William O. Gafkjen, bishop of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, was elected chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops at its Oct. 1-6 meeting in Chicago. The conference is an advisory body of the ELCA that includes the 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and the secretary. Gafkjen has served as synod bishop since 2010.
Called to serve
With the trend in lay ministry only expected to grow, the ELCA’s synod-authorized minister (SAM) program is quickly becoming more important to congregations. A SAM is a layperson who isn’t ordained…