Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) seeks nominations for 2013 board of directors and committees.  Nominations are due June 15.  Visit www.lirs.org/boardnominations to view the call for nominations, expectations of board and committee members, the nominations timeline and the nominations…

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Office of National Mission (ONM), St. Louis, calls for nominations for the position of director — Black Ministry. The director is responsible for working within the Office of National Mission. The director will collaborate and coordinate…

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. Notices may be sent to Jennifer Duffy at…

The Rev. Robert Rahn, founder of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF), has written a 330-page book that traces the development of the organization from its beginnings in Russia to its present-day work in Africa and Southeast Asia. The book’s title, Jesus…

The third of 12 Bible story books combining written language, artwork and illustrated sign language to teach hearing and deaf individuals is available from Lutheran Friends of the Deaf (LFD), a ministry of the Mill Neck Family of Organizations, which…

Delegates to the 59th convention of the LCMS South Dakota District elected President Rev. Dr. Dale L. Sattgast on the first ballot to his third three-year term. The convention met April 18-21 in Sioux Falls, S.D., under the theme “Called into…

At the LCMS Minnesota North District convention, meeting April 16-18 in Alexandria, Minn., delegates re-elected on the first ballot the Rev. Dr. Donald J. Fondow of Park Rapids, Minn., as district president. Fondow, 58, was re-elected to his fourth three-year term.…

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The Vatican has launched a crackdown on the umbrella group that represents most of America’s 55,000 Catholic nuns, saying that the group was not speaking out strongly enough against gay marriage, abortion and women’s ordination. Rome also chided…

By Paula Schlueter Ross Roman Catholic Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades told news reporters he was “really overwhelmed” when a group of some 250 people — mostly pastors and members of Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod congregations in the Fort Wayne, Ind., area —…

By Kim Plummer Krull Three days after a tornado slammed into Creston, Iowa, so fast that emergency management officials had no time to sound warning sirens, the Rev. Jonathan C. Watt said people are “so grateful that God had mercy and…

The Synod’s two seminaries are offering continuing-education courses in various cities, beginning in April. The courses are designed for pastors, commissioned ministers and laypeople, and Continuing Education Units are available. Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., is offering 23 courses: April 24-26…

By Sarah Schafer Concordia Publishing House (CPH) received the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award April 15, culminating an 11-year journey toward earning the nation’s highest presidential honor for performance excellence through innovation, process improvement, customer focus and visionary leadership. LCMS President…

By Kim Plummer Krull The Rev. Gregory Brown spent part of Sunday morning, April 15, checking on members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Woodward, Okla., after a deadly tornado outbreak in the Midwest that caused at least five reported fatalities in Woodward and…

By Kim Plummer Krull Sharing of plans to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 was among the many updates addressed when representatives of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) gathered March 27-29 in…