LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 115

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
members were committed to working together. Where that cooperation existed, change in governance style did not affect their work.
Unfortunately, that was not so in other congregations, sometimes
because the congregation was willing to undergo the process but only
because the pastor wanted to do it. The members were not wholeheartedly behind it. Nevertheless, we do have a number of congregations
who are able to plant something new in a neighboring community.
We also have seen more congregations attempting to become involved
in their communities, and that is commendable. Whether a congregation has 400 or 40 in worship, there are opportunities for them to
impact their neighborhoods and communities. Were their communities to be asked, “Has ________ Lutheran Church made an impact
on this town,” they would be able to answer positively.
During this triennium, I have visited congregations mostly in two
ways: (1) “official” three-hour visits with congregational leadership
on Saturday mornings, and (2) congregational visits as a worshiper
and Bible class attendee. In those visits, I hear many sermons about
the Gospel, that Jesus died for sins, that those who believe in him will
receive eternal life. But I still don’t hear enough sermons where the
Gospel is proclaimed to me. Sometimes newscasters report a change
in the tax code without telling the viewer what that means for those
in the affected income groups. The Gospel I hear frequently is like
that; what is often missing is what that means to me as one who stands
convicted by my own sin, what it means to me who wants to continue
to try to get on God’s good side by trying to be a better parent, better
spouse, better worker, or better employer. We need to hear words that
will move us to repent of our sins, confess our faith, and rejoice in the
blessings of forgiveness and new life in Christ, as the 2016 Synodical
convention theme suggests.
As for Sunday morning Bible study, in many congregations attendance is healthy. The people are taught well and there is genuine
interaction among them. In other congregations, attendance is 10 percent or less of those who are in worship. A bothersome part of this is
the use of materials not from our own publishing house. The trouble
lies not with the congregation in all cases. Some of our publishing
house’s materials are not well-written. They are doctrinally correct,
but they do not engage the participant. And since most of our pastors have had only one course in teaching, they are not always able
to teach in ways that engage the mind. A district convention overture encouraged our pastors to find an outstanding parochial school
teacher and invite that teacher to monitor his teaching to see how it
might be improved upon. “Teaching the Faith” was the topic at our
Spring 2016 pastors’ conference. What a blessing it would be if more
of our members could say with the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
“Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He opened to us the Scriptures?”
Healthy Professional Church Workers

Now that the economy has picked up, we have seen an uptick in
retirements. Will this mean that we need more pastors? While I have
never had as many vacancies as I have had since the latter part of 2014
(13–20), we are not yet in the predicted shortage of pastors. Why?
Because congregations continue to close or work with only part-time
workers, thus lessening the demand.
The threats to healthy professional church workers remain. The
average salary for a pastor in our district is about $62,600, including housing. That is a bit higher than the average in the Indiana and
Eastern districts; lower than for Michigan and Northern Illinois. Many
pastors still graduate with considerable debt, and health-care costs
continue to escalate. The Synod in convention encourages pastors to
work on continuing education, but the financial cost is either to be
carried by the worker or the congregation, and many pastors and congregations simply cannot afford it. As for our commissioned workers,
salaries for female teachers averages $38,600, and for male teachers it is $49,600.

115

I thank God that the number of professional church worker misbehavior incidents remains low, as do the number of congregations
in conflict with their pastor. Your staff is prepared to help with reconciliation where requested.
Healthy Relationships

A number of congregations have joined together informally to
share resources. Regional youth activities allow local youth groups
to do things they otherwise could not do. I have continued to explore
with the Indiana and Michigan district presidents ways that we could
collaborate and share resources in an attempt to keep all of our operating costs in check. We continue to use and share Intentional Interim
pastors on a synodwide basis. Our financial contributions to the Synod
remains at 21 percent.
Our Future Viability

At our convention, delegates discussed by region the future viability of the Ohio District. The board of directors has also held viability
discussions. Each region sent a summary, which I have compiled here.
Changing demographics affect us all. Aging congregations
find themselves unable to afford full-time pastors or maintain
their buildings. The multitude of Sunday morning options has
changed attendance frequencies. It is a challenge to attract and keep
18–35-year-olds, who congregate at nearby nondenominational
churches. There is a concern throughout the district that members’
faith is not growing. We need to invest more in lay evangelists. While
the district staff is capable to help its congregations and schools, not
enough congregations utilize or know what is offered, despite regular staff visits to circuit meetings, etc. Generally speaking, delegates
believed that funds were sufficient to allow the district president and
staff to carry out their Synod responsibilities. Current patterns of
decline suggest that in 5–10 years many of our congregations will
need to form dual-point parishes, merge into one congregation, or pass
out of existence. This could affect as many as 90 of our 164 congregations. The financial solvency of the Ohio District will depend on
what happens to those congregations that close and have large debts
with our Ohio District Church Extension Fund and whose property
has little resale value. Covering those debts will significantly impact
how much money the district has for ministry projects, grants, and
staffing. Ohio’s Ed Choice tuition program has helped keep several
of our parochial schools open; how far and how long this program
will continue remains out of our control and so casts a shadow over
our school system, as does declining enrollment due largely to changing demographics.
In summary, delegates believed that in cooperation with and
through the use of the vice-presidents and circuit visitors, the Ohio
District president can react to the challenges and adapt to those challenges to carry out the official visits and provide appropriate guidance
and support to member congregations for participating in the mission
God has given the Church. While delegates also indicated that they
believed that the Ohio District can maintain itself as a viable district
of the LCMS, it is clear that the way it does ministry and provides
supervision and assistance to its congregations and workers will see
significant changes in the next three years.
Terry Cripe, President
R43

Oklahoma District
The Oklahoma District is a fellowship of congregations built
upon the Rock of Jesus Christ, dependent upon His grace, confessing His name, and rejoicing in His power to change lives and eternities
through the ongoing ministry, mission, and witness furthered by the
saints of Oklahoma.
2016 Convention Workbook