For immediate release HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. -- The Rev. Kevin T. Shock will be installed as bishop of the Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Saturday, Feb. 7. He was elected on November 1, 2025, to serve a six-year term as synodical bishop.  The installation will take place at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 1000 Scalp Ave., Johnstown, beginning at 2 p.m.The event will also be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/MtCalvaryJohnstown . ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry will preach and preside at the installation. Several bishops from various faith denominations are expected to be in attendance.   “The people of this synod have loved and shaped me since my family moved to Altoona when I was 10 years old,” Shock said. “I am humbled and honored to be called to serve God’s people as bishop and to proclaim the abundant love of God in Christ together with them.”   He has served as Assistant to the Bishop for the Allegheny Synod since 2022, having concurrently served as Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) from 2022-2023.   Prior to this role, Shock was Pastor at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pleasant Gap (2006–2022) and Intern Pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Verona, NY (2004–2005). Before entering ordained ministry, he worked as Ministry Assistant at Zion Lutheran Church, Hollidaysburg (1998-2002) and as a counselor at Camp Sequanota, Jennerstown (1995).   Shock earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 2006 and Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education (English/German) from Juniata College in 1998.   A native of Blair County, Shock and his spouse are residents of Howard, Centre County.   The Rev. Barbara J. Collins has served as interim bishop of the Allegheny Synod since September 2024; Shock began the work of bishop on February 1. - more- The Allegheny Synod of the ELCA is comprised of 97 congregations in seven counties across south central Pennsylvania, including Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Huntingdon, and Somerset, and one congregation in Grantsville, Md.   The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.   ###   Contact: The Rev. Marty Jo Irvin Stellabotte, Assistant to the Bishop for Communications alleghenysynodcommunications@gmail.com   cell: 814-934-9941

If you're not able to attend Bishop Kevin Shock's installation this coming Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2pm at Mt. Calvary Johnstown,, you may watch it live-streamed on the church's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MtCalvaryJohnstown . You may access the Worship Bulletin at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LUVQjqIiydvG7VtELuaUG-Vy3SpzUoCA/view?usp=sharing

January 24, 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity   Dear Friends:   Grace and peace to you in the name of +Jesus, the ever-growing light of the world! Amen.   First, a word of thanks. I am full of gratitude from your well-wishes, words of prayer and encouragement, and your regular mission support and special financial offerings during, and in support of, this time of transition. The Spirit has moved us toward a greater sense of mission and cooperative ministry during this interim period, and together we can continue on this road for years to come. Please plan on being present at our shared celebration of my installation as Bishop on February 7, 2026 at 2:00 pm at Mt. Calvary Lutheran in Johnstown. If you haven’t already, RSVP as soon as possible to the email address above. If you are unable to be physically present that day, I ask for your prayers for all of us in the Allegheny Synod and invite you to watch the service on Mt. Calvary’s Facebook page.   Second, a word about Synod staff. On January 17 the Allegheny Synod Council approved a staff structure of four quarter-time Assistants to fulfill the duties of the Office of the Bishop alongside me. This decision is the culmination of many discussions among Council, Deans, and other leaders. Some advantages to this structure include keeping gifted clergy at their current ministry sites, clearly delineating and delegating specific responsibilities, and incurring no cost above our proposed Synodical budget while bringing more gifts to the Office. Detailed information about the roles and the people filling them will come in the first couple weeks of February.   Finally, a word of encouragement. As I have gotten to know many of you these last four years as Assistant, I have seen the value in gathering together. Connections are made to God and one another when we gather. Let us follow the advice of the author of Hebrews (10:24-25) in meeting together to encourage one another and to provoke one another to love and good deeds. Find reasons to meet, invite one another, and gather. Be sure to invite me! You can contact Michelle at the information above to get on my calendar. I look forward to getting to know you all better.   In the peace of Christ, The Rev. Kevin Shock Bishop-Elect, Allegheny Synod

Did you know that congregations can apply for a grant through the Allegheny Synod to help enhance worship? Thanks to the generosity of the Startzell Music and Technology Grant, funds are available from the estate of The Rev. Walter Startzell, who served as a pastor in the ELCA for more than 50 years. Pastor Startzell, who died in 2022, was an accomplished musician, vocalist and composer; having written several hymns that were used in his services. He served many congregations throughout the synod and had a passion for worship and music. A Music Grant could be used to: expand or enhance current worship services fulfill the dream of a congregational member to learn an instrument or experience voice lessons provide funds for church musicians to participate and grow through workshops bring special music to the congregation A Technology Grant could be used to: grow a congregation sound system cover the fees of copyright permissions provide startup funds for developing a church website enhance online streaming worship services These are just a few ideas; congregations are invited to apply for grants between $250 and $2,500.. Applicationos will be accepted on a rolling basis. Recipients will be asked to report the outcomes of each project in written or recorded form for use in Allegheny Synod publicity and media. For complete guidelines and an application, please download the application below.

A Music Grant could be used to expand or enhance current worship services fulfill the dream of a congregational member to learn an instrument or experience voice lessons provide funds for church musicians to participate and grow through workshops bring special music for worship group A Technology Grant could be used to grow a congregation sound system covering the fees of copywrite permissions funds for developing a church website Grants of $250-$2,500 will be awarded. Recipients will be asked to report the outcomes of each project in written or recorded form for use in Allegheny Synod publicity and media.

