The Coaching movement in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) began formally in 2001 in an attempt to empower and equip congregational mission developers in their work. Today, ELCA Coaching is working to actively raise up and deploy leaders trained in coaching skills in synods all across the church to empower the vitality of our leaders and congregations everywhere. The mission of the coaching ministry in the ELCA is “Cultivating Your Calling.”

How this is being expressed in each synod is different. Here in the NT-NL Synod, coaching began as an outgrowth of our 2017 Leadership Convocation and the collaborative dreaming of the ELCA Coaching staff and our synod staff. It exists to empower pastors, congregational leaders, and congregations to greater and more effective mission, towards congregational vitality, and towards growth.

Coaching Coordinator

The Rev. Nathan Swenson-Reinhold is the coaching coordinator for the NT-NL Synod. He is responsible for coordinating our existing coaches, facilitating coaching relationships for rostered and lay leaders, and providing trainings to expand our number of coaches, lay and rostered.

Rev. Swenson-Reinhold has been an ELCA pastor for 17 years and previously served as the coaching coordinator for the Metro DC synod from 2015-2022. He holds professional coaching certifications through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He has extensive experience coaching individuals and teams and is certified to teach coach trainings. His doctoral work was at Portland Seminary of George Fox University, Portland, Oregon with a dissertation entitled “wikiChurch – Exploring a 21st Century Incarnational Ethic for the Body of Christ.”

Nathan is married to the Rev. Erin Swenson-Reinhold (Preston Meadow-Plano), they have three children.

Nathan can be reached by email at nathan@summitcbc.com or by completing the Request a Coach form.