Ministry Support Committee
Chair: Marianne Barstow Staff Liaison: Pastor Jen Beamsley

Mission Statement
Enabling Christians of the Northern Illinois Synod to realize their call to ministry as both lay and professional workers. To accomplish the mission, we provide resources, support, and continuing education within our synod, in cooperation with other synods, agencies, and institutions within the ELCA and the Church.

Committee Goals

Our current goals

  • Working on behalf of the Synod to provide compensation guidelines for rostered ministers that are fair, appropriate, and usable for leaders and their congregations.
  • Developing fair, appropriate, and useable compensation guidelines for SAMs and lay professionals.
  • Encouraging and reviewing the role of continuing education in professional development.
  • Providing resources for rostered ministers and lay professionals who wish to improve their skills and techniques with the assistance of coaches or spiritual directors.
  • Providing resources and templates that build good relationships and communication between ministry leaders and their congregations, which may include templates for policies, evaluations, and other needs.
  • Discerning and responding to the changing support needs of rostered ministers and lay professionals.
  • Offering a forum at both the Congregational Resourcing Event and Synod Assembly to showcase the current work being done by the committee.

Subcommittees that advance these goals

  • Compensation Guidelines
  • Communications
  • Resource Development
  • Other subcommittees that may be formed as needed
Serving on the Ministry Support Committee

Time requirements of the ministry
The full Ministry Support Committee meets twice in the fall and twice in the spring via Zoom, generally on Saturday mornings for about two hours, as coordinated by the chair. Subcommittees meet additionally 4-5 times throughout the year, as coordinated by the members, to accomplish their specific missions. Additional commitments of time and responsibility vary according to the work of the subcommittees in any given year.

The time given and the responsibilities assumed by members of the Ministry Support Committee vary according to the availability and the willingness of the individual. We do expect that members participate as much as possible.

Ministry Support Resources