Members of
the Concordia Deaconess Conference elected Deaconess Pamela Nielsen of St. Louis as the new conference president during their annual meeting June 25-28 in Florissant, Mo.
Nielsen succeeds Deaconess Grace Rao of St. Louis in that office.
Conference members also elected to two-year terms Deaconesses Lauren Olsen, Union, Ill., secretary; and Cheryl Naumann, Oakmont, Pa., member at-large.
Rev. John Fale, associate executive director of LCMS World Relief, served as and interim spiritual adviser for the conference and installed the new officers to their two-year terms.
About 75 Synod deaconesses comprise the membership of the conference.
Speakers addressed the theme “Modern Heresies: An Attempt to Deceive,” based on 2 Thess. 2:3.
Dr. Paul L. Maier, Synod second vice president and professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, delivered the keynote presentation on heresies in bestselling books such as The DaVinci Code. He gave suggestions about how Christians might address the false teachings of those books by speaking the truth of God’s Word.
Other speakers included:
- Rev. Todd Wilken of Waterloo, Ill., host of KFUO AM 850’s “Issues, Etc.” program;
- Rev. Daniel Preus, executive director of the Luther Academy of St. Louis and former Synod first vice president;
- Rev. Matthew Harrison, St. Louis, executive director of LCMS World Relief/Human Care; and
- Deaconess Christie Nelson of New Palestine, Ind.
Rev. Stephen Rosebrock, kantor at Hope Lutheran Church, St. Louis, preached at the annual meeting’s opening service.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and LCMS World Relief/Human Care provided funding for scholarships, making it possible for a number of deaconesses, interns, and students to attend this year’s annual meeting, which attracted 65 participants.
Nielsen told Reporter that the Concordia Deaconess Conference “exists to aid The Lutheran Church-–Missouri Synod specifically in upholding and promoting deaconess service within the Synod and to provide opportunity for spiritual, professional, and personal growth and fellowship for those who are deaconesses in the Synod.”
For more information about the conference or deaconess service, contact Nielsen at pamela.nielsen@cph.org.
Posted Aug. 18, 2006
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