Items wanted, available; reinstatements; positions

Note: Reporter cannot accept notices about items offered for sale or that people wish to purchase. Items described as “Wanted” or “Available” are sought or may be obtained for shipping costs only. Wanted Choral music for small congregational choir with…

Official Notice: Convention Delegate Names and Addresses

Lists of names and addresses of all voting delegates to the 2004 convention of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod are now available in printed or electronic form.  Send requests to the Secretary’s Office.  Include a check for $200 to cover costs…

"Letters" March 2004

More on sem wives I simply could not believe my eyes when I read the comments in the February “Letters” from two individuals who were protesting the Council of Presidents’ policy  that the wives of seminarians be LCMS members.  What…

August Bernthal dies; former Florida-Georgia District president

Dr. August Bernthal, a former district president, Synod vice president and pioneer in refugee resettlement, died Jan. 27 at his home in Winter Haven, Fla., of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. The funeral service was Feb. 2 at Grace Lutheran Church,…

Tietjen dies; sem president during controversy

Dr. John H. Tietjen, president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, through the early 1970s and prominent in the Synod’s doctrinal controversy at that time, died Feb. 15 at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, of complications from cancer. Tietjen, 75,…

CTCR backs fellowship with Kenyan church

The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) is recommending that this summer’s Synod convention declare the Synod to be in altar and pulpit fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya. The resolution of support for fellowship with the…

Webzine offers guide to ‘Passion of the Christ’

The current edition of LCMS Youth Ministry’s Web magazine, “youthESource,” has a viewers guide for those seeing Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ.” The magazine’s editorial team compiled the guide from notes of Dr. James Bachman, dean of…

World Mission to share Pentecost 2000 'learnings'

By Paula Schlueter Ross The good news:  More than 900 cross-cultural ministries have been started by Missouri Synod Lutherans since LCMS World Mission launched its “Pentecost 2000” initiative in 1999. Even better, information about all 900-plus ministries is listed on the P2K…

Board to CCM: Let's 'withdraw,' let convention address issues

By Joe Isenhower Jr. The Synod’s Board of Directors says it will withdraw two resolutions declaring eight opinions of the Commission on Constitutional Matters to be “of no effect” if the commission withdraws those opinions, “so as to allow the…

Task force wants more teachers certified

The 20-member Next Generation Task Force has found that only one in three of the 18,000 teachers in schools operated by Synod congregations are Synod-certified.  The task force is recommending steps to increase that ratio. The task force, appointed by…

New 'Board Briefs' available

“Conflict in the Bylaws” and “Funding National Ministries and Administrative Functions” are the titles of the latest installments of “Board Briefs,” an online question-and-answer feature from the Synod’s Board of Directors. “Board Briefs IV” once again addresses questions raised in…

Lutheran singles to gather

Lutheran “singles” — never married, divorced or widowed — are invited to attend a get-together sponsored by International Lutheran Single Adults (ILSA) July 10 in St. Louis, the opening day of the Synod’s national convention there. The gathering will begin at…

Interest in 'Luther' brings film to nearly 100 theaters

With re-issue of the movie “Luther” already booked for almost 100 locations this winter, it will continue “in theaters as long as there is a demand,” said Dennis A. Clauss, the film’s executive producer. Clauss, who also is church and…

LCMS e-News adds five more newsletters

Subscribers to LCMS e-News now have five more newsletters from whichto choose on the free, Web-based LCMS e-News subscription service: “Lutheran Women in Mission,” produced by the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, communicates the work and mission of the LWML to…

Number of Lutherans worldwide climbs to nearly 66 million

Membership among Lutheran churches in the last two years increased by 570,000, bringing the number of Lutherans worldwide to nearly 66 million by the end of 2003. Regular statistics provided by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) indicate an average .9…

Library for Blind offers audio, too

The Library for the Blind, a ministry of Lutheran Blind Mission, St. Louis, offers free, on loan, audio-cassette materials, including 1,394 books on tape; 1,482 Lutheran Hour sermons; and eight magazines. As noted previously in Reporter, the library also offers thousands…