ELCA Clergy and congregational leaders should note denominational encouragement for clergy (and even requirements for certain classes of clergy) to participate in continuing education. If you are ELCA clergy or a congregational leader, please review the general introduction for clergy continuing education on our Education for Clergy page.

The education event matrix below is a quick way to skim our offerings. Click on the linked text to learn about each. Check back periodically to find out what new thing is being offered.

Some educational events are recorded and available for viewing at a later date. Beneath the education event matrix, you find the archives matrix.

Be sure to take a look at the offerings from our colleagues across Region 8. Those are posted separately on Facebook (click here for more info).

Matrices

Upcoming Events	Date	Venue	Audience	Judicatories
Sixteenth Century Society Conference	30 Oct - 2 Nov 2025	Portland, OR	All	All
Online Pastoral Care Series	10 & 13 Nov 2025 12 & 15 Jan 2026 9 & 12 Feb 2025 9 & 12 Mar 2025 13 & 16 Apr 2025	Online	Clergy	All
Wills, Trusts, & Long-Term Care	16 Nov 2025	St. John's, Redhouse	All	All
Evangelizing Network Gathering: “The Invitational Christian: A Second Lens”	17 Nov 2025	Zoom	All	ELCA
FCTE Region 8 Plenary	19-21 Nov 2025	Gettysburg Seminary	FCTE Cohort	Region 8
Advent Icon Retreat	1-5 Dec 2025	Gettysburg Seminary	All	All
Equipping Pastoral Leaders: Faithful Ministry with  People of All Abilities	4 Dec 2025 26 or 29 Jan 2026 23 or 26 Feb 2026 23 or 26 Mar 2026 27 or 20 Apr 2026 25 or 28 May 2026	Zoom	Clergy	All
Lutheran Ethicists Gathering	7-8 Jan 2026	Washington, D.C.	All	All
American Society of Church History	9-11 Jan 2026	Chicago	All	All
American Christian Nationalism, Christian Zionism, and Islamophobia: Examining our Cultural and Theological Frameworks	14 Jan 2026 21 Jan 2026 28 Jan 2026 4 Feb 2026 11 Feb 2026	Zoom	All	All
Evangelizing Network Gathering: “Ethics for Evangelism	26 Jan 2026	Zoom	All	ELCA
Synod Clergy Cont. Ed Event: MESS Training	3-5 February	Wheeling	All	All
Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid-Atlantic: Program and Annual Meeting	TBA	Gettysburg Seminary	All	All
SCALD V	16 Mar 2026	Morgantown, WV	All	All
LARCUM | "Deliver Us from the Evil One: LARCUM Takes on the Tempter"	18-20 May 2026	John XXIII	All	All
Canadian Society of Patristic Studies	26-28 May 2026	Toronto	All	All
Rostered Ministers Gathering 2026	6-9 July 2026	Indianapolis	Clergy	ELCA
National Workshop on Christian Unity	17-19 Nov 2026	TBA	All	All

Don't forget to check out the offerings from the other synods of Region 8

  Clergy Continuing Ed

All the clergy-specific education information has been moved to its own page. Visit our Education for Clergy page where you will find information on

• ELCA-wide policies and guidelines,
• the Biannual WV-WMD Synod Clergy Continuing Education Events,
• First-Call Theological Education,
• Boundaries Training,
• Sabbaticals,
• etc.

Winter 2026: MESS

The Winter Synod Clergy Cont. Ed Event will be MESS Training with LDR in Wheeling, 3-5 February 2026. Click here for preliminary information.

Region 8 Offerings

LARCUM

LARCUM 2026 will gather 18-20 May 2026 at the St. John XXIII Pastoral Center, under the theme "Deliver Us from the Evil One: LARCUM Takes on the Tempter." Details will be posted on the LARCUM page when they become available.

LARCUM is the Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic-United Methodist Conference of West Virginia. It meets annually, bringing together people from the four traditions (and beyond) who are interested in ecumenical conversation. Learn more from our LARCUM page.

SCALD

The Symposium for Central Appalachian Lutheran Dogmatics (SCALD) is designed as a day of theological discussion, employing the symposium model. Presenters give papers with discussion of those papers open to all participants. It is about providing an intellectually engaging and profitable opportunity for rank and file clergy and lay theologians (amateur and professional) to test their all too often private ruminations among those capable of being critical and convivial at the same time. For more information visit our SCALD page.

SCALD V: Call for Papers

Paper proposals for SCALD V are now being accepted. SCALD V will be held 16 March 2026 (most likely in Morgantown, WV). Additional registration is now open. For paper proposal guidelines and registration information, visit the SCALD page.

