New ministry positions authorized
Filed Under: BHM, Home Missions, Missions, WLS
The WELS Board for Home Missions (BHM) meeting in Milwaukee April 4 and 5 authorized funding for nine new ministry positions pending financial arrangements still to be finalized. Four of the positions would be for new congregations—the other five would be for new or expanded ministry at existing sites. Eight of the new positions would involve pastorally trained candidates.
BHM also authorized 21 vicar positions in the “Vicars in Missions Settings” program, which is now a partnership between BHM and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS). BHM and WLS are working together to fund the program—and to identify suitable candidates and congregations.
The program gives vicars (third-year seminary students) training in outreach and experience in working with congregational leaders while it assists congregations that might not be able to afford the full cost of a vicar without financial help.
At current enrollment levels, nearly 50 percent of the next vicar class would be placed in mission settings. Rev. Harold Hagedorn, BHM administrator, says, “It is a common goal that this might increase the value of the vicar experience for more and more, as well as enhance the ‘gather, nurture, and equip’ gospel ministry of our church.”
And as authorized by the synod convention, the board called a fourth full-time mission counselor to serve the Pacific Northwest, Arizona, California, and South Central mission districts: Rev. Philip Koelpin who currently serves at Redeemer in Tucson, Ariz., and is chairman of the Board for World Missions. BHM also made permanent the call of Rev. Mark Birkholz of Thornton, Colo., as mission counselor for the Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, and North Atlantic mission districts.
