Thank God for his blessings!
From the office of President Mark Schroeder
" 'Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it' " (Malachi 3:10).
With those words, God encouraged the people of Israel to place their trust in his promises, and he assured them that he would bless them in ways that they could hardly expect or even imagine. At last summer's synod convention, we were encouraged to have that same kind of trust in God's faithfulness. In the 11 months since that time, he has poured out financial blessings on our synod that few of us would have expected.
The preliminary results for our synod's fiscal year, which ended on June 30, show that the synod ended the year with a budgetary surplus of approximately $2.8 million. Year-end accounting is still being finalized, but our financial staff is confident that these numbers are very close to what the final results will be. The surplus is the result of a number of factors, including a substantial increase in congregational and individual offerings combined with significant underspending by the areas of ministry. The Synodical Council will determine how these funds will be utilized.
In May, the Synodical Council already approved an increase of $500,000 in the 2008-09 budget for Home Missions to be used for new mission starts. The majority of this $500,000 was actually a part of the 2007-08 budget that was not spent in 2007-08.
The budget originally adopted by the synod convention for the coming year (2008-09) showed a shortfall of $2.6 million. This shortfall was created when the convention restored $600,000 to World Missions and $2 million for the continued operation of Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw. Again, due to a number of factors, the $2.6 million shortfall has been reduced to approximately $900,000. Part of the surplus from 2007-08 could be used to cover that $900,000 shortfall, with the remaining surplus placed, for the time being, into a buffer fund for shortfalls that may occur in the future. Again, the Synodical Council will determine how to handle these unexpected blessings and will present final recommendations to the next synod convention.
Two important things need to be noted. First, we can and should be filled with a sense of overwhelming thanks to God. Even in a time of financial uncertainty in our nation, he has moved his people to bring generous thank offerings to support the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. This support is not the result of a convention resolution; it's the result of the gospel of Jesus Christ working in the hearts of God's thankful people.
Second, some have expressed a concern that news of this surplus will lead congregations and members to conclude that the financial crisis has passed and that support will diminish, even as forecasts warn of future shortfalls. I'm convinced that just the opposite will happen. We believe that the promises of a gracious God are what moved people to respond with their offerings in the last year. Those promises have not changed, and we should have no doubt that the gospel will continue to lead us to focus our efforts on the mission opportunities that God will give to us.
Personally, I would like to thank our synodical leaders (the Conference of Presidents and the Synodical Council) for their planning work and the encouragement they offer to the members of the synod. I would like to thank congregational leaders, both called and lay workers, for helping to keep our congregations focused on our shared work as a synod. I would like to thank the members of our congregations for their generous offerings. Together, we join our hearts in thanking God for the gift of his Son, and for all of the other gifts that he continues to shower on us as individuals and as a synod. To him alone be the glory!
Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder
Filed Under: Budget, Finance, gift, Offering, support, Synod Finances
Top Stories
Compiled by WELS Communication Services
WELS humanitarian aid trip to Africa
The three members of WELS Humanitarian Aid Committee—which exists to help spread the gospel by providing points of contact with people through humanitarian aid—are traveling to Africa July 24 and will spend two weeks assessing the committee's projects that are currently being carried out in Malawi and Zambia.
Rev. David Valleskey, Humanitarian Aid Committee chairman, says while in Africa the committee wants to see what's working, determine what needs to change, and find new opportunities. "The committee is funded entirely by special gifts from WELS members, so we want them to be used in the best possible way—which really is a major reason for our trip over there," he says. "We really want people's gifts to have an impact."
Valleskey, together with committee members Mr. Kent Raabe and Staff Minister Thomas Hering, will visit several sites where humanitarian aid is being given and meet with leadership of the national churches in Zambia and Malawi to see how humanitarian aid can be best used to assist in fulfilling the mission of the church.
Current projects in these African countries include digging deep wells and assisting in literacy and home health care training. In countries like India, Nepal, and Pakistan, the committee is digging wells, providing sanitary sewers and medical supplies, and running orphanages.
"We are simply showing the love of Christ toward people who may not have as much in the way of worldly goods as the Lord has blessed us in America with," says Valleskey. "If people in these countries ask, 'Why are you doing this?' we can point them to the love of Jesus that led him to go all the way to Calvary for them."
Committee members will be blogging during their two-week trip. Read about their experiences in Africa on the World Mission blog at http://missions.wels.net
Filed Under: Africa, aid, Humanitarian Aid Committee, Malawi, Zambia
Record registration for worship conference
This year's National Conference on Music, Worship, and the Arts, to be held July 28-31 in St. Peter, Minn., already has a record number of registered attendees and presenters—almost 1,000 people—and according to Rev. Bryan Gerlach, administrator for WELS Commission on Worship, more registrations are expected to trickle in before and at the conference.
