The 2011 NALC Convocation, held Aug. 11-12 in Hilliard, Ohio, elected the Rev. John F. Bradosky to serve a four-year term. The Bishop is the NALC’s chief pastor and evangelist.

The Rev. John F. Bradosky

Home: Centerville, Ohio
Congregation: Living Water Lutheran Church, Centerville, Ohio
Current Call: General Secretary, North American Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio

Experience within the body of Christ that has prepared you for service in this position:

I have been blessed by pastors and professors who were also faithful mentors in my life. My marriage of 34 years to Kristi has not only survived but thrived even through the death of our first born son. Our children and their spouses continue to grow in their witness and service to the church. My 32 years of ordained ministry in congregations includes experiences in urban, suburban and multicultural settings, with multiple campus environments and the supervision of a large staff. Serving on Synod Council, and Church wide divisions and initiatives including: Stewardship, Outreach, Evangelism and Transformational Leadership initiative, has broadened my experience. In addition to preaching, teaching and celebrating the sacraments, discipleship has preoccupied the focus of my ministry for the past two decades including:

Providing leadership for the Church wide Call to Discipleship, writing articles, Bible studies, creating conferences, addressing Synod Assemblies and providing training for Disciple Mentors. Working with missionaries in Mexico, Central America, Tanzania, Uganda and recently in Ethiopia has assisted in developing a global perspective of the missional strength of the Church available to us through the experience of those where the Church is growing at its fastest rate. In addition to those experiences I have served as President of Lutheran Bible Institute of California and as adjunct faculty there. For nine years I was on the board, chair and member of the Ethics Committee of Graceworks Lutheran Services.

What spiritual gifts and skills has God given you to bless this ministry?

Through assessment tools and conversations with those who have provided mentoring in my ministry, I believe my spiritual gifts include: Leadership, Teaching, Administration, Discernment and Evangelism as it relates to discipleship. My devotional life and commitment to the spiritual disciplines keeps my faith growing and challenges me daily in following Jesus. The richness of our confessional heritage keeps me grounded, growing and grateful for opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Through varied leadership experiences I have developed skills in the areas of strategic planning, metrics, “balanced scorecard” and branding identity. Through my avocation as a sports official in high school and collegiate basketball, football and soccer, I have also learned critical leadership skills regarding integrity, preparedness, fitness, accountability, decision making, resolving conflict and dealing with passionate people in frustrating circumstances. In training for marathons, I have also learned about perseverance and endurance in running the race.

List a favorite Scripture verse and tell why it has meaning for you.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

Jesus is preparing His disciples for his death and He reminds them to remain in Him even as He is willing to remain in them. The relationship with Jesus has grown more intimate and He no longer calls them servants but friends. Through the indwelling presence and faithful obedience they not only grow closer to Christ but He promises their lives will be fruitful. This word reminds me of the most important value in my ministry: the preciousness of relationships. It is the only thing in this life that lasts or matters. Jesus points out that everything else is dust and rust. All we have that gives life meaning, purpose and direction are relationships: a relationship with Jesus Christ through faith in Him and relationships with those He has given us, to love and care for. In Christ those relationships are eternal. That is the nature of our faith, discipleship and the Church. We are all giving our life away for some cause, but the words and example of Christ are to give our life for the sake of those relationships.