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DISTRICT NEWS

A Call to Assemble 

In the conviction that God has called us through the Lordship of his Son Jesus Christ 
and the guidance of his Holy Spirit to confess the gospel in its purity, we, members of the priesthood of all believers, give thanks to God for his continual faithfulness and, hereby call for Lutherans who are dedicated 
to 
the perpetuation of confessional Lutheranism in the North American context 
to gather at 

the Second Annual Convention of the
Augsburg Lutheran District 

at Resurrection Community Church 
Springfield, Oregon 
July 14-18, 2002 

"His Hand on the Tiller"

Bible Study led by Pastor Mark Jamison
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel"

The Augsburg Lutheran District, a lifeboat for confessing Lutherans, 
is a non-geographic district of the new association of churches, 
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

Guest Speakers: Dr. Oliver K. Olson and Dr.  Larry Gedde

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Joint Council Meeting

The Augsburg Lutheran District Joint Council met in Orange Beach, Alabama, January 24-25, 2001. The secretary’s and treasurer’s reports for 2001, and the budget for 2002 were approved.

Plans for the upcoming convention in Springfield, OR, July 14-18, 2002, were approved. A convention committee was appointed to finalize the arrangements. Dr. Oliver K. Olson has agreed to speak at the convention and lead a discussion group on liturgy. Olson, a renown Lutheran scholar who specializes in the theology of worship, has taught at Lutheran seminaries, served as a consultant on liturgy, and written several articles on Lutheran theology and worship, including “Luther’s Catholic Minimum.” Pastor Larry Gedde will also be a featured speaker; Gedde was a candidate for bishop in the NW Minnesota Synod of the ELCA in 2001. Our District Pastor, Mark Jamison, will be the featured preacher on Sunday evening and will lead the Bible studies.

The proposal to commence working on a new, theologically sound liturgical setting with a traditional musical accompaniment and a contemporary musical accompaniment was approved. This project will be carried out by the Worship and Education Committee chaired by Amy Williams. The Executive Committee will seek a new chairperson for the Communications Committee. The Worship & Education Committee will work with LCMC and other districts within LCMC who are interested in collaborating on this new worship resource.

The mission, members, accountability, objectives, and tasks were outlined in draft charters for each of the five standing committees. Long-term, intermediate, and short-term tasks were laid out. There is much work to be done! These drafts will be reviewed and edited by each committee, and resubmitted to the Joint Council by the end of February. Proposed committee charters will be submitted for the approval of the membership at the July convention.

Several membership issues were addressed. A request for permission to start a women’s auxiliary was approved. Esther Nance agreed to co-chair a task force to gather input from LCMC and ALD churches on this subject. A new application form for churches, chapters, and affiliated individuals was also approved.

The next meeting of the Joint Council will be held in Springfield, OR, on July 13, 2002.

Many thanks to the members of Peace Lutheran in Orange Beach, Alabama, for their hygglig (friendly and cozy) hospitality as they graciously hosted our meeting. The ALD has been strengthened by their love and fellowship in Christ.

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SEMINARIANS AND TEMPTATIONS 
Dr. Carl Heinrich A. Schmutzler

Only about ten years ago the Lutheran Theological Seminary here in Philadelphia was regarded as being part of "us". This not only because my church was co-founder of the Seminary (set up as a strictly Lutheran alternative to Gettysburgh, at that time very much "American Washed-Out Liberal") but also because Philadelphia area ELCA congregations saw the Sem as belonging to their responsibilities; it was, after all, fostering "our future pastors", it was a "church Seminary". Gifts in kind and in money were common, there was a Women's Auxiliary, and so forth. As a pastor one had rather frequent reason to go there for public lectures, reading in that marvellous library, and so on. It was sort of a home place.

It has gone the way I dare say many seminaries in this country have gone, or actually most institutions of higher education that once were expression of denominations and their faith. In the pursuit of (claimed) excellence, bigness (for sure) and freedom of research (or whatever) the roots and bonds once connecting them to churches and congregations have largely been cut. "Our" Seminary no longer is "ours"; the Auxiliary is gone, the professors no longer need be Lutheran, Episcopalian deacons are being educated there, it has become an institution for educating people "to do ministry" - basically a college like any college, specialized in teaching a certain type of professionals, similar to a great many other such colleges, and as such a thoroughly business-like and commercial institution. You gets what you pays for. Whatever bonds to the original denomination that still exist are mainly sentimental.

This inevitably means that seminarians emerging from their years there will have paid their dues, and dearly so; most of them consequently will carry a burden of debt as they begin "doing ministry". In this I guess they are quite similar to other young people finishing higher education and beginning professional life. This also means (and it makes sense) that they will be looking for an income that will enable them paying off their debts. Which in its turn means that small and financially weak congregations - formerly a natural first call - really are out of the question. They cannot afford pastors carrying such debts, and pastors carrying such debts cannot afford serving such churches.

So what is there to be done ?

There may be several ways solving or at least trying to handle the problem, and among the first ones coming to mind is establishing a Debt Relief Fund that could be used to lightening the debt-burden and perhaps enable new ministers to accept a call also from a small church. At least as a stop-gap measure I think that such a Fund is a useful, desirable and indeed necessary thing. It is so most assuredly for the ALD if it shall be able to place graduating seminarians.

There is, alas!, a Problem. Given human nature it is almost inevitable that people will go where the money is to be found. If indeed we have a Fund we very likely and understandably will get customers. And one certainly could imagine the ALD to reason: provided we have the Fund, we assuredly will get seminarians to join us. Seems both parties here are being served - and both are being sorely tempted.

The dilemma is: we would like them to come to us because they share our faith and our values, and not because they wish to share our money ! I do not intend here to provide a complete solution to the Problem, but I think it is necessary to point to it, making you aware of it. Maybe a beginning step would be to connect debt reduction to a certain number of years actually served in ALD-connected ministry, on a graduated scale. In other words: after (let's say) three years so-and-so much would be available, after six years another amount, and so forth. Provided enough money be available this could be developed into a system through which ALD in effect will pay most of the debt once incurred studying for the ministry of the Gospel.

Seminary Debt Relief Guidelines 
The Augsburg Lutheran District (ALD) and Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) are in the process of developing guidelines for distributing their Debt Relief Funds. Your comments are welcomed.

You may enroll in our list serve by clicking on “Discussion Options” on the homepage of our website found at http://www.augsburgdistrict.org

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