Board for World Missions
414-256-3233; bwm@sab.wels.net
The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mexico, one of WELS’ sister synods, welcomed two new congregations into membership at its 18th annual convention, held in July in Mexico City. The congregations—El Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd), Altar, Sonora, and Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God), Sásabe, Sonora—both began through Mission
to the Children, a WELS-affiliated humanitarian aid group that has been delivering food and basic essentials to villages in Sonora for 20 years and currently is served by a WELS missionary. The national church body also called two home missionaries to the state of Sonora to work with the new congregations as well as other preaching stations. Pictured is Jesús Vega (right), president of the church body, shaking hands with Benjamín Valenzuela, a delegate from Cordero de Dios, officially welcoming the congregation into fellowship with the Mexican Lutheran church.

Ministry of Christian Giving
800-827-5482; mcg@sab.wels.net
The Year of Jubilee offering, authorized by the 2007 synod convention to eliminate or reduce the synod’s $22.4 million dollar debt, concluded at the 2009 synod convention in July. To date, more than $3.9 million has been gathered from 722 congregations and more than 2,700 individuals. In all, 56 percent of congregations synodwide have participated. The Year of Jubilee offering combined with regularly scheduled debt payments have reduced the debt to about $14.6 million as of the end of June. The offerings will allow deferral of debt payment and accrual of interest for one year—and allow the debt to be re-amortized over ten years, reducing annual debt payments from $2.7 million to $1.6 million.

These updates are from the offices of the synod administration building at 2929 N Mayfair Rd, Milwaukee WI 53222-4398.