This week and next, delegates from around the United States and Canada are attending conventions of all twelve districts in our synod.

Are they coming from healthy congregations and schools with healthy called workers? How can we determine what makes a Christian person or organization spiritually healthy?

That’s a very practical question, with direct implications for our work as a synod. How can we even be a healthy synod if our congregations, schools, and called workers are not healthy?

District officials, from the Conference of Presidents (COP) through the circuit pastors, are interested in this issue. The ministerial education schools, especially Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) and Martin Luther College (MLC), have a role to play in this issue. Those who serve in the Congregation and Ministry Support Group (CMSG) and in our Mission Counselor (MC) program have resources to help improve the health of congregations, schools, and called workers.

Those attending the district convention will have the opportunity to hear, watch, and respond to a twelve-minute narrated PowerPoint presentation on this issue from the Continuing Education for Called Worker (CECW) committee. The presentation will highlight how all of the groups are working together to address the health of congregations, schools, and called workers.

Repentance and faith in the unconditional gospel of Jesus Christ are the keys to spiritual health. If you are not a district delegate yourself, find out who yours is, and ask how our whole synod is working together to improve the health of our congregations, schools, and called workers.

By Rev. Paul Prange, Administrator for Ministerial Education

View the Powerpoint presentation on CECW.