ANADIAN LUTHERANISM TODAY - Lutheran Church-Canada

TheCANADIAN 

LUTHERAN 

www.canadianlutheran.ca Volume 27 Number 5 

LUTHERANISM TODAY 

• The missionary Luther 

• Why the Reformation still matters 

• The state of Quebec Lutheranism

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Volume 27 Number 5 September/October 2012 

The missionary Luther 

PAGE 6 

The Canadian LuTheran is the national 

publication of Lutheran Church–Canada, 

published in Winnipeg six times per year: January/ 

February, March/April, May/June, July/August, 

September/ October, November/December under 

the auspices of the Board of Directors (Committee 

for Communication and Technology). 

ISSN #0383-4247 

Member: Canadian Church Press 

Editor: Mathew Block 

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©2012 Lutheran Church–Canada. Reproduction 

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW 

INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 

1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of 

Zondervan Bible Publishers. 

Features 

Departments 

Table talk 

ConTenTs 

The missionary Luther 6 

The state of Quebec Lutheranism 9 

Why the Reformation still matters 12 

Martin Luther: Sinner/Saint 5 

Presidential Perspective 

Our beloved family... in Australia and around the world 50 

News Section 

International News 15 

World Lutheran leaders meet in Canada • German bishop elected 

Chairman of the International Lutheran Council • Australian and 

Canadian church leaders meet • ILC welcomes new member church 

• Interview with President of Lutheran Church of Australia 

National News 19 

2013 Outreach Conference and Youth Gathering to be held together 

• Stand Firm! And see the salvation of the Lord • LCC musician 

nominated for 2012 Covenant Award • LCC’s first treasurer called 

home • Convention sermons posted online 

ABC District 23 

District youth SHINE! • Servant of Christ award recipients • 

Welcoming new members • Annual Nativity display 

Central District 29 

Centennial celebrations • Long-time vacancy filled • VBS and 

Summer camp ministry • Touching hearts at Regina exhibition 

East District 35 

Banana Cram • Romans Commentary republished • At Peace with 

War • VBS adventures • Religion in Quebec website 

Mission Update 41 

B.C. Mission Society: A question with impact • LCC launches 2012 

missions newsletter • Website for youth and young adults launched 

• Final year of studies for Ukraine’s seminarians • Theological 

education in Nicaragua • Baptismal blessings in Honduras • CLWR 

elects new executive 

Education Report 46 

Concordia High School closes permanently • Growing hope in 

Christ • CLTS installs president • CLS offers $16,000 in scholarships 

Transitions, Classifieds 49 

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2012 3

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Martin Luther: Sinner/Saint 

Occasionally when sharing 

my faith with others, I 

will be met with the reply: 

“You’re a Lutheran? But don’t 

you know the terrible things that 

Martin Luther did?” 

More often than not, these 

people are referring to Luther’s 

treatise On the Jews and their Lies. 

In this work, Luther writes some 

dreadful things, including his 

“sincere advice” to Christians 

to go and burn down the Jews’ 

synagogues and schools; destroy 

their houses; forbid their rabbis to 

teach under pain of death; deprive 

them of wealth and property; force 

young Jewish men and women into 

hard labour; or simply drive them 

out of the country. In the years 

leading up to World War II, the 

Nazis would rediscover this book of 

Luther’s and use it in their twisted 

campaign to first imprison and then 

murder the Jewish people. 

Now there are a whole host of 

defenses one could fall back on 

to try to excuse Luther for this 

book. One could argue that he 

was simply a product of his times. 

Antisemitism was prevalent in 

most of Europe during the Middle 

Ages, after all, and Luther was 

merely writing as many thinkers of 

his age did. Or one could point out 

that Luther’s book was precipitated 

by the publication of a Jewish 

tract which (apparently) aimed 

to convert Christians to Judaism; 

Luther was no doubt writing 

in anger rather than reasoned 

thought. One could even point out 

that Luther’s earlier writings on 

the Jews were generally counsels to 

love them, not persecute them. Yes, 

one could do all these things when 

confronted by people disgusted 

with Luther and what he wrote. But 

I suggest there is a better approach 

to take. 

We should agree with them. 

The fact is, Luther was a man. 

God accomplished incredibly 

important things through him—and 

we would do well to sit and learn at 

his feet—but he was nevertheless 

human. He was flawed and sinful, 

like you and me. 

And really, when you think 

about it, that is the good news of 

the Gospel. God justifies us despite 

our failings. He covers us with 

the blood of Christ and forgives 

our sin. The recognition that we 

are simul iustus et peccator (“at 

the same time righteous and a 

sinner”) is a cornerstone of the 

faith rediscovered by Luther. On 

the one hand, we understand that 

we are sinners because of our evil 

inclinations and actions; on the 

other hand, we know we are saints 

because God has forgiven us. 

Luther was a saint only insofar 

as he was also a sinner, for his 

righteousness depended not on 

his own works but on the grace of 

Christ. He was not perfect nor are 

we today. Like Saint Paul, each of us 

must confess in brokenness, “I do not 

do the good I want, but the evil I do 

not want is what I keep on doing... 

Wretched man that I am! Who will 

deliver me from this body of death?” 

(Romans 7:19, 24). 

For St. Paul, there was only one 

answer to the problem of sin: Jesus 

Christ. Christ alone had died for St. 

Paul’s sins. Christ alone had risen 

again and promised St. Paul new life. 

For us today, the answer remains the 

same: salvation is found in Christ 

alone. Though we constantly fail to 

live the lives we should, He just as 

constantly offers us mercy. Coming 

to us again and again through the 

Scriptures, through Baptism, and 

through Holy Communion, He 

showers us with grace we do not 

deserve. We live in the light of 

forgiveness; we dwell in the house 

of His mercy. 

TabLe TaLk 

by Mathew Block 

In this issue of The Canadian 

Lutheran, we explore why the 

Reformation still matters for Lutherans 

today. We see what the granddaddy of 

reformers himself, Martin Luther, has 

to say to us on the subject of missions 

and evangelism. We explore how the 

faith handed down by the reformers 

has taken root in the mission ground 

of Quebec. Finally, we reacquaint 

ourselves with the teachings of the 

Reformation—reminding ourselves 

why “grace alone, faith alone, Scripture 

alone, and Christ alone” remain evercentral 

tenets of our faith. 

To put it simply, we’re reminded 

that Lutheranism is relevant today 

because the Gospel is relevant today. 

And that’s the message we can 

bring to our unbelieving friends. 

Christianity is not for the healthy; 

it’s for the sick. It’s for people like 

Martin Luther and St. Paul. It’s for 

people like you and me. And—the 

good news we are privileged to 

share!—it’s for people like those 

friends of ours so concerned with the 

sinfulness of Martin Luther. 

So when you’re asked, “Don’t 

you know the terrible things Luther 

did?,” say yes. Then respond, “But let 

me tell you what Christ did.” 

“We are [God’s] children, and yet 

sinners; we are acceptable, and do 

not do enough—all this is the work of 

faith firmly grounded in God’s grace. 

But if you ask where faith and 

confidence may be found or whence 

they come, it is certainly the most 

necessary thing to know. 

First, without any doubt it does not 

come from your works or from your 

merits, but only from Jesus Christ, 

freely promised and freely given.” 

– Martin Luther – 

“God shows his love for us in that 

while we were still sinners, 

Christ died for us.” 

– St. Paul – 


“A 

current joke has to do with a new 

Martin Luther doll,” writes John Warwick 

Montgomery almost 40 years ago. “You 

wind it up and it just ‘stands there!” Montgomery asks, 

“Did Luther just stand there—at Wittenberg, at Leipzig, 

at Worms, at Marburg—or did he move dynamically 

with a sense of mission to the lost?” 

Over the centuries scholars have suggested Martin 

Luther had no interest in taking the Gospel to other 

lands, but Montgomery, reacting to such assertions, 

says that “to attribute such views to Luther is, however, 

to fly directly in the face of the evidence.” You need 

only read Martin Luther’s own writing: “In these New 

Testament times,” he writes, “there is always a lack of 

Christians; there never are enough of them. Therefore 

we must not stop inviting guests to partake of this 

Paschal Lamb. We must keep on preaching. We must 

also go to those whom Christ has hitherto not been 

proclaimed. We must teach the people who have not 

known Christ, so that they, 

too, may be brought to the 

spiritual kingdom of Christ.” 

Why must Christians 

“go to those whom Christ 

has hitherto not been 

proclaimed?” Answer: Apart 

from faith in Jesus Christ, 

people cannot be saved. 

As Luther explains in the 

Large Catechism, “Outside 

the Christian church (that 

is, where the Gospel is not) 

there is no forgiveness, and 

hence no holiness.” 

