MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT

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1 District news Rev. Stephan commissioned On Oct. 24, 1983, Merlin Stephan entered the U.S. Navy and served with the Seabees at various duty stations until April Following his Navy service, Merlin operated his own repair business and worked for Lewiston Implement in Lewiston and Cummins NPower in St. Paul. He graduated from Concordia University, St. Paul, in December 2001 and attended Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He was ordained on Aug. 5, 2007 and began to serve St. Mark s Lutheran Church, Rushford. Stephan still had a yearning to serve in the Navy. After seven years at St. Mark s, he was accepted into the chaplaincy program. On Nov. 6, 2014, Stephan was From left, (front row) Rev. Matt Lorfeld, Rev. Jesse Krusemark, Renee Stephan, Rev. Merlin Stephan, Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy; (back row) Rev. Kevin Froelich, Rev. Harold Hintzman and Rev. William Meilner. commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. On Sunday, Dec. 28, a service was held at St. Mark s to celebrate his commission. Fellow circuit pastors participated in the service, and the Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy, Minnesota South District president, brought greetings from the district. A light lunch was served after the service during a time of fellowship. Stephan reported to officer development school in Newport, R.I., and reports to chaplain school in Fort Jackson, S.C., on March 29. His duty station is being determined at this time. Circuit pastors help young girl A concerted effort by the pastors of Circuit 6 (Southwest Suburban) to rally around Chloe Settle, daughter of Rev. Rance and Leslie Settle, resulted in more than $14,600 raised during a Jan. 9 fish-fry held at Immanuel, Prior Lake. The funds will help defray medical costs for Chloe, 9, who suffers from two forms of epilepsy. Some of the costs of her care are not covered by insurance. Rev. Settle is pastor at Holy Cross, Prior Lake. Visit to support this family. MARCH 2015 A

2 Message Koinonia and visitation ministry You may wonder how pastors spend their time in the Minnesota South District when they re not immersed in all the duties of pastoral ministry. Two initiatives in our district involving pastors in a big way are the Koinonia Project and visitation ministry. Both of these ministries are encouraged by the leadership of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). The Koinonia Project has pastors talking with each other in small groups about teachings and practices which may divide them. We are the only LCMS district to go district-wide with the Koinonia Project. A Koinonia group is usually comprised of five pastors and a trained facilitator. When pastors meet in their Koinonia groups, they talk about highs and lows in their ministry, pray for one another and then take on an issue for conversation. Issues range from admission to Holy Communion to the role of women in the church to the relationship between pastors and lay people. Each pastor takes his stand on the issue. Then together they identify where they agree, what they reject together, where they disagree and how they can move toward greater oneness in teaching and practice. Our expression of oneness in the church can take three forms. Unity is the oneness we have with every Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Savior. Concord is our oneness in teaching and practice, a common confession that shows itself in how we do church. Harmony is the oneness we express in showing love and respect toward one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, despite our differences. As Luther put it in a sermon on John 15, Where there is no love, there doctrine cannot remain pure (Luther s Works, vol. 24). The Koinonia Project puts all three of these expressions of oneness to work. Incidentally, the Council of Presidents, comprised of Synod s president, vice presidents and 35 district presidents, is also participating in the Koinonia Project. I am hopeful that enhanced concord and practice will richly bless our mission of making new disciples of Jesus Christ. A second initiative is visitation ministry at all levels. Pastors make visits to the homes of their members. Circuit visitors LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy, LCMS Minnesota South District President (formerly known as circuit counselors) visit the pastors, workers and lay leaders of their circuit. We have 24 circuits in our district. All of our circuit visitors have been challenged to make these visits, getting a snapshot of the strengths and challenges of their congregations and workers. At another level, our district staff will visit all 24 circuits of the district this triennium. These visits have us listening to pastors, church workers and lay leaders as they talk about the highs and lows of their life together. They find out what s going on in neighboring LCMS churches. Along the way, we in the district get a clearer picture of the needs out in the field and how we can better serve our churches and workers. At still another level of visitation ministry, LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison visited our district last September, meeting with our Board of Directors, circuit visitors, staff and district president. He or his representative will visit all 35 districts. Ministry is always carried out on the dynamic stage of relationships. Both the Koinonia Project and visitation ministry provide ways to make our relationships stronger and full of love, trust and hope. Please pray that God will bless these initiatives, and know how much I appreciate your pastor s willingness to look outside your church to build relationships with those who share his confession. B

3 LWML 2015 Prayer Service available online God-Given Hats: A Vocational Prayer Service By Rev. Kristopher Whitby LWML Pastoral Counselor ( ) The theme Scripture passage for this service is 1 Tim. 2:1-4: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Our Lord graciously has called us to various stations in life. They are the hats we wear in His world. We are His children, baptized into Jesus death and resurrection. We daily die to sin and rise as new creatures in Christ. Our Lord blesses us to take this amazing identity as His forgiven children into the vocations to which He called us. This service is designed to give worshipers the opportunity to lift up before our Lord their confessions, supplications and petitions, and their praises as such prayers relate to the various God-given hats we wear. To Christ be the glory. Sow, nourish, reap in Des Moines There s still time to save on registration for the national LWML convention June in Des Moines, Iowa. But hurry the $175 fee ends on March 15. The Rev. Dr. James Lamb, Lutherans For Life executive director, will be the keynote speaker. Mites in Action mission speakers will be Challenges before us Current Challenges to Christian Living is the theme for the Minnesota South District LWML Retreat, July (July for early arrivals) at the Best Western Hotel in North Mankato. This retreat is another chance to meet with your LWML sisters in Christ to study and serve. Registration forms are available in the spring Women on a Mission newsletter or at Carly Hatcher from MOST Ministries, Rev. Jim Hetzner from Lutheran Church Charities, Rev. Dr. Tilahun Mendetto, president of Concordia College, Selma, Ala., and Rev. E. James Rivett, prison ministry. Lutheran Hour speaker Rev. Gregory Seltz will be the proclaimer on Thursday evening, and Saturday evening entertainment will be provided by Jan Struck and Dr. Dina Vendetti. For more information, go to Time running out to support grants There s less than a month to help fund the Mission Grants. Please send all mite money to: District Financial Secretary Joann Rosenfeld th St. Arlington, MN percent will fund district mite goals. 25 percent will fund national mite goals. Go to mission-grants for national mission grant information. Go to ministries/ gospel-outreach for district mission grant information. District Office Grand Avenue South, Burnsville, MN mnsdistrict.org MARCH 2015 C

