Pastors and Other Leaders

Rostered Leaders

All baptized people of God are ministers. The ELCA calls some of its baptized members for specific ministries. These leaders serve on four "rosters" or "lists" to carry out the ministry of Jesus Christ and the mission of God in the world:

Ordained Pastoral Ministers For the sake of the Gospel ministry entrusted to all believers, God has instituted the office of ministry of Word and sacrament. To carry out this ministry, the ELCA calls and ordains persons to serve as ordained ministers.
Associates in Ministry The leaders on this lay roster of the church are commissioned to equip and enable others in their Christian lives. They serve in the areas of education, service, music, and administration.
Deaconesses A deaconess is consecrated to a life of service to church and society. The skilled and theologically prepared women of this roster serve in a variety of ministries, including health care, parish work, education, church music, administration, chaplaincy, and social services.
Diaconal Ministers These leaders are consecrated for service in ministries at the intersection of church and world. They serve through agencies, institutions, and traditional church programs as they build bridges between the church and the world.

As of October 27, 2008, there were 404 pastors, 34 associates in ministry, 5 deaconesses, and 2 diaconal minister on the roster of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod.

Looking for a specific ELCA rostered leader? Click here to go to the ELCA website where you can type the person's name to search for him or her.

Other Leaders

Synodically Authorized Lay Ministers

A relatively new category of lay ministry in the ELCA is that of Synodically Authorized Lay Minister (SALM).

The SALM program of the ELCA is a way to provide Word and Sacrament ministry to a particular congregation when no ordained minister is available. A SALM is a layperson who is authorized by the synod bishop to serve a particular congregation where a specific need exists. Such service is for a period of one year and may be renewed annually. The appointment is made at the request of and with the consent of the congregation. The individual is authorized after successfully completing the synod's training program.

Currently, these SALMs are serving in the synod:

Robert Billig Jr., Jerusalem (Red) Lutheran Church, Kempton, Pa.
Bill Dimmich, Zion (First Hungarian) Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, Pa.
Doug Didyoung, St. Mark, Reading
Martin Everhart, St. Luke Reformation Lutheran Church, Noxen, Pa.
Regnal Leibensperger, St. Paul, Port Carbon
Charles Scharadin, St. Paul, Lobachsville
Joseph Tacker, Incarnation, Reading
Emma Weaver, Grace Lutheran Church, Lehighton/Zion Lutheran Church, Packerton, Pa.
John Ziegler, St. John, Pine Grove, Pa.

Staff and Officers

Ministry Teams

Synod Council

Pastors and Other Leaders

Leadership Transitions

Photo Gallery

Find a Rostered Leader

Looking for a pastor, associate in ministry, deaconess, or diaconal minister in Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod or anywhere in the ELCA?

The ELCA provides a system whereby you can look up the title, name, current status, place of service, preferred mailing address, phone number, and E-mail address, when available, of any of the more than 18,500 leaders who are currently on the rosters of the ELCA.

The ELCA Program Unit for Vocation and Education provides many resources and links for learning more about ministry (lay and ordained) in the church and in the world.