Luther goes on to explain 

his concept of the Church’s 

missionary role: 

“He [the Holy Spirit] has a unique community in 

the world. It is the mother that begets and bears every 

Christian through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit 

reveals and preaches that Word, and by it he illumines and 

kindles hearts so that they grasp and accept it, cling to it 

and persevere in it …. Until the last day the Holy Spirit 

remains with the holy community or Christian people. 

Through it he gathers us, using it to teach and preach 

the Word. By it he creates and increases sanctification, 

causing it daily to grow and become strong in the faith 

and in the fruits of the Spirit.” 

Luther speaks in terms of this “unique community” 

as a “profane church.” Not “profane” in the sense of 

the church being crude or using gutter language, but 

“profane” in the Latin sense of the term, meaning to 

“move outside the temple.” There is a temptation for 

Christians to insulate themselves from the evil world in 

which they live or to make Sunday worship the end goal 

of what they say and do, but Christians are to “move 

outside the temple.” The Holy Spirit not only “calls, 


We must also go to those 

whom Christ has hitherto not 

been proclaimed. We must 

teach the people who have not 

known Christ, so that they, too, 

may be brought to the spiritual 

kingdom of Christ. 

gathers, enlightens and sanctifies” us by the Gospel, but 

He sends us as His missionary people into the world. 

Commenting on 1 Peter 2:9, Luther says, “We live on 

earth only so that we should be a help to other people. 

Otherwise, it should be best if God would strangle us 

and let us die as soon as we were baptized and had 

begun to believe. For this reason, however, he lets us 

live that we may bring other people also to faith as he 

has done for us.” Having been the recipient of God’s 

overflowing love and forgiveness, the Christian delights 

in sharing Christ with others. Luther says, 

“Once a Christian begins to know Christ as his Lord 

and Savior, through whom he is redeemed from death and 

brought into His dominion and inheritance, God completely 

permeates his heart. Now he is eager to help everyone 

acquire the same benefits. For his greatest delight is in 

this treasure, the knowledge of Christ. Therefore he steps 

forth boldly, teaches and admonishes others, praises and 

confesses his treasure before everybody, prays and yearns 

that they too, may obtain such 

mercy. There is a spirit of 

restlessness amid the greatest 

calm, that is, in God’s grace 

and peace. A Christian cannot 

be still or idle. He constantly 

strives and struggles with all 

his might, as one who has no 

other object in life than to 

disseminate God’s honor and 

glory among the people, that 

others may also receive such a 

spirit of grace.” 

For Luther, there is a 

vital connection between 

missionary proclamation 

and the power of God’s 

Word because God’s Word 

provokes Christians to speak the Good News. Again, 

Luther observes, “This noble Word brings with it a 

great hunger and an insatiable thirst, so that we could 

not be satisfied even though many thousands of people 

believe on it; we wish that no one should be without it. 

This thirst ever strives for more and does not rest; it 

moves us to speak, as David says, ‘I believe, therefore 

have I spoken’ (Ps. 116:10). And we have (says St. Paul, 

II Cor. 4:13) ‘the same spirit of faith … we also believe 

and therefore speak.’” 

A Missionary in Action 

Martin Luther’s lifelong body of work demonstrates 

the connection between God’s Word and a Christian’s 

insatiable desire to share God’s Word. According to 

Lutheran missiologist, Eugene Bunkowske, Martin Luther 

was a missionary in action. During his lifetime, Luther: 

1. Published 350 works and penned 3,000 letters 

to people.

The 

MISSIONARY 

Luther 

by Glenn Schaeffer 


2. Instructed no fewer than 16,000 theological 

students enrolled at the University of Wittenberg 

between 1520-1560. One third of the students came 

from other lands. This means no fewer than 5,000 

students who learned from Luther’s sermon and 

lectures (and his successors) went out to spread 

Luther’s deep desire that all should be brought to a 

saving knowledge of Christ, even to the very end of 

the earth. 

3. Authored a plethora of pamphlets to instruct 

and edify God’s people. These tracts were translated 

into many languages and distributed by missionaries 

so that they might be read by young and old. 

4. Composed more than 35 hymns communicating 

the Good News of Jesus and expressing his desire 

to have all people come to faith in Jesus Christ. For 

example, in Luther’s hymn, “May God Embrace Us With 

His Grace” we find the mission message, “Let Jesus’ 

healing power be revealed in 

richest measure, converting 

every nation,” and “May 

people everywhere be won 

to love and praise you truly” 

(Lutheran Worship 288). 

5. Wrote the Large and 

Small Catechisms. With 

the Catechisms Luther 

introduced a thorough 

instruction in church and 

school in which, according 

to his own words, “the 

heathen who want to be 

Christians are taught and guided in what they should 

believe, know, do and leave undone according to the 

Christian faith.” 

6. Translated the Bible into the German language. 

Luther’s German translation of the Bible did much to 

evangelize the spiritually-lost, not only in Germany but 

also throughout Europe where other Bible translations 

were made with reference to Luther’s German 

translation. 

7. Encouraged the study of Islam and Judaism. 

Luther desired that the Turks (Muslims) and Jews 

would know the Gospel of Christ. On various occasions 

he discussed different methodologies that might be used 

to convert Muslims and Jews. 

Our calling 

Martin Luther lived by the conviction that the Holy 

Spirit converts people through the proclamation of the 

Gospel, whether spoken by pastors or by the priesthood 

of all believers who—by virtue of their baptisms—are 

sent as missionaries to participate in Jesus’ mission of 

seeking and saving lost people. In Luther’s Treatise on 

Christian Liberty (The Freedom of a Christian Man), he 

states, “We conclude, therefore, that a Christian lives 


A Christian lives not in 

himself, but in Christ 

and in his neighbour. 

Otherwise he is not a 

Christian. 

not in himself, but in Christ and in his neighbour. 

Otherwise he is not a Christian. He lives in Christ 

through faith, in his neighbor through love. By faith 

he is caught up beyond himself into God. By love he 

descends beneath himself into his neighbor.” 

Followers of Jesus Christ share the love of Christ in 

their own “Jerusalem” through word and deed, moving 

ever outward to the ends of the earth. Luther writes, 

“With this message or preaching, it is just as if one 

throws a stone into the water. It makes waves and 

circles or wheels around itself, and the waves roll always 

further outward. One drives the other until they reach the 

shore.… So it is with the preaching. It is started through 

the apostles and always proceeds and is driven farther 

through the preacher to and fro in the world, driven out 

and persecuted; nevertheless, it is always being made more 

widely known to those that have never heard it before.” 

God’s Gospel, working in the hearts of God’s people, 

will simply not allow them 

to say, “Here I stand. I can 

do no other.” A static church 

is an unfaithful church. 

Dr. Reinhard Slenczka, in 

his keynote address at the 

International Lutheran 

Council’s Third World 

“Seminaries” Conference in 

Pretoria, South Africa said, 

“If a confessional church is 

not a confessing church, it 

is no church at all.” As the 

confessional and missional 

grandchildren of Martin Luther may we heed his 

evangelical call to “convert every nation” by seeing 

ourselves as missionaries sent by God so share His 

Gospel in our own homes, workplaces, neighbourhoods, 

provinces, and country. To this end we pray with 

Martin Luther, “Dear Father, we pray Thee, give us 

thy Word, that the Gospel may be sincerely preached 

throughout the world and that it may be received by 

faith and may work and live in us.” Amen.” 

Rev. Dr. Glenn Schaeffer is Executive Assistant—Outreach for the 

Alberta-British Columbia District of Lutheran Church–Canada. He blogs 

at “Go!”, a site dedicated to encouraging God’s people to participate 

in Christ’s mission of seeking and saving the lost. Vist it at www. 

goandmake.ca.

The political relationship between Quebec and 

the rest of Canada has often been a difficult 

one, with nationalist groups at various times 

asserting the province’s linguistic and cultural 

distinctiveness. The recent victory of the Parti 

Quebecois in the September provincial election will 

no doubt add to this historical narrative. A religious 

distinctiveness within the Christian context is part 

of what makes Quebec culturally unique in Canada, 

and it is something closely woven into the province’s 

political heritage. So what has and does this mean for 

confessional Lutheranism in Quebec? Various mission 

efforts have taken place and continue to take place, 

most of which are in some way influenced by the 

provinces linguistic, cultural, and political heritage. 

The secularization of Quebec 

The influence of the Roman Catholic Church, 

with which most French-speaking Quebecers can be 

identified, has declined considerably since the early 

1960s. Before 1962, the province did not even have 

a Department of Education; schools and most social 

services were the responsibility of the Church. Even 

labour unions were largely under the umbrella of 

Roman Catholicism. Conservative Quebecers believed 

the church’s influence upon state functions was a key 

way of preserving francophone identity. 

