District conventions: about our Father's business
From the office of President Mark Schroeder
Last week, all twelve districts of the synod held their biennial district conventions. These meetings took place in Seattle in the Pacific Northwest District, in Tampa in the South Atlantic—and in all districts between.
District conventions serve several important purposes. The delegates from congregations throughout the synod meet to hear reports on progress that has been made since the last meeting of the synod convention in July 2007. Included in those reports are updates on finances, descriptions of new ministry efforts, and reports on the efforts made to carry out the directives of the last convention. In addition, district conventions typically provide a setting to look ahead to the opportunities and challenges before us in the coming months. They are also a time for the grass-roots members of our synod to provide early advice and input for decisions that will come before the next convention in 2009.
Several topics occupied the attention of delegates in all district conventions. The preliminary report of the Ad Hoc Commission was discussed in a variety of ways. All district conventions were asked to provide reaction and advice for the commission as it works to prepare its final recommendation to the synod convention next summer. Each district approached the discussion in its own way, and the reaction provided to the commission will also come in a variety of formats. One thing was consistent, however. Discussion and debate in all districts was varied, lively, and brotherly. The Ad Hoc Commission looks forward to analyzing the reactions and incorporating district feedback in its final report.
The Year of Jubilee debt retirement offering was also discussed at all district conventions. The support for this effort to retire the synod's capital debt seems to be widespread and enthusiastic. Delegates across the country joined in prayer that God would bless this effort to eliminate the synod's long-term capital debt—not for the purpose of simply being "debt free," but to enable us to utilize our precious resources in the best possible way.
These conventions are more than just meetings. They are evidence of how God works to build his kingdom through weak and fallible human beings, how he graciously gives us the opportunity to serve, and how he uses the time and talents of his people to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder
Filed Under: Ad Hoc Commission, Convention, District, Year of Jubilee
Top Stories
Compiled by WELS Communication Services
New district presidents elected
Two new district presid
ents were elected at WELS district conventions last week to replace outgoing presidents who were not seeking reelection.
Rev. Charles Degner of St. Peter, Minn., was elected president of the Minnesota District to replace Rev. Larry Cross who is retiring after serving 16 years as district president. Degner has served his entire ministry in the district—beginning at Martin Luther Academy in New Ulm, Minn., from 1975-76 and then later at congregations in Red Wing and Prior Lake, Minn. He has been serving at St. Peter in St. Peter, Minn., since 1986.
At the convention, Degner expressed the need to find ways to support unique ministries in the district—including Martin Luther College, the synod's worker-training school in New Ulm and the variety of cross-cultural ministries in Minnesota including Hmong, Chinese, Cambodian, and Hispanic.
"Our district has been given leadership in reaching out to people of various cultures," he said. "It is my hope and prayer that this continues."
In Mesa, Ariz., delegates to the Arizona-California district convention elected Rev. Jon Buchholz as the district's new president to replace Rev. Paul Janke who asked not to be nominated for reelection after serving in the position for 10 years.
Buchholz, who currently serves at Emmanuel in Tempe, Ariz., is a relative newcomer to the district. Before accepting his current call in 2005, he served congregations in Des Moines, Wash., and Waukesha, Wis. He served as a vicar in Puerto Rico from 1988-89.
In addition to their district duties, the 12 presidents also serve their calling congregation and serve on the Conference of Presidents—charged with supervising and maintaining the synod's doctrinal unity.
"The task seems very daunting; I'm feeling overwhelmed," says Buchholz. "I'm going back to the Lord, hearing his voice in the Scriptures and the sacraments—that's where I turn for strength."
Filed Under: Convention, District, president
Midwest storm damage summary
While many WELS congregations are reporting that their members are safe following the series of severe storms that produced flooding and tornadoes throughout the Midwest last week, many members' homes have been damaged. Reports of worship facilities sustaining significant damage are limited.
Among the congregations affected are Divine Peace, Milwaukee, and Zion, Elroy, Wis. During Zion's worship service on June 8, the Baraboo River began to overflow and filled the church basement filled with five feet of water. Divine Peace had 10 inches of contaminated water bubble into its basement, causing an estimated $35,000-$40,000 of damage.
The Synod Administration Building, also in Milwaukee, experienced flooding in its basement June 7-8. Further west in Watertown, Wis., staff at Luther Preparatory School spent several days drying out the library and classrooms after water seeped in through the walls; none of the other three WELS worker training schools reported damage.
In Parkersburg, Iowa, a tornado destroyed the homes of five members of Faith, an Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) congregation. In southeast Iowa, four families from Good Shepherd, Cedar Rapids, are among the 30,000 residents who were evacuated from the city last week; few residents have been allowed back into town to see if their homes have been damaged.
Several states—like Iowa, which has declared disasters in 83 of its 99 counties—are receiving aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Red Cross has also set up emergency centers in some of the hard-hit states like Wisconsin, where a state of emergency was declared in 30 counties after record rainfalls June 7-8. Another series of storms rolled through on June 12 and caused evacuations in several cities.
