The Crux of the Matter - From the Executive Chair

The Bi-Monthly Newsletter of Augsburg Lutheran Churches

Vol. 2, No. 5 (May 2003)

In This Issue:

Top Story:
Claus Harms House Launched

District News

From the
District Pastor

From the Executive Chair

Viewpoint

Main Page

Return to ALD Home Page

from the executive chair ...

Lenae Rasmussen

Eyes are being opened. A few weeks ago I was asked, "Are you starting a new synod?"

I wasn't sure what to say . . . to begin with, what did the person mean by "synod"? After pondering for a moment, I decided to avoid using church "techno-talk" and simply said, "Yes!"

The inquirer replied, "Good. Then I'll have a place to go." I'm not sure who was more relieved—the inquirer or me! Not that long ago a "Yes!" answer might have drawn fiery questions and accusations.

Things have changed over the past four years. A growing number of people are aware of the serious theological drift in America and ready to do something about it. Email and telephone inquiries from established churches is growing, and there is also an increase in inquires from groups of individuals ready to form new churches and build an alternative fellowship that is faithful to God's revelation in Jesus Christ. People are forming Augsburg chapters and mission churches all over the country. "Velkommen!" to all of these new chapters and churches, and to our brothers and sisters who are looking for an alternative Lutheran fellowship that is evangelical and confessional.

Where will you find your next pastor? Where will you find a confessional Lutheran pastor who will proclaim the gospel in its purity? These questions haunt many Lutherans today. Some churches have gone without a pastor for years. They cannot find any pastor, let alone an evangelical, confessional pastor.

As pastors retire, new seminary graduates refuse to join the ELCA clergy roster, and other pastors resign from it as a matter of conscience, the clergy shortage in the ELCA is projected to develop into a very serious crisis over the next five years.

Augsburg Lutheran Churches is taking steps to increase the number of pastors available for call by participating in the formation of the Claus Harms House: An Evangelical-Lutheran House of Studies.

Claus Harms House will serve as a "finishing school" for students attending Lutheran and non-Lutheran seminaries, and it will help make seminary education more affordable and available to second-career candidates through its satellite learning programs.

The Augsburg Joint Council is committed to the Claus Harms House project, and intentional in implementing innovative programs to increase the number of people being educated and trained to serve congregations in the immediate future. Claus Harms House is featured in this issue because it's mission–equipping people to serve as pastors–is vital to the future of confessional Lutheranism in the North American context.