This changed dramatically with a series of events 

known as the “Quiet Revolution”—a time when Quebec 

began to become a secularized civil state. Liberal 

The state 

of 

Quebec 

Lutheranism 

by James Morgan 

nationalists and federalists believed more opportunity 

would be available to Quebecers if the education system 

and social services were delivered by the provincial 

government through taxpayer funding. At this time, 

there was also growing opposition to the Union 

Nationale party which had governed the province 

for all but four years between 1936 and 1960, mostly 

under the leadership of Premier Maurice Duplessis. 

The government had close ties to the Roman Catholic 

Church; priests often endorsed the Union Nationale 

in their homilies. 

As the province became more secular in its approach 

to education and social services, church attendance 

was also greatly affected. Add in the general decline 

of church attendance in North America since World 

War II, and you get the liberal, secularized Quebec 

you see today. 

The Lutheran element 

Although the overall influence of Christianity in 

Quebec has weakened in recent decades, the Lutheran 

presence in the province dates to 1629 when the Kirke 

brothers travelled with a mercenary army to what 

was then New France in a failed effort to recapture 

the colony for England. According to the Inventaire 

du patrimoine religieux immatériel du Québec, two 

Lutheran chaplains were among the soldiers. The 

daughter of notable early colonist Louis Hebert was 

baptized by a Lutheran pastor. After the British defeat 

of the French in the 1769 conquest, many confessional 


Lutherans were among the ranks of the British Army 

in Quebec. 

In the late 19th century, Norwegian Lutherans were 

among the immigrants who settled in the Gaspé and 

Eastern Townships regions. Four parishes, attached to 

either The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) 

and what is now the Evangelical Lutheran Church 

in Canada (ELCIC), were 

founded in the Outaouais 

region. The first Lutheran 

church in Montreal, St. 

John’s (ELCIC), was 

founded in 1853 by German 

immigrants. Slovakian 

immigrants followed, arriving in Montreal in the 1920 

and founded Ascension Lutheran Church/L’Église de 

l’Ascension, as a member of the LCMS and eventually 

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC). It is now the largest 

and, arguably, most diverse LCC congregation in 

Quebec. 

LCC at work in Quebec 

It is from Ascension in Montreal that most of LCC’s 

Quebec mission efforts, in both French and other 

languages, take place. Rev. Dr. David Somers serves the 

congregation as its pastor and is also LCC’s missionary 

for Quebec. Mission efforts to serve francophone 

Quebecers interested in Lutheranism began in the 

1980s, and efforts to serve the French speaking Haitian 

immigrant community have since followed. A Chinese 

congregation was also established. 


“Religion is considered 

irrelevant and an attitude of 

indifference prevails.” 

In 2010, mission work extended to St. Jean-sur- 

Richelieu to allow francophone Lutherans in that city 

to worship in the chapel located at the Canadian Army 

base there. A mission congregation began in Quebec 

City in 2008 with two LCC chaplains stationed at 

nearby CFB Valcartier leading Lutheran services there. 

The Quebec City mission is now officially recognized 

by LCC’s East District, and 

is called Église Évangélique 

Luthérienne de la Sainte- 

Trinite. After meeting for 

several years in the reading 

room of a private library, 

services moved to the 

campus chapel at Université Laval, further increasing 

Lutheran visibility among French-speaking students. 

Liturgies et cantiques luthériens 

A major breakthrough that has allowed LCC 

to better reach French-speaking Quebecers and 

francophones throughout Canada was the publication 

in 2009 of a French counterpart to the Lutheran Service 

Book. Titled Liturgies et cantiques luthériens, it contains 

hymns, psalms, and Divine Service settings like its 

English counterpart, but features hymns unique to 

the French language. Workshops have been held to 

better familiarize pastors and parishioners with the 

French hymnal so it may be more easily used in their 

congregations. Dr. Somers, along with Rev. David 

Saar (St. John’s, Mount Forest, Ontario), coordinated 

the creation of the French language hymnal as part of 

LCC’s Francophone Liturgy Committee. 

The late Rev. Dr. Wilbert Kreiss, who died in 

October 2011, was also a major 

influence in the development of 

LCC’s mission activities in Quebec. 

Rev. Dr. Kreiss, who served as the 

President of the Evangelical Lutheran 

Church, Synod of France and Belgium 

from 1992 to 2000, had also been a 

guest professor for two Concordia 

Lutheran Theological Seminary 

(St. Catharines, Ontario) courses 

held in Montreal for francophone 

students. He contributed the text 

of several hymns for Liturgies et 

cantiques luthériens and was the chief 

translator of the Divine Service IV 

liturgy for the book. “His works still 

constitute the bulk of all confessional 

Lutheran works written in French,” 

says Dr. Somers, calling Dr. Kreiss a 

“patriarch of francophone LCC.” 

LCC’s recent work has succeeded 

in raising Lutheranism’s profile 

in Quebec. L'Église évangéilque

luthérienne de l'Ascension was recently selected to 

represent Lutheranism for a government cultural 

heritage project on religious diversity in Quebec. 

The result is a series of video interviews and texts 

explaining LCC and its beliefs which have now been 

posted on a government sponsored website. For more 

information on the project, see “Provincial project 

presents the face of Lutheranism in Quebec” on page 

38 of this issue. 

The challenge 

Rev. Dr. Somers acknowledges that reaching 

Quebecers with the Gospel in a Lutheran context does 

have its challenges, but they are not entirely different 

from the challenges Lutheran missionaries, parish 

pastors, and laymen face elsewhere in Canada. In 

the past it was necessary to spend time highlighting 

the differences between Lutheranism and Roman 

Catholicism. This, Rev. Dr. Somers believes, is an 

increasingly minor factor.; Christianity is “so far off 

the radar” in contemporary Quebec, he says, that 

many aren’t even familiar with the Roman Catholic 

Church let alone Lutheranism. “Religion is considered 

irrelevant and an attitude of indifference prevails,” he 

adds—a challenge to the Church which he believes even 

more serious than persecution. 

Another obstacle is the unpopularity of the social 

and political legacy of the Church in Quebec from past 

decades, and biblical teachings regarding homosexuality 

and women’s issues. The answer, Rev. Dr. Somers says, 

is this: “The challenge is to convey restoration, peace, 

reconciliation with God, self, and others through a 

culture of repentance, forgiveness as the Gospel’s gift 

to the world in Jesus Christ.” 

James Morgan is writer and former broadcaster living in Gatineau, 

Quebec where he is completing a Ph.D in History at the University of 

Ottawa. His home congregation is Trinity Lutheran near Gowanstown, 

Ontario, and he also worships at the Lutheran Tri-Parish of Western 

Quebec. 

“The challenge is to 

convey restoration, peace, 

reconciliation with God, 

self, and others through 

a culture of repentance, 

forgiveness as the Gospel’s 

gift to the world in Jesus 

Christ.” 


Why the Reformation 

still matters 

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 

Theses on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. If 

that hammer could have announced the seismic 

changes to come in Europe and the Christian Church, its 

echoes would have shook the world. Today, however, it 

is hardly more than a whisper. 

For many Protestant churches, it has been like the 

“telephone” game, where a little was added here, a little 

changed there, a little taken away somewhere else. The 

general population has now moved into a post-Christian 

era, where differences in Christian theological tenets 

matter less than choices on the restaurant menu. 

So is the Reformation still relevant today? 

We could rephrase the question in this way: “Is the 

Gospel of Jesus Christ still relevant today?” For that is 

what the Reformation was about: the salvation Christ 

won for the world. In proclaiming justification by faith 

alone, through God’s grace alone and not by our own merit 

and works, the gates were opened for millions to know 

God’s mercy. The Reformation was about the Gospel, the 

Good News of Jesus Christ—which is why the Lutheran 

church’s first name was “Evangelical,” coming from the 

Greek for “good news.” 

Sola fide 

I came to the Reformation backwards, having been a 

Baptist and then a Presbyterian. After a long and winding 

road trying to merit divine mercy, God sent a Lutheran 

preacher to speak to me the message of grace: “By grace 

you have been saved through faith. And this is not your 

own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The 

words had the same force and power they did when 

Luther rediscovered them, for one simple reason: they’re 

not Luther’s words; they’re God’s. 

This first principle of the Reformation we call sola 

fide: “faith alone.” Lutherans teach that we add nothing 

to salvation; Christ does everything. If we do not stand 

firm on this point, Luther taught, all is lost. The Christian 

gains salvation through faith alone. 

This does not mean that we put our faith in our faith, 

but rather that our faith relies on God’s promises and 


by Peggy Pedersen 

what Christ has done for us. In Christ, we find assurance 

of salvation—something we could never have if we had 

to look for sufficient sincerity, repentance, or prayer in 

ourselves. Instead we cling securely to the promise of 

Christ: “Whoever lives and believes in me shall never 

die” (John 11:26). 

