Bishop Kusserow Sabbatical (Jan-Feb 2022)
Dear Synod Leaders,
The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be with you always.
On Tuesday the actions of our October Synod Council meeting appeared in the weekly announcements and apparently caused some alarm because they included a very formal motion giving Rev. Abraham Allende signing authority for the duration of his service as Acting Bishop. So I am writing a little earlier than I had planned to remind you of my upcoming sabbatical leave and to introduce my dear friend and colleague to you.
Honestly, I am thrilled to learn that the Synod Council Actions shared in the weekly synod news are being read! I do apologize if the plans and arrangements for my sabbatical that were approved by the Synod Council at its May meeting have slipped past your notice resulting in concern. Have no fear; all is well.
Our synod’s policy manual includes an expectation that the bishop and called staff take a sabbatical leave of one to three months after every six years’ consecutive service. On August 31, I completed 14 years of service to the synod as bishop; affirming the recommendation of the Mutual Ministry Committee, the Synod Council approved a two-month sabbatical leave for me from January 1, 2022 to February 28, 2022.
During that time Abraham Allende will serve as our Acting Bishop. He is retired, having served most recently as bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod. Our time together in the Conference of Bishops brought us into friendship, not only because of his deep faith and gentle spirit, but because he is a die-hard Steelers and Pirates fan. A native of Puerto Rico, Bishop Allende grew up in Clairton. He has already been meeting monthly with our synod’s Authentic Diversity and Justice team, planning a synod celebration of Martin Luther King on Sunday, January 16.
In February I plan to join a trip to the Holy Land sponsored by United Lutheran Seminary and Good Shepherd Travel. During my sabbatical leave I also intend to review our synod’s Policy Manual and prepare recommendations for its renewal. Along with these education and study components, I have planned for a rest component: a Holy Wood woodworking pilot project that receives an unused piece of liturgical furniture and rebuilds it into a piece of household furniture for a family in need. My guess is that in the immediate future, this approach to recycling may prove to be a useful way to turn pews and other dormant church furniture into things that people can use in their daily lives.
It is my full expectation, of course, to return to service as your bishop March 1. I have found that the gift of a sabbatical leave provides for the kind of personal refreshment and renewal in ministry that blesses the ministry site in very positive ways. In the years that remain in my current term of service, I look forward to a refreshment of spirit, and a renewal of purpose together with you as we seek more and more fully to tell the story of Jesus.
With you in Christ,
Bishop Kurt F. Kusserow