The Gospel for the Eunuch Next Door: A Brief Overview of 100 years of Home Mission Work

Standing Solely on God’s Word
In 1918, the reorganization of the Old Norwegian Synod was complete, and the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church came into existence near Lime Creek Lutheran Church in rural Lake Mills, Iowa. At that meeting, two of the articles that were passed spoke to the future teaching of the new synod:
Article 2: “The only source and rule for faith and doctrine is the Word of God as revealed in the canonical books of the Old and New Testament.”
Article 3: “The Norwegian Synod adopts as its confession all the symbolical books of the Old and New Testament.” The new synod was bound to stand solely on God’s inerrant Word.
As a result, over the past one hundred years, the members of our synod have had and continue to have the joy of true salvation burning brightly in their hearts, creating the strong desire to share that joy with others in response to the great commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20).
In this brief article, we will watch this unfold as we review the history of our ELS home missions.
The Early Years
In the second chapter of Built on the Rock, Professor Juul B. Madson highlights the early years of home missions. “The earliest efforts in the sphere of home missions was directed toward providing moral and financial support for minority congregational groups which had failed to embrace the merger or had later broken away from it. At least a goodly number of these confessional groups survived to become self-sustaining units which could then turn around and lend a helping hand to the ongoing work of spreading the Gospel in new locations.”
Home Missions Started and Supported by the Home Mission Board (currently the Board for Home Outreach [BHO]) in the Past 100 Years
In the past 100 years, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) has started and supported 60 new home missions. Thirty-nine of the missions continue to preach the Gospel yet today; thirty remain in the ELS and nine congregations have merged with other church bodies (WELS, LCMS, CLC). Three have merged with other ELS congregations and eighteen closed their doors or were defunded by the Home Mission Board for lack of growth.
Missions that are now active congregations in the ELS:
Holy Cross – Madison, WI
Pinhurst – Eau Claire, WI
Redeemer – New Hampton, IA
Lakewood – Lakewood, WA
Ascension – Eau Claire, WI
St. Timothy – Lombard, IL
Grace – Madison, WI
Pilgrim – Waterloo, IA
Heritage – Apple Valley, MN
Our Saviour – Lake Havasu, AZ
Our Savior – Naples, FL
Christ – Port Saint Lucie, FL
Family of God – Fort Mohave, AZ
Peace – Kissimmee, FL
New Life – Sebring, FL
Saved by Grace – Gresham, OR
Peace – Lakeland, FL
Lord of Life – Holland, MI
Resurrection – Winter Haven, FL
Abiding Word – Bowling Green, OH
Redeemer – Scottsdale, AZ
Peace – North Mankato, MN
Abiding Shepherd – Cottage Grove, WI
Faith – Medford, OR
Redeeming Grace – Rogers, MN
Hope – Farmington, MN
Hope – Leander, TX
Divine Mercy – Hudson Oaks, TX
Cristo Rey – Bell Gardens, CA
A Brief Lesson on How to View the History of Closed Missions
How are we to view those missions that were started, at a substantial financial cost and expenditure of man-hours, and had to close their doors? Too many times they are listed or referred to as failed missions. Are they really failures? We have to always keep in mind that this is God’s church. Each new mission’s start is entered into with much research, prayer, and a divine call being issued. We pray with the Psalmist, “May He grant your heart’s desires and fulfill all your plans!” (Psalm 20:4). But in the end, it is the will and purpose of God Almighty that is going to be fulfilled, even though we do not understand how or why. God clearly tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways your ways, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). In the end, we simply have to let God be God, for it was He that placed those missions and it was He that, once His purpose was fulfilled, brought a close to their existence. Instead of looking at them as failures, we rejoice that the Gospel was preached, that countless young and old were baptized into God’s kingdom, and that the Sacrament of the Altar was served as saving nourishment to troubled hearts. With God’s purpose being served for the time He allotted to each mission, how can we look at the closed missions as failures? We can’t. Rather, we thank God for allowing the spread of His love in Christ Jesus in Word and Sacrament to so many.
Other Home Mission Work, Daughter Congregations
(Not Initiated by the Home Mission Board)
Not all Home Mission work has been done through the Mission Board (BHO). The work and effort that is consumed in the running and care of one congregation is enormous, yet motivated by the desire to share the good news of salvation and the great commission. Over the past 50 years, 26 ELS congregations or groups of congregations have taken the initiative to create daughter congregations. They chose locales around the boundaries of their area of influence and planted or daughtered a sister congregation. Most commonly, they start out as preaching stations seeded with members from the parent congregation and over time mature into self-supporting church bodies. In the same way God uses missions for a short time according to His purpose, He also uses daughter congregations. Of the 26 daughter congregations planted, five remain as ELS congregations, two merged with LCMS, four withdrew and their current status is unknown, and 15 closed.
The daughter congregations that remain in the ELS:
Bethany – Princeton, MN
Grace – Weston, OH
Grace – Crookston, MN (Independent in fellowship)
Our Redeemer – Yelm, WA
Faith – Irvine, CA
The History Continues
The BHO is currently supporting five of the home missions listed above. Redeeming Grace, Rogers, MN, is moving toward the end of being supported. Hope, Farmington, MN, is starting their second year of worship in the new church building. Hope, Leander, TX, dedicated their new church building this past April. Divine Mercy, Hudson Oaks, TX, just purchased a building site. Cristo Rey, Bell Gardens, CA, our newest mission, is a cross-cultural mission reaching out to the Hispanic population of East Los Angeles.
The BHO continues to investigate areas to start new home missions. The biggest challenges the ELS faces in starting new home missions is the lack of resources; finances and missionaries are at the top of the list. Your generous contributions to the anniversary offering will help with the finances. You can also help with the lack of missionaries by encouraging the young men in your congregation to consider becoming pastors. If you are a young to middle-aged man, you might prayerfully consider making a career change and attending Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary. “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).
Rev. Larry Wentzlaff
Contributing Writer
ELS Evangelism/Missions Counselor
Mankato, MN