LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 105

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 105

toward a “policy based governance” model of structure and leader-
ship.

The Mission of the Eastern District is to encourage, nurture and
link congregations to strengthen themselves and each other as we
carry out the ministry of Christ together.

Our vision is “developing people of purpose—a growing num-
ber of followers of Jesus Christ who live to make a contribution to
others in His name.”

Our strategies include fostering creative partnerships, nurtur-
ing servant leaders, and promoting an external focus.

The Eastern District needs the prayers and resource support of
the rest of the Synod. We are especially grateful to the counsel and
encouragement received from Dr. Glenn O’Shoney and Dr. Robert
Scudieri of the Synod’s Mission Department. We are grateful for
the partnership we share in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

David Belasic, President

R7-05-05
English District

The 1997 convention of the English District voted to restruc-
ture the District so that the Board of Directors becomes a policy
board and the President of the District the executor of the policy.
Out of this structure will be the organizing of Ministry Action
Teams (MATS) in the Circuits and regions of the English District.
It is the goal of this simplified model that more people will be in-
volved in the work of the English District on a local level.

The Circuit Counselors, Praesidium, and District staff met in
February to begin organizing the MATs. Several MATs are already
working, demonstrating the wisdom of the convention in moving to
this form of structure.

In January 1998, the District Board of Directors set forth a new
vision statement: “Partners in Christ—-Working Together—Equip-
ping to Gather.” This vision has already borne much fruit. In a Dis-
trict where there are 171 congregations, 13 new congregations and
10 new mission starts have come into existence since the last syn-
odical convention. The English District has also started one new
day care center and three new preschools since 1995, bringing the
total of preschools and day care centers in the District to 48. Added
to this are 19 elementary schools and a high school. This is truly
reason to praise God for the District congregations’ “Partners in
Christ—Working Together—Equipping to Gather” around Word
and Sacrament.

Three new ventures in faith have recently received great sup-
port in the District. C.A.M.E. (Center for Asian Ministry and Evan-
gelism), under the executive leadership of Jotham Johann, has been
given $50,000 by the Board of Directors to evangelize and plant
new churches in the Asian American communities of North Amer-
ica. C.A.M.E. is also supported by individuals on the District’s
Board of Directors and members of Immanuel Korean Lutheran
Church, Flushing, N.Y. New Life Chinese ministry in San Fran-
cisco, under the leadership of Rev. Terry Chan, and Ministry to the
Asian Indians in Chicago, under the missionary direction of Rev.
Shadrach Katari and members of Bethesda Lutheran Church,
Chicago, are also receiving District and congregational support.
These ministries add to the French, Tigrian, Spanish, Persian, Es-
tonian, English, and American sign in the English District.

Another example of the English District in mission is the won-
derful outpouring of prayers and financial resources for the work in
Eritrea. Over a quarter-million dollars has been raised by local con-
gregations in the District to send a trained theologian to Eritrea to
equip pastors and lay teachers to proclaim the Gospel in that war-
torn country. Rev. Zerit Yohannes has been called by the English
District to bring more and more people into God’s fold. Once again
we give thanks to God for a Partner in Christ—Working To-
gether—and Equipping to Gather around Word and Sacrament.

During this past trennium, the English District experienced
some staff changes. The District suffered a deep loss at the tragic
death of Erv Henkelmann, executive assistant to the President:
Parish Services. In time, the Lord called Theodore Geheb, a long-
time educator in the LCMS to fill this position. Ted still faithfully
serves in this capacity. The Rev. Dennis Lorenz, executive assis-

tant to the President: Missions accepted a call back into the parish
ministry in Idaho. The English District now rejoices in a new ex-
ecutive for Missions, the Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick. Two staff posi-
tions, LCEF vice-president and executive for stewardship, will
open up this spring and should be filled by the synodical conven-
tion. Beth Kavasch remains as District treasurer and business man-
ager. The District staff continues to be “Partners in Christ—Work-
ing Together—and Equipping to Gather.”

I am delighted to report that Rev. Dr. Roger Pittelko, immediate
past President/Bishop of the English District, has been called to a
teaching position at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.
President Emeritus Pittelko brings many years of pastoral/adminis-
trative experience to the seminary and will be a blessing on campus
and to those soon to enter the pastoral ministry.

Yes, we are a District with a new vision, a new structure, a new
staff. Under God’s blessings, we anticipate an exciting, challeng-
ing, and productive future.

David H. Ritt, President

R7-05-06
Florida-Georgia District

“The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his
heart through all generations” (Ps. 33:11).

Under the banner of this truth, the Florida-Georgia District gath-
ered for its golden-anniversary convention to celebrate the Lord’s
love in its first SO years and to set its face confidently toward the
future, determined to make those purposes known among its own
people as well as those beyond its congregations. Under God’s
blessing, the District has grown from its initial roster of 17 congre-
gations in 1948 to 176 today. A moving highlight of the convention
was the inspirational recounting by the Rev. Wyatt Kimberly of the
District’s early leaders as they served without regard to the cost.
God used their sacrificial efforts to give the increase.

Our District wants to grow. Outreach to Hispanics has been ex-
panded through the calling of two full-time mission developers, one
in the Orlando area and another in the Fort Myers area. Addition-
ally a director of Christian education has been added to the staff at
Christ Lutheran in East Point, Ga., to enhance their ministry to
Spanish-speaking peoples. Under the leadership of Executive Di-
rector of Outreach, the Rev. Gerald Seaman, mission expansion has
been brought closer to the local level by placing initiative and re-
sponsibility in Circuit outreach councils. In 1998, we hope to open
six new missions. The field is ripe.

An ongoing outreach challenge is to help our congregations re-
spond to changing ethnic communities, that they may communi-
cate the good news of Christ’s unchanging love in culturally rele-
vant ways. Partnering with the Southeastern District, a ministry to
the deaf has been opened in the Augusta, Ga., area. Working with
Asian Lutherans from New York, we are currently exploring the
possibility of establishing an outreach to Koreans in the Atlanta
area. Our Gospel outreach to Jewish people will be expanding to
the Gulf Coast, funded by special gifts that enabled Apple of His
Eye/FL-GA to receive an Innovations Grant from the Aid Associa-
tion for Lutherans. We have entered into a partnership with
Synod’s Board for Mission Services with the Thailand field and
are currently seeking to send a teacher to Thailand. Ministry to
Haitians and Laotians continues. We need the workers and the
funds to respond to the many open doors. Anyone wishing to help
through their gifts or their volunteer help, please contact us at (407)
857-5556.

Another bright spot in the ministry of our District is the network
of over 80 Lutheran day-care centers, preschools, elementary, mid-
die, and high schools. Shepherding this important enterprise is Mr.
Mark A. Brink, our Executive Director of Parish Services. He has
wisely developed a support system from within the ranks of the
District’s 800 educators. In addition to the usual Educators’ Con-
ferences, the annual “Nurturing the Faith” workshops take pro-
grams to six locations around the District, making the programs ac-
cessible to all.

Heading the District’s Division of Administration, Finance, and
Stewardship is Mr. Richard Neubauer, who also serves as the area