LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 95

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
and commitment to this, the Gospel must be proclaimed until the end
of time, and the Lord will add daily to the church the numbers of those
who are being saved. We delight in the inroads the Gospel is having
among us in the Hispanic communities of Silvis and Beardstown.
The church is more than statistics and programs; there are the names,
faces, and lives of both those who distribute God’s gifts and those who
receive and benefit from them.
We do not lose heart but our zeal is renewed in and by God’s grace,
His undeserved love in Christ, as we are refreshed by His love, at
His throne. What is steadily held before us is a blood-stained cross
whereon the Prince of Glory died and an empty tomb from which
rises our Savior and the victory that He shares with us. His mission
is ours! We are more than conquerors! We were bought with a price!
We are His!
We pray for His continued blessing on our 151 congregations,
219 Pastors, 30 Preschools, 22 Elementary Schools, 3 High Schools,
213 Commissioned Ministers, and 60,000 members that we might
together make the bold confession that “Jesus Christ is Lord!” On
this Rock, He builds His Church!
Mark A. Miller, President
R22

Eastern District
In 1854, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (the German
Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States)
divided into four districts. The Eastern District was one of those districts, and today it is the only district that has retained its original name
over 162 years of existence. In 2015, its 98th convention convened
under the theme “Proclaim Jesus from the Rooftops” (Matt. 10:27).
The Eastern District is blessed to have 132 congregations, 11
Christian Day Schools, and 47 preschools in ministry throughout
upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and Garrett County, Maryland,
encompassing the major metropolitan areas of Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse. Together, through networking and modeling best practices, your brothers and sisters of the
Eastern District “desire healthy leaders vigorously equipping God’s
people for Kingdom growth.”
Aspiring to be a light for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a darkening world, the Eastern District has encouraged the emergence of
five regional mission organizations, initiated and adopted the foreign mission project “Mission Liberia,” hosted mission summits,
offered “Young Influential” conferences, provided tuition debt
assistance to beginning church workers, and has seen the blessing
of several mission starts thanks to the work of leaders and congregations eager to share the love of Jesus with their world in Rochester,
New York; Hamburg, New York; Natrona, Pennsylvania; Huntington,
Pennsylvania; Clarksburg, West Virginia; Scranton, Pennsylvania; and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
We recognize that we are living in ever-challenging times for the
church and might not always enjoy the privileges of the church past.
We are grateful for strong lay leaders in our congregations. We vigorously maintain that the pastoral office was given “to equip the saints
for works of ministry” (Eph. 4:11, 12). And we encourage lay leadership and thank God for the blessings of diaconal ministry in our
congregations these past 25 years. Without our deacons, some of our
congregations would simply cease to exist.
In keeping with Res. 7-04A, a district viability survey was conducted in September 2015. Using an online survey tool, the eight
viability indicators designated in the resolution were offered for rating and comment. Overall, participants viewed the Eastern District’s
ministry and financial state quite positively. We received many

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encouraging comments of support. Still, several observations can
be made:
First, as transparent as we think we are with the information we circulate, some remain in the dark about what’s going on in our district
and the Synod. Few know or understand the specific responsibilities and
activities of the staff. This is also true of district fiscal matters.
Second, some confusion and in some instances tension exists in the area
of district−congregational expectations. There is a lack of uniformity
when it comes to identifying who (district, congregation, church worker) is responsible for certain tasks.
Third, there is an overwhelming amount of support for the staff and the
board of directors.
Fourth, some seem to understand the dilemma the district experiences as
a middle judicatory (the middleman crunch) and even expressed some
sympathy for the district.
Fifth, there is chronic anxiety and frustration over the state of the church
in our world and in the Western culture today. People see ministries failing with no place to turn for help.
And the sixth takeaway is the understanding that we can always do better. The district is a human institution made up of flawed humans, for
whom there is always room for improvement.

Currently the Eastern District does share education tasks with
the Ohio and New Jersey Districts. The LCEF vice-president and
Lutheran Foundation counselor, both of whom find their offices in
the Eastern District, are shared with the New Jersey and Southeastern
Districts respectively. And finally, it is the intention of the Eastern
District Board of Directors to discuss the implications of this survey
and make modifications as necessary to the overall district program.
To this end, a Futures Task Force for 2016 has been created to propose
recommendations to the board and districts as deemed significant.
Chris Wicher, President

R23

English District
The English District is 105 years old and is one of two nongeographic districts of the LCMS. As of this report, the English District
is blessed with 163 congregations in 20 states within the US and in
Ontario, Canada. The members of the English District are blessed to
carry on the tradition and culture passed on from our Church Fathers
past and present. As a true microcosm of the Synod, we reflect virtually every face and ministry type offered within the greater Synod.
The joy of being a missional district is felt in nearly every congregation that is visited and the ministries that they offer. Some of the
highlights of the last three years are as follows:
•

•
•
•

Establishment and welcoming of two new congregations: Tree of
Life, Inverness, Florida, and Apostolic Lutheran Church, Moses Lake,
Washington
New ministry focuses within existing congregations
Addition of 3 campus ministry sites at district congregations
Expansion of ministries in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Due to term limits and election results, leadership within the district changed greatly. Rev. David Stechholz finished a third and final
term as district president, replaced by Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy. All four
vice-presidents were elected to their first full terms in office. These
new leaders are ready to carry out their tasks during this triennium.
The triennial theme for the English District is “Love Your
Neighbor as Yourself.” Following this divinely given theme, many
congregations within the district have run with it within their own
specific ministry context. Under that theme, the district is focusing
on five specific areas to emphasize within the triennium:
•

Loving the neighbor … in your congregation.

2016 Convention Workbook