Rev. David C. Shank joins the Metro D.C. Synod as Assistant to the Bishop for Generosity

Rev. David C. Shank joins the Metro D.C. Synod as the Assistant to the Bishop for Generosity. He will be sharing his time with the Metro D.C. synod as he continues to work as Bishop Gohl’s Assistant to the Bishop for Generosity in the Delaware-Maryland Synod. Pr. Shank will engage and empower the Metro D.C. Synod as we develop together the financial resources necessary to sustain and expand ongoing operations and successfully complete specialized ministry funding goals. If you have any questions for Rev. Shank or would like to give him a warm welcome, his email address is dshank@metrodcelca.org. Rev. Shank has over eight years’ experience in the Development and Fundraising profession in addition to over 10 years of congregational ministry experience. Originally serving in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, he has served churches in and around Baltimore, and was a part-time member of the BWC Conference staff. He also served five years at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. as a member of their development team. He was ordained a minister of word and sacrament and became a member of the ELCA clergy roster in 2019. He recently served St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fulton, Maryland as their Associate Pastor of Evangelism, Stewardship and Adult Christian Education where his wife, Rev. Carolyn Shank was the lead pastor until they departed in the summer of 2021. During his tenure as the Assistant to the Bishop for Generosity in the Delaware-Maryland Synod, Dave has successfully built the foundation of the synod’s Annual Synod Ministry Fund, which was launched in November 2019. Since that time, Dave has generated and stewarded nearly $850,000 in annual dollars, including $350,000 in COVID-19 Relief Funds for the congregations and ministries of the synod. He also leads and inspires congregations in their generosity efforts through coaching and walking alongside of them. Last year, Mission Support dollars increased by 3.48% within the synod. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Towson University where he concentrated his studies in Marketing and Economics. He holds two master’s degrees. One Master of the Arts in Religion, concentration in Systematic Theology and Ethics from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Now United Lutheran Seminary) and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He has also studied at Yale Divinity School and the Widener University School of Law. Recently relocating, Dave and his wife Carolyn reside in Abingdon, Maryland. They have one five-year-old son, who is the love of their lives, named Gabriel. In addition to spending time with his family, Dave enjoys college sports, personal athletic training, and cheering for the Orioles and Ravens. He views his work in generosity as his “unique call” to the ministry. Seeing the broader ministry of the whole Church, he views each church, and every member a significant part of the tapestry that makes up the body of Christ in the world. He sees his work as placing the ministries of the Church in front of people who have passions for those ministries and inviting them to share what God has given. He is very excited to serve once again in the Washington D.C. area and looks forward to meeting you soon!