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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 109

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
portunities for continuing education for church workers across the
district; and increased efficiency in the call process. Among future
endeavors will be the establishing of Lutheran Braille Centers in
all four regions; increased stewardship education throughout the
district; facilitating partnerships between congregations as a means
of continuing Word and Sacrament ministry; the targeting of areas
which have potential for future mission establishment; with the addition of a full-time education executive to district staff, increased
interaction and support of schools throughout the district with the
goal of financial stability, growth in numbers, and support of workers; with increased interaction with congregations, increased financial participation of congregations in support of district endeavors.
Staff serving the Eastern District office, in addition to the district president, include Mr. Bruce Sutherland, executive assistant,
Stewardship and Discipleship; Mrs. Ruth Marzano, administrative
assistant to the district president; Mr. Kevin Gundell, education executive and assistant to the president; Mr. John Fretthold, business
manager; Rev. Peter and Stephanie Johnson, Communications. Mr.
A.J. Sinisgalli, regional vice-president, LCEF, maintains an office
at district headquarters.
Challenges affecting the Eastern District are similar to those
found across the Synod. Cultural winds opposing the Gospel are
strong. Many congregations face decreased funding and declining
membership. Nevertheless, God’s Word and Sacraments remain
efficacious. God’s Word continues to be proclaimed—grace and
peace. People continue to be brought to saving faith in Christ and
sustained in that faith through Word and Sacrament ministry.
John L. Pingel, President
R25

English District
Living Our Baptized Life in Christ is the mission of the English
District. Our non-geographic district is made up of 155 congregations in 22 states across the United States and the Canadian province of Ontario. The district is divided into four regions: Eastern,
Lake Erie, Midwest, and Western. The bishop/president, Rev. Jeffrey Miskus, assumed the presidency a year before the convention
(where he was elected) when our previous president, Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy, was called by Concordia University System to lead their
ministry.

A. Strengthening the Church in Faith

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the congregations and their call committees to develop call lists.
As the number of calling congregations has increased (more than
doubled in the past year), we have sought to increase the time and
focus of our staff for this critical ministry to our parishes.

B. Mission
Rev. Derek Mathers, mission executive and assistant to the bishop, continues to work with groups in our district who are intentionally and actively open to church planting opportunities. This past
year, it was a great joy to welcome a new church plant, Shepherd of
the Canyon Lutheran Church in Gold Canyon, Ariz., and her pastor,
Rev. Dr. Mark Wood, into our district and officially as a congregation of our Synod.
Our 1-1-1 fundraising program (see 2019 Res. 8-02) continues
to provide support for missions. Each year the proceeds are split
between a national and an international mission.
The district makes use of the Office of National Mission’s re:Vitality resources. These encourage congregations to be intentional
in their time, energy, and effort for connecting to their communities. We are focused on making strategic use of the Congregational
Assessment of Development and/or Decline Study (CADDS) as a
preparatory part of the congregational calling process.
We continue to give considerable financial support to the Dominican Republic Lutheran Mission as well as to our campus ministries.
Working through our Canadian congregations, and alongside
our Synod’s leadership, we have strengthened our relationship with
Lutheran Church—Canada, sharing resources and building fellowship.

C. Education
School Ministry Executive Albert Amling visits our 37 schools
and their leadership each year to provide counsel and assistance
with administrative challenges and growth opportunities. He is actively involved in two new school starts at Fairlawn Lutheran (Fairlawn, Ohio) and the Southern Arizona Lutheran School Association
(SALSA) in Tucson, Ariz.
Our district was blessed to receive a $50,000 grant from the
Bolick Foundation to enhance efforts towards campus ministry and
Lutheran school starts.

D. Care for Church Workers

The English District is committed to conserving and promoting
the unity of the one true faith. That objective is pursued as our bishop visits about 60 congregations each year. He also has a one-hour
online conversation with every active pastor in our district, encouraging and praying for them.

The English District Ministerial Health Commission exists to be
a resource for all rostered English District workers. The commission is also available to all spouses and children of rostered church
workers. The English District website includes a toolbox where our
workers can access helpful materials designed to enhance health in
every facet of life.

During his congregational visits our bishop intentionally calls
men of all ages to prayerfully consider becoming pastors in our
Synod. He also actively distributes the Set Apart to Serve brochure
highlighting the eight church work vocations in the LCMS, encouraging everyone to consider professional church work.

Debt reduction is a real concern for our church workers. The
English District provides considerable funding for the educational
debts of our workers. For the past two years we also partnered with
the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) and the Lilly Foundation to enhance this aid for our workers.

Our circuit visitors and regional vice-presidents meet two to
three times a year with our bishop in regional online meetings to
communicate what is happening in the circuits and to review Synod
Bylaws and procedures in the Circuit Visitors Manual pertaining to
the care and ecclesiastical oversight of the congregations.
A major part of our district’s ministry is working together with

E. 2025 English District Convention
The 58th Convention of the English District was held June
26–28, 2025, on the campus of Concordia University, Ann Arbor,
Mich. Below are some of the resolutions passed at the convention:
Resolution 1-01B: To Encourage the English District of The
2026 Convention Workbook