As the Region 3 outreach coordinator for the ELCA Board of Pensions, Sandy Rothschiller knows she has her work cut out for her.<\/p>\n
“For 17 years, I’d get this stuff in the mail from the Board of Pensions, and I would say, ‘I can’t look at that. It’s too confusing,'” she said. “Now I’m out trying to teach people like me that it’s not that hard.”<\/p>\n
For those 17 years, Rothschiller, ’90, served as a parish pastor. But in 2007, she was ready for a change. Rothschiller now educates members in Minnesota and the Dakotas about benefits available through the Board of Pensions. Both her experiences in seminary and as a pastor have assisted her in her new role, making her appreciate the benefits the ELCA offers.<\/p>\n
“Our bundled benefit structure means that when pastors interview for calls, they never have to negotiate benefits,” she said. “So, when I was in North Dakota, I had the same benefits as in Minnesota. If all of a sudden pastors were negotiating benefits, their calls would be about benefits, not about a call from God.”<\/p>\n
Rothschiller is especially passionate about church leaders’ spiritual wellness. Since social, physical and emotional wellness affect spiritual wellness, she notes that pastors must remain healthy to lead their congregations. A recent partnership with Mayo Clinic has aimed to improve members’ health, and, in just three years, Rothschiller has already seen great changes.<\/p>\n
“We are working toward getting healthier,” she said. “Sixty percent of people who took the Mayo clinic health assessment last year had emotional or mental well-being issues. That’s dramatic. Yet there are so many things people are starting to do after that assessment. It’s making the difference, and it’s fun to see.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the Region 3 outreach coordinator for the ELCA Board of Pensions, Sandy Rothschiller knows she has her work cut out for her.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3225,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5734","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"issue-spring-summer-2010","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n