Bishop's Book Studies

Book Study Lent 2026

• ABE Books
• Amazon
• Christian Book Distributors
  
• Thrift Books
  

Digital versions may be secured at Internet Archive, and don't forget your local library.

To register for this book study (in order to receive the zoom links), click here.

We also have a Facebook group (Kierkegaard Reading Group) that you are invited to join.

Podcast

Other Opportunities

Evangelizing Network Gatherings

Join the Evangelizing Network Gathering by Zoom for inspiration, encouragement, time for connecting and prayer. The remaining 2025 dates are below. The network shares devotions, discussion, resources, connections, opportunities, testimonies and prayers. Sessions are held at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. New participants are welcome.

• November 17:  “The Invitational Christian: A Second Lens” led by Rev. Dave Daubert, DMin, PhD, Director of Day 8 Strategies and author of “The Invitational Christian.”
• January 26, 2026: “Ethics for Evangelism” led by Rev. Miguel Gomez Acosta, Senior Director of ELCA New Ministry and Evangelism Team, and Rev. Anna-Kari Johnson, ELCA Evangelism Initiatives Program Manager.

Here's the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89614417505?pwd=OGRHUDdtM1VVVGtxc0QxbllndnQzZz09

Sixteenth Century Society Conference 2025

Wills, Trusts, & Long-term Care

Lutheran Ethicists Gathering

• When: January 7-8, 2026
• Where: Capital Hilton Washington, D.C.
• Who: Anyone interested in Lutheran ethics!

Through faithfulness in its life and activities as a community for peace, the Church in the power of the Holy Spirit becomes a presence for peace that disturbs, reconciles, serves, and deliberates (ELCA, For Peace in God’s World, p. 4).

How do these roles shape the church’s ethical commitments and activities today, when democratic institutions are under threat? At the 2026 Lutheran Ethicists Gathering, we will explore the church’s distinctive presence in society, including how the different parts of the church work together as one body for the well-being of all. Washington, D.C., will provide both an apt setting and the opportunity as a community to learn from local advocacy partners about practical strategies for living out Lutheran ethics together after we return home.

Presenters Include:

• Dr. Anthony Bateza, Associate Professor of Religion; Department Chair of Race, Ethnic, Gender and Sexuality Studies, St. Olaf College
• Rev. Dr. Sivin Kit, Director of the Department for Theology, Mission and Justice at the Lutheran World Federation
• Dr. Mindy Makant, Professor of Religious Studies and director of the Youth and Family Ministry Program at Lenoir-Rhyne University

This event is hybrid (in-person and on-line). Register here. In-person registration closes on December 12, 2025. Virtual registration will remain open through January 7, 2026.

Meals are not included in the cost of registration. For people joining in person, there will be optional gathering for dinners on Wednesday and Thursday. Hospitality time follows program sessions on both evenings.

The American Society of Church History

The next annual meeting of the American Society of Church History will be held in Chicago, 8-11 January 2026. For a draft of the program and registration information, click here. From the ASCH:

We are pleased to offer a robust range of panels from Early to Medieval, Early Modern, American, and Global Christianity, all focused on the theme of “My Kind of Town," a lighthearted way to say that the theme is a sense of place—that is, the difference that nation, region, or location makes in the history of Christianity.

The ASCH is a scholarly community dedicated to studying the history of Christianity and how it relates to culture in all time periods, locations, and contexts. Its members represent every facet of scholarship, and the Society welcome practitioners of all backgrounds, whether you are a professional academic, middle-school teacher, graduate student, member of the clergy, or an independent scholar.

National Workshop on Christian Unity

The National Workshop on Christian Unity has advanced unity and reconciliation among various Christian communities for more than 50 years. The Workshop continues to be the only gathering of its kind at a national level in the world. The annual event brings together ecumenical representatives, ecumenists, and interested members from all churches who share one faith, one baptism in Jesus Christ. Learn more about the history of the National Workshop on Christian Unity, past workshops, partners in church unity, inter-religious relations, and more by browsing our website (https://www.nwcu.org).

The next workshop will be held 17-19 November 2026. Location and details to be announced.

Standing Resources

Lutheran Basics: What's in the Catechisms?

Choice! That's one of things that makes religion in America so fascinating and challenging. Choice means that no one has to be Lutheran. Choice also means that no congregation has to be Lutheran. So, why be Lutheran when there are other options? Among all the possible criteria by which a person might choose a religious community—location, time, social class, familial relations, programming, etc.—is doctrine. What does a particular religious community teach and believe? Truth is: It is much more common that a person will not know the official teachings of a particular religious community than one might expect. Doctrine is rarely taught in detail from either pulpit or podium. Many also don't consider doctrine all that important.

