflections, and two virtual sessions with coaches and cohorts in June. 

I was so excited about this because I have deep appreciation for Ignation spirituality after my year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps AND Seattle is only a short drive or flight for everyone in my synod. I think lifelong learning and connecting with colleagues are so important and I was thrilled that I could send people to a quality event that would not take them a whole day to travel to (or use up their entire continuing education budget on airfare).

So as this certificate program was developing, we bishops were reminded that we could/should apply for Quality of Call grants from the ELCA. From the ELCA website: The Quality of Call Initiative is part of the Presiding Bishop’s Leadership Initiative and is funded by a generous donor to empower change. The vision of this initiative is: A church that is equitably served by people who are empowered to serve with their gifts, irrespective of identity markers heretofore targeted by systems and individuals for bias, discrimination, and oppression.

Synods could apply for smaller grants and a few synods, or an entire region, could apply for a collaborative grant. I suggested our region add on two nights to the Certificate program for seminarians and ministers who are women and invite an outside facilitator to help us bishops listen. I know my own experience as a woman pastor in Nampa, Idaho, but that’s not representative of all the women serving across the region. We would use this listening and some surveys to create a second larger event.

In the end, eight women stayed after the certificate program. Three bishops came for the two nights. We invited Jill Beverlin, Director of Coaching Ministries in the ELCA, to be our facilitator. I had never met Jill, but she has a great reputation and after a few Zoom calls with her and Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar from Oregon I knew we would be fine. But Jill was better than fine–she was outstanding–reading the room, getting to know everyone, and giving the participants space to process the week they had just experienced while also giving them just a few more tools and practices.

I, in turn, got to be the event coordinator. I already had deep respect for our staff and volunteers that coordinate with venues but that respect has definitely grown. There are so many tiny pieces of just a two day event for a few people!

Kudos to Bp Larson Caesar for suggesting we end the two nights with dinner on the water. It was a bit breezy but the conversation and view were absolutely worth it.

Sunday morning was mostly about heading home, but I decided to catch up with some family friends–Pastor Maynard and Darlene Attik. They took me to their home church, University Lutheran, and I got to meet Pastor Andy and learn about all the renovations happening there. Maynard preached, but before he did, he explained the impact my dad Jerry had on him. Maynard is the one who cheered me on when I was trying to receive a call after serving in rural Iowa. His good friend Eric Wilson Wieberg was my predecessor at Trinity, Nampa who led the church through the affordable housing venture–something I put together a few years into the call at Trinity–small world. It’s always worth the time to connect with old friends.