LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 92

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92

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

The population of both states continues to grow rapidly (2% in
2022 alone). With that growth comes many opportunities. Yet one
that we continue to need to improve upon is that of reaching the
diverse and growing ethnic population. Challenges include few bilingual pastors, but also leaders and congregations that will answer
the call to “send workers into the harvest.” We are indeed blessed to
have a number of ethnic ministries including Latino, Hispanic, Haitian, Korean, and Ethiopian. But there is more to do. One response
to these opportunities is our REV7:9 project that is involving 22
congregations in reaching out to diverse ethnic groups. This project
is being supported through a partnership with Mission Nation Publishing and a grant from LWML.
We continue to support campus ministries across our district in
order to reach over 665,000 students spread out in our many state
universities. These students are not only being fed on Word and
Sacrament but being equipped and sent both locally and on mission
trips in Latin America.
Financially, our district has remained strong and debt free. Our
executive director of finance and administration, Laura Zirbel, has
been a great blessing in guiding us through this time of change,
and continues to help us be faithful stewards in all that the Lord
provides. Our LCEF vice president, Jay Wendland, continues to
serve wonderfully as an advocate for partnerships with our congregations and schools. The people of the district also love supporting the Lord’s work with nearly double the average percentage of
investors comparatively across Synod. The LCEF Vice President
also serves as our Disaster Response Coordinator and has done an
amazing job, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Please
also allow me this opportunity to thank you, the people of God
across the Synod, for your generous gifts in support of the recovery
efforts. In partnership with the Synod’s Disaster Response office,
we have helped nearly 100 workers and 14 congregations with financial aid totalling more than $825,000!
My prayer is that we will continue to be bold in living as Christ’s
ambassadors together! Let us walk together as the redeemed of
Christ that His Kingdom may see incredible growth. May we honor
our Lord and daily live out His command to “Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John
13: 34–35).
Finally, I leave you with these words of the Apostle Paul from
2 Thessalonians, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our
Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in
every good deed and word.”
James H. Rockey, President
R27

Indiana District
The Indiana District comprises some 235 congregations, along
with their pastors, schools, teachers, and commissioned workers
in Indiana and northern Kentucky. By God’s grace we are a strong
and healthy district with many blessings received with thanksgiving and being used to the glory of His name and for the good of
His church.
As Dr. Brege indicated in his report to the 2019 convention,
our district office has gone through some significant transitions.
2023 Convention Workbook

Indeed, over the past five years we had almost a complete turnover
among our executive and support staff. Toward the beginning of his
fourth year in office, Dr. Brege made the difficult decision not to let
his name stand for election to a second term. We give thanks to God
for his faithful leadership, especially his consistent confession and
teaching of the Word of our Lord. As he was concluding his service,
the undersigned was elected at the 2022 Indiana district convention
and is grateful for the beautiful example that Dr. Brege provided.
Dr. Kevin Brockberg was brought on board in 2018 to serve as
our new education executive. And Mr. Cody Dodson was brought
on board the following year to serve as our new finance executive.
We are grateful that Dr. Geoff Robinson remains in his office as
our mission executive, faithfully serving in a variety of capacities.
The district president’s office has been immensely blessed with
a new administrative assistant, Mrs. Lisa Slack, who stepped into
the position held for over forty years by Mrs. Jan Koenig, and we
give thanks for both of these ladies. The education executive’s
office likewise has a new administrative assistant, Mrs. Kirsten
Bohnke, who is serving admirably in that position. Mrs. Sara Pierce
now handles many of the secretarial duties within the office. And
Mrs. Diane Ottinger remains our excellent accounting assistant.
Along with so many transitions within the district office, the last
four years also included the COVID-19 pandemic and the whole
assortment of challenges that went along with it. Christ be praised
that our pastors and congregations found ways to stay the course
and continued to provide pastoral care and administer the Gospel
to God’s people. And in support of those efforts, our district board
of directors set aside significant funds that were made available and
distributed as needed to churches and workers who were severely
impacted by the pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns.
In response to a resolution of the 2018 district convention, the
board of directors took a careful look at our polity, structure, and
governance in an effort to discern various ways in which we might
better serve the goals and purposes of the Lord’s church among us.
To that end, the regional vice presidents met with the circuit pastors to discuss potential improvement, and then met together with
Dr. Brege to formulate a recommendation to the board of directors.
Although further work remains to be done, the board presented the
2022 district convention with an overture, subsequently adopted to
dissolve our current commissions and some of our committees at
the conclusion of this current triennium, and to address the areas of
education, finance, missions and outreach, worship, and pastoral
care by way of ad hoc committees, task forces, working groups,
and individuals, to be enlisted by the board of directors as needed.
Among the more exciting endeavors of our Indiana District,
we have been able to contribute significantly to ongoing mission
and mercy efforts in support of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Tanzania. That support has included the training of pastors, the
building of orphanages, and the beginnings of a seminary. And as
a district we have committed to continue our support of these endeavors.
Closer to home, within our district, some initial efforts have gotten underway with “Outreach Kentucky,” the goal being that we
would establish a Lutheran church for the ministry and mission of
the Gospel in Richmond, Kentucky. Rev. Vernon Wendt has been
called to serve Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lexington, KY,
while also doing outreach in Richmond, focusing especially on the
campus and students of Eastern Kentucky University.