The national Synod finished its 2010-11 fiscal year June 30 “in the black,” according to LCMS Chief Financial Officer Jerald C. Wulf. In his report for the Aug. 25-26 meeting of the LCMS Board of Directors, Wulf wrote that at…

The practical application of theology to youth ministry will be the focus of “Youth Ministry 2012” (YM 2012) — LCMS Office of National Mission — Youth Ministry’s (LCMS Youth Ministry) yearly symposium for lay and professional youth workers.  It is…

By Joe Isenhower Jr. ST. LOUIS — The Synod Board of Directors took several actions and heard numerous reports during its Aug. 25-26 meeting here. Among actions, the Board: appointed Andrea Pitkus of Buffalo Grove, Ill., to fill a lay…

Former LCMS Northern Illinois District (NID) President Rev. Dr. Edmund H. Happel died Sept. 20 at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill.  The Rev. Dr. Happel, of Arlington Heights, Ill., had been recuperating from hip surgery.  He was…

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) — Operation Helping Hands, the Catholic ministry that employed thousands of volunteers to rebuild nearly 200 homes after Hurricane Katrina, said Sept. 7 it will shut down next summer, sooner than expected, because of its disastrous encounter…

BERLIN (RNS) — A divorced doctor fired from his job at a Catholic hospital because he married another woman should be reinstated, a German court ruled Sept. 8. The ruling by Germany’s highest labor court means that church organizations may…

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Benedict XVI linked recent riots in England to the corrosive effects of “moral relativism,” and warned that preserving social order requires government policies based on “enduring values.” Benedict made his remarks on Sept. 9 to…

Deaconess Pamela J. Nielsen of Ballwin, Mo., began serving Sept. 1 as managing editor for Witness, Mercy and Life Together with LCMS Communications. In the new position, Nielsen will be responsible for gathering, editing and supervising the production of materials…

Mention Palestine, Israel, the Middle East, and the words that often come to mind are uncertainty, conflict and political unrest. But the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, is working to spread a message of…

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) — The pastor of a conservative Christian church that recently moved into the heart of liberal southeast Portland sought to reassure his new neighbors Sept. 8 about the church’s philosophy. Pastor Tim Smith said the Mars Hill…

A record number of 115 Lutheran schools were accredited by the National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) commission at its Aug. 5-6 annual meeting in St. Louis. Commission members representing 26 LCMS districts participated in the meeting. A complete list of…

The LCMS Concordia Deaconess Conference (CDC) announces four new officers and a spiritual counselor: Deaconess Sara Lemon, who serves at Concordia Lutheran Ministries, Cabot, Pa., is new vice-president. Deaconess Kimberly Schave, director of Human Care with the LCMS Ohio District…

By Elizabeth M. Truong With 90 percent of the debris from the May 22 tornado now cleared from residential areas in Joplin, Mo., representatives of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Martin Luther School in Joplin, the LCMS Missouri District, and LCMS…

By Adriane Dorr “It is a great joy to look forward to the future,” said the Rev. Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr., following his installation as the 16th president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., on Sept. 11. The…

By Linda C. Hoops An initiative by pastors and congregations in Circuit 13 West of the Southeastern District brought together 200 people for a two-night seminar Aug. 8-9 in Raleigh, N.C., on the reliability of the Bible. “Our goal as…