4 News Sign up for response training LERT (Lutheran Emergency Response Training) will be held from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at St. Michael Lutheran Church, Bloomington. Led by Rev. Michael Meyer, LCMS Disaster Response manager, this training is intended for pastors, teachers and lay people interested in this important mercy ministry. Registration is $25 per person and includes snacks, lunch and materials. Register at to reserve your spot. For more information about LCMS Disaster Response, go to lcms.org/disaster. District roster changes Ordained Rev. Jeremiah D. Johnson, from associate pastor to senior pastor, Glory of Christ, Plymouth. Rev. Matthew P. Johnson, from assistant pastor to associate pastor, St. John, Corcoran. Rev. Dale R. Kohrs, from sole pastor, Trinity and St. John, Elmore, to sole pastor Immanuel/St. John, Elgin/Hammond. Rev. Joel M. Vano, from sole pastor, Zion, Albert Lea, to sole pastor, Ascension, Burnsville. Deaths Rev. Victor M. Roth, called to glory, Aug. 19. Send news, photos to new district editor Send articles and photos for publication in the district edition of The Lutheran Witness to our new district editor, Billy Schultz, Minnesota South District director of Communications and Mission Support at: Billy.Schultz@mnsdistrict.org or Grand Avenue South Burnsville, MN When sending photos, please send electronic files with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Please do not insert photos into Microsoft Word files. The deadline for the May 2015 issue is March 13. Accessions and transfers into the district Rev. Anders M. Davidson, from Royal Redeemer, Liberty Township, Ohio, to Trinity, Waconia. Rev. Ronald B. Prigge, from sole pastor Immanuel/ St. John, Racine/Sargeant, to emeritus. District congregation mission receipts for the period ending Jan. 31, 2015 For the month ending Dec. 31, 2014 Anticipated amount (8.3% of budget)... $133,333 Actual receipts... $147,334 Over (under) amount... $14,001 Year-to-date receipts Anticipated amount (86.2% of budget**)... $133,333 Actual receipts... $147,334 Over (under) anticipated amount $14,001 Use of mission receipts 50% remitted to Synod (Year-to-Date/YTD)... $73,337 50% for district operations (YTD) $73,667 Total receipts... $147,334 Mission receipts compared with prior years Mission receipts YTD $147,334 Mission receipts YTD $160,667 Over (under) last year...($13,333) 2015 congregational receipts budgeted at $1,600,000 LCEF Month of December 2014 New investments...$2,514,985 Withdrawals...$1,484,507 Net increase (decrease)...$1,030,478 Year-to-date July 1, 2014 Dec. 31, 2014 New investments...$6,537,988 Withdrawals...$9,540,617 Net increase (decrease)...($3,002,629) LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford (Continued on next page) D

5 News District roster changes (Continued from Page D) Rev. Steven M. Jones, candidate status, from Minnesota North District. Rev. Jeffrey D. Krueger, emeritus, from North Wisconsin District. Transfers out of the district Rev. Paul J. Haugen, emeritus status, to South Dakota District. Rev. Scott S. Hirssig, from sole pastor, Immanuel, Plainview, to associate pastor, Redeemer, Manitowac, Wis. Rev. Lyle R. Kath, non-candidate status, to North Dakota District. Rev. Vernon R. Kettner, emeritus status, to California-Nevada- Hawaii District. Rev. Theodore F. Kuster, emeritus status, to Pacific Southwest District. Rev. Thomas G. Ogilvie, from sole pastor, St. John, Austin, to sole pastor, St. Paul, Williamsburg, Iowa. Commissioned Sandra Engelhardt, Immanuel, Lewiston, to non-candidate status. Glenn Going, Hope Lutheran High School, Winona, to candidate status. Matthew Griepentrog, South Shore Trinity, White Bear Lake, to non-candidate status. Craig Kohls, non-candidate to emeritus status. Christine Krenzke, candidate to non-candidate status. Meghan O Neill, Central Lutheran, St. Paul, to candidate status. Janice Schrader, candidate status to King of Kings, Roseville. Rachel Wickre, St. Peter s, Edina, to Hand in Hand CCC, St. Paul. Michael Aurich, Concordia Academy, Roseville, to emeritus status. Linda Parvey, Mount Olive ECC, Anoka, to emeritus status. Dorleen Porisch, Trinity, St. Francis, to emeritus status. Accessions and transfers from other districts Ashley Bayless, candidate status from Missouri District. Troy Miller, candidate, (colloquy) to St. John s, Austin. Shelly Schwalm, from Pacific Southwest District, to Concordia University, St. Paul. Jonathan Zellar, candidate status, to Cross View, Edina Transfers to other districts Carrie Harling, candidate status to North Dakota District. Lise Harwell, candidate status to Rocky Mountain District. Aaron Littmann, Camp Omega, Waterville, to Indiana District. Chelsea Sagissor, candidate status to Indiana District. Deaths Loma Meyer, called to glory on Oct. 24. MARCH 2015 E