Synod Staff Transition: Rev. Erika Uthe will complete call as Director for Evangelical Mission/ Assistant to the Bishop
Pastor Erika Uthe who has served as the Director for Evangelical Mission and Assistant to the Bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod since the spring of 2016 will be departing her role on May 20, 2024. Pastor Uthe has been called to serve as the pastor of Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church in Lisbon, Iowa.
Reflecting on her time in the office Pastor Uthe said, “I have been blessed beyond measure these last eight years serving with the ELCA in the Office of the Bishop. The people and congregations I have interacted with have shown me God's presence and action in the world through their faith, love, generosity, and witness. Indeed it has been an honor and privilege to work alongside the saints of God, my colleagues in the Southeastern Iowa Synod, and my churchwide colleagues across the country. I look forward to the next chapter of ministry with Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church and remain grateful for the ways we will continue to be connected as we share the good news of Jesus Christ and work for justice and peace.”
“Pastor Uthe has excelled in her time in the synod office. Her impact on congregations and rostered ministers through her time in the Office of the Bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod will continue,” said Bishop Amy Current. “Erika has been a voice for active, engaged, and vibrant congregations and in the dialogue about stewardship, evangelism, and the future of this church. She has been influential in her time as Director for Evangelical Mission as an effective leader in Southeastern Iowa and throughout the ELCA. I am grateful for her passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ and her deep love of the people of this church and beyond. Southeastern Iowa has been and will continue to be blessed by her dynamic ministry.”
Bishop Current will be working on a transition plan for the Director for Evangelical Mission with plans to post the Director for Evangelical Mission position by mid-late April. Notes of thanks or appreciation can be sent to Pastor Uthe at staff at seiasynod.org