Sola gratia 

The second principle of the Reformation, also drawn 

from Ephesians, is sola gratia: “grace alone.” 

The established church was quite happy to acknowledge 

the role of faith and grace in salvation, of course. It was 

that little word “alone” they couldn’t stand. To claim no 

works were necessary for justification seemed to fly in 

the face of reason. 

Many people in Luther’s day believed God justified 

the righteous (“good people”) and damned sinners (“bad 

people”) to hell. But Luther found in Scriptures this truth: 

God justifies sinners, purely by His own free will, solely 

based on what Christ has done. God did not save those 

who were trying to do their best or who were the most 

improved, but instead those who came empty-handed—or 

not empty handed, but with hands full of sin. Luther said 

we are saved by “sheer grace.” For Luther, the Scriptures 

were clear: justification is 100% Christ and 0% us, and 

any attempt to increase our percentage is heresy. 

“For Luther, the Scriptures 

were clear: justification is 

100% Christ and 0% us.” 

Solo Christo 

This leads to the next principle, solo Christo: “by 

Christ alone.” Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, 

and the life. No one comes to the Father except through 

Me” (John 14:6). Luther’s theology was grounded in 

the incarnation. Christ’s incarnation—His becoming

human—was necessary for our salvation. He lived, died, 

and rose again for us. The entire Bible is a revelation of 

Christ, and it is in Him that that God desires to be known. 

In Christ, God has hidden in plain sight, revealing His 

desire to save mankind. He puts off His heavenly glory, 

is born of human flesh and dies naked, nailed to a cross 

to save us. 

And so we rely on Him, not ourselves, knowing He 

did not come to show us the way but to be the Way for us. 

God transfers Christ’s perfect righteousness to us, taking 

away from us the sin we inherited from Adam. There is 

no way to obtain Christ’s righteousness except by being 

united to Him in faith. 

“He did not come to show 

us the way, but to be the 

Way for us.” 

Sola Scriptura 

The other “sola” is sola scriptura: “Scripture alone.” 

This doesn’t mean that we should throw out all tradition. 

Some early reformers tried to do that, but Luther taught 

us to keep those traditions which are scriptural. Other 

traditions may also be kept, he said, if the congregation 

and church wanted them, so long as they did not 

contradict Scripture. 

What the teaching of sola scriptura did was set God’s 

Word above all earthly authority, including the Pope’s. It 

confirmed that Christ is head of the church, and it is His 

Word, not our interpretation of it, that must be the judge 

of truth. The Word of God interprets itself. Scripture must 

be read as a whole, not extracted as proof texts out of 

context. That’s why we follow the Lutheran Confessions: 

because they agree with Scripture. 

God’s Word is alive and active. Through it, the Holy 

Spirit works to convict us of sin: this is the Law. It leads 

us to repent of all the things we are and do that displease 

God. But the Bible doesn’t leave us in despair: the Gospel 

Word speaks forgiveness and comfort to us. The Gospel is 

that Christ is “for you”— He loved you and gave Himself 

“for you.” He accomplished everything necessary for your 

salvation. When Christ died, He said, “It is finished.” The 

Reformation Lutheran knows there is a period at the end 

of that sentence. 

So what? 

The teachings Lutheran theologians have handed 

down to us are precious treasures—not because of 

tradition but because they are the true doctrines of 

Christianity. If you look at our Confessions, you will see 

references to Scripture over and over again. The authors 

knew that, if something contradicted God’s Word, then no 


matter how beautiful, ancient, impressive, and reasonable 

it may appear, it is not pleasing to God. The Reformation 

matters because the reformers were proclaiming God’s 

unchanging Word. 

So what can the Reformers teach us today? 

The Reformation focuses us on the true mission of 

the Church. The Church is God’s kingdom, and it is 

where He bestows His gifts on His people. It is where His 

Truth is proclaimed. Sermons must not just talk about 

Jesus, but deliver Him. When we lose sight of this, we 

can become confused as to our purpose. We are drawn 

to adopt the marketing model of business, the numbersmodel 

of mega-churches, the social service model of 

charitable institutions, or, worst of all, to feel we need to 

“update” our doctrine and practices to meet the changing 

philosophies and mores of the world. Christ has told us 

that we are to be in the world but not of it. We can learn 

from the Reformation the importance of using media to 

spread the Gospel, but always remembering that it is the 

Holy Spirit creating faith in human hearts through His 

Word, not our methods. 

Above all 

The Reformation taught us we must, above all, know 

and cling to God’s Word. All who depart from it lose 

their way. In our age there is a great falling-away, with 

many paths offering enticements and ease. The path of 

the cross appears bitter, and many turn aside to follow 

paths that seem sweeter, more culturally acceptable and 

“tolerant,” yet are lifeless. Lutherans, having learned that 

biblical truth is often in paradox, know that the path of 

“The Reformation taught us we must, 

above all, know and cling to 

God’s Word.” 


glory leads to sorrow and the path of the cross leads to joy. 

Every other religion teaches we must bring something 

to the table—merit, love, works, obedience, improved 

lives, or sincerity. The result is either pride or despair. But 

Lutherans call out “No! Salvation is a totally undeserved 

gift from start to finish! God gives even the faith to believe 

and accept it!” We must continue proclaiming this, not 

only in our Confessions but also in how we worship and 

in our daily lives. If we cease, the Word of God will not 

cease. But it will pass us by, a relic of our former selves, 

and instead be put on other tongues, or the stones will cry 

out: “Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura, Solo Christo! 

Here we stand; we can do no other.” 

We simply have the best news anyone can hear. Like 

an Olympic baton, the gift of God has been passed on to 

us from God through our forefathers in the faith. We are 

called to take up where they left off: to learn, proclaim, 

defend and pass along the faith to our generation and the 

next, because it is not the doctrine of men but the pure 

Gospel of Christ. The relevance of that is beyond measure, 

for the treasure itself is beyond measure. Soli Deo Gloria. 

“To God alone be the glory!” 

“That which you have, therefore, hold fast until 

I come” (Revelation 2:25). 

Peggy Pedersen is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C., where she is 

a member of Redeemer Luthrean Church.

World Lutheran leaders meet in Canada 

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - For the 

first time in its nearly twenty-year 

history, the International Lutheran 

Council (ILC) met in Canada for 

its triennial conference. From 

September 16-21, church leaders 

from 33 confessional Lutheran 

church bodies around the world 

gathered in Niagara Falls, Ontario 

to conduct ILC business and discuss 

issues and challenges facing the 

global Church. 

Leaders of these churches— 

bishops and presidents—represent 

church bodies in Africa, Europe, 

North America, Latin America, 

and Asia. All view the Bible as the 

ultimate authority of faith and life, 

and their churches address societal 

issues in the context of God’s 

unchanging Word. 

That trust in Scripture is no 

longer shared by many Christian 

denominations—including some 

Lutheran denominations outside 

the ILC. Keynote speaker for 

International News 


Representatives and guests to the International Lutheran Council conference held in Niagara Falls, Ontario. 

the conference, Rev. Dr. Edward 

Kettner, discussed this topic in his 

opening address Sunday, September 

16. He says that to “deny that the 

Scriptures are the Word-of-God- 

Written, is to abandon the Lutheran 

Confessions’ own understanding of 

the Scriptures. It paves the way for 

rejecting certain clear statements 

in the Scriptures, declaring them 

‘culturally conditioned.’” Dr. 

Kettner is Professor of Systematic 

Theology at Concordia Lutheran 

Seminary (Edmonton, Alberta), 

and former chairman of the 

Commission on Theology and 

Church Relations for Lutheran 

Church–Canada. 

Based on the Scriptures, the 

Lutheran Confessions outline the 

faith taught and defended by 17th 

century reformers in Europe. In 

2017, Lutherans will commemorate 

the 500th anniversary of the 

Reformation sparked by Martin 

Luther in Wittenberg, Germany. 

The opening worship service 

of the ILC Convention took 

place September 16 at Concordia 

Lutheran Theological Seminary in 

St. Catharines, Ontario. President 

Robert Bugbee of Lutheran 

Church–Canada preached and 

former President Ralph Mayan 

served as liturgist. 

Throughout the week, ILC 

leaders heard presentations on 

preaching to a 21st century society; 

same-sex issues in the church; 

the ordination of women; and the 

need of pastors for a Bible-infused 

life. Speakers on these topics came 

from the Philippines, Australia, the 

United States, and Brazil. 

Business items included 

welcoming a new church body 

into the ILC’s membership; 

consideration of official dialogue 

with the Roman Catholic Church; 

an international conference for ILCrelated 

seminaries; and the 500th 

anniversary of the Reformation. 





