course

Called to Lead: Preparing for and Assuming Church Leadership Roles

This foundational course equips you for congregational service, from the church council to ministry committees. Learn to create effective agendas, lead productive meetings, draft policies, navigate legal responsibilities, and work within your congregation's constitution. Leave ready to lead with confidence and competence.

Class Sessions

Tuesdays from 7-9 pm ET / 6-8 pm CT
*See our Academic Calendar for term dates.

...set an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
—1 Timothy 4:12
Course instructors

Rev. Justin Eller

Rev. Justin Eller has served in the Southeastern Synod since 2020 as Assistant to the Bishop for Care and Community, where he is Director of Advocacy and leads the Synod's Latiné Ministry Strategies. He oversees the Healthy Boundaries Education, First Call Theological Education, and Respite & Renewal Grant programs, and provides care for active and retired Rostered Ministers in coordination with the bishop. He also accompanies the Synod's Guatemala Team, nurturing the companion synod relationship with the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG).
Previously, Rev. Eller served as the ELCA's Regional Representative in South America, relating to Lutheran churches in Argentina-Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, where his ministry centered on accompaniment and interculturality. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Ethics and Practical Theology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In his free time, he enjoys being in nature, practicing art, and getting creative in the kitchen.

Rev. Andy James

Rev. C. Anderson "Andy" James serves as Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, the regional church body supporting 85 congregations, more than 400 ministers, and a range of other ministries across about 19 counties in the Atlanta metropolitan area. In this role, he is the official recordkeeper for the presbytery and advises its leaders and congregations on matters of process and polity. He has also served as Synod Assembly Parliamentarian for the Metro New York and Southeastern Synods of the ELCA. A native of Mississippi, Rev. James is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and Columbia Theological Seminary. He previously served eleven years as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Whitestone in Queens, three years as Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of New York City, and six years on the staff of the Presbytery of New Hope in eastern North Carolina. Outside the office, he is a devoted music lover, choral singer, and soccer aficionado–supporting Red Bull New York, Atlanta United, and Tottenham Hotspur!