Return to
ALC Home Page

Fourth Annual Augsburg Gathering
July 25-28, 2004
STAND AND CONFESS: Sure and Certain Hope

Featured Speakers

Rev. Dr. Paul Braafladt
Justification By Faith Alone: Our Sure and Certain Hope
9:45 a.m. Monday morning

Rev. Dick Smith
Bible Study: Romans 8:18-39 - "Sure and Certain Hope"
11:15 a.m. Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday

Mr. Lou Hesse
A Clear Eye From the Pigsty
1:00 p.m. Monday afternoon

Worship Open to the Public Every Day

7:00 p.m. Evening Preachers:

• Sunday - Rev. John Rasmussen

• Monday - Rev. Dr. Dennis Bielfeldt

• Tuesday - Rev. Dr. Larry Gedde

• Wednesday - Rev. Mark Beebe

9:00 a.m. Morning Preachers:

• Monday - Rev. John Fahning

• Tuesday - Rev. Jack Torgersen

• Wednesday - Rev. Perry Toso

Registration:

$75.00 in advance (includes meals and materials)
$30/day at the door

Local church members working on the convention do not have to pay the registration fee.

A donation of $10 per day is asked to cover the cost of meals.

You can Register Online and mail your registration fee to:
Old Sanctuary - 910 Fourth Street - Brookings, SD 57006

For more information including schedules and registration forms, click here.

to top of page        

Immanuel Lutheran Church Installs Rev. Mark Jamison as Senior Pastor May 23, 2004

to top of page        

Augsburg Welcomes New Members & Pastors

Immanuel Lutheran Church - Swea City, IA

On June 27, 2004, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Swea City, IA, voted (85 to 6) to join Augsburg Lutheran Churches and LCMC.

Immanuel voted to leave the ELCA in March 2004. They will take their second vote to leave the ELCA in August 2004. Rev. Kent Wallis serves as Immanuel’s Interim Pastor.

Bethesda Lutheran Church - Dresser, WI

On June 27, 2004, Bethesda Lutheran Church in Dresser, WI, voted (109 to 29) to join Augsburg Lutheran Churches and LCMC, and leave the ELCA. (Click here to see resolution)

Bethesda will take their second vote to leave the ELCA in 90 days. Rev. John Fahning serves as Bethesda’s Interim Pastor.

Zion Lutheran Church Ordains Rev. Jeff Knoll - May 23, 2004 The Rev. Jeff Knoll was added to the Augsburg List of Clergy this spring and called as the associate pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Oshkosh, WI. Rev. Gerald Nerenhausen ordained Rev. Knoll at Zion Lutheran on May 23, 2004.

Rev. Bryan Leinweber Joins Augsburg Lutheran Churches Rev. Bryan Leinweber is seeking an internship to complete the ALC ministry colloquy process. Leinweber is a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Oshkosh, WI.

Lutherans in Mission Investment Fund National Day of Prayer

On May 23, 2004, Lutherans across the country met to learn more about the Lutherans in Mission Investment Fund (LMIF) and pray for its mission. Over $50,000 in pledges were received, and pledges form individuals and congregations are still arriving. We thank God for this initial success, and invite you to prayerfully consider supporting this vital mission in the near future.

Lutherans in Mission Investment Fund
444 Walnut Street
Florence, AL 35630
LMIF@hiwaay.net

to top of page        

Augsburg Congregation Begins Rebuilding Community and Ministry in Florence, Alabama

Augsburg Lutheran Churches is proud to introduce our first "church in redevelopment," Church of the Good Shepherd in Florence Alabama.

Our Distinctive Vision

The congregation was founded in 1970 in the home of Pete and Midge Akers, who are still active leaders in the church. A Lutheran church in the heart of the Bible Belt of the United States is something of an anomaly, surrounded as we are by literally dozens of Baptist and Church of Christ congregations. But we have been sent and planted here by God for a distinctive ministry, which does not duplicate what is being done around us.

Central to our unique contribution to the body of Christ is that our confession is rooted in a distinctive proclamation which draws its every breath from the theology of the cross. That theology and that proclamation locates the certainly true in Christ alone, the cross alone, faith alone, the Word alone, grace alone. Since there can logically be only one alone, each of these formulations is just a partial way of expressing that we have located the bedrock foundation for faith--God Himself, revealed in Christ Jesus.

Our evolving vision for Church of the Good Shepherd is that God will establish here a safe place for scriptural inquiry and spiritual growth where friends become family, and family reaches out to embrace others in a joint discovery of our sure and certain hope in Christ's completed work. To that end we emphasize a commitment to weekly small group fellowship, Bible study opportunities, and frequent congregational celebrations and get-togethers.