German bishop elected Chairman of the International Lutheran Council 

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - On 

September 20, the International 

Lutheran Council (ILC) elected 

its officers for the new triennium, 

with Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt of 

the Independent Lutheran Church 

in Germany elected to serve as 

Chairman of the ILC. 

“It was a very hard decision to stay 

for this election,” admitted Chairman 

Voigt, “but I accept the election.” 

He continued: “I ask our Lord and 

Saviour Jesus Christ to support me in 

this service, and for the welfare of the 

ILC and this conference.” 

Bishop Voigt has served as 

Interim Chairman of the ILC since 

2010, when previous Chairman 

Gerald Kieschnick was not reelected 

as President of The Lutheran 

Church—Missouri Synod. The 

ILC’s constitution requires the 

Chairman to be actively serving 

as the head of a member church 

body. As a result, Bishop Voigt, 

Vice-Chairman of the ILC at the 

time, was automatically advanced 

to Interim Chairman. 

The assembly of the ILC also 

elected President Gijsbertus van 

Hattem of the Evangelical Lutheran 

Church in Belgium to serve as 

Secretary for the Executive Council. 

In addition to the Chairman and 

Secretary, the Executive Council 

of the ILC is composed of a Vice- 

Chairman and five World Area 

Representatives. According to the 

ILC constitution, members elect 

church bodies rather than individuals 

to fill the world area roles. 

Elected to represent the Africa 

world area was the Lutheran Church 

of Nigeria. The Lutheran Church of 

the Philippines will represent the 

Asia world area. The Latin America 

world area will be represented by the 

Lutheran Church of Brazil. For the 

Europe world area, the Evangelical 

Lutheran Church in England was 

elected. Finally, Lutheran Church– 

Canada was elected to represent the 

North America world area. 

The Vice-Chairman of the ILC 

is elected not by the assembly 

Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt 

but by the Executive Council 

from among its World Area 

Representatives. Following the 

convention, the newly elected 

executive reappointed President 

Robert Bugbee of Lutheran 

Church–Canada to a second term 

as Vice-Chairman of the ILC. 

The executive also appointed 

Rev. Dr. Albert Collver III as the 

ILC’s Executive Secretary for the 

new triennium. Dr. Collver takes 

over from Rev. Dr. Ralph Mayan 

(former President of Lutheran 

Church–Canada). Dr. Mayan had 

been serving in an interim position 

following the end of Rev. Dr. Samuel 

H. Nafzger’s longstanding service 

in the position. Dr. Nafzger’s 

service was recognized by the ILC’s 

2012 convention at a banquet held 

in his honour.



Australian and Canadian church leaders meet 

Front Row: Rev. Greg Pfeiffer, Dr. Leonard Harms, Rev. Thomas Kruesel, Rev. Robert Bugbee, Rev. Michael Semmler, Rev. Noel Noack, Rev. 

Donald Schiemann. Back Row: Rev. Warren Hamp, Rev. Nolan Astley, Rev. Paul Zabel, Rev. Nevile Otto, Dr. Ralph Mayan, Rev. Mark Dressler, 

Rev. Thomas Prachar, Rev. Greg Pietsch. 

SURREY, B.C. - National and 

district leaders of the Lutheran 

Church of Australia (LCA) and 

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) 

began a week of meetings September 

24 to deepen the relationship between 

the two churches, and to explore 

potential new areas of cooperation. 

“This is actually the second such 

joint meeting between our Council of 

Presidents (COP) and our Australian 

colleagues,” noted LCC President 

Robert Bugbee. “The first took place 

in 2008 before I took office, so there 

has been quite a turnover in the 

ranks of leadership on both sides of 

the Pacific.” 

A special confessional 

relationship between LCC and LCA 

has existed since the 1993 signing of 

a Memorandum of Understanding. 

The two churches have much in 

common: fairly small memberships 

working in geographically large 

countries, a strong commitment 

to the Bible as God’s Word and 

to the Lutheran confessions, a 

heritage as churches within the 

British Commonwealth, challenges 

of ministry in societies that have 

become very secularized, and a 

desire to move forward in mission 

efforts both in their own countries 

and abroad. 

“There are a lot of things 

we have in common,” said LCA 

President Michael Semmler, noting 

a number of areas where the two 

churches could work together. “It 

seems that time is short and the 

world is small, if I may say so, and 

it would make sense to pool our 

resources when possible.” 

Joining President Bugbee as 

representatives of LCC were synod’s 

vice-presidents Nolan Astley (First 

VP), Thomas Kruesel (Second 

VP), and Mark Dressler (Third 

VP), as well as district presidents 

Don Schiemann (Alberta-British 

Columbia), Tom Prachar (Central), 

and Paul Zabel (East). LCC was 

also represented during some 

sessions by Dr. Leonard Harms, 

LCC’s former mission executive, 

and Rev. Warren Hamp, Chairman 

of LCC’s Commission on Theology 

and Church Relations (CTCR). 

The Lutheran Church of Australia 

was represented by President 

Semmler, district presidents Noel 

Noack (Queensland), Greg Pietsch 

(Victoria-Tasmania), and Greg 

Pfeiffer (Western Australia), as 

well as by mission executive Rev. 

Nevile Otto. Presidents Semmler 

and Bugbee took turns chairing the 

various discussion sessions. 

Daily meetings began with 

morning devotions and Bible 

studies conducted by retired LCC 

President Dr. Ralph Mayan, who 

over the years has been a strong 

supporter of the relationship with 

the Australian church. 





ILC welcomes new member church 

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - On 

the afternoon of September 17, the 

International Lutheran Council 

(ILC) passed a resolution to accept 

the Lutheran Ministerium and 

Synod–USA (LMS–USA) as a 

member of the ILC. 

“The ILC is the most important 

body of confessional Lutheran 

fellowship today,” said President 

Ralph W. Spears of the LMS–USA. 

“I rejoice and give thanks for our 

acceptance into membership.” 

Vice-Chairman Robert Bugbee of 

the ILC (and President of Lutheran 

Church–Canada) brought the 

resolution before the assembly, 

noting that the LMS–USA has been 

long interested in membership with Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt and President Ralph W. Spears 

the ILC and has been a consistent 

supporter of the organization. The said Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt of the His grace to our fellowship.” 

motion passed unopposed. 

ILC (and Bishop of the Independent The LMS–USA is an American 

“I want to say a warm welcome Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lutheran church body with about 

to our brothers and sisters from the Germany). “It is a great pleasure as a 500 congregants and 22 pastors. 

Lutheran Ministerium and Synod– worldwide organization to welcome 

USA as new members of the ILC,” this church among us. May God give 

Interview with President of the Lutheran Church of Australia 

President Michael Semmler 

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. -President 

Michael Semmler of the Lutheran 

Church of Australia has been in 

Canada over the past few weeks 

for the triennial convention of the 

International Lutheran Council as 

well as for a week of meetings between 

the Lutheran Church of Australia’s 

(LCA) College of Presidents and 

Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) 

Council of Presidents. During that 

time, President Semmler was kind 

enough to consent to an interview, 

conducted by Mathew Block, giving 

us some background on the church 

down under, the relationship between 

LCA and LCC, and potential areas 

where the two churches might be able 

to partner together in the future. 

MB: The Lutheran Church of 

Australia has a relationship with 

world Lutheranism in which it sits 

as an associate member of both 

the Lutheran World Federation 

and the International Lutheran 

Council. How did that come about? 

MS: In 1966, two former Lutheran 

synods of Australia came together. 

Both severed all relationships with 

all overseas churches. When we got 

together, we decided that we would 

go one after another to check out 

what relationships were appropriate. 

At that particular time, some people 

were not keen to go into the Lutheran 

World Federation totally and the 

International Lutheran Council was 

certainly on the horizon for us, and 

so the synod decided that we could be 

associates of both and test the waters 

for a while. 

But in the meantime what really 

happened was Lutheran Church– 

Canada came into the equation. And 

that’s why I’m here... 

The interview continues at http:// 

www.canadianlutheran.ca/interviewpresident-michael-semmler-of-thelutheran-church-of-australia/.

National News 


2013 outreach conference and youth gathering to be held together 

WINNIPEG - In early July 

next year Lutheran Church– 

Canada members of all ages 

will converge on Winnipeg for 

a first-ever national outreach 

conference which includes 

spending time with the National 

Youth Gathering. While LCC’s 

youth receive encouragement in 

their faith at the University of 

Manitoba, adults will meet down 

the street July 5-7, 2013 for an 

outreach conference. 

Working with Lutheran Hour 

Ministries’ Regional Outreach 

Conference (ROC) staff, LCC 

plans to begin the event Friday 

evening with a plenary session 

and continue on Saturday with 

morning sessions. 

Guest speakers include Rev. 