Rev. Philip Schupmann, chairman of WELS Relief, has released $25,000 for flooding in Iowa but is still waiting to hear how many congregations fared. "I certainly encourage people to contact us if they need help and relief," says Schupmann. "Our committee can't always be the first ones on the spot after major disasters; we function much better weeks and sometimes months afterward when FEMA and Red Cross leave and we can get work crews in to help rebuild or clean up."
Schupmann will be leading a delegation of three WELS representatives to assess the damage in Iowa on Wednesday and says WELS Relief could release more funds at that point. "This disaster could grow into a very big effort on our part," he says. "We stand ready to help any of our congregations—their members and their communities—as these natural disasters continue."
Churches and individuals that have experienced damage are encouraged to contact Rev. Philip Schupmann, chairman of WELS Relief, at philipschupmann@msn.com If you would like to support relief efforts, donations can be sent to WELS Relief, 2929 N Mayfair Rd., Milwaukee WI 53222; or donate online at www.welsrelief.net
Filed Under: Committee on Relief, disaster, Flooding, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Nebraska, tornado, Wisconsin
Global Lutheran conference wraps up in Kiev
Members and guests of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) have wrapped up their sixth triennial convention—held this year in Kiev, Ukraine.
About 85 participants representing almost 20 church bodies from around the world in doctrinal fellowship with WELS and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) met June 3-5. The WELS delegation was led by President Mark Schroeder. Representatives from three African churches were unable to secure travel visas and so were unable to attend.
Among other things, the convention authorized establishment of a committee to look at ways to collaborate theological training efforts among the ten CELC-affiliated seminaries worldwide—including Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon and Bethany Lutheran Seminary in Mankato, Minn.
"We want to find ways to leverage our rich deposit of theological heritage across various seminaries, especially through distance learning," says Rev. Dan Koelpin, administrator for WELS Board for World Missions and vice president of the CELC. Koelpin says the goal is to speed up the process of developing national pastors in mission fields worldwide by giving seminary students access to a wider variety of sound Lutheran theologians.
The ongoing objective of the conventions is to give national pastors—who are often isolated in their work—a chance to share ideas and encourage each other. "It's vital for us," says Rev. Igor Logvinov of the Confessional Lutheran Church in Siberia, Russia. "Conferences like this remind you that you are not alone in his world; you have brothers of the same faith, the same confession who carry the same cross."
For more information about the CELC, go to: www.celc.info
Filed Under: CELC, Convention, ukraine
New mission counselor called
WELS Board for Home Missions called Rev. Peter Kruschel—currently administrator for WELS Board for Ministerial Education—on May 30 to be the mission counselor for the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern regions of the United States. Currently three mission counselors work with missionaries, mission groups, and self-supporting congregations across the country to help them share God's Word with as many people as possible.
This call for a fourth mission counselor—a position that has been vacant for almost four years due to funding issues—is part of Home Missions' efforts to expand the mission counselor program and was supported by resolutions from last year's synod convention.
"The counselors are an integral part of providing proactive assistance to district mission boards, missionaries, and congregations," says Rev. Harold Hagedorn, administrator for Home Missions. Hagedorn hopes that when all four positions are filled, "more people and congregations will aggressively seek their neighbors in Christ while equipping the saints for works of service."
Kruschel is now considering the call. "I am humbled that the Spirit would lead representatives of Home Missions to grant me the opportunity and privilege to consider serving the church in another ministry setting," he says.
Kruschel previously served parishes in Milwaukee, Wis., and Orlando, Fla. He also served as associate administrator for WELS Home Missions for 12 years. "I've seen the mission counselors carry out their tasks from the viewpoint of a home missionary and an administrator; yet I know that the program and expectations for the mission counselors have changed considerably in the last eight years," he says. "I am eager to study those changes and see how they apply to today's mission fields."
In addition to speaking with district mission boards in the region assigned, Kruschel says he's going to gather insight and advice from those he currently serves with in Ministerial Education. "And throughout the process I'll wrestle with the Holy Spirit—the perfect Counselor—in prayer," he says.
Filed Under: BHM, BME, Home Missions, mission counselor
Projected budget surplus lowered
WELS Chief Financial Officer Todd Poppe is revising downward the anticipated surplus in synod's fiscal year operating budget.
In April, the surplus was anticipated to be as high as $3 million, in large part due to increased offerings from congregations for the collective work of the synod known as Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO).
Poppe now estimates the surplus at about $2.7 to $2.8 million, due largely to the first comparative decline in CMO since the synod convention last summer. May 2008 CMO receipts are down about $200,000 or 11 percent from the same month last year. Poppe says he's not sure whether this is an isolated incident or the start of a trend. For fiscal year 2007-08, CMO remains 7 percent higher than fiscal year 2006-07.
To view the entire Executive Summary prepared by the CFO for the Conference of Presidents and the Synodical Council, go to: www.wels.net/jump/finance
Spotlight on Streams: Andy's story
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Faith Nelson shares the story of her son, Andy, and how their family was impacted by the Jesus Cares ministry and the Lutheran Home Association. Watch it online at: http://streams.wels.net/video/andys-story3
Filed Under: Jesus Cares, Lutheran Home Association, Streams
