Forming Leaders, Strengthening Communities: A Year in Candidacy and Faith Formation

  • Rev. Jacqui Pagel, Associate to the Bishop for Candidacy and Faith Formation.

  • Annual report June 2025 – May 2026 

CANDIDACY 

There are 13 people in Candidacy in the Grand Canyon Synod. In the later part of 2025, until now we have ordained 5 people and all of them have taken their first call to ministry here in the Grand Canyon Synod.   

First Call Accompaniment 

In April 2026, we had our 2nd of three Regional First Call Accompaniment retreats at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ. All together there were 62 participants form Region 2, including all 5 bishops and their Associates. Only 1 pastor of the 13 leaders in their first 3 years of ministry missed the event do the arrival of his 2nd son, Weslee Volkmann. Fr. Paul Fromberg and Deacon Sarah Miles from St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church taught us about movement in liturgy and ways that we can add and adjust our current liturgies to have our bodies and voices more in tune to the spiritual happenings during worship.  

We continue to have a synodical event one time per year and look forward to bumping that event next to the Bishop’s Fall Gathering to save travel time and cost. October 2026 we will be discussing ways we get to encourage the people we worship with, and we know love church, appreciate the multiple diversities God has made around the places where they worship. We know there may not be any of “those” people in your neighborhood, but what people in your neighborhood can you welcome and add as a wonderful addition to your church family.  

While the number of candidates dwindles due to ordinations, we continue to have people come forward looking for ways to lead in their communities.  

Synodical Authorized Ministers 

There are 6 people across Arizona serving their communities as SAMs in communities wanting to thrive while waiting for a rostered leader. We have 2 other SAMs who have completed training and serve with a rostered leader to provide an extension of the communion table grace at that congregations additional site when the Rostered is unable to be there. We are covering the need of worshipping sites that don’t have access to a pastor and are continuing to develop the process to equipping these lay leaders.  

We are looking at ways we can collaborate with all the synods of Region 2 and have this be a well-developed program without each synod “recreating the wheel”. Our first step will be a comprehensive manual that illustrates the similarities and difference to synodical authorized ministry in each synod. It will be great to share that digitally and in paper form when it is prepared.  

FAITH FORMATION  

Synod Youth Advisory Team (SYAT)  

SYAT has had a successful kick off year. We reached many of our goals set for 2024 – 2025 and are excited about our newest venture of SYAT collaborative webinars. (https://www.gcsynod.org/news/start-summer-strong-syat-collective-offers-tools-for-youth-trip-leadership)  

Although Casey Goslin caused definite setbacks in many of the ministries that fall within the portfolio of leadership development, the SYAT team rebounded well and are more committed now to be sure that youth directors/leaders and their young people are connected across the synod and can easily learn, share, and celebrate together. A small example of this is they youth group in Kingman Arizona, has hopes of partnering with a youth group in Summerlin for a joint lock in.  SYAT is making sure across the GCS people  under the age of 25 that worship in our communities know that there are others in the same age range also worshipping like them. 

Youth Gathering 

The theme for 2027 is Imagine More. Please watch for more information about the event being held in Minneapolis, MN June 28 – July 2, 2027. Gershon Gordon at New Song, Henderson is this years Champion and he and I will be hosting webinars to be sure everyone has all the information they need to attend and have a great time. The Gathering planning team is expecting larger than normal numbers for this event because it will be in Minnesota. Please check out the website if you are interested in being a part of the event. Gathering About Theme | | ELCA Youth Gathering 2027 

Lutheran Campus Ministry 

Our Campus ministries across Arizona have seen growth both wide and deep. Although 2 of the 4 ministries have interim leaders they all continue to thrive. Please be sure to review each campus’ newsletters, updates, and social media. ASU (main) enjoyed another year of ashes to go to start Lent, ASU Agape (south) continues to find it’s way providing free meals and sometimes free coffee with the pastor yet mostly strives to be valid Christian alternative on the Polytechnic campus. NAU has seen wonderful growth and dedication with their student participation and have enjoyed having students at Lutheran day at the Legislature event at the State Capitol. At the U of A students look forward to welcoming a new full time Campus pastor and seeing where their ministry will take them.  

It was a pleasure to be with leaders from each campus at their Leadership retreat in January partially underwritten form Region 2 funds received in 2025. We discussed what the church may need and how they can help us get there. 

Congregation Engagement 

I continue to make visits to congregations and remind them that we are church together and the Office of the Bishop is here to be in ministry with them. As our Director of Communication, Brian Flatgard learned from a Spring Gathering. “We make your ministry our ministry”.  It continues to be a joy to meet with people across the synod and encourage them to consider leadership in our church. I look forward to sabbatical June 14 – September 14, 2026. I am grateful for that gift you have shared with me.  

Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2026 Assembly Stories, CandidacyComment