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…

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…

(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,…

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…

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…

By Kim Plummer Krull Our Japanese Lutheran partners are appreciative of LCMS support and our “ministry of presence,” LCMS World Mission’s Rev. John Mehl told LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison the day after LCMS and Japanese ministry leaders met in…

After 46 years of cooperation between the Japan Lutheran Church and the LCMS, the Volunteer Youth Ministry (VYM) program has come to an end.  The two partner churches had decided in fall 2010 — before the March 11 earthquake and…

The Synod’s two seminaries are offering continuing-education courses this summer in a variety of North American locations. The courses are open to clergy and laypeople. Following is a list of dates, sites, courses, instructors and contact information for each seminary.…

Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) will host the second in its series of school branding webinars at 4:30 p.m. (CT) on April 5. The series is part of LCEF’s new Project School Zone campaign to support Lutheran school marketing and…

(RNS) — Charities are seeing improvements in fundraising, with fewer charities reporting declines in 2010 compared with 2009, according to a report released March 22. But a larger percentage of organizations reported bringing in about the same amount of revenue…

(RNS) — Rev. James Howell knew he had a problem on his hands when several teenagers arrived at a church dance drunk and had to be taken from the church by ambulance for treatment for alcohol poisoning. Starting in 2009,…

In a new video produced by Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Dr. Naomichi Masaki, associate professor of systematic theology at the seminary, discusses the impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami on Japan. Masaki, who was raised in Japan and…

By Kim Plummer Krull Before heading home to Howell, Mich., from the Laborers For Christ (LFC) annual conference, John Gallmeyer spoke about how Laborers often draw “fringe members” back to a congregation and open a door to witness opportunities in…

Starting May 1, active workers and their enrolled spouses in the Concordia Health Plan (CHP) will receive financial rewards for engaging in healthy behaviors in a new program titled “Be Well Rewards.” Members will choose from a selection of 11…

Concordia Publishing House is offering a specially priced “All-Inclusive” Starter Kit for “Big Jungle Adventure,” its 2011 vacation Bible school program.  The items in the $119.99 kit would cost $269 if purchased separately. With the theme “A Faith Journey with…

By Kim Plummer Krull As the most powerful aftershock yet rattled the coast off northeastern Japan on March 22, LCMS World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC) continues to work with Lutheran partners and prepares to assist with long-term recovery in…