Why I Am a Lutheran: Jesus at the Center, written by Synod First Vice President Daniel Preus, is now available from Concordia Publishing House. Rather than provide an exposition of the Christian Church and Lutheran teachings, Preus wrote the book, he…

Kirk Bolt of Naperville, Ill., and Carl Schiefer, Boca Raton, Fla., are co-recipients of the Lutheran Education Association’s (LEA) National Distinguished Lutheran Elementary Teacher Award for 2004 and Kristin Drake, Arlington Heights, Ill., is LEA National Lutheran Early Childhood Teacher…

Rev. Roland A. Hopmann, a retired professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, died May 18 in a Fargo, N.D., hospital of complications from cardiopulmonary disease. The funeral service was May 22 at First Lutheran Church, East Grand Forks, Minn., and interment…

With 35,000 young people and adults from more than 20 countries set to participate, the ninth triennial National LCMS Youth Gathering July 24-28 in Orlando, Fla., will be “the largest single denominational youth event in the United States,” says Gretchen…

Working as a team Thank you for putting excerpts from the Mission 21st Century Task Force report on the front page of the May issue.  Also thank you for drawing our attention to the full report.  I read it and…

By Paula Schlueter Ross LCMS World Mission is sponsoring four events this summer in conjunction with the Synod’s convention, July 10-15 in St. Louis. All of the events are “driven” by the mission board’s Ablaze! initiative to reach 100 million people with…

Wheat Ridge Ministries of Itasca, Ill., has announced the recipients of major grants for new “health and hope” projects worldwide and is calling for applications for its domestic Congregation Health and Hope Grants Program. The independent Lutheran charitable organization approved six…

The Board of Governors of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League invites applications and nominations for the position of executive director, based at its Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) headquarters in St. Louis.  The executive director provides leadership to accomplish the vision…

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 Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece XXVI edition (small one). …

FRANCES CHILDERS, Southgate, Mich.; JO ANN DETERDING, Alton, Ill.; NANCY J. DURKOVIC, Santa Ana, Calif.; KEN HEITSHUSEN, Phoenix, Ariz.; JAMIE KNOWLES HALLET, San Pedro, Calif.; GAYLE JANZEN, Sabetha, Kan.; RONDA KRAUSKOPF, Orlando, Fla.; DEAN W. RAABE, Beatrice, Neb.; CARLYN ROTH,…

The nominating process for the offices of president, first vice president, and other vice presidents has been completed.  Of those receiving the highest number of nominating votes for the office of president, the following (listed in alphabetical order) have given…

Eight convention floor committees, meeting in St. Louis May 21 and over the weekend, prepared a total of 115 proposed resolutions for consideration by this summer’s triennial Synod convention. The proposed resolutions were prepared largely in response to a total of…

Higher Education  Of 66 overtures submitted on higher education, Committee 5 has developed 25 resolutions for convention action.  Topping the list is a resolution that would require the education of all professional church workers to include courses in evangelism, outreach…

By Joe Isenhower Jr. On the surface, the 2004-05 spending plan of $84.8 million the Synod’s Board of Directors adopted for national ministries at its May 20-22 meeting in St. Louis appears to be good news, compared with the $77.5 million…

By David L. Mahsman LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick is formally reporting to the Synod that the Synod’s Board of Directors has taken actions that, in Bylaw language, “may be in violation of the Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions of the Synod.” A notice…