Help needed on Church Council 2025-2026 and other volunteer roles
Last updated on January 27th, 2025
Our sincere gratitude goes to the 2024-2025 Church Council comprising: Mona Frantzke (President), Jocelyn Sommerfeld (Vice President), Kai Herrmann (Treasurer), Tanya Zielke (Secretary), Greg Andre-Barrett, Andy Boettcher, Peter Kearns, Monika Schmidt, Gisela Wilhelm, (Councillors-at-large), who will continue to serve this year (although not necessarily in the same positions).
Latest news: As of mid-February 2025, Martin Luther Church will be fully incorporated so council members will have full legal protection in the execution of their duties on Church Council.
We are actively recruiting three more members on council to reinforce our team so we will have a full roster of 12 members.
We invite you to consider joining the Council!
Wouldn’t you like to be involved in shaping the future of our Martin Luther Church in Toronto? Are you curious about the inner workings of our Church? Serving on council is a great opportunity for anyone who is passionate about giving back to our church community. It provides an enriching experience, an amazing personal and professional development, as well as a unique learning opportunity –especially in the religious non-profit sector. And it helps you interact with, bond and relate to fellow council / church members in a collegial atmosphere for the common good of the Church – a win-win for all! Monthly council meetings alternate between in-person and ZOOM/online formats.
On a related note, we are also seeking additional ushers, a membership secretary, and an envelope secretary to keep our records up-to-date. We use PowerChurch software with which one can easily connect from the convenience of one’s home. Note: You do not need to be on Council for this.
We hope to have representation from both our German and English contingents, spanning all generations from millennials to retirees, from newcomers to long-timers.
Worship Team
Thank you to the many people who contribute to our Sunday worship services: Pastor Nkanyiso Kingdom, Vicar Alice Rothgordt and lay preachers Iris Schweiger, Katja Brittain and Tanya Zielke who take turns leading services during Pastor Annika Klappert’s maternity leave.
Usually Pastor Kingdom presides once a month, Vicar Rothgordt presides twice a month and one of our lay preachers does the remaining service. The Web Team ensures that dates are listed on our website calendar and all roles are tracked in a Google doc. The presider preps the liturgy early in the week so that organist/pianist Linda Marcinkus can rehearse the hymns and Marlena Muller prints the service sheets in the office. Annette Rowles, our one-woman Altar Care Team, often comes midweek, as well as early on Sundays to set up Holy Communion, change the paraments and decorate. Council members, ushers and others are scheduled to greet, read, input donations, and tidy up the pews. Our Church Choir rehearses on Tuesdays for performances during special services which are recorded and shared on YouTube by ALex Boettcher and Peter Schweiger on our Tech Team. Tanya Zielke often sings with the congregation at the microphone to lead us through hymns. After the services you can enjoy coffee and cake prepared by volunteers in the new kitchenette in the foyer.
If there is a role you’d like to take on, assist with, please contact the church office!