Leadership
Secretariat
The governing body for Via de Cristo is called a Secretariat. It is composed of people who have previously attended a weekend and are willing to serve further. Individuals are nominated and formally elected at each year's annual meeting to three-year terms. The secretariat currently consists of the following positions/individuals:
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Head Spiritual Director: Bruce Kreutzer
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Lay Director: Gus Martschink
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Synod Liason: Richard Davis
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Secretary: Debbie Wilson
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Communications: John Ballentine
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Music: Joey Hydrick
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Palanca: Loraine Boyer
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Weekend Coordinator: Jim Ullery
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Pre-Weekend: Sherry Hirt
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Leadership Training: INCOMING
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Post-Weekend/Treasurer: Pam Creasy
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Rectora: Gloria Stenback
From the Lay Director
Love Never Fails
When I was in 7th grade Sunday School class at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, (Charleston) the teacher required we memorize the King James version of 1st Corinthians, Chapter 13. That’s right, the entire chapter. As I struggled through trying my best to memorize and understand the words, my 13-year-old brain tried unsuccessfully to figure out the last verse. “And now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.” What I did not know then was that this chapter would become the central focus of my spiritual journey my entire life.
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​ During my life’s journey, I thought I learned everything needed to become successful. Looking back, I now realized I was living a false self-life. Simply defined, it is a life where I hid truth from myself and others, and projected what I falsely believed- what I thought others wanted to see me to be. Doing so left me spiritually dry. I also missed understanding key words like total forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love. These words remained in my brain but should have settled in my heart…until…
Via de Cristo entered my heart at age 51 during that first weekend, February 1996, where the eyes of my heart opened widely and molded a new and broad understanding of God’s complete forgiveness of me and all others, His Grace and His total unconditional love for everyone, including me.
That weekend was my ”AHA” moment that guided me to my true self. Simply defined, the true self is where my leadership shifted to helping others while being more aware of and truly guided by the Holy Spirit. That weekend repositioned my heart while guiding me to become a better leader in my daily life no matter who I encountered or where I interacted.
Via de Cristo helps Leaders within the church to be better at what they do with a new set of eyes. Those who are or want to become better leaders are the people who should seriously consider attending a Via de Cristo weekend.
About the Weekend. First, there is nothing during the weekend that will force you to do anything you are uncomfortable doing. Second: while there are no secrets, there will be happy surprises. To tell you this in advance is like letting you open a Christmas gift on Thanksgiving Day. This would spoil the real gifts’ meaning.
Consider asking the person who spoke to you to share their story about what the Via de Cristo weekend meant to them. Ask them questions. Pray. Listen to that small still whispered Holy Spirit voice nudging you. You will be glad you did. I still am!
Peace…Gus Martschink
SCVDC Lay Leader