As believers in Christ Jesus, baptized in His Name, we are members of His one, holy, Christian, and apostolic Church. And our congregations, gathered by and for the preaching of His Gospel, the ongoing catechesis of His Word, and the faithful administration of His Holy Sacraments in accordance with His institution, belong by His grace to His own beloved and beautiful Bride. These are surely the most important and significant matters, as pertains to our true fellowship, which is with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by faith in the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures.
As pertains to our fellowship as congregations of the Church on earth – as parishes and pastors, congregations and commissioned workers of the Indiana District – we are first of all members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. And what I’m getting at is this, that our Synod is not a federation of districts, but a fellowship of congregations, ministers of the Word and Sacrament, teachers, deaconesses, directors of Christian education, and other servants of the church. And the Synod, in turn, has divided and organized itself into various districts, including our own, much as the districts divide and organize themselves into regions and circuits for the sake of good order.
Although each of the Synod’s thirty-five districts is unique in a variety of ways, dealing with different challenges and exercising a stewardship of sometimes very different resources, there is an important sense in which we are all “in this together,” hopefully pulling together in common cause for the confession of Christ and His Word and the care of His people on earth. And just as I would like to see a more consistent camaraderie and cooperation between sister congregations, especially within circuits, so do I believe that our fellowship as a Synod is greatly strengthened and blessed by the collaboration and partnership of its districts in a variety of ways.
These thoughts and observations are on my mind, stemming from a couple of recent positive examples of districts working together.
Just days before the national Thanksgiving holiday this past month, our Indiana District hosted the second “Connections Conference” in Fort Wayne, bringing together Lutheran educators from throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio for plenary, keynote, and breakout sessions on a host of pertinent topics. I was impressed (though not surprised) by the excellent organization and smooth operation of the entire conference. Lutheran teachers are among the most organized and efficient people I know, and that was evident in this gathering. Although I was not able to take in all that I would have liked to hear and see, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated all of the sessions I was able to attend, including breakouts with Jenna Hicks, Rev. Theodore Hoham, and Dr. Jim Pingle, as well as Dr. Bernard Bull’s excellent keynote presentation on the benefits, challenges, and risks involved in the use of artificial intelligence. I also appreciated the opportunity to participate in the opening worship service, along with my colleagues from the Michigan and Ohio Districts.
Then, on the Tuesday and Wednesday following Thanksgiving, I was pleased to attend a meeting of representatives from most of our LCMS districts with our Synod’s Office of National Mission in St. Louis. We had a similar meeting last year around this time, which was very encouraging and helpful, and I found that to be the case again. Lots of great ideas were “brainstormed” and discussed, as well as a variety of good examples shared from different locations across Synod. Conversations focused especially on the challenges involved in caring for small congregations, on the need for more pastors and teachers, on various and sundry ways of supporting the overall wellness of our current pastors, teachers, and other workers, and on the best ways and means of planting new churches. Working together on these challenges is a huge benefit and blessing.