Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we enter into Pastor Carrie's last week with us here at Bethany, I wanted to share with you some news regarding our interim pastor and our call process. The Northern Illinois Synod has matched us with Pastor Len Hoffmann to be our interim senior pastor for the duration of this vacancy. His first day at Bethany will be Monday, June 16. He brings much experience with various aspects of the church, most recently as Vice President for Mission Support at Wartburg Seminary. Prior to that he worked with the ELCA Foundation and served Trinity Lutheran in Rockford. He and his wife Cathy currently live in Loves Park.
You may also be aware that Pastor Paul's call to Bethany is co-terminus with that of the senior pastor. Constitutionally, that means that Pastor Paul was required to turn in his letter of resignation at our last council meeting. The council immediately moved to table that letter until such time as a new senior pastor is installed and a decision is made upon future staffing. We are hopeful that Pastor Paul will be with us for quite some time.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Joel Thoreson
President, Bethany Church Council
