Conference on death points to life in Christ

Taking part in a panel discussion on July 8 at the “Dying Well in Christ” conference are, from left, the Rev. David Fleming, executive director of DOXOLOGY, an LCMS Recognized Service Organization; and emeritus pastors Rev. William Cwirla and Rev. Mark Hein. The three discussed the use and benefits of the Commendation of the Dying as found in the Lutheran Service Book Pastoral Care Companion. (Pamela Nielsen)

By Brianna Dehn

“Dying Well in Christ: A Forum on the Church’s Care at Life’s End” was held July 7–9 on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL). The conference, a collaborative effort of many organizations and individuals, brought together pastors, deaconesses, other church workers and laypeople from all over the country to consider how the church cares for people facing death — whether their own or that of others — and its various implications for the Christian life.

“What a great opportunity for us, as the church, to gather together to rejoice in the hope that we’ve been given in … our Lord Jesus, but also to reflect together on how we can serve one another and … walk alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ in the church as they approach death,” said the Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger, CSL president, during the conference’s opening service.

The conference included many presentations on various aspects of dying, death and grief. Among the speakers were pastors, deaconesses, university and seminary professors, a funeral director and a hospice nurse. In addition, a full funeral service using the rite from Lutheran Service Book was held for a fictitious man, Lyman Virgil Weber.

“Lyman is fictional. The casket is empty,” preached the Rev. William Cwirla as he delivered a funeral sermon for the imaginary man. “But the sermon is real. The Word of God is real.” As he spoke about Weber, who was said to have died of cancer at age 88, Cwirla — a retired LCMS pastor — pointed to all people’s need for a Savior and how Jesus Christ fills that need.

Another attendee, Deaconess Chrissie Gillet, serves as director of Word of Hope, a ministry of Lutherans For Life that cares for those who have had an abortion. “We have a culture where [technology makes] people … more distant … [and] isolated,” said Gillet. “In grieving, we … come together as one body. … We are suffering together as we grieve, and we look to Christ for hope and the reminder that we’ll all be together again in eternal life.”

Carolyn Krecklow, a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Dallas said she decided to attend the conference after her congregation experienced a significant number of deaths over the past several years. Having personally benefited from groups for the bereaved, she wants to start a similar group at her church and came to the conference seeking doctrinally sound Lutheran materials. “I wanted to come … to see what else was out there,” said Krecklow.

The Rev. Matthew Rasmussen attended with his wife, Adrienne, and his daughters Makenna, 13, and Chole, 11. Rasmussen has previously held two retreats on death and dying for his congregation, Community Lutheran Church in South Burlington, Vt. “I brought my whole family because death is something we will all meet one day, and I think as Christians, it’s something we can all meaningfully contemplate regardless of what age we happen to be,” he said.

Makenna and Chole Rasmussen said their favorite speaker was the Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, who presented the sectional “Seven Myths about Death and Dying.”

“We forget that children also witness death, and we want them to be able to witness to their family and friends around them,” said Adrienne Rasmussen. “Because they have the biblical understanding of death, they may be comforted by the hope we have in Jesus Christ.”

“It’s important that the church talks about end-of-life issues so that, even at the point of death, our eyes can be fixed on Jesus,” said the Rev. Andy Becker, manager of family discipleship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Office of National Mission. Becker presented a sectional titled “Mercy When a Baby Dies” at the conference. “So much in our world tries to shift the focus off of Jesus to ourselves or others. This is true in the rituals surrounding death.”

“But [as] with everything else in life,” Becker continued, “Jesus transforms even death. He walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death so that we need not fear death or the grave. Through Christ we have hope: hope for this life and for the life to come with Jesus. As we talk about end-of-life issues in light of Christ, we can more faithfully follow Jesus, giving a stronger witness of our life and faith even through our death and burial.”

In addition to several other opportunities for worship, the conference included a hymn festival featuring funeral hymns.

“The response to the conference has been completely positive, and I couldn’t be more delighted,” said Deaconess Pamela Nielsen, conference organizer. “You never know when you set out to do something how it will be received, and even with all the planning, you don’t know if it will go smoothly. God blessed this in every way.”

Brianna Dehn is a staff writer for LCMS Communications.

Posted July 30, 2025