Council of Presidents assigns first calls

By James Heine ST. LOUIS — At its meeting April 28-May 3, the LCMS Council of Presidents (COP), acting as the Synod’s Board of Assignments, assigned first calls to 139 candidates certified for the pastoral ministry. Also, the COP approved…

Convention Corner (June 2012)

With Barbara A. Below The district convention season is in full swing, and important work is going on in those conventions that will lead to the 2013 national convention of the Synod. Districts and their conventions play several new roles…

ACNA, LCMS release joint statement

By Adriane Dorr Following two years of fraternal theological dialogue, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) recently issued a joint statement, affirming “core teachings of the Christian faith shared by…

Catholics connect 'religious freedom,' 'For Greater Glory' film

(RNS) — The film shows a burning crucifix, gun-toting priests and the torture of a young boy. And the Roman Catholic hierarchy is loving it. The film, “For Greater Glory,” hits theaters June 1 and tells a little-known chapter of Mexican…

Official Notice: call for nominations, executive director, Office of International Mission

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Office of International Mission calls for nominations for the position of executive director. Under the leadership and direction of the president, through the chief mission officer, the executive director is responsible for the oversight and supervision…

Parties pose 'creative solution' to save Concordia, Ann Arbor

By Paula Schlueter Ross It’s never been done on such a large scale in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done: a thriving Lutheran university offering a helping hand to a struggling sister school in another…

Positions (June 2012)

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Communications department announces an opening for the position of manager of Design Services. The position is accountable to the director of News and Information and is responsible for administering department projects, budgets and staff to ensure…

Boards continue policy work; 16 calls, appointments made

By Joe Isenhower Jr. and Elizabeth M. Truong ST. LOUIS — At their May 10-11 meetings in St. Louis, the Synod’s two mission boards established by the 2010 LCMS convention continued their primary work of developing policy. One of them…

Faculty leave Baptist school over 'lifestyle' statement

(RNS) — More than two dozen faculty members have resigned from Shorter University, a Baptist school in Georgia, after it required them to sign a “personal lifestyle statement” that condemns homosexuality, premarital sex and public drinking. An online campaign called “Save…

Board approves $64.6 million-plus operating budget

By Joe Isenhower Jr. ST. LOUIS — The Synod Board of Directors, at its May 17-18 meeting in St. Louis, adopted a national-Synod operating budget of $64,626,022 for the 2012-13 fiscal year that starts July 1. Also approved by the…

Items wanted, available (June 2012)

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. Notices may be sent to Jennifer Duffy at…

Boards continue policy work; 16 calls, appointments made

By Joe Isenhower Jr. and Elizabeth M. Truong ST. LOUIS — At their May 10-11 meetings in St. Louis, the Synod’s two mission boards established by the 2010 LCMS convention continued their primary work of developing policy. One of them…

Joplin a year later: 'thankful,' but needs remain

By Kim Plummer Krull  Many special events commemorated the May 22 one-year anniversary of the deadly tornado that decimated Joplin, Mo. But Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin planned to continue doing what it started immediately after the catastrophe — serving…

Pressure Points (June 2012)

With Dr. Bruce Hartung Q: Our congregation has called a new director of Christian education who is beginning with us this summer. A good friend of mine is in another LCMS congregation that is having a couple new Lutheran schoolteachers…

Official notice: Requests for reinstatement (June 2012)

JOHN KIRCHHOFF, Sterling, Ill., has applied for reinstatement to the Ministers of Religion–Commissioned roster of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. SCOTT A. CALLAWAY, Georgetown, Mass., and EDGAR L. WILLIAMS, Farmington Hills, Mich., have applied for reinstatement to the Ministers of Religion–Ordained roster…

Price of hymnal to increase Jan. 1

Concordia Publishing House says it will increase the price of Lutheran Service Book from $23 to $25, beginning Jan. 1, 2013. More than 86 percent of the Synod’s 6,100-plus congregations nationwide now use the hymnal, according to CPH. “Because fewer and fewer…