The Rev. Alice Connor has accepted the position of Director of Campus & Young Adult Ministries at Good Shepherd! Pastor Connor's gifts for ministry and leadership fit right in with the goals for our campus ministry at the University of Cincinnati, as well as our hopes for building the ministry to young adults at Good Shepherd.

Pastor Connor will spend about 80% of her time leading the campus ministry at U.C. and the other 20% of her time working with young adults (post high school through age 34) at GSLC.

Pastor Connor, an Episcopalian priest who has been serving at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Hyde Park for the past five years, quickly emerged as the Search Team's leading candidate for the position, and was enthusiastically embraced by the Church Council following its interviews with her.

Pastor Connor was introduced to the congregation during services on May 23rd and 24th when she came to Good Shepherd to preach. Additional opportunities to meet her and learn more about the ministry she will be doing are also being planned, so please watch for more information.

Pastor Connor will officially begin her ministry as Director of Campus & Young Adult Ministries on July 1st.

Good Shepherd will be breaking some new ground in our synod by bringing an Episcopal priest to the staff to serve as the Director of Campus & Young Adult Ministries. To our knowledge, this is the first time this has occurred in our synod.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is in “Full Communion” with the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA), which means that Episcopal pastors may serve in Lutheran churches and Lutheran pastors may serve in Episcopal churches. Alice Connor, an Episcopal priest, will begin her service as Good Shepherd’s Director of Campus & Young Adult Ministries on July 1st.

Episcopalian priests may not serve under “call” at a Lutheran church because they are not on the “roster” of the ELCA. Instead, Episcopalians serve Lutheran churches under a “Contract for Extended Service.” In the same way, a Lutheran pastor could not be “called” to an Episcopal church but would also serve under a Contract. The difference between “call” and “contract” is a formality that is necessary due to the differing polities of the two denominations but does not alter the actual ministry conducted by the minister.

Good Shepherd’s constitution states that a congregational meeting must be held in order to issue a “call” to a pastor. Since we cannot issue a “call” to Pastor Connor due to the fact that she is an Episcopal priest, and must instead enter into a “Contract for Extended Service, a congregational meeting was not necessary to add her to the staff.

In her first year, two-thirds of the compensation for Pastor Connor’s position is being funded by Ohio Lutheran Campus Ministry (OLCM). Additionally, several members of Good Shepherd who have a heart for campus ministry have pledged special gifts above and beyond their regular contributions to help fund her position. The balance of the campus ministry will be covered under Good Shepherd’s extensive outreach budget. In the years ahead, Good Shepherd will gradually assume full responsibility for compensation as OLCM funding will be phased out.