LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 111

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 11

Forsyth. Currently we are organizing a new mission congregation
in Springfield.

In 1997, the former mission station called “Vietnamese Fellow-
ship” under the leadership of Rev. Minh Chao Vo was merged with
St. Peter’s congregation of St. Louis.

During the triennium several congregations were disbanded.
These were Pilgrim Deaf, Kansas City; St. Andrew, University
City; Christ Chapel, Grover; and Immanuel, Knob Noster.

Our Department of Missions continues to reach out in cross-
cultural ministry. We have seen growth in the Hispanic Cristo Re-
dentor Community in St. Louis, under the leadership of Rev. Lan-
don Schkade. The District also went into partnership with Synod’s
North American Ministry in establishing outreach to Jewish peo-
ples through the establishment of “The Apple of His Eye” Mission
Society under the leadership of Mr. Steve Cohen. We continue to
cooperate with the Northern Illinois District in the ongoing min-
istry to the India community in the U.S.A. carried on by Rev. Jaya
Bijjiga. Rev. Jonathan Lange, called to be assistant pastor at Mes-
siah, St. Louis, is also working in partnership with the District in a
special outreach effort to reach international students attending col-
leges and universities in the St. Louis area. Urban ministry still re-
mains one of the great challenges.

Our District continues its capital campaign called “Building on
the Rock” to raise $1.8 million to finance the building of “The Dr.
Paul Spitz Center” at Heit’s Point Lutheran Camp on the Lake of
the Ozarks. The construction phase has begun and should be com-
pleted in 1998 or early 1999.

Many staff changes in the Missouri District have occurred dur-
ing the triennium. Mr. Roger Mailand was installed in July 1995
as Director of Parish Education and Youth, replacing Mr. Louis
Jander who had accepted a call to the Synod’s Congregational Ser-
vices Department. Dr. Ellis Rottmann retired in the summer of
1996 as Director of Stewardship and Evangelism. Dr. Stuart
Brassie was called and installed in this position in January 1997,
Another long-time member of our staff, Mr. Duane Hingst, retired
from his position of Director of Lutheran Schools and Early Child-
hood Education at the end of 1996. Mr. David Waterman was
called and installed to this position in January 1997. Near the end
of 1997, Mr. David Meyer, who was serving in this District as As-
sistant Director of Missions and LCEF Vice-President, accepted a
position with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. His replace-
ment is currently being sought.

During the past triennium the District Board of Stewardship
chose as its extra-special mission projects, “Project Brazil’’ in 1996
and “Project Russia” for 1997 and 1998. $242,000 was raised to
help our partner-church in Brazil in its work of outreach. As of the
writing of this report $10,240 has been contributed to aid our mis-
sion work in Russia.

The Missouri District Convention was held June 22-25, 1997,
at the Holiday Inn Select Convention Center in Columbia. The
focus of the convention was on the 150th anniversary of the Synod
and had as its theme: “Recalling Our Heritage—Renewing Our
Mission.” Rev. Daniel Preus, Executive Director of the Concordia
Historical Institute, served as one essayist, focusing on the past her-
itage of our Synod and its application of the present. Dr. Glenn
O’Shoney presented the second essay, focusing on “Renewing Our
Mission,” and recounted the great challenges we have right now in
reaching our world with the Good News of Christ. Synod First-
Vice President, Dr. Robert Kuhn, representing Dr. A.L. Barry, gave
the report on the state of the Synod.

Rev. John Meyer was chosen to serve as District Coordinator
of the 150th Anniversary of the Synod. He did an excellent job with
his committee in helping the congregations of the District celebrate
under the theme “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing.”

In the area of communications, the Missouri District established
an official “web page” in 1997 and added e-mail to the President's
office. In December 1997, the Board of Directors voted to discon-
tinue the “blanket plan” to The Lutheran Witness, Missouri District
Edition, mainly because of the rising costs and decline in direct
gifts to the District budget. Instead, the Missouri District will be
publishing its own newspaper beginning in June 1998, and will also
add a support staff person as a “Media Coordinator,” who will also
serve as editor of the Missouri District Voice.

At its 1997 convention the Missouri District gave permission
for two staff members to serve for two years as “Mission and Min-
istry Facilitators.” The staff persons chosen were Dr. Stuart Brassie
and Mr. Roger Mailand. The next convention will determine
whether this is the kind of staff position needed to serve the con-
gregations of the District.

At the end of 1997 our District budget showed a good surplus.
Our total budget for 1998 was set at $3,894,155. Of this $1,360,000
will be given to the Synod for its work, showing an increase of
$27,500 over that which was given in 1997.

James W. Kalthoff, President

R7-05-16
Montana District

The Montana District is 63 congregations served by 45 pastors.
For a number of our congregations the closest neighboring LCMS
congregation is 100 or more miles distant. Since many of these
congregations are also small congregations, they form multiple
parishes served by one pastor. We struggle with the continuing
question of how to provide Word and Sacrament to these widely
scattered congregations.

Through the good work done by the Missions Committee of the
District, the number of subsidized congregations in the District has
been reduced to two. Financial assistance continues to be offered to
congregations when needed in the form of grants or short-term sup-
port.

We continue to explore ways to expand our mission outreach
to the Native American people in Montana. This work began 29
years ago. We have two pastors working full-time on two reserva-
tions; Pastor Dennis Bauer among the Northern Cheyenne people
and Pastor Dan Jacobs among the Crow people. In the past two
years a building at Lodge Grass on the Crow Reservation was com-
pleted. We are grateful to the International Lutheran Women’s Mis-
sionary League for the grant that made this possible. We are seek-
ing ways to involve congregations located on Indian reservations
to work with the people among whom they live. There are seven
reservations in Montana.

Within the past year we began a rather innovative approach to
ministry among the deaf. A dual parish was formed by Christ for
the Deaf and Peace Lutheran congregation of Great Falls.

We continue to pursue the model for new mission starts which
has served us well in the past six years. The mission belongs to the
congregations, not the District. The District is a partnership be-
tween congregations by which they seek to assist one another in
doing the mission. Several new starts by congregations without fi-
nancial help from the District have demonstrated the soundness of
this model.

We are thankful to our Lord for the peace and unity that he has
given us in the Montana District. We seek to offer ourselves in the
priestly service of the Gospel so that the unbelieving may be
brought to God as an offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Rom.
15:16).

George Wollenburg, President

R7-05-17
Nebraska District

Our 1997 Nebraska District convention theme was “Sent Forth
by God’s Blessing ... to aHope-Filled Future.” It was based on Je-
remiah 29:11, where we hear that it is our God who leads us into
the future with the most sure and certain hope that He has given us
in our Lord and Savior Jesus. Not only do we have that promise
for the future, but it is the same God who has so richly blessed us in
the past, for which we give Him thanks and praise.

The last three years for the Nebraska District have indeed been
years filled with God’s blessings. By the grace of God 246 congre-
gations celebrate Word and Sacrament ministry. By the grace of
God excitement is growing to be in mission as we see expansion
in ministry to the Hispanics, to the American Indian, to the deaf,
and to other children of God. Membership is growing by the grace