Mr. Greg Schmill and Mr. Jeff Inniger have accepted their calls to the Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS), one of the six areas in the recently renamed and reconfigured Congregation and Ministry Support Group. Schmill will serve as interim director and Inniger as associate director, a position he held under the former Commission for Parish Schools.

"I look forward to working with Jeff Inniger and all connected to CLS to do all we can to assist our WELS congregations by providing resources, training, and personal assistance for starting and strengthening our Lutheran schools," says Schmill, a member at Immanuel, Manitowoc, Wis.

Schmill formerly served as the Forward with Lutheran Schools consultant under Parish Assistance, a fee-based consulting service for individual congregations. Although Parish Assistance was discontinued in its current form, the Forward with Lutheran Schools program is moving under the Commission on Lutheran Schools. Part of Schmill's responsibilities will be to continue to implement that program, which helps congregations that want to strengthen their schools or begin new children's ministries. "While it is possible that the number of congregations served may need to be limited, the goal is to serve all congregations seeking assistance in a very timely matter," says Schmill.

Schmill and Inniger also will work to support the 3,000-plus teachers and 500-plus schools in the WELS school system; coordinate the WELS accreditation program; and oversee the redesign of the Team Ministry Process, which helps school ministry teams focus on their mission and grow professionally.

Schmill will transition into his new position in December. The Conference of Presidents hopes to call a permanent CLS director by June 30, 2010, and is currently exploring if enough money will be available to call a third person to Lutheran Schools to more fully support the Forward with Lutheran Schools program and the growing number of early childhood ministries.

A director of Adult Discipleship and Youth Discipleship is the only vacancy that remains in the Congregation and Ministry Support Group.