Dear Members and Friends of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod,
Beware of the claim that if the church is really concerned about reaching out to do mission work it must be less concerned with being doctrinally faithful (i.e., rigid), as though one cannot happen if the other is also emphasized. It would be like saying that the church should not focus on outreach until it first cleans house with in-reach; i.e., reclaiming the lost who have wandered away. One emphasis does not exclude the other.
At the founding of the Synodical Conference in 1872, Dr. C. F. W. Walther preached on maintaining proper doctrinal and mission emphases: “As you know, my brethren, it is a common saying in our time that the continual urging of doctrine is a most pernicious tendency, only hindering, yea, destroying the kingdom of God. People say: ‘Instead of disputing so much about the doctrine, you ought rather to think of taking care of the souls and of leading them to Christ.’ But all who speak this way certainly do not know what they say and what they do. As it would be folly to chide the tiller of the ground for his diligence to obtain good seed, and to demand that he should be eager only to obtain good fruit, so it would be folly to chide those that take heed unto the doctrine above all things, and to demand of them that they should rather endeavor only to save souls. For as the tiller of the ground must be eager to obtain good seed above all things, if he wishes to reap good fruit, so must the church care for sound doctrine above all things, if she wishes to save souls.…”1
May God continue to grant the ELS both the zeal to remain faithful in its confession of Christ’s teachings and the mission of His kingdom, declaring His entire truth so that many may hear, believe and be saved through our work together to His glory alone.
Glenn Obenberger
- C. F. W. Walther, “Opening Sermon” [On Pure Doctrine for the Salvation of Souls], translated by August Crull, Lutheran Standard 30, no. 19 (October 1, 1872): 145–47. ↩︎
Ordination
Matthew Lehne (front center) was ordained and installed at Parkland Lutheran Church on June 30. He will be involved with the congregation’s plan to daughter a mission congregation in Graham, Washington. Please keep him in your prayers as he begins his work. God’s blessings to Pastor Lehne!
Our Bethany Lutheran College
Our gracious Savior has blessed Bethany Lutheran College with wonderful supporters in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod who truly love and care for our campus. We are grateful to share the wonderful news regarding the success of the 2023-24 Bethany Fund campaign! So many friends of Bethany made a gift over the past twelve months, and your collective efforts have blessed our campus with a final total of $778,044 through 2,536 gifts. Yes, our gracious God answered prayers!
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration of Bethany Lutheran College, we truly appreciate your gifts and prayers as we collectively work toward providing our students the best Christ-centered collegiate education possible. We thank God to have so many treasured partners behind our mission of the “One Thing Needful.” This support is not taken for granted by our faculty and staff. Thank you very much!
We ask for your continued prayers as we are already preparing for the 2024-25 academic year with students arriving back on campus in mid-August. Thanks again as we seek God’s continued grace and guidance upon our dear Bethany Lutheran College.
Installation
Pastor Peter Heyn was installed at Christ the King Lutheran in Green Bay, Wisconsin on May 19.
The pastors in the picture are (L to R) Rev. Roger Holtz, Rev. Robert Otto, Rev. Michael Dietz (WELS), Rev. Aaron Schultz (WELS), Rev. Peter Heyn, Rev. Thomas Heyn, Rev. Greg Haugen, Rev. Christian Eisenbeis, Rev. Cory Hahnke.
Installation in Port St. Lucie
Rev. Jesse Jacobsen was installed as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Port St. Lucie, Florida on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
Lutheran Sentinel Content Editor
Rev. Kyle Madson has served the ELS as the content editor for the last nine years. At the 2024 convention he was elected to be the synod secretary. Due to these added responsibilities Kyle has had to resign as editor. We thank him for his diligent and faithful service and petition our Lord to bless him in his new work for the ELS. Rev. James Braun, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, Massachusetts, has agreed to be appointed as the next content editor. The Committee for Communication has ratified this appointment. Keep him in your prayers during this transition period so that he might continue in the long line of faithful editors.
Lutheran Youth Association
ELS youth from around the country met for the annual Lutheran Youth Association convention July 25-28, 2024. This year’s convention was held on the campus of Concordia University Chicago. Video and photos of the convention are available at these sites youtube.com/@ELSYouth, instagram.com/elsyouth, facebook.com/ELS.Youth
Bethany Lutheran College Auxiliary
As we begin our 97th year at Bethany Lutheran College we look forward to hosting the National Auxiliary Day on Monday, September 23, 2024. During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Bethany faculty and students about the exciting things happening on campus. The group will also take part in the annual business meeting where auxiliary members vote on projects to support. Lunch will include updates from ELS President Glenn Obenberger and seminary President Timothy Hartwig. Looking forward to having our auxiliary members here!
Mission Prayer
Gracious Father, we humbly ask You to be with all our missionaries spreading the Gospel here in the United States. Strengthen their faith to boldly proclaim Your Word, that many may hear and believe. Be with the many pastors and workers in our foreign fields who labor for You. Bless them and protect them as they bring the saving Gospel to the many who have not heard of their Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.
Upcoming Events
August 6 – Board for World Outreach
August 12 – Board of Regents
August 13 – Synod Review Committee
August 14 – Board of Trustees
August 28 – Strategic Planning Committee
September 12–13 – Circuit Visitors Conference
September 23 – Planning & Coordinating Committee
September 23 – BLC Auxiliary Day
September 25 – Strategic Planning Committee
View current vacancies and calls in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
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