South Wisconsin re-elects Wille

South Wisconsin
June 7-9
Mequon, Wis.

Elected:

Dr. John C. Wille, West Bend, Wis., president, second term, by acclamation.

Rev. Randolph H. Raasch, Cedarburg, Wis., first vice president, Northeast Region.

Rev. Daniel Torkelson, Clyman, Wis., second vice president, Southeast Region.

Rev. David B. Paape, Sussex, Wis., third vice president, Central East Region.

Rev. Mark R. Meier, Poy Sippi, Wis., fourth vice president, West Region.

Gathering under the theme “With Unveiled Faces: Reflecting the Lord’s Glory,” based on 2 Cor. 3:18, delegates voted to:

adopt a goal of 50 mission starts in five years based on five priorities — focus the Gospel on the unchurched; be locally supported and supervised; partner with other congregations, the district, and the Synod for additional support and accountability; not require high financial investment of any one entity; and be self-supporting in a short period.

support an international LCMS mission partnership to plant the first national Lutheran church within the Dominican Republic. The goal is a national Lutheran church body that welcomes, ministers to, and equips for service all those loved by God in Jesus Christ, including families that have members with developmental disabilities or other special needs.

encourage congregations to work with the Synod and the district when undertaking mission starts or planning mission trips. The resolution asks congregations to work in conjunction with district or Synod efforts and to refrain from supporting entities that are not Lutheran or not in fellowship with the LCMS.

encourage congregations and their members to support the mission and ministry of the South Wisconsin District and the LCMS with their prayers, talents, and finances. The resolution encourages them to recognize that missions and missionaries are placed under stress by reductions in support and salary due to declining revenues and asked for God’s guidance to be stewards “welling up in rich generosity” toward mission and ministry opportunities.

commend Dr. Leonard Payton and Bob Gleason, from South Wisconsin, for their “Rejuvenating Congregations” program to enable congregations to attain a missional, outward focus. Their resource was recommended to congregations.

address concerns about Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance proposals. Memorials to the Synod’s 2010 convention included requests to: keep The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod name; make no changes to Synod’s structure or bylaws that are not in alignment with Dr. C.F.W. Walther’s “Church and Ministry”; continue the current process of electing circuit counselors by vote of circuit congregations rather than involving the district president in the selection;  ask for detailed reasons for task force recommendations and not consider adopting any final recommendations until LCMS congregations have a three-year convention cycle to study and discuss recommendations; retain the current number of districts and ask the task force to present a detailed analysis of the positive and negative points of any proposed changes to district structure at the next Synod convention after 2010.

Posted June 18, 2009