To dig into Lutheran doctrine, Bishop Riegel offers an introduction to the catechisms of Martin Luther. Luther wrote the Small Catechism as the basic instruction in the faith for the laity. The Large Catechism was written as something of a teacher's edition for the pastors. If you would like this for your congregation, contact +Riegel. If you would like to get a head start with the catechisms, you can find the Small Catechism in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (the nu-cranberry hymnal). You can find an app for your smartphone at your phone's app source. You can also find both the Small Catechism and the Large Catechism at BookofConcord.org.

Polity for Councils

Not sure what the congregation council is supposed to do or how it is supposed to operate? Maybe we can answer your questions with our "Polity for Councils" workshop. First offered at in the Eastern Pandhandle on 16 April 2023, we are happy to reprise this in any conference or cluster of the synod. The course page has been uploaded under the title, "Polity for Councils: A Crash Course for Congregational Councilors." If you would like to see this offered in your area, contact +Riegel.

Bonhoeffer Curriculum

Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a House Divided and a World on Fire is a curriculum developed by Dr. Lori Brandt Hale, president of the International Bonhoeffer Society/English Language Section. Designed for congregational use, the curriculum includes facilitator’s guide, participant workbook, and accompanying slides for each week can be found below. There is also an accompanying midweek liturgy and prayers available. Click here to access this resource.

Equipping the Saints: A Lay Ministry Training Program of the Easter Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries

Advent Icon Retreat

Online Pastoral Care Series

Equipping Pastoral Leaders: Faithful Ministry with People of All Abilities

American Christian Nationalism, Christian Zionism, and Islamophobia: Examining our Cultural and Theological Frameworks

Fall Training Events for Rostered Leaders (Professional Boundaries, Cultural Competency, Racial Justice, etc.)

ULS: Kindling Faith

United Lutheran Seminary holds several educational events each year for clergy and for laity, many of them under the "Kindling Faith" umbrella of the Center for Sabbath Rest and Formation. There is way more than can be posted on this page, so we refer you to the seminary's website. Some of these events are held in person, some by Zoom. Some events are for just an hour or two while others run multiple days.

Equipping the Saints: A Lay Ministry Training Program of the Easter Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries

The purpose of this program is provide a basic training program for lay ministers to the synods of the ELCA. Synods have the ability through this process to add their own requirements through the independent study course and other additional options. The certificate that participants receive is not transferable to other synods unless directed by the bishops of those synods.

Over the course of one academic year, students will engage with the following course materials:

• Lutheran Confessions,
• Discipleship & Stewardship,
• Worship & Liturgy,
• Old Testament,
• New Testament,
• Preaching the Word (in two parts),
• Pastoral Care,
• Governance, and
• Independent Study as assigned by synod if needed.

For more information, download the program flyer (pdf). Additionally, those interested in pursuing this course of study should talk with The Rev. Sherri Schafer, D.E.M., and with Bishop Riegel.

Online Pastoral Care Series

The Rev. Dr. Beth Toler returns this fall for another Online Pastoral Care Series. It is possible to attend specific sessions. Here are the topics for the coming academic year:

• November 10/13 - Grace in the Final Chapter: Spiritual Care and the Death with Dignity Movement
• January 12/15 - This is What Spiritual Care Looks Like: Community Activism and Engagement
• February 9/12 - Walking the Road to Recovery: Spiritual Care for those Facing Addiction
• March 9/12 - Standing in the Storm: Spiritual Care as Crisis Response
• April 13/16 - Caring for Souls in a Wounded World: Spiritual Care in the Context of Climate Change

Click here for more information and registration.

Advent Icon Retreat

Equipping Pastoral Leaders: Faithful Ministry with People of All Abilities

All too often, persons who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are marginalized by the church and the world. This online course, by bringing in subject matter experts, will offer both a holistic overview and practical ministry tools to support those with IDD and their guardians and families. CEU certificate available.

• December 4, 7 – 8:30 pm, EST; Course Introduction
• January 26, Noon – 1:30 pm EST or January 29, 7 – 8:30 pm EST; No one Grieves Alone: Loss in the IDD Community
• February 23, Noon – 1:30 pm EST or February 26, 7 – 8:30 pm EST; Creating Community: Worship in the IDD Community
• March 23, Noon EDT or March 26, 7 – 8:30 pm EDT; Lighting a Path: Education in the IDD Community
• April 27, Noon EDT or April 30, 7 – 8:30 pm EDT; Effective Choices: Behavior Supports in the IDD Community
• May 25, Noon EDT or May 28, 7 – 8:30 pm EDT; Giving a Voice: Advocacy and Ethics in the IDD Community

For details and registration, click here.