Gerlach says that he expects the conference will end up with about 250 more attendees than the last conference in 2005. He says the increase in numbers is partly due to the location—there was a lot of positive feedback when the conference was moved to St. Peter in 2005. Other factors include the conference dates, which are not competing with another WELS event like the International Youth Rally, and word-of-mouth advertising.
"One of the presenters at past worship conferences recently told a friend, 'If you only go to the worship services, it's worth the drive,' " says Gerlach. "The friend was kind of skeptical and said, 'At $4.25 a gallon?' And she replied, 'Yes, it's worth the drive because the services are so awesome!' And that's really true."
In addition to the 1,000 people coming from the United States, two people from Sweden and three from Canada will also be attending this year's conference, which features more than 60 workshops, exhibits, corporate worship opportunities, and concerts—including a performance by the conference's largest high school honor choir of more than 130 WELS students nationwide. The new Christian Worship: Supplement will also be introduced.
"People can see this on paper and say, 'Wow, they've got a lot of stuff at this conference,' or they can go to the Web site and see resources from the last conference—but it just doesn't compare to being there," says Gerlach. "One person said after the last conference, 'It's like the Grand Canyon: you can see pictures, but that's nothing like standing at the edge and looking down.' "
For more information or to register, visit www.wels.net/jump/worship-conf
Filed Under: Minnesota, national worship conference, Worship
Work begins at new mission in Reno
Rev. Steve Hillmer, the new outreach pastor at Shepherd of the Mountains, Reno, Nev., was installed July 13. As outreach pastor, Hillmer is working to start a new mission congregation in Spanish Springs, a growing area just outside of Reno. Shepherd of the Mountains is partnering with WELS Board for Home Missions to fund the mission and is providing lay workers to get it off the ground.
Hillmer and his wife and family arrived in Nevada July 3. "The trip was a blur, three days of driving across the country," says Hillmer, who previously served at Beautiful Savior, Marietta, Ga. "Now we're just trying to unpack and get familiar with the area."
Hillmer is following up on prospects and says he's going to start canvassing in the next couple of months. Hillmer is also working on a Web site and logo for the new mission, which has been named The Springs. He hopes to hold the first service on Palm Sunday.
"Even as we spoke of this bold step by a small congregation in partnership with their fellow Christians through Home Missions, some of the saints were already speaking of where congregations numbers three and four should be, God graciously enabling," says Rev. Harold Hagedorn, administrator of Home Missions. "We give thanks for such outreach mindedness and efforts, and for congregations being willing to be a part of establishing new congregations."
In August, Hillmer will meet with his district mission board representative, Rev. Matt Vogt of Water of Life, Las Vegas, Nev., and Rev. Peter Kruschel, new mission counselor in the Southwest, to discuss plans for the mission and determine how to best utilize members from the existing congregation that live in the target area.
"By God's grace, I hope that we'll be able to get this congregation established and bring people into a more living relationship with their Savior," Hillmer says.
Filed Under: BHM, Home Missions, Missions, Nevada
New president for WLC
Daniel W. Johnson has accepted the call to be the next president of Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) in Milwaukee, Wis. Johnson, an administrator of Arizona Lutheran Academy (ALA) in Phoenix, Ariz., will be the third full-time president of WLC in its 35-year history, succeeding Dr. Timothy Kriewall, who retired June 30, 2008.
"I am humbled and excited to join Wisconsin Lutheran College in its mission to prepare students for lives of servant leadership," says Johnson. "It is a God-given privilege to ready students with not only academic excellence, but with the values, know-how, and desire to serve and be difference makers in their workplaces, communities, and the world."
"First and foremost, Dan is a dedicated man of God," says Todd Witte, chairman of the college's Board of Regents. "Throughout his varied leadership roles he has exemplified the type of unique servant leadership that is underlined by the WLC mission."
Johnson has served in multiple levels of education over the past 20 years. He has dedicated his career to improving education across various communities. His leadership of ALA since 1999 is marked by a focus on community, outreach, and meeting needs through creative private and public partnerships. Through such initiatives, ALA achieved record enrollment, financial support, and balanced budgets over his nine years at the helm.
Johnson will defend his doctoral dissertation, "Qualities of Christian Schools that Impact Enrollment," in fall 2008, earning his Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He is current president of WELS Association of Lutheran High Schools and holds a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from National-Louis University, Chicago, Ill., and a bachelor's degree from Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.
WLC is an independent, Christian liberal arts college of about 700 students. It is affiliated with WELS, but not financially supported by the synod's operating budget. All faculty are members of WELS or ELS congregations.
Spotlight on Streams: leadership conference
About 450 people—including public and Lutheran school teachers, principals, pastors, and school board representatives—attended the 2008 WELS National School Leadership Conference in June. Several videotaped presentations from the conference are now available on Streams. Watch them online
Filed Under: leadership conference, Streams