Gregory Seltz, speaker of The 

Lutheran Hour, and a number of 

25 

years 

Reach Out 

Canada 

Canada 

Reach Out 

Winnipeg, www.reachoutcanada.net 

July 5-7, 2013 

Dynamic speakers • Practical workshops • Joint youth gathering events 

Lutheran Church–Canada 25th Anniversary Celebration Service 

www.reachoutcanada.net 

outreach workshop presenters 

who will help focus on sharing the 

Gospel in the Canadian context. 

Saturday afternoon the ROC 

will join the youth on the 

University of Manitoba campus 

for more workshops, another 

plenary session and then a 

major outreach event. 

Sunday, July 7 will feature 

a 25 th Anniversary Service of 

Thanksgiving for God’s work in 

and through Lutheran Church– 

Canada since the founding 

convention in 1988. The 

organizers are also planning 

to bring the youth and adults 

together in servant events 

Sunday afternoon. 

This is the only ROC 

scheduled for Canada in 2013. 

More details will be available 

later this year. 

Reach Out Canada is a joint project of Lutheran Church–Canada, Lutheran Hour Ministries and Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada 

TCL ROC ad.indd 1 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 9/27/2012 2012 10:50:13 AM 19

Stand Firm! And see the salvation of the Lord 

WINNIPEG - The Stand Firm 

National Youth Gathering 

committee has been hard at 

work to create a time for 

teenagers across Canada to 

come together and see the 

salvation of the Lord (Exodus 

14:13-14). In a recent meeting, 

the committee was able to delve 

deeper as it considers how 

best to create an atmosphere 

conducive to “Standing Firm.” 

In planning for a youth 

gathering, there is a recognition 

that youth aren’t separate from 

the Church but are instead an 

important and integral part of 

it. The 2013 National Youth 

Gathering will take place July 

4-9, and will overlap with a 

Lutheran Hour Ministries 

Regional Outreach Conference 

and the celebration of the 

25th anniversary of Lutheran 

Church–Canada as a synod. 

Holding the events together 

reminds youth (and other 

members of the church) that 

they all stand firm on the same 

foundation: the promises of Christ. 

There will be several presenters 

coming to Winnipeg for the youth 

gathering. The ever popular band 

Lost and Found will provide 

musical teachings; These Guys will 

share God’s love through dramatic 

representations; The Worship 

Band from Peace Lutheran Church 

(Winnipeg) will lead the youth as 

they praise God with their music; 

and Dr. Micah Parker will take the 

main stage to talk about what it looks 

like to “stand firm.” As a special 

treat for youth leaders, Dr. John 

Oberdeck, author of Eutychus Youth, 

will also be speaking, discussing 

how to help youth stand firm. 

At its most recent planning 

meeting, the gathering committee 

welcomed a new member to the 

team: Rev. Glenn Worcester from 

Peace Lutheran, Winnipeg. The 

rest of the committee includes 

Deacon Michael Gillingham (DPS, 

Bethel Lutheran, Sherwood Park, 


National News 


Alberta); Rev. Mark Dressler 

(St. Paul’s Lutheran, Saskatoon, 

Saskatchewan); Deacon Amanda 

Knodel (DPS, Good Shepherd 

Lutheran, Regina); Bill Wardekker 

(youth leader, Peace Lutheran, 

Winnipeg); Rev. Mark Danielson 

(Trinity Lutheran, Fisherville, 

Ontario); Tony Marchand, (youth 

leader, Historic St. Paul’s Lutheran, 

Kitchener, Ontario); and Deacon 

Kaitlyn Roller (DPS, Trinity 

Lutheran, Fisherville, Ontario). 

“We are all so excited about 

the opportunity to Stand Firm 

as we gather in Winnipeg, July 

5-9, 2013 and we want you to get 

equally excited!” said committee 

member Amanda Knoedel. “Join 

us on Facebook (search for ‘LCC 

National Youth Gathering’), 

check out our website at http:// 

nyg.lutheranyouth.ca/, or talk 

to any member of the planning 

committee.” 

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from 

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National News 


LCC musician nominated for 2012 Covenant Award 

BURLINGTON, Ont. - 

On September 25, the Gospel 

Music Association of Canada 

(GMA Canada) announced the 

nominations for the 2012 Covenant 

Awards. Among the nominees is 

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) 

singer-songwriter Jennifer Jade 

Kerr (JJK). JJK has been nominated 

for “Pop/Contemporary Album 

of the Year” for her 2012 release 

Permission to be Broken. 

“I am thrilled to receive my first 

Covenant Nomination,” said JJK 

on hearing the news. “So many 

people had a hand in bringing this 

album together, and now we all get 

to celebrate!” She continued: “To 

be included in the same category as 

folks like downhere and Matt Maher 

is an incredible affirmation of the 

work I’m doing as a musician. I’ve 

definitely got a perma-grin today!” 

Jennifer Jade Kerr serves as 

Director for Youth Ministries at First 

Lutheran Church in Kelowna, B.C. She 

spent a year on the CREW Ministries 

team Saltwater, and has led music and 

played concerts at numerous Lutheran 

events across Canada. 

The Canadian Lutheran reported 

on the launch of Permission to be 

Broken—her second album—in its 

2012 March/April issue, noting that 

one of the songs on the album—“The 

Heart of God”—had been sponsored 

by the Central District of Lutheran 

Church–Canada as part of its Music 

Ministry Support Program. 

This is not the first time JJK 

has received accolades for her 

music. Her 2009 album Somehow it 

always does… won a Saskatchewan 

Country Music Award for Gospel 

Album of the Year and was further 

nominated in the Album of the 

Year category. She’s also been a 

Jennifer Jade Kerr’s album Permission to be Broken 

finalist in the Canadian Radio 

Star Competition and twice been 

a finalist in the Gospel Music 

Association of Canada’s Cross 

Canada Talent Search. 

Jennifer Jade Kerr and another 

LCC musician, Kelti Malone 

(highlighted in the 2012 July/ 

August issue of The Canadian 

Lutheran), will be going on a 

concert tour of southern Ontario 

on their way to Burlington for 

the 2012 GMA Canada Week. 

Tour dates are still in the process 

of being finalized. Visit www. 

jenniferjadekerr.com/shows/ for 

information. The Covenant Awards 

ceremony will take place November 

7 in Burlington, Ontario and will be 

broadcast on Crossroads Television 

System (CTS). 

To purchase Permission to be 

Broken, visit www.jenniferjadekerr. 

com and click on the iTunes or 

CDBaby links. For more information 

on GMA Canada Week and the 

Covenant Awards, visit www. 

gmacanada.ca. 

REASONS TO BELIEVE 

Ideal as a quick 

go-guide on 

how Christianity 

makes sense on 

many levels. 

In an easyto-read 

style, 

the author 

shows how 

believing in 

God, creation, 

prophecy, 

man’s inner 

morality, 

Jesus and 

salvation is 

not something far-fetched and out there. 

Copies may be in your church’s 

Project Connect rack—otherwise 

contact us at 1-800-555-6236 or 

email helpful@LLL.ca for a FREE copy. 

Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada 

www.LLL.ca 

Partnering with you in HIS mission, through… 


LCC’s first treasurer called home 

WINNIPEG - On the afternoon of 

August 16, Ken G. Werschler passed 

on to glory following a brief stay in 

hospital. Ken was Lutheran Church– 

Canada’s (LCC) first treasurer, and 

served four terms in that position 

before retiring in 1999. He is survived 

by his wife Dot and their children. 

The son of missionaries to Brazil, 

Ken was always active in church life. In 

1978, Ken was elected to serve as a lay 

member of the Board of Directors for 

the then Manitoba and Saskatchewan 

District. Following the retirement of 

the district treasurer, the board asked 

Ken to consider the position. Ken 

accepted and began full-time church 

work in 1981. He would be recognized 

for his service to the church in 1987, 

when Concordia College (Edmonton) 

presented him with the Distinguished 

Service Award. 

Ken also served on committees 

leading up to the formation of 

Lutheran Church–Canada as an 

autonomous church body in 1988. 

At the opening convention, Ken 

was elected to serve as the first 

treasurer of LCC. Among his many 


National News 


accomplishments, Ken 

was instrumental in 

organizing the church’s 

Worker Benefits 

Plan and locating a 

permanent home for 

LCC’s synodical office 

in Winnipeg. 

“As the first elected 

treasurer of LCC, Ken 

was responsible for 

setting up a national 

accounting system to 

provide for synod’s 

obligations in missions, 

higher education, 

communication, and 

administration,” said LCC’s first 

president, Rev. Dr. Edwin Lehman. 

“He always approached his work 

with enthusiasm, energy, and 

churchmanship.” 

In 1997, Ken suffered a stroke 

and was confined to a wheelchair. 

He retired in 1999. 

That year The Canadian Lutheran 

paid homage to Ken Werschler in a 

feature article entitled “A man of 

faith.” In the article, the late Rev. 