A Congregation in Redevelopment

This congregation is in redevelopment. As recently as 1999 its attendance surpassed 100 per Sunday, under Pastor Mike Fish. His missionary style built the attendance and his vision enabled the building of the second, and more adequate structure to house worship, classrooms, and congregational gathering space. That structure brought the current mortgage to $523,000. Unfortunately, his tenure was little more than three years. Their next pastor served only one Sunday! After that crisis, the bishop sent them a pastor who eventually drove their worship attendance down to about 40 persons per Sunday. Her tenure was about 10 months. Subsequently, the bishop refused to submit any names to Church of the Good Shepherd for 15 months, and informed me, their new pastor, that he would sign NO letter of call issued by this congregation. When, therefore, I accepted their letter of call at the end of January 2004, I was informed by my bishop, Michael Last, of the Western Iowa Synod, to prepare to be removed from the clergy roster of the ELCA. I was officially removed on June 4, 2004.

This church has gone through three years of pain and conflict, largely caused by the misfeasance and malfeasance of office by the bishop of the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA. On June 6, our congregational leadership said to the bishop, "We are going to continue on in mission. Are we going on with or without you?" He refused to answer even with a yes or a no. Consequently, we expect to make our existing affiliation with Augsburg Churches final and unique by July 1, 2004.

The Future

Our church has already added 8 new members since March 1 of this year. Our attendance has grown to 65-70 per Sunday. Our giving has been averaging $2,200 per Sunday. Our congregational leadership has headed up the establishment of the Luther Mission Investment Fund, patterned after the MIF of the ELCA. Additionally, they have (unbelievably, given the parameters mentioned above) secured a local bank loan for the $523,000, in the expectation that our existing MIF loan will become due and payable in full upon our expulsion from the ELCA. This was the ultimate and final tool that the bishop could use in his campaign of terror and coercion.

So, we are free!! Besides having an adequate structure, we are emotionally and financially free to close the chapters that lie behind, and run freely, the race that is set before us. However, our recovery is not complete! There is still damage repair to be done, In order to do that we will need the temporary partnership support from other congregations and individuals for one year. We hope that will be sufficient to build a large enough church family to support the $600 per week gap between our current offerings and our ongoing ministry expenses.

How You Can Help

You are hearing this story because you are a candidate to serve as our partner in this challenging and exciting ministry to the Florence Alabama area. We are seeking individual and congregational pledges to make up the balance which we need for ministry. Your donation will go directly toward helping this congregation evangelize this growing area and to proclaim the grace-filled news of a sure and certain hope to people who neither have it, nor can imagine that such a miracle is even possible. Should you have any questions call us at 256-766-6952 or visit our website: www.churchofgoodshepherd.net.  The site is under development, but we think you will be impressed.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Perry Toso, Pastor Church of the Good Shepherd 2001 Cloyd Blvd. Florence Alabama 35630 256 766 6952 ptoso@bellsouth.net

to top of page          

Bethesda Lutheran Church’s resolution:

Resolution to terminate affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and join the Augsburg Lutheran Churches of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ

Whereas, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted Called to Common Mission (CCM) in August of 1999, thus repudiating the Lutheran understanding of the non-binding role of churchly oversight (episcope) and abandoning the historic Lutheran teaching of the priesthood of all believers;

Whereas, Luther declared that there is no mediator between God and human beings except Jesus Christ and thus criticized the institutional church of his day as offering a false means of grace centered in the church's hierarchy;

Whereas, the Augsburg Lutheran Churches have adopted a document entitled "Our Declaration," which states that the church cannot be considered a means of grace, that subscription to the Lutheran Confessions is a necessary part of the Lutheran faith, and that CCM violates the Lutheran Confession, specifically Article VII of the Augsburg Confession, which says, "For it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word. It is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian church that ceremonies instituted by men should be observed uniformly in all places. It is as Paul says in Eph. 4:4,5, 'There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism."

Whereas, we hold with the Word of God which states that whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36), and that CCM removes Christian freedom by substituting human hierarchy for the Lordship of Christ over His eChurch;

Therefore, be it Resolved that Bethesda Lutheran Church terminate its affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, join the Augsburg Lutheran Churches of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), and participate in the mission life they carry out.

to top of page           

Home  |  Mission  | Library  |  Resources  | Discussions  
Constitution  |  Teaching Documents  |  Contacts

© 2001 Augsburg Lutheran District.  All rights reserved.
Website Comments:  webmaster@augsburgchurches.org