American Christian Nationalism, Christian Zionism, and Islamophobia: Examining our Cultural and Theological Frameworks

Christian Nationalism is not new and has found many forms throughout the history of the Church, from Armenia to Russia to Germany and to the U.S. However, American Christian Nationalism is built upon a cultural and theological view of Americans as “exceptional” and America as a “New Zion.” This five-week online series will examine the current overlapping forms of American Christian Nationalism, Christian Zionism, Antisemitism, and AntiMuslim bigotry. We will examine the cultural framework for these public ideologies and their biblical and theological roots not only within the “Christian Right” but also “Mainline” traditions. The series is intended for religious leaders who are interested in providing guidance for their congregations and local communities. CEU certificate available.

• Wednesday, 14 January: Defining the overlapping Ism’s and their cultural underpinnings. 
• Wednesday, 21 January: America as “the New Zion.”
• Wednesday, 4 February: "The locusts from the abyss" or “the Children of Ishmael”: American views of Islam and anti-Muslim bigotry. 
• Wednesday, 11 February: The Promised Land or the Land of Promise: Israel/Palestine and Middle Eastern Christian Perspectives (including a live conversation with Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land).
• Wednesday, 28 January: The Armageddon Factor: 1967 and the growth of Christian Zionism.

For details and registration, click here.

Fall Training Events for Rostered Leaders (Professional Boundaries, Cultural Competency, Racial Justice)

Living the Resurrection

Living the Resurrection offers a variety of resources (free and for purchase) and consultation services to congregations considering their future and interested in change. Their website states,

LtR workshops are for congregations that know they need to change, but don’t know how. We help people walk through their fears, and into new life. The philosophy of  Appreciative Inquiry (AI)  provides the foundational theory that encourages people to change. The four phases of the AI strategy (Initiate—Inquire—Imagine—Innovate) structure the process.

To learn more an explore LtR offerings, click here.

Beyond the Bulletin: A Communications Strategy for Congregations

Living the Resurrection is offering a workbook for the development of a communications strategy for the congregation. Here's the lead on their promo material:

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw said that a long time ago, and it’s still true. Congregational leaders communicate with members through newsletters and bulletins, but they still hear folks say: “How come I didn’t hear about that?” Bet you've heard that too.

Communication is about so much more than advertising, however. Abraham Maslow, motivational psychologist and pioneer in understanding human needs, established that people have a strong need to belong. Part of that need is the desire to contribute to the life of the group. When someone feels excluded, it threatens their need for belonging.

Beyond the Bulletin is a workbook that will help you guide your congregational leaders to communicate with their members in a way that demonstrates they are a valued part of the congregation.

The workbook is set up in three 90-minute sessions. Total cost is $95. For more information including sample pages, click here.

Select

Select Learning provides access to quality theological learning experiences for personal, congregational and professional learning. Using outstanding seminary and college instructors and ministry practitioners, Select Learning combines high quality DVD-based video courses, customized study materials, proven textbooks,and online learning to create effective and flexible theological exploration opportunities. Select Learning is a member of the Lay School for Ministry Network of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Archives

We started posting AARs (After Action Reports) during the pandemic as a way to let folks know what we have been doing. Well, that started cluttering up the Education for Laity & Clergy page, suggesting that those AARs needed a page of their own. Explore our Past Cont. Ed Events page to get a taste of what we've done for education offerings in WV-WMD.

There are, however, some items we want to continue to hold on this page because they have continuing relevance and can be accessed in recorded form.

Talking about Economics in Uncertain Times

A webinar was recently hosted by the ELCA Stewardship Team under the title, "Talking about Economics in Uncertain Times". It featured a speaker from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.  It may be viewed at this link:  https://vimeo.com/857657315/e2ad1f5a4c.

Dementia-Friendly Worshiping Communities

The West Virginia Council of Churches held a webinar on Dementia-Friendly Worshiping communities on 8 December 2021 with The Rev. Kathy Fogg Berry. Berry wrote the book When Words Fail: Practical Ministry to People with Dementia and Their Caregivers and co-authored, Dementia Friendly Worship: A Multifaith Handbook for Chaplains, Clergy, and Faith Communities.

The Rev. Kathy Fogg Berry received a Masters of Religious Education from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and a Masters in Patient Counseling and a postgraduate certificate in aging studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. During Kathy’s tenure at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, she provided spiritual care for residents with dementia diagnoses, their families, and the staff who care for them. For the last five years, Rev. Berry has offered the “When Words Fail” seminar for clergy and lay leaders throughout Virginia and she speaks regionally and nationally about spirituality and dementia.

A recording of the webinar can be watched on the WVCC Facebook page.

Anger Webinar

Barb Keller offered a webinar for clergy on anger for ELCA clergy, via Zoom, on 30 November 2021. A recording is available. Contact the bishop or the D.E.M. for access.