CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Division for Ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has named Dr. Gwen W. Halaas, Kenosha, Wis., as project director for the ministerial health and wellness program for rostered clergy and lay leaders.
Halaas will guide the program through the ELCA Division for Ministry in Chicago. She will work with the ELCA's 65 synods, seminaries, social ministry organizations and other churchwide units to develop resources and programs aimed at maintaining the health and wellness of the church's rostered clergy and lay leaders, said the Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, executive director, ELCA Division for Ministry.
"The calling of Gwen Halaas really moves the program to a higher level for rostered leaders and their families. We are pleased to have Dr. Halaas' service because of her love and commitment to this church and her deep knowledge of health and wellness issues that face our rostered leaders," Wagner said.
The Division for Ministry began work with ministerial health and wellness initiatives in the mid-1990s, in partnership with an inter- Lutheran coordinating committee that includes The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod and the ELCA Board of Pensions.
Substantial funding for the position was provided by the ELCA Board of Pensions, Wagner said. Halaas has a one-year renewable contract, he added.
Until recently, Halaas was a member ELCA Board of Pensions' board of trustees, a position to which she was elected by the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. She resigned from the board of trustees to be considered for the health and wellness position.
"The arrangement between the Division for Ministry and Board of Pensions is a unique partnership of units in this church, and a promising blend of our strengths and abilities," Wagner said. "We both share an interest in and commitment to helping rostered leaders have healthy and productive lives."
As the ELCA's benefits administrator, the Board of Pensions recognizes the role health and wellness plays in the lives of rostered leaders and their families, said John G. Kapanke, president of the Board of Pensions. "The program receives a boost with the church experience and medical knowledge Dr. Halaas brings as a former trustee, practicing physician and health care administrator," Kapanke said. "Preventive programs that address the whole person will also help underpin our efforts to provide comprehensive benefits coverage that meets the needs of this church."
As project director, Halaas will assist the Board of Pensions in its benefits-related initiatives involving ministerial health and wellness. She will coordinate the ELCA's participation in the inter- Lutheran coordinating committee on ministerial health and wellness in cooperation with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and assist with the ELCA's program to prevent clergy sexual misconduct.
Halaas' work as project director is effective immediately. In addition, she will continue to serve as executive vice president for PatientWise Corporation, Kenosha.
Halaas received a master of business administration degree in medical group management from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., and her doctorate in medicine from Harvard Medical School, Boston. She began her clinical practice in 1985 in St. Paul and is a confirmed diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice.
The Division for Ministry provides services, programs, grants and counsel to undergird the diverse ministries of the ELCA. The Minneapolis-based ELCA Board of Pensions is a churchwide unit that provides pension, health, disability and survivor benefits and related services to 50,000 pastors, rostered laypersons and lay employees, and their families. -- -- -- * Terrance G. Mencel is communications manager for the ELCA Board = ofPensions.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
