# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S37
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
can be used by missionaries for general care and in
emergency evacuations, if need be. This will allow
for those who have been out of the country for many
years to be able to quickly get in to see doctors who
are familiar with the various unique health challenges
faced while abroad.

Missionary Recruitment—David A. Fiala
(DCE), Assistant Director of Recruitment
The OIM Missionary Recruitment team serves the Synod
by connecting missionary candidates through a consideration
process to vacancies in the foreign mission field. Candidates for
missionary service are members of LCMS congregations, clergy
and laity alike, who have a desire to participate in the coming
of Christ’s kingdom in foreign lands (Large Catechism; Lord’s
Prayer; Second Petition). Roster-eligible church workers and
other professionals can be missionary candidates. Missionary
candidates are able to articulate the basic doctrine of the Christian Church as found in Scripture and outlined in Luther’s Small
Catechism, eligible for employment in the USA, at least 18 years
old, in good physical and psychological health, able to relocate
to a foreign country, and holders of (at least) a bachelor’s degree. If you, or someone you know, has international mission
interest and meets these basic prerequisites, please reach out via
email to mission.recruitment@lcms.org or via phone 1-888-8435267 for more information.
There are two tracks for long-term, international, missionary service with the Synod: “GEO” and Career Missionary. While missionaries in each category are Globally Engaged
in Outreach (GEO), Career Missionaries are encouraged to
consider serving for no less than five years deployed, whereas
GEO Missionaries serve an initial term of 30 months and have
the option of extending their service for 12-month increments.

Looking Back
In the past triennium, Missionary Recruitment sought out
candidates via social media, email, phone calls, and personally at district and LWML conventions, Concordia University
System School visits, Mission Conferences, Recognized Service
Organizations’ (RSOs’) hosted events, congregational mission
fairs, etc. There were hundreds of individuals who reached out
to Missionary Recruitment for conversation about international
missionary service; more than 100 who formally began the missionary candidate consideration process; 58 who received invitations (Divine Calls or Solemn Appointments) from the Board
of International Mission to serve as missionaries; and 53 who
accepted the vocation and became missionaries.

Looking Forward
Missionary Recruitment will continue to listen to the deployed regional leaders and missionaries of LCMS OIM and
communicate the news of international missionary service opportunities within the Synod through any means possible.

OFFICE OF NATIONAL MISSION (ONM)
Rev. Robert Zagore, Executive Director
The Office of National Mission will enliven,
equip, coordinate, and engage domestic congregations, districts, and Recognized Service Organiza-

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tions in order to enhance their local and regional
missions and ministries.
As one can see from the following ministry reports, the
ONM is an expansive office. Her very broad mission is moved
forward by the work of dedicated experts and ministry directors and their staffs. The last triennium has been one of accomplishment (as the ministry reports convey) and substantial
change. ONM has been served by three executive directors. The
Reverend Bart Day ended a highly successful tenure of office
in August 2017 to become the President and CEO of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Deaconess Dorothy Krans was
subsequently appointed Interim Director while simultaneously
serving as Director of LCMS Recognized Service Organization
(RSO) ministry. Her work in both positions is widely praised. In
May 2019, the Board for National Mission called the Reverend
Robert Zagore to the position. Zagore had previously served for
27 years in LCMS parish ministry.
While such transitions would normally cause tremendous
disruption, the directors and staff of ONM have responded
wonderfully by drawing together to serve the Lord and His
church. This is important in these days. The LCMS herself also
needs to enter a time of unified purpose as we face dramatic
changes in our culture and on the U.S. mission field.
The mission facing our Synod is enormous, but it is a joyful
time to serve in this church body. LCMS President Harrison has
given ONM the challenge of forming a systematic and effective
approach to help districts and congregations to make, retain,
and nurture disciples. This initiative, under the name “Making
Disciples for Life,” will be a multifaceted approach. It will include a new interactive website, which not only will readily make
available a vast array of resources to our congregations, church
workers, and lay leaders, but will also be structured to provide
easy access to these resources, with the option of speaking with
a live person if an inquirer runs into difficulties.
ONM has prioritized some of the key challenges to be addressed in the coming triennium. We need to respond to the
challenge of retaining our young people, especially those aged
17–26. Studies show that women are becoming more active in
leadership positions within the congregations of Synod. We are
encouraged by their godly service. However, the overall participation of men appears to be declining. We must work with the
church to retain and raise up male leaders.
We need to help identify and train leaders that are equipped
to fill key roles in Synod and among our Synod partners (such
as Recognized Service Organizations). Likewise, we need to develop a systematic way to seek leaders who, through their vocations, can provide expertise for the challenging problems of the
day. We will be in a greater position to walk together if we know
each other.
Among the many good surprises that we have found is that
people are not intentionally leaving the LCMS to the degree
bare numbers would suggest. Many are moving from places of
historic LCMS strength to geographic areas without a significant LCMS church presence. We need first to help such scattered people (Acts 8) to see themselves as missionaries in their
new homes. While church planting is an obvious solution, the
LCMS and most Christian denominations do not have a successful record of centrally managed church plants (e.g., among
the LCMS, those implemented by district and Synod). The Holy
Spirit moves when and where He pleases. No one wishes to gain2019 Convention Workbook