Convention sermons posted online 

ONLINE - This year saw a number 

of Lutheran conventions take 

place in Canada. In addition to 

the three district conventions, 

Lutheran Women’s Missionary 

League - Canada (LWML-Canada) 

and the International Lutheran 

Laymen’s League (Int’l LLL) 

held conventions in Kelowna and 

Saskatoon respectively. 

President Robert Bugbee of 

Lutheran Church–Canada was 

invited to be the guest preacher for 

both convention’s opening services. 

Videos of those sermons are now 

available to watch online. 

At LWML-Canada’s convention 

at the beginning of July, President 

Bugbee preached a sermon 

entitled “By this Gospel.” The 

text for reflection, drawn from the 

convention’s theme of “Hold Fast to 

the Word,” was 1 Corinthians 15:1- 

2: “Now brothers, 

I want to remind 

you of the Gospel 

I preached to you 

which you all have 

received, the one 

by which you have 

come to stand. By 

this Gospel you are 

saved, if you hold 

firmly to the word 

I preached to you. 

Otherwise, you have 

believed in vain.” 

Watch the sermon 

online at www.canadianlutheran. 

ca/video-by-this-gospel/. 

The Int’l LLL held their 

convention at the end of July. 

There President Bugbee preached 

a sermon entitled “A call to all to 

join the song,” based on the Psalm 

113, from which the convention 

Dr. Roy Holm called Ken “a gift 

from God to His Church,” noting 

that “one of the ways in which 

God truly blesses His church is by 

providing skilled, dedicated leaders, 

full of the Holy Spirit and who 

know Jesus Christ as their Lord and 

Saviour.” Ken, he said, was just such 

a blessing. 

A funeral service for Ken was 

held Wednesday August 22 at St. 

James Lutheran Church (Winnipeg). 

took its theme verse: “From the 

rising of the sun to its setting, the 

name of the LORD is to be praised” 

(Psalm 113:3). Watch it online at 

www.canadianlutheran.ca/videointernational-lutheran-laymensleague-convention-sermon/.

2 The Canadian Lutheran September/October 2012 

ABC District News 

Alberta and British Columbia Karen Lyons, editor 


Mueller named worthy recipient of Servant of Christ Award 

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – On June 

3, Delores Mueller received the 

Servant of Christ Award at an event 

held at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 

Lethbridge. Delores was born in 

Maple Creek, Sask., and married in 

Medicine Hat, Alta., before moving 

to Lethbridge to raise her family. 

Delores is first a servant of Christ in 

her vocation as wife, mother of three 

and grandmother of four. She has 

worked as a stenographer and also 

as a bookkeeper for the family paint 

business. But she was nominated for 

the award in particular recognition 

of the many ways she has dedicated 

her time and talents in service 

to Christ’s church, especially at 

Immanuel Lutheran. 

Delores volunteered for many 

years as a Sunday school, VBS, and 

weekday school teacher and was 

actively involved in the Lutheran 

Women’s Missionary League. She 

is currently on the altar guild at 

Immanuel and volunteers as head 

teller. She has participated in many 

Bible studies including the Bethel 

series, Crossways, and LifeLight, 

both as a student and as a leader. In 

addition to all of the above, she has 

played the organ and piano in church 

consistently for Sunday worship, 

as well as for weddings and many 

funerals. She has also accompanied 

the choir and many fine soloists over 

the years. 

Delores served on the building 

fund-raising committee for 

Immanuel’s new church building 

constructed in 2005. The congregation 

has been treated to her great cooking 

skills at numerous turkey dinners, as 

well as German, Hawaiian, Irish, and 

Italian suppers. She also helps with 

making coffee and baking for coffee 

fellowship. Delores has also provided 

transportation to church for various 

people over the years. 

While this list of accomplishments 

and areas of service is impressive, the 

reason Immanuel Lutheran Church 

nominated Delores is that all of these 

acts of service were motivated by her 

faith in Christ Jesus and by her love 

Delores Mueller visits with other members of Immanuel Lutheran after receiving the Servant 

of Christ Award. 

for the Lord and His Church. She 

is a genuinely selfless person who 

is willing to put the needs of others 

ahead of her own. It is with gratitude 

Trinity Lutheran welcomes new members 

RICHMOND, B.C. - On June 10, 

Trinity Lutheran Church welcomed 

15 new members: two by baptism, 

six by adult confirmation, and seven 

by transfer. To welcome the new 

Rev. Steven Harold (far right) welcomes new members. 

to God for Delores’ willingness to 

share her gifts that she is deemed 

a worthy recipient of the Servant of 

Christ award. 

members, a potluck luncheon with 

cake was held after the service, and 

over 60 people attended. 

Christine Kuo, Richmond 


Half a century of God’s blessings! 

CALGARY - Many people, including 

former pastors and members, came 

together June 10 for two memorable 

services, a delicious roast beef 

banquet, and a reception with sweets, 

to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 





Former pastors, rom left: Revs. Lloyd Huber (1977-1990), Michael Dorn (1991-2005), Paul 

Dorn (2000-2005), James Chimirri-Russell, and Keith Haberstock (2007-present). Other former 

pastors (not pictured) include: Revs. Herb Heineman (1962-1966), Walter Krenz (1966-1968, 

deceased), and Art Rader (1968-1976). 

Worship to go! 

DRUMHELLER, Alta. - As the 

Canada Day Parade was Sunday at 

noon, it was the consensus of the 

congregation that we have “church 

on the float!” 

“Worship to Go” flyers were 

delivered in the community and 

left on the door of our church. 

Grace Lutheran Church brought the 

message of the ”Good Life” in Christ 

to the wider community through the 

Canada Day Float for Grace Lutheran Church, Drumheller 

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. It 

was wonderful to see pastors who 

led the congregation in the past and 

to connect with people who hadn’t 

visited in a while. 

Rev. Herb Heineman (1962-1966) 

float that we entered in the Canada 

Day Parade. 

Prior to the parade there was a 

time of prayer. The Grace Lutheran 

Music Team sang praise songs 

along the entire parade route and 

there were Sunday School Children 

providing lots of energy in the form 

of dance. Grace Lutheran placed 

second in the “community” category. 

Rosalie Nimmo, Grace Lutheran, Drumheller 

gave the sermon at the morning 

service. Rev. James Chimirri-Russell, 

the only member of the congregation 

to have become a pastor, gave the 

sermon at the afternoon service. 

The event featured beautiful 

musical performances during the 

services and banquet. It was a day 

to remember how God blessed the 

ministry of our church the last 50 

years. 

Gloria Sihlis, Prince of Peace 

Serving the Lord 

through Esther 

CRESTON, B.C. - On the Feast 

of Purim (March 7), Redeemer 

Lutheran Church hosted a dinner 

theatre on the Book of Esther 

featuring a full course meal of 

ethnic food. The first night was a 

sellout, so the group presented it 

again March 9 as a dessert theatre, 

again with a sellout crowd. Proceeds 

of $715.81 were sent to the Bibles 

for Israel organization. That money 

will sponsor the writing of the 4th 

chapter of the book of Esther. When 

printed, it will appear with Redeemer 

Lutheran Church's name inscribed. 

Joyce Bilodeau, Administrative Secretary, 

Redeemer Lutheran 

Acting out the Book of Esther 

Lutheran Church 

The Canadian Lutheran September/October 2012 3

DRUMHELLER, Alta. - Excitement 

mounts before an upcoming 

vacation—especially when it has 

been three years since your last one. 

Robert Martin, a member at Grace 

Lutheran Church in Edmonton, 

recounts his visit to the Passion Play 

in Drumheller and the blessing it was 

to see the work God has done and 

continues to do through this event! 

As he arrived for the play, it was 

raining, but Robert’s spirits were not 

dampened despite the 50- to 60-yard 

walk up the hill and even though he 

found that his seat was in the flood 

section! It had been four years since 

he last saw this play. 

His enthusiasm was shared by 

the more than 2,700-person crowd 

(many visiting from other countries) 

that had come to see and to hear 

the Gospel story. This year the play 

was based on the Gospel of John, 

highlighting some new stories not 

seen previously in this Passion 

Play. The wedding at Cana was 

particularly well portrayed; one could 

truly say they experienced what a 

wedding was like back then. The 

hundreds of cast members (most of 



Alberta 

Alberta 

and 

and 

British 

British 

Columbia 

Columbia 

Karen 

Karen 

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editor 

editor 

To see the work that God has done! 

"Glory to God in the Highest" 

FORT SASKATCHEWAN, Alta. - 

Every November, Bethany Lutheran 

Church—in association with 

"Christmas in the Heartland"— 

promotes an annual nativity display 

featuring more than 500 nativities. 

