LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 118

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118

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

R53

Southern Illinois District
The quadrennium has been a challenging time for the people
of the state of Illinois who support life from conception. Illinois
prides itself on being the most progressive state in the Midwest and
is striving to become the leader in providing abortion services of all
kinds in the United States. The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision of
the United States Supreme Court overturned what was perceived
to be a constitutional right to abortion following the Roe v. Wade
case a half-century ago. Neighboring states are enacting stricter
abortion controls or outright bans. Illinois welcomes abortion providers from out of state to relocate to Illinois. A culture of death
for the newly conceived and even newborn from a failed abortion
surrounds us. Previous restrictions as to who, where, and when an
abortion may occur have been lifted by the legislature. There are no
mandated reporting requirements or even health standards for clinics providing abortion services. Abortion advocates once called for
abortions to be safe, legal, and rare. In the frenzy following Dobbs,
the health care of the woman is sacrificed to get rid of the newly
conceived any way possible.
Amid these challenges, the Southern Illinois District (SID) encouraged the formation of an Advocates for Life team. Dedicated
laypeople and church workers have accepted the challenge and do
exactly what their name indicates. They advocate for life for all
people of all ages. The culture of death threatens to expand into assisted suicide. A day may come when those who are unable to make
a positive contribution to society will be left to die or assisted to do
so with the blessing of the state.
Within this deadly culture, We Preach Christ Crucified. We
proclaim the eternal Gospel of life and salvation through the
forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. The Lord God created life.
When man sinned, God the Father sent His own Son to take our sin
upon Himself and pay for it through His own death on the cross. It
is the Lord who makes people alive again through the birth from
above in the waters of Baptism. Isaiah reminds us that the dead will
live. Where in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive. We
need this life-giving and life-affirming message in this culture of
death that permeates our state and nation.
Life issues, coupled with the restrictions that followed from the
COVID-19 pandemic, have led to greater cooperation among all
three geographical districts in Illinois. Together, we are monitoring
events in state government that challenge the sanctity of life and restrict the freedom to assemble and worship. Our staffs are pledged
to meet regularly to better understand the challenges, coordinate
responses, and work with like-minded people across the state on
these shared issues.
In response to the government orders to close schools for an
initial two weeks to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic outbreak
in March 2020, our churches and our elementary and secondary
schools responded quickly. Within two weeks of in-person closure,
our schools were open with online learning. Several congregations
never stopped meeting. Most sought to comply with health department regulations. Some pastors and congregations responded by
offering parking lot services broadcast over low-power FM radio.
Many others took their services online through Facebook and YouTube. Provisions were made for people to receive the Sacrament of
the Altar in person. Our people and church workers are to be commended for their heroic efforts to provide education and Word and
Sacrament ministry in a most trying time.
2023 Convention Workbook

Southern Illinois remains a largely rural and small-town district.
There is no community within our district with more than 50,000
in population. The Metro East suburbs of St. Louis have an urban
vibe, yet one finds farmland interspersed throughout these communities. A fourth of the SID congregations started in 1865 or earlier.
Most of our congregations are within a 75-mile radius of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The farther east and south you go from St.
Louis, the lower the Lutheran population. These areas may rightly
be considered part of the old Bible Belt.
Several smaller congregations are having difficulty finding a
pastor to serve them, even part-time. The number of congregations
sharing pastors has doubled since 2015. Some dual parishes find
it difficult to support a full-time pastor. The farther one is from
St. Louis, the greater the difficulty in finding a vacancy pastor or
even pulpit supply. Four congregations have closed since the 2019
convention in Tampa. We expect to see further consolidation or closures in the decade ahead. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send
out laborers into His harvest fields!
Parochial education remains strong within Southern Illinois.
Over half our congregations either operate or belong to an association that has a daycare, preschool, K–8 elementary, or Lutheran
high school connection. The district supports campus ministry at
Southern Illinois University at both of their campuses in Carbondale and Edwardsville. Both campus ministries are known for their
work with international students. Prison ministry continues despite
various restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
The 2022 SID convention entered partnership with the Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic. This seminary serves Latin America and the Caribbean with the training of
pastors and deaconesses. We are excited to share in the training of
workers to be pastors and deaconesses in their home countries that
they may also proclaim the crucified and risen Savior.
We Preach Christ Crucified. By God’s grace, this is what we
live and do in our modern culture of death. As the triune God
blesses, may we never stray from this message!
Timothy J. Scharr, President
R54

Texas District
The mission of the Texas District is to strengthen congregations
to reach the lost, disciple the saved, and care for one another locally
and globally. In order to accomplish this mission, the Texas District
stewards its partnership of nearly 400 congregations and new missions and nearly 130 Lutheran schools to catalyze an exponential
mission movement in the Texas District of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod. Witness, Mercy, and Life Together are woven into
the sharing of the Gospel as we join together to equip, send, and
support church workers, church planters, educators, commissioned
ministers, and lay evangelists to share the Good News of Jesus, to
show His love, and to foster fellowship together.
2019 convention resolutions implemented in Texas have
brought vibrant mission and ministry throughout the district:
Res. 1-01A: Encouraged the use of Everyone His Witness
(EHW), participated in creating an EHW video segment on
grief, and initiated lay evangelist training in order to encourage God’s people to engage in active witness.