# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S165
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
ber has grown to 32,500,000. No other LCMS district serves a
greater number of people. We have 10 percent of the United
States living next to us in 3,878 zip codes.
Around 80 percent of the population no longer attends
church—meaning that almost 26 million people in the Southeastern District are not being spiritually fed. That’s a lot of fish.
The United States is the third largest mission field in the world
(now for almost 50 years). The waters we fish are stocked by the
Holy Spirit. The mission waters around our churches, schools,
homes, and places of work are teeming with hungry fish.
Our Mission. The Southeastern District has probably the
largest concentration of people who do not know Jesus, even
though much of our district resides in the Bible Belt. For that
reason, the Southeastern District delegates in convention reaffirmed our mission and vision:
Mission: In grateful response to God’s grace and
empowered by the Holy Spirit, it is the mission
of the Southeastern District to connect people
with Jesus.
Vision: As we work together to connect our
neighbors to Jesus, lives are transformed and
God’s Kingdom is growing.

Witness
The Work of the Holy Spirit. The Southeastern District
in Convention joyfully celebrated the start of nine new congregations, five of which were ethnic congregations (including
Hmong and Ethiopian). One of the strengths of the Southeastern District historically has been the diversity found within our
borders. Our District has been enriched over the years through
the history and journey of our African American congregations
and population. Our immigrant churches recognize that just
as Lutheran missionaries came to their various continents last
century, they are now responding to the call to serve as missionaries to the United States. Many of the older members of
these churches bear the actual scars of persecution, imprisonment, and other tragedies under governments not friendly to the
Christian faith. As we hear their stories, we recognize the work
of the Holy Spirit as He moves people groups to our shores and
within our Southeastern District.
Back to the Future. With the blessing of the Holy Spirit we
are seeking to expand our mission and ministry presence into 500
new neighborhoods where the 32.5 million people live. Among
the 2012–2021 objectives set by the Southeastern District in
convention is the goal to plant 50 new house churches formed
out of those neighborhood ministries. The house churches are
developed and supported by the congregations who are raising
up “Aquila and Priscilla” lay leaders to serve as church planters with the support and supervision of their pastors and home
congregations. It is noteworthy that almost 100 percent of our
present congregations began in the living rooms of one of the
charter members before they built a church structure.

Mercy
Hurricane Florence. Just months after our convention
ended, North and South Carolina were inundated by Hurricane
Florence. The cities of Havelock, Jacksonville, Wilmington, and
North Myrtle Beach were devastated by three feet of rain when
the low pressure stalled. Some areas were impacted by wind,
others the ocean surge, and yet others by long-term flooding.

165

We now are working in neighborhoods where the homes were
underwater from foundation to roof. The people of the LCMS
(including the Southeastern District) were very generous with
prayers, offerings, and assistance. And we still need your prayers
and assistance as we will be working on recovery in this area
for at least two years. As a hurricane-prone district in the MidAtlantic region, we have made it a priority to develop a proactive strategic response to weather-related disasters through
our organization, training, and communication systems. We
give thanks to God for the partnership with LCMS Disaster
Response, whose staff acted immediately and provided support
in many ways.

Life Together
Koinonia. In the midst of a contentious culture, we are
called to live differently. Therefore, the Southeastern District is
putting into practice new ways in which koinonia can be used
as a tool to assist church workers, congregations, and circuits in
handling sensitive and divisive concerns in a God-pleasing and
edifying way. By providing reconciliation training for our circuit
visitors and by forming a team of assistant reconcilers to support our district reconcilers, we seek to encourage congregations
and church workers to actively engage in the koinonia process.
Through the teaching and the work of these people, miracles
occur—broken hearts and broken relationships are ultimately
healed.
Lay Deacons to Colloquy SMP Pastors. Over the last triennium, we have had ten Licensed Lay Deacons certified to
become SMP Pastors through the LCMS Regional Colloquy
Program. Since our district is made up of many small- and
medium-size congregations, we continue to be blessed by lay
men and women who have pursued the theological education
to serve as lay deacons. At a time when many of our smaller
congregations struggle during a pastoral vacancy, a number of
our male deacons have been willing to make themselves available to serve outside of their home congregation in support of
those ministries.
Our Lutheran Schools. The Southeastern District recognizes the incredible opportunities that the mission fields of
our schools provide for congregations. Each year new schools
are becoming accredited through National Lutheran School
Accreditation. We continue to encourage the calling of rostered workers and provide assistance in preparing call lists for
schools. Our educator and administrator conferences in the past
triennium have focused on themes related to the Lutheran ethos
of our schools. We are at work to develop and provide resources
for our child development centers that will guide them in their
ministry with families and young children.
Triennium Focus. As part of our Life Together—a Synod
walking forward in mission—the Southeastern District continues to be:
••

Partnering with global mission support through the
mission work in Peru

••

Exploring congregations’ use of a common order for
the Lord’s Supper

••

Developing new leaders for the mission field and for
supporting existing ministries

••

Encouraging worker wellness through the appointment of a District Worker Care Team and working
2019 Convention Workbook