On behalf of the Synod Council and Compensation Guidelines team, we give thanks for the many persons who engaged in the process of re-evaluating compensation for New England Synod Rostered Leaders. 

More than 200 congregational leaders and rostered leaders attended our conference meetings in January and February to discuss the proposed edits from the Compensation Guidelines team. 

Feedback from the 14 conference meetings resulted in the team making further edits to the 2016 Compensation Guidelines. 

These edits were then presented to the Synod Council at their March meeting. The Synod Council voted to endorse the 2016 Guidelines and to move them to the Synod Assembly for a vote.

We ask that you please review the 2016 Compensation Guidelines now in preparation for the June 2015 Synod Assembly. Click here to download the proposed guidelines.

Notes about the 2016 Compensation Guidelines

Some avid readers enjoy reading the end of a novel before beginning at the first page of the book. This practice gives the reader a sharper focus when reading the novel. So too, with these compensation guidelines, the last pages can be irresistible and yet all too often we forget to read the very important matter that leads up to the end. The charts on pages 16 and 20 often become our single focus. However, the content in the charts is the result of seriously considering pages 6-7 and page 11. The charts are like a check-and-balance to make sure fair and equitable pay for our full time rostered leaders has not been underestimated. 

These charts are not the goal, rather the minimum.

It is important for every rostered leader and every congregation council to do the work of addressing the factors on pages 6-7 and page 11 for each particular location and each particular leader's set of skills, education, years of experience, etc.

GoTo Meetings

Please join the conversation at one of two online GoTo Meetings scheduled in May: Wednesday, May 13, or Sunday, May 17, each at 7 p.m. Only 25 sites can log into each GoTo meeting session, so it is a good idea to assemble interested persons who want to participate at the site's computer for the meeting.

To register for either session, please email the date you wish to participate to Synod Office Secretary Marianne Uva at muva@nesynod.org by noon on May 12. Please be sure to let Marianne know if we can default your registration to the alternate meeting if your first choice of date and time is already full. Please respond in a timely fashion as these meetings are expected to fill up fast. 

Sincerely,

Mark Winzler, Vice President, New England Synod

Pr. Beth Anderson, Chairperson, Compensation Guidelines Team

Today is the day!

Today, April 30, is the deadline for all eligible ELCA employees to take the Mayo Clinic health assessment in order to earn themselves $150 in wellness dollars for medical expenses, as well as helping to save 2 percent across the board on the health contributions for all of the synod's congregations and programs. 

Have you taken the assessment yet? It's not too late! To take the Mayo Clinic health assessment, access Mayo Clinic Healthy Living online directly through myPortico - no separate Mayo Clinic ID and password necessary. Go to PorticoBenefits.org/HealthyLiving for details.