I am delighted with the cooperation that I am receiving as we approach the time when Pastor Ed Sproul leaves his call as the Assistant to the Bishop. (His last office day is January 8.) If you don't know who to call try the Syracuse Office. Staff here will do everything they can to help connect you with the person or information that you need. Here are some of the people who will be helping to fill in the gaps during the six months of transition. We will offer longer bios and photos in a future edition of the Upstate Update.

Patsy Glista, AIM will be no more than half time including one day a week in the Syracuse Office doing financial oversight, helping us ask questions about and reshape operations, and providing staff for Synod Assembly. She is already serving as chair of the Synod Assembly Planning Team. We are contracting for her time through Lutheran Care Ministries in Clinton and a small part of her stipend will be to continue developing the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) network that she has been so diligent in building. She currently is called to do the LDR work through Lutheran Care. She's been the Executive Director of the Red Cross in Utica and brings wonderful organizational as well as spiritual gifts.

Pastor Greg Tennermann has agreed to work in two areas - our specialist for Intentional Interim Pastors and staff for Conflict and Healing. He's already part of the CH Team, but now will be called on for consultation when needed (mostly in the eastern part of the state.) He is serving his second Intentional Interim at St. Peter's, Verona after many years as a parish pastor in Metro NY. He brings expertise in Steinke's Bridgebuilders and Healthy Congregations programs.

Pastor Dave Allen has agreed to manage the trip to Zimbabwe this summer and work with Global Mission. He served Emanuel, Corning for many years before going on the staff of Church World Service in Syracuse. He is currently on leave from call.

Pastor Amy Walter-Peterson will continue her work for the ELCA on our territory as the Director of Evangelical Mission. Pastors Dave Preisinger and Neil Kattermann will also be around in the east and the west. Pastor Laurie Carson-Nelson continues to work with LYO and Jennifer Genovese is our consultant for health.