Dear Colleagues in Ministry,
As I near my second anniversary of serving as your Executive Minister, I realize that there have been many changes in the last two years. Some have been intentional, others not, but all have affected how we serve as the Synod office.
The Synod voted to change our by-laws to remove specific jobs that were mentioned, in order that we can be more nimble and staff our Synod according to the needs of the Classes and churches now and in the future. As a result, we no longer have “Synod Area Ministers” or a full-time Administrative Assistant. The Synod decided it would best serve our needs to hire one full time Minister of Renewal and Revitalization and to make the Administrative Assistant position a part-time position. We are currently in the process of hiring our new MRR and look forward to introducing him/her to you all this Spring at the Annual Meeting on April 30!
Our part-time Administrative Assistant is Gayle Woehrle. Gayle’s office hours are 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Monday – Thursday. If you need to contact the office outside of those hours you can leave a voice mail message or use our email: newyorksynod@gmail.com. Gayle will get back in touch with you as quickly as possible. If it is an absolute emergency, my cell phone number is listed in the Synod directory.
We have also hired a part-time Liaison, Rev. Tom Danney, who will assist me in attending Classis meetings, Installations, Ordinations, etc. Rev. Danney is also available for consultation with consistories or Classes and continues to serve on the Mediation Team and the Ridder Regional Implementation Team as a Catalyst.
Soon, I plan to appoint a Synod Chaplain who will serve the ministers of the Synod in times of need. The Chaplain will make hospital visits, home visits as requested, and generally care for the pastoral needs of the Synod pastors.
I am grateful for the steadfast support of the Executive Officers and Executive Committee as I have served and continue to serve the Synod of New York. It is a privilege to be your Executive Minister.
Blessings,
Amy Nyland