Russell Halvorsen is a woodworker. He also happens to be the spouse of Pastor Beth Marie Halvorsen. A few years ago I approached him about making a Synod Crozier. He immediately said yes and begin looking for some good local wood from which to make a Gulf Coast Synod Crozier. Below are some pictures of the crosier under construction.

A crosier is simply a Shepherd staff/pastoral staff. It is a traditional symbol of the office of bishop.

The synod currently has two crosiers. The first one is a short Salvadoran crosier given to me by Bishop Medardo Gomez when I visited El Salvador 12 years ago (in 2011). Since a crosier is a symbol of the office of the bishop, it will remain with the Gulf Coast Synod when I am no longer bishop.

Pictured here is Bishop Medardo Gomez, with the crosier he gave me leaning against the wall behind him.
In this photo, the young man asked me, “Are you a wizard?”

A second crosier is a gift from our own kind and gracious Mesa Latina. Seen in the photo below, it is a chrome and brass crosier.

Work on the new crosier began in April 2023:

April 14, 2023 – Shaping
April 19, 2023 – Inlay?
April 22, 2023 – turning square in to round
April 24, 2023
April 26, 2023
May 23, 2023

More to come:

More amazing work by Russell Halvorsen Woodworks:

This mirror was made for Lutherhill Galveston (Zion Retreat Center)