LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 103

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 103

damental principle that the Atlantic District exists to serve and to
enable the ministry of each of its congregations, large or small,
urban or suburban, wealthy or poor. We recognize further that our
primary mission is to reach those who are without Christ and sub-
sequently without hope. Built upon those strong convictions, the
intent of our ministry is to strengthen existing congregations, seed
new congregations, utilize our many schools as quality Christian
education-in-mission outposts, explore new models for outreach,
and stimulate each member of the body to carry out our Savior’s
desire to reach all nations with His Gospel.

During the triennium from 1995 to 1998, the Atlantic District
Board of Directors authorized a relatively thorough restructuring
of its ministries under the heading “Toward a New Century of Ser-
vice.” What was created is a seven-member Task Force volunteer
organization of more than 70 participants who utilize their gifts and
talents in coordination in the areas of mission, congregational
membership, development and finance, Lutheran schools, parish
education, special events, and specialized ministries. Trained teams
enter congregations in all of the above areas, and most particularly
in the arenas of conflict resolution, planning, and restructuring.
Part-time staff has been added to enhance these efforts in congre-
gations. Rebuilding existing congregations for mission is a strong
part of the District’s mandate of support and encouragement.

New mission endeavors have begun from the far northern
reaches of the Adirondacks to the Korean mission field in Queens,
to Chinese work in Brooklyn, to a most extensive effort among
African immigrants called ‘““A.I.M”—African Immigrant Ministry.
Many preaching stations in the tri-state area have been founded by
A.I.M. Additional efforts of outreach to Muslims and Hindus are
about to begin, to accompany existing outreach to Jewish people.
Life’s Journey Ministries is well underway in Manhattan and began
worshiping at a renovated sanctuary on West 57th Street in mid-
town Manhattan in 1997. Additional new mission starts are being
planned in the Hudson Valley.

The DELTO (Distance Education Leading To Ordination) pro-
gram pioneered in the Atlantic District is now well underway,
being coordinated through four Districts, Concordia College
Bronxville, and Concordia Theolgoical Seminary. Students are
working in mission fields even as they attend the seminary! A Dis-
trict deacon program has added workers for the harvest as well.

Our partnership: The Atlantic District values as precious the
“walking together” in faith with all the congregations and min-
istries of the Synod. Our confessional Lutheran heritage puts us in
a unique stance among millions who are of other religions or no
religion or nominally listed on membership rolls without strong
identity in Christ. We treasure this heritage but must speak it and
act it in ways which communicate simply and clearly to people
around us from virtually every race and tribe and clan and religion
on the globe. We have sought, and continue to seek, prayer and
work partners from congregations outside our District, from other
Districts, from the Synod, and from other sources. Our desire is to
participate responsibly in the life and ministry of our entire church,
rejoicing in our common confession of Jesus and in our mutual un-
derstanding that it is through ministry for His sake that we discover
the marvelous blessings of our walking together.

Our future: Ours will be an ore et labora future. We will pray
(ora) with the knowledge and trust that all we have and are depends
on our gracious God. And we must work (labora) with a zeal
which befits those who have been recipients of that divine mercy.

David H. Benke, President

R7-05-02
California-Nevada-Hawaii District

Two hundred and three congregations of the Synod are serving
communities within the Califormia-Nevada-Hawaii District. Since
1995,

* Congregations added= 3
* Congregations closed= 3
¢ New mission starts = 6

Full-time Christian education continues to grow within the Dis-
trict. At the present time there are

* 12 elementary schools

« 23 elementary schools with early childhood education
¢ 37 early childhood ministries

¢ 2 high schools

Together, District congregations assist 39 ministries, including
campus, ethnic, language, and institutional chaplaincies.

By convention action, District congregations resolved to build a
Ministry Center and to designate this project as a remembrance of
the Synod’s 150th anniversary. This major undertaking promises
to link congregations together in new ways by providing resource
support not possible previously. The present District office has no
rooms for committee meetings and workshops. Total work area is
approximately 2,500 square feet. The proposed center will provide
rooms for continuing education and for workshops. It will also in-
clude video-conferencing technology to provide a bridge for con-
gregations that are prevented by distance from participating in var-
ious District events. Resources available through the Concordia
University System and the seminaries will be readily available for
learning opportunities in the District. The plan calls for the center
to be built with funds raised through a special 150th anniversary
offering.

Challenges for tomorrow’s ministry:

* Over 50 percent of District congregations have less than 100 in
worship on Sunday.

¢ The high cost of living in many West Coast and Island commu-
nities makes it difficult for congregations to provide a satisfac-
tory salary for called workers.

In 1991, 9 District congregations were too small to salary a full-
time, called pastor. Today that number has grown to 17, and it
will undoubtedly increase.

¢ Six District congregations have laymen authorized by the Dis-
trict President serving in the pastoral role. For those who do not
qualify for DELTO other arrangements must be made with the
seminaries to meet the ongoing need for theological education.

One major shift for the District has been the method it uses to
develop new missions. Unlike a generation ago when mission
boards and committees would initiate new mission starts, today
congregations, and clusters of congregations, are challenged to
think in terms of expanding local mission emphasis and starting
new congregations. District staff and a partner ministry committee
assist congregations through the planning and implementing
process.

District targets for the next three years include the following:

* Encourage congregations to begin at least three new traditional
mission starts.

* Develop one new model for urban ministry
¢ Place cross-cultural ministry in a priority position

* Develop educational support for congregations that emphasizes
biblical knowledge, church history, Lutheran theology, and what
it means to be a Lutheran Christian living in a pluralistic society.

Develop alternative forms for funding tomorrow’s mission
Family life

¢ Create a ministry center designed to support congregations to-
gether in mission in a new century.

Walter C. Tietjen, President

R7-05-03
Central Illinois District

The 1995 synodical convention caused a great change in the
Central Hlinois District. When Dr. Robert T. Kuhn was elected
First Vice-President of the Synod, it removed a full-time president
with 10 years experience from our District. It placed a parish pastor
with no experience as District president and one year as First Vice-
President into the position of part-time President, since the District