On Sept. 14, Rev. James Behringer accepted the call to serve as the next director of WELS' Commission on Special Ministries. Behringer will replace Rev. Carl Ziemer, who is retiring.

"The most striking thing about Pastor Ziemer," says Rev. Mark Schoeder, president of WELS, "is that he never turned into an 'administrator' or a 'bureaucrat.' He is a pastor, with a deep love for the many different people served by WELS Special Ministries. We are grateful for his service and will remember his example of care and compassion for those with special ministry needs."

During his 10 years of service, Ziemer worked with the Commission on Special Ministries to serve people whose needs are not able to be adequately met by the regular ministries of WELS churches. The Commission on Special Ministries focuses on serving eight areas, coordinated by the following committees: Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Mission for the Visually Impaired, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ministries, Health and Wellness Committee, Military Services Committee, Prison Ministry Committee, Committee on Mental Health Needs, and Care Committee for Called Workers.

Behringer, a 1979 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, currently serves Pilgrim, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Throughout his life, he has had a heart for serving those with special needs, which led him to learn sign language as a student at Northwestern College. He has also served on the Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and as a district coordinator for Special Ministries in both the Arizona-California and the Southeastern Wisconsin districts. In addition, Behringer helped write one of the largest religious sign language dictionaries ever published in the United States, "Sign to the Lord a New Song."

Behringer says, "Having experienced so many phases of Special Ministries, I have compassion and hope for the person served and their families, understanding for those who serve and appreciation for their need for support, and insight into the busy pastor’s life that is pulled in so many directions. I want the men and women who serve and who are being served to be richly blessed spiritually."