Calendar

The Diocese of Milwaukee learned last week of the pending departure of the Wisconsin Conference of Churches longtime Executive Director, The Rev. Scott Anderson, who has accepted a call to be pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Madison, WI effective March 1, 2017.  His statement to the WICOC board of directors follows:

_________________________________________

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.  --Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am writing to let you know that this morning I accepted the call to be Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin effective March 1, 2017. 

Many of you know that I was re-ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in 2011 by the Presbytery of John Knox after the Presbyterian Church adopted new ordination standards that permitted LGBT candidates for the ministry. At the time,  I sought reinstatement for the purpose of being open to a call to parish ministry, which has been tugging at me for some time.  After a few unexpected dead ends and bends in the road in search for a call, the conversation with the pastor nominating committee at Westminster Church in Madison turned serious this fall as both of us recognized that I would be a good match for the congregation.

I have been blessed with a rich and fulfilling ministry at the Wisconsin Council of Churches for the past 13 years.   The WCC has been through many changes during my tenure, from a completely revamped (and far more functional) governance structure, to resourcing and equipping congregations  in order to better connect with their communities, to addressing the big issues that concern us all in the public square.  I have been blessed with a terrific staff, great Boards of Directors, and I have been welcomed as a colleague among the judicatory leaders, who themselves  have been very supportive of the WCC.  I am enormously grateful for the opportunity to have served you as Executive Director.

The WCC personnel policies contain a succession planning process and call upon the Board President, Vice President and Personnel Committee chair to make interim arrangements for leadership once the Executive Director’s resignation is announced, which  I am doing today.   Sarah Moore Nokes, Walter Bauldrick, Blake Rohrer (Personnel Committee Chair) and our incoming President Jerry Mansholt have been meeting and making plans.  Sarah will be in touch with you tomorrow with more details about securing interim leadership, and the next steps forward.  I plan to make a public announcement at the annual meeting on Tuesday.

Our personnel policies also call upon me to give at least 60 days notice.  My last day in the office will be Friday, February 24^th.  Between now and then I commit to you that I will be doing everything possible to insure an orderly and seamless transition to interim leadership.   Good byes have never been easy for me, but I do look forward to continuing relationships in my new role as pastor with those of you in the greater Madison area.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the annual meeting on Tuesday.

Rev. Scott D. Anderson

Executive Director, Wisconsin Council of Churches