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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 90

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

John Fretthold, business manager; Cheryl Brzyski, receptionist;
and Rick Porter, regional vice president for LCEF, who maintains
his office at district headquarters and is a valued member of the
Eastern District team.
Among goals set for the district are the following:
•

increase efficiency in congregational assessment during vacancy, in the obtaining of pastoral care during vacancies, and
in the calling of a new pastor;

•

stabilize and encourage congregations that are in crisis or
in decline;

•

address post-pandemic concerns of congregations;

•

increase quality of existing ministries;

•

create “rapid response” teams to minister to congregations
in distress;

•

motivate congregations to move from minimal services and
survival mode to active status;

•

address wellness concerns and increase support measures for
ordained and commissioned workers;

•

encourage and facilitate continuing education for church
workers;

•

foster a spirit of collegiality among congregations and workers;

•

educate and resource congregations for increased contact
with their communities;

•

maximize effectiveness of existing ministries and broaden
ministry to ethnic communities;

•

encourage outreach to all age groups; and

•

seek to expand Word and Sacrament ministry to unserved areas within the geographic boundaries of the Eastern District,
including urban areas.

gregations, church workers, and members as they seek to spread
the Gospel and care for people locally where our churches reside.
Over these last four years, the district has focused on recruiting and
increasing the number of church workers from our district congregations. By the grace of God, we have seen a significant increase
in the number of men and women seeking to enter church work
vocations.
The 57th convention of the English District was held June 20–
22, 2022, at Concordia University Wisconsin’s Ann Arbor campus
with the theme from Luke 10:27: “You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength and with all your mind.” The delegation at the convention
showed great joy and thankfulness to God for His love over the last
four years and through the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the most part, the district congregations remained stable and,
in many cases, thrived during the pandemic. This was primarily accomplished because of faithful and hard-working pastors working
side by side with the dedicated and passionate lay leaders from our
beautiful congregations. These were some of the highlights of the
convention:
•

receiving a report from Synod President Rev. Dr. Matthew
Harrison on the status and work of the Synod;

•

hearing presentations by
o

Lieutenant General (ret.) William Boykin, who now serves
as Family Research Council’s executive vice president, on
the theme of “Loving God in a Hostile world”;

o Mr. Jack Philips, the Colorado cake maker who refused to
make a cake for a gay couple and found himself in front of
the U.S. Supreme Court defending his beliefs in marriage
as between one man and one woman; and
o

the Rev. Keith Speaks on serving and working together as
God’s people;
seeing actions taken by the convention:

•

The Rochester Region will host the Rev. Billy Brath who will
lead area congregations in the Mission Clarity program provided
through LCEF. This will serve as the prototype for introducing the
Clarity process to other areas of the Eastern District.

Resolution 1-09: “To Prevent Harmful Philosophies,
Ideologies and Contemporary Movements Contrary to
the Christian Faith from Damaging Our Congregations,
Schools, Colleges and Seminaries”;

Strategies to facilitate stated goals include regional listening
sessions with district staff; a variety of conferences, meetings, and
training sessions; and sending church workers and laity alike to
various training and information gathering events.

Res. 1-04: “To Establish a National Lutheran Teacher Student Debt Assistance Program for LCMS Commissioned
Ministers—Teachers”;

Res. 2-01: “To Affirm the Need for Open Churches During
Times of Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic”; and

Res. 4-03A: “To Direct LCMS Life Ministry to Support
Congregations in Developing Mercy Ministries to Promote a Culture of Life.”

John L. Pingel, President
R25

English District
For the last 112 years, the English District has faithfully served
the people of God in 160 congregations throughout 22 states in the
U.S. and the Ontario province of Canada. As one of the two nongeographical districts of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
we are blessed to operate without borders and seek the lost in all
corners of God’s creation. Focused on and with a high desire to advance the LCMS objectives found in Article III of the Constitution,
the English District has continued through these past four years
to conserve and promote the unity of the true faith and the united
defense of the Gospel of Christ our Lord in the world. Over the last
four years, we have endeavored to support and strengthen our con2023 Convention Workbook

Another highlight from the convention was the report on our
mission work regarding planting and revitalizations throughout
the district. The report included the mission activity in the district
at four congregations: Blessed Sacrament, Hayden, Idaho; Holy
Cross, Hazelwood, Pennsylvania; St. John’s, Clarksburg, West Virginia; St. John the Divine, Chicago, Illinois. It is a great joy to see
the hand of God moving and working in His church throughout the
U.S. and Canada.
The new triennial theme for the district is from 2 Cor. 9:8, “God
is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good
work.” This theme speaks of our firm faith in the ability of our God