Chance meeting opens up roads for Kenyan bishop

On a hot July evening in Houston during last summer’s LCMS national convention, Dr. Walter Obare, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), found himself without dinner plans one evening.  As he was returning to his hotel room…

Pressure Points (April 2011)

With Dr. Bruce Hartung Q: How much do you think “personality” plays into conflicts between people? Here is why I ask. We are having a very serious tiff in our congregation that involves [two] … members of our staff. They…

Items wanted, available (April 2011)

Note: Reporter cannot accept notices about items offered for sale or that people wish to purchase. Items described as “Wanted” or “Available” are sought or may be obtained for shipping costs only. Wanted Purple paraments, Pascal candle and candlestick for…

Official Notice — Requests for Reinstatement (April 2011)

RALPH L. WOEHRMANN, Springfield, Ill., has applied for reinstatement to the Ministers of Religion–Ordained roster of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. BROOKE BARINGER, St. Joseph, Mich.; JULIE MARIE ENGELHARDT, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; NATALIE ANN LEVY, San Rafael, Calif.; and LA DONNA…

Positions (April 2011)

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time director of Library Services.  The seminary serves students and pastors of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod as well as the general academic community, and equips individuals for ministry in the…

Lutheran partners in Japan begin relief shipments

By Kim Plummer Krull As the death toll continues to climb and radiation worries persist, disaster survivors along the coast of Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures began receiving the first of weekly emergency shipments from Japanese Lutheran partners who say assistance…

IELA elects new president

Rev. Carlos Nagel was elected president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (known by its Spanish acronym, IELA) at its March 26-27 convention in Santa Elena, Argentina.  The theme of the IELA’s 79th convention was “Servants in Mission.” The following…

Seminary kicks off renovation project

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, launched a major renovation project with a brief ceremony March 18 outside its Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. Urged by a crowd of students, faculty, staff and others to “tear down this wall,” seminary…

Tennessee amends anti-Shariah bill

(RNS) — Tennessee lawmakers are rewriting a bill that described Islamic law as a threat to U.S. security and seemed to equate peaceful Muslim practices with terrorism. State Sen. Bill Ketron and House Speaker Pro Tempore Judd Matheny, both Republicans,…

More U.S. colleges adding Muslim chaplains

ITHACA, N.Y. (RNS) — When Jainal Bhuiyan attended Cornell University, he and his fellow Muslim students were mentored and led in religious prayers by a collection of Muslim professors, graduate students and staff. “That was our network that filled the…

Bishops push back on allowing gay couples in housing

WASHINGTON (RNS) — U.S. Catholic bishops are urging federal housing officials not to adopt proposed rules that would bar groups that receive federal funds from discriminating against gays, lesbians or transgender (LGBT) persons in housing programs. The Department of Housing…