LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 70

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70

SYNOD REPORTS

and Vivian Smeraldi. They succeed in putting smiles on faces even
in tough moments.
Terry Cripe, President
R3-03-25

Oklahoma District
The Oklahoma District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
is a fellowship of congregations committed to caring, sharing, teaching, preaching, and reaching people so as to bring them into a living
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Oklahoma District is made up of an all-volunteer staff of lay
and called workers. These dedicated and gifted workers are committed to the work of the district while continuing to serve in their
specific full-time calling. The only salaried and stipend positions
include the administrative assistant, the outdoor ministries director,
and the business manager. Whether salaried or volunteer, the district
staff is composed of gifted people who freely and readily share their
gifts and time in extending the work of Christ’s kingdom.
The Holy Spirit continues to work dynamically within and through
the 83 congregations of the Oklahoma District. The district continues
to work toward the goal of planting new congregations while providing revitalization efforts for older and more rural congregations.
Equipped with the effectual Word of God, which is the sword of the
Spirit, many new people groups are being touched with Christ’s grace.
In the Western Region, which includes the Panhandle, outreach
has continued among the Burmese Karen people that has resulted
in over 30 Baptisms. Camp Lutherhaven continues to be refined for
greater outdoor ministry.
In the Central Region of Oklahoma, Hispanic ministry continues
to grow and flourish, and a district-called Islamic outreach pastor is in
place for one-on-one witnessing primarily in the Oklahoma City area.
In the Eastern Region, which includes the Tulsa area, spiritual
doors miraculously open as outreach continues among the Hispanic,
the Liberian, and the Hmong people. Camp Lutherhoma has constructed two large year-round retreat centers to expand its outreach to
adults and families, as well as continuing its ministry to hundreds of
youth. Two new congregations were chartered in the last triennium,
one in Bixby and the other in Skiatook.
Preaching stations continue to be maintained throughout the
district, with some serving as satellites for some well-established
congregations. There has also been some recent experimentation with
bi-vocational pastorates in an attempt to provide Word-and-Sacrament
ministry to struggling congregations. And in southeastern Oklahoma,
a prison ministry continues to bring blessings to the Oklahoma State
Prison at McAlester.
In spite of drought, grass fires, tornadoes, and an ongoing national
economic dilemma, the saints of the Oklahoma District continue to
give generously of the resources entrusted to them by God. We thank
God that He has counted us worthy to serve Him through our varied
landscapes in unique ways within The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod.
Barrie E. Henke, President
R3-03-26

Pacific Southwest District
“So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might
now be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places”
(Ephesians 3:10).
The Pacific Southwest District began this triennium under the
theme “Proclaiming the Mysteries of God.” As Paul declared to the
Ephesians, the mystery of God is that the grace of God is also for the
2013 Convention Workbook

Gentiles, all people. Christ came that all might be saved and not just
an elect few. We are also reminded that the word Sacrament means
mystery, and we share that grace of God through water, bread, and
wine, the Means of Grace.
The Pacific Southwest District continues to experience the impact
of our nation’s financial recession. What were once the fastest growing counties in the United States became the counties with the highest
unemployment and largest number of foreclosures. The financial crises resulted in a decrease in school enrollment, offerings, and other
resources. The district has been challenged to think about doing ministry in different ways with fewer resources, and the congregations
continue to experience the challenges and opportunities that are the
result of economic challenges, in addition to doing ministry in a postchurched culture.
In 2013, the Pacific Southwest District is 310 congregations/ministries and 183 schools (preschools, elementary and high schools).
While some of our schools are flourishing, many are challenged with
declining enrollment and resources. As parents are unemployed or
underemployed, many cannot afford the tuition for a Lutheran school
and opt for charter schools and public schools.
For the churches, the declining financial resources are forcing
reductions in staff or salaries of workers. Thirty-nine congregations
that at one time had full-time pastoral care are now served on a parttime basis. Twenty-seven of these congregations are in urban areas,
and twelve are in more remote parts of the district. Some of our congregations are able to remain open because they have rented out their
space to other groups, church and nonchurch related.
In the midst of all the challenges, congregations and mission societies have started 10 new ministries in the past three years. These new
ministry starts take a variety of forms, including:
• satellites
• new congregations
• non-English-speaking ministries
• new English-speaking outreach within existing congregations

We are living in very stressful times, with the economy being only
one factor. We see the lack of confidence in government, the continuation of men and women dying on foreign soil from war, the crime
in our streets, the dissolution of families, the insecurity of the job
market, and the misuse of social media. The list could probably be
longer. The effect of all these factors on the Church is first to say,
“People need the Lord as much as ever.” We have a ripe harvest field
in which the message of hope is in Jesus.
We are blessed as a district to have a long tradition of lay ministry training. I am grateful for all the men and women who have taken
advantage of the opportunity to strengthen their skills in support of
the mission efforts of their congregation and their daily witness. The
apostle Peter says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim
the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:8–9).
More of our congregations are benefiting from the intentional
interim pastors who serve during the time between settled pastors.
These men have been especially trained to assist congregations in preparing to call and then receive their next pastor. Other congregations
are blessed by the service of dedicated vacancy pastors who provide
pastoral care during this time.
Gone is the day when we can be satisfied with having an inviting
sign, advertising in the yellow pages or newspaper, having an attractive inviting Web site, and sitting in our churches on Sunday morning
to wait for the community to come to us. Reggie McNeal, in his book
Missional Renaissance, challenges the Church to leave the building
and to become involved in the community. During the new pastor orientation the past two years, we have talked about what it means when