An ever-increasing number of 

people visit the church each year 

as members display more and more 

of their nativities, 

sharing the Gospel 

story of Jesus Christ 

with all who visit. 

Cindy Gabert, 

Dennis and Jean 

Titosky, and 

members of Bethany 

are instrumental in 

setting up this mission 

project each year. 

For the 2011 

display, Bethany 

them volunteers) 

were incredibly 

professional in 

their roles on 

stage but also very 

approachable to 

visit with offstage. 

M a n y 

members at Grace 

Lutheran Church 

(Drumheller) 

have been 

actively involved 

in the Passion 

Play since its 

beginning. Rev. 

Lloyd Huber, Emeritus, serves on 

the script-writing committee; Helen 

and Ron Leonhardt serve in the 

parking lot area and information 

table where they can visit with guests 

as they come and go. Helen expressed 

how she believes the play touches 

people very deeply. She remembers 

her young grandson after the play, 

walking up to an actor portraying a 

roman soldier and told him, “I don’t 

like you – you killed Jesus!” Her 

grandson later became an actor in 

the productions, helping share the 

hosted an orchestra playing 

Christmas carols and hymns, and 

also provided horse-drawn sleigh 

rides. One could also see an ice 

sculpture of a nativity scene being 

prepared outside the front of the 

church by skilled artisans. Christmas 

goodies and refreshments, including 

mulled apple cider and hot chocolate, 

Annual nativity display at Bethany Lutheran; right, ice carved nativiy. 

Scene from the Canadian Badlands Passion Play set in the Amphitheatre 

of Drumheller 

Gospel message through the play. 

Vance Neudorf, executive 

manager of the production, shared 

a recent survey demonstrating that 

98% of those who attended the 

Passion Play would bring someone 

back to see it! To learn more about 

the Canadian Badlands Passion 

Play, visit their website at http:// 

canadianpassionplay.com, and see 

for yourself the work God has done 

through this ministry! 

Robert Martin, Grace Lutheran, Edmonton 

were available both days. Members 

served as greeters, hosts, and guides. 

Bethany Lutheran Church 

members enjoy bringing the message 

of Jesus Christ to visitors, giving 

"Glory to God in the highest" each 

Christmas. On November 24-25, 2012, 

Bethany will host its next nativity 

display. For further information 

please call the church at 

780-998-1478 or email 

thechurchatbethanyfort@ 

gmail.com. 

Rev. Richard Williams, Bethany 


District youth – SHINE! 

CALGARY - One hundred and 

five youth, leaders, and volunteers 

gathered in Calgary July 12-15, 2012, 

for the District Youth Gathering 

(DYG). Highlights included main 

sessions with Rev. Mike Kuhn, 

worship music with the DYG 

band, an afternoon at the Calgary 

Stampede, various servant events, 

small group Bible studies, impact 

sessions, and Late Night Spots. Most 

of the sessions and activities took 

place at Foothills Lutheran Church. 

Attendees stayed in the dorms at the 

University of Calgary, and had some 

activities there as well. 

The goal of the sessions was to 

equip the youth to share their faith 

by teaching them some basics of why 

Lutherans believe what we believe. 

Rev. Kuhn commented that “this was 

my first time being the main session 

speaker at a youth gathering.” He 

continued: “I was humbled to have 

the opportunity to speak to the 

youth and enjoyed their enthusiasm! 

I left the gathering feeling very 

encouraged. Many of the youth 

of our church have a mature and 

infectious faith.” He did a brilliant job 

presenting the 

material in a fun 

and interactive 

format, using 

videos, games, 

and discussion 

to help the kids 

focus on the long 

sessions. 

There were 

four different 

servant events, 

and the groups 

were given 

assignments that 

varied widely. 

One group went 

to help the Cross 

Pointe church 

plant do a flyer 

drop in nearby 

neighbourhoods. 

Another group 

went to Nose 

Hill, an urban 



Alberta Alberta and and British British Columbia Columbia Karen Karen Lyons, Lyons, editor editor 

nature reserve overlooking the 

city, where they participated in a 

prayer walk. Two groups stayed at 

Foothills, where one group helped 

the church prepare for several 

upcoming outreach events, including 

two vacation Bible schools and a 

Stampede breakfast. Another group 

decorated and packed bag lunches for 

the Mustard Seed, one of Calgary’s 

homeless ministry programs. There 

were also four impact sessions that 

each group attended: one on creation 

and evolution, one on mission 

work at home and abroad, one on 

peacemaking, and one on sensing 

God. On Saturday night, Rev. Keith 

Haberstock led a candlelight service. 

Volunteers worked hard to keep 

food costs down, preparing a number 

of home-cooked meals to supplement 

meals eaten at the university dining 

centre. And attendees were wellfed: 

on spaghetti night, 105 people 

consumed 25 pounds of pasta alone, 

not including meat sauce, salad, 

garlic bread, and dessert. 

One comment received on the 

feedback form read: “Thank you for 

everything you guys did for us. It was 

awesome to be able to learn more about 

shining my light for Christ. Thanks 

again for giving me this opportunity. 

It was just what I needed.” 

“The DYG would not have 

been possible without the over 25 

volunteers who helped in many 

different ways,” said Gathering 

Co-Chair Michelle Heumann. “I’m 

very thankful for each and every 

one of them.” She continued: “The 

Lutheran community is an amazing 

family with many different talents 

and gifts, and it’s a joy to be a part 

of it. Being able to host it at my 

home church was amazing, and I’m 

very thankful for how supportive of 

youth ministry the congregation at 

Foothills is and has been. Finally, 

thank you to all those who helped, 

my co-chair DPS Tracy Wemyss and 

committee advisor Rev. Ian Wemyss, 

and especially the leaders who came 

and brought their youth—we’re 

glad you could be a part of the 2012 

DYG!” 

Michelle Heumann, Co-Chair, 2012 ABC DYG 


Honorary title bestowed 

CALGARY - Foothills Lutheran 

Church has bestowed upon Rev. 

Eldon Ohlinger the honourary title 

of ‘Pastor Emeritus,’ in recognition of 

the faithful service of Rev. Ohlinger 

to the Lord and His church, especially 

From the President 

had to replace the windshield on 

I my car this summer. That’s not an 

uncommon thing in Western Canada. 

Windshields tend to have a short life span here. I’m 

sure it won’t be long before highway driving begins 

to take its toll on this new windshield and stone chips 

and cracks start to appear. 

It is nice, for now, to see clearly through a 

windshield unmarred by rock damage. However, there 

are bugs. Some of them are tiny and leave small specks 

on the glass after I hit them. Then there are the big ones 

which invariably hit directly in my line of vision and 

whose remains cure harder than the toughest manmade 

polymer within a matter of seconds. 

I try to clean my windshield regularly but the effort 

always seems so futile. There are always many more 

bugs which are happy (so it seems) to replace the ones 

I’ve cleaned off. This struggle with winter stones and 

summer bugs will continue as long as I take my car 

on the road. 

St. Paul had a similar problem. It wasn’t with 

windshields, but with his life. In his Epistle to the 

Romans, chapter 7, he laments his constant struggle 

with sin. While he was a child of God, washed clean 

in the redeeming blood of Jesus, he still speaks of sin 

which plagues him and mars his life. 

He really describes the life of all Christians. Forgiven 

and redeemed, our new nature desires to live as God’s 

child—but our old sinful nature strives to return us to 

our old unregenerate selves. It’s a daily struggle and 

it is often hard. St. Paul cried out, “What a wretched 

man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death” 

(Romans 7:24)? 

As we study Scripture, we see St. Paul’s dilemma 

was not unique. Great heroes of the faith, like those 

listed in Hebrews 11, also shared in this tough struggle. 

And I stand with them—not as a great “hero of the 

faith,” but as a poor miserable sinner who fails daily. 

Like the windshield of my car, this redeemed sinner is 

constantly splattered with the results of sin. 





with the congregation at Foothills. 

Rev. Ohlinger was pastor of 

Foothills Lutheran Church from 

January 1969 through June 1997. 

During his ministry, the congregation 

built their present building and grew 

to be one of the larger congregations 

of the district. He continues to serve 

the congregation as a LifeLight Bible 

study leader and as an encourager. 

He continues to preach in various 

locations in the district. 

Rev. David Bode, Foothills Lutheran 

“Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our 

Lord” (Romans 7:25)! That was Paul’s response to 

his wretched state. God’s people share in the greater 

victory that is ours through our crucified Saviour 

who gave up His life on the cross to purchase our 

forgiveness. He rose from the dead, conquering 

death, and daily He comes to give us new life. His 

Spirit comes to us through the means of grace with 

forgiveness, life, and salvation. God does not forsake 

us—instead, He promises us His abiding and eternal 

gracious presence. He assures us “Therefore, there 

is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ 