Training for circuit pastors begins in earnest this week—the first round of training to take place since many districts created smaller circuits at their conventions earlier this summer in response to 2009 synod convention recommendations. The hope is the smaller circuits combined with more training will allow circuit pastors to serve more effectively.

Since the district conventions met, 24 new circuits have been added synodwide, for a total of 150. On average, each circuit is made up of about nine congregations—that's down from about ten congregations before the district conventions. Minnesota is the most affected—it increased from 14 to 22 circuits. There, one circuit of 16 congregations has been split into two.

Rev. Charles Degner, president of the Minnesota District, explains now that there are so many new circuit pastors, it is a good time to reorganize and train them. "We want our circuit pastors to be more than just a response to a crisis. We want them to be a source of help for both pastors and congregations on an ongoing basis," Degner says.

Circuit pastors work with area congregations and pastors as the district president's local representatives. "The circuit pastor is the pastor's pastor," Degner says "and he is the right arm of the district president in supervising doctrine and practice in the district."

Training begins Aug. 3 in the South Central District at Abiding Word in Houston, Tex. Training in the other districts is scheduled to be completed by October. The Western Wisconsin District held its training immediately following its convention in June.