The Center of Addiction and Faith is presenting a free one-hour webinar entitled "When Play Becomes a Problem: Internet Gaming and Spiritual Formation” on Jan. 28, 2026, from 12:00-1:00 PM CT features special guest Michael Hsu, MD, a board-certified addiction psychiatrist and health services researcher and clinical faculty at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. He will explore the role of internet gaming and digital technology in the lives of children, adolescents, and adults—highlighting both the potential benefits and the risks of problematic or compulsive use. The session will help faith leaders recognize signs of unhealthy gaming or technology use, understand when gaming may be serving deeper emotional or spiritual needs, and offer practical, compassionate ways to support individuals and families while encouraging balance, community, and healthy limits.   The link to register is https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/b-6ZDaJ-Rdi8wmAL33bIvw?mc_cid=cbf735f1ad&mc_eid=UNIQID#/registration

In conjunction with the Installation of our soon-to-be-Bishop, Pastor Kevin Shock, Mt. Calvary Lutheran would like to create a bulletin board of well wishes from the congregations of the Synod to be displayed in Mt. Calvary’s narthex at the time of the installation. Our plan is to combine all the well wishes into a binder after the installation, and present it to our new Bishop at a later date.     To this end, we are requesting the congregations to send us a letter/card/poem,etc. expressing your good wishes. Because our space is not large, please limit your submission to something no bigger than  8.5x11. Your submission does not need to be elaborate. Our space truly is limited.   Digital submissions should be sent to Ms. Shannon Reed at SReed151@gmail.com . Hard copies can also be sent to Shannon at 1603 Arthur Drive, Verona, PA 15147. Submissions need to arrive by Friday, January 23, to give us time to create the bulletin board.   Thank you for your help with this project. We, at Mt. Calvary, look forward to greeting you in person on February 7.   Gloria Reed, Hospitality Committee Member

Synod Council voted on September 20 to amend the Compensation & Benefits Manual to reflect the new Portico health benefits plans. Council recommends either the Select Copay 2000 or the Select HDHP 2000. Council encourages all sponsoring organizations to speak with the members they sponsor to determine which plan works best for the member. Questions can be directed to Pr. Tara Lynn at tlynn@PorticoBenefits.org

FOR SPONSORED PLAN MEMBERS: Wednesday, August 20th, 10am If you are sponsored in the Portico Benefits plan, this webinar is for you. We will review the Portico bundle of benefits, the upcoming changes to the Portico ELCA-Primary health plan for 2026 and provide timely updates regarding annual enrollment. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/e2hmZf-GR9aSI-r84iCGuQ Once you register, you will receive a link to attend the meeting via ZOOM.   FOR SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS: Monday, August 25th, 6:30pm If you make decisions regarding benefit selections in your organization, this webinar is for you. We will review the upcoming changes to the Portico ELCA-Primary plan for 2026 and share other information that will be helpful as you prepare for annual enrollment. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NrmoghJuSRq9zrgyHlmY3w Once you register, you will receive a link to attend the meeting via ZOOM.   Both webinars will be led by our Region 8 Portico Regional Representative, Pastor Tara Lynn.

LUTHERAN DAY AT THE CURVE Join others from across the Allegheny Synod for dinner and a game at the Altoona Curve on Sunday, August 24. Ticket orders are due by Sunday, August 10. Please see the attached flyer for details. TRANSITION TEAM LOOKING FOR INPUT As the Synod Transition Team continues their work ahead of our Synod Assembly and Bishop’s election, they want to hear what your hope is for our Synod. You can email your hopes and thoughts to SynodTransitionTeam@gmail.com . ELCA CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY Please pray for our Churchwide Assembly meeting July 28—August 2, 2025 and for our Allegheny Synod voting members: Ms. Ann Ferry, Synod VP; Pr. Tyler Graham; Vr. Christy Harford; Mr. Ben Hoffman; Pr. Marty Jo Irvin-Stellabotte; and Pr. Kevin Shock. You can learn all about this year’s Assembly and find links to live-streaming of the event here: https://www.elca.org/about/leadership/churchwide-assembly . TWO UPCOMING WEBINARS FROM PORTICO BENEFITS FOR SPONSORED PLAN MEMBERS: Wednesday, August 20 th , 10am If you are sponsored in the Portico Benefits plan, this webinar is for you. We will review the Portico bundle of benefits, the upcoming changes to the Portico ELCA-Primary health plan for 2026 and provide timely updates regarding annual enrollment. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/e2hmZf-GR9aSI-r84iCGuQ Once you register, you will receive a link to attend the meeting via ZOOM. FOR SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS: Monday, August 25 th , 6:30pm If you make decisions regarding benefit selections in your organization, this webinar is for you. We will review the upcoming changes to the Portico ELCA-Primary plan for 2026 and share other information that will be helpful as you prepare for annual enrollment. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NrmoghJuSRq9zrgyHlmY3w Once you register, you will receive a link to attend the meeting via ZOOM.   Both webinars will be led by our Region 8 Portico Regional Representative, Pastor Tara Lynn.

The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is taking place this coming week in Phoenix, Arizona. Please hold all participants in prayer, especially those discerning the call for Presiding Bishop and Secretary of the ELCA, those leading and working behind the scenes, and our Allegheny delegation as they travel, join in conversations, worship together, and make decisions on our behalf. You can follow the actions of the assembly by clicking on this link ELCA.org/cwa .