Mission boards look to convention

By Stacey Egger

The Boards for International (BIM) and National (BNM) Mission met in January and February in St. Louis to finalize overtures to the Synod convention and to hear updates on the domestic and international work of the Synod. 

BIM 

The BIM gathered Jan. 26–27.

Christian Boehlke, interim executive director of the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM), updated the board on the Synod’s global work, including: 

• 105 career and GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach) missionaries, as well as 20 alliance missionaries, serving around the world; 
• Four regional missionary retreats held since March, all of which Boehlke attended — “One of the themes I heard over and over again is that missionaries feel supported, they feel cared for”; 
• The alliance missionary project and support for the LCMS’ “historical partner,” the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, as it sends its own missionaries overseas. “The work of international mission and the church’s mission is … generational. We don’t make investments two weeks at a time, but through generations. In Brazil, we are looking at five, six generations”; and 
• The Rev. James Krikava assuming a full-time role as associate executive director of the OIM, and the search for a second associate executive director for the OIM. 

The board also heard a presentation from the Rev. Dr. Corey Rajek, the new OIM regional director for the LCMS Eurasia region. Rajek discussed mission and evangelism, noting: “Everything we do, especially in regard to mercy, has to point back to Word and Sacrament ministry. … Everything we do [as missionaries] has to point people to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Rajek provided updates on the work going on in the Eurasia region, including:

• Catechetical teaching videos in production in the Farsi language with the purpose of “getting the Gospel into areas where the Gospel is oppressed”;
• The first Iranian student studying at the Luther Academy in Riga, Latvia (with plans for him to serve as pastor to refugees in Germany); 
• The planting of confessional Lutheran churches in the region, including in Greece; and
• Housing of Ukrainian refugees and Ukrainian-language “standing-room only” Divine Services at the Old Latin School in Wittenberg. 

The board also voted to extend calls or solemn appointments to six career missionaries and missionary families, including: 

• The Rev. Samuel Bobby, who will serve as a theological educator in the Eurasia region, based in Latvia. 
• Hayden Rensner, who will continue to serve in English education and outreach in the Eurasia region, based in the Czech Republic. 
• Four candidates receiving assignments extended by the LCMS Council of Presidents for “first calls” to graduates of church worker formation programs at the Synod’s educational institutions. These calls will be publicly announced at those institutions’ respective call services.

The BIM’s next meeting will be held May 4–5 in St. Louis. 

BNM 

The BNM met Feb. 9–10. 

A new executive director of the Office of National Mission (ONM), the Rev. Dan Galchutt, will begin his duties at the LCMS International Center in late March. The board heard reports from the three ONM managing directors who will continue to serve under Galchutt’s supervision.

Deaconess Dr. Tiffany Manor, who manages ONM ministry areas related to human care and ministerial support, shared updates including: 

• A new manager of Specialized Pastoral Ministry, the Rev. Brian Heller, and upcoming updates to this program, including the development of specifically Lutheran training materials for civilian chaplains.
• The upcoming announcement of grant recipients from the third phase of the Million Dollar Life Match program out of LCMS Life Ministry, and a fourth phase that will open this summer.
• The formation of LCMS Family Ministry, which will focus on creating resources to support Lutheran families, address gender and human sexuality issues in light of Scripture, and more. 

The Rev. Michael Meyer, who manages ONM ministry areas related to congregations and districts, shared updates including: 

• The installation of a new director of LCMS School Ministry, Dr. Alan Freeman.
• The work of the School Leadership Development Project (SLED) to train and equip new principals and aspiring leaders of Lutheran schools. 
• Recent work of LCMS Disaster Response after a tornado in Selma, Ala.; the growth of the LERT (Lutheran Early Response Team) program across the Synod; and over 4,600 hours logged by Lutheran disaster response volunteers already in 2023. 

The Rev. Dr. Mark Wood, who manages ONM ministry areas related to church planting, renewal and support, shared updates including: 

• The ongoing work of the new Church Planting Initiative, including the search for a director of LCMS Church Planting, the completion of training materials for Lutheran church planters and an initial training cohort.  
• A new ONM ministry area, All Nations Ministry, which will focus on multiethnic ministry and outreach “under one umbrella,” to coordinate efforts and foster unity and conversation. 
• Soon-to-be-released Every One His Witness modules including “Witnessing to the Nones” and “Witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses.” 

The board also heard presentations on the first two mission priorities of the Synod.  

Wood presented on Mission Priority 1: “To plant, sustain, and revitalize Lutheran churches.” He noted projections from Pew Research that the population of U.S. Christians will fall below 50% in coming years, and research from LCMS Rosters and Statistics showing around 80% of LCMS congregations in stasis or decline. 

“What we are dealing with right now in this era of decline and struggle is a time for us to be under the cross — not to fear, not to lose hope, but to recognize that God is indeed at work, because it’s His church, and He’s shaping us to be the church He desires us to be,” said Wood. 

The Rev. Kevin Robson, LCMS chief mission officer, presented on Mission Priority 2: “To support and expand theological education.” He updated the board on the work of the Pastoral Formation Committee to fulfill assignments given by 2019 Synod convention resolutions. 

The committee’s report to the 2023 convention, said Robson, will not propose significant changes to the current pastoral formation routes through the Synod’s two seminaries, but will recommend various actions to the end that “the residential M.Div. route should continue to be positioned and understood as the Synod’s strongly preferred route to ordination.” 

The BNM’s next meeting will be held June 15–16 in St. Louis. 

Convention overtures and board strategic planning 

Both boards discussed convention overtures related to the work of national and international mission and of the boards themselves.

Overtures will be put forward jointly by the boards on topics including the continuance of Making Disciples for Life as the Synod’s triennial mission and ministry emphasis, reaffirmation of the Synod’s seven mission priorities, and amendment of Synod Bylaws to improve the collaboration and interaction between the BIM and BNM and their respective offices (the OIM and the ONM). 

The BIM worked on overtures to commend and strengthen the alliance missionary project; improve care and ecclesiastical supervision of missionaries; support key international mission initiatives such as theological education, church planting, missionary recruitment, disaster response and other mercy initiatives; and endorse Himnario Luterano as the Synod’s Spanish-language hymnal.

The BNM worked on overtures recommending that the Synod continue to address the topics of mental health and of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. 

Both boards will convene once more before the Synod convention in July. Meeting minutes, when they become available, will be posted at lcms.org/board-for-national-mission and lcms.org/board-for-international-mission.

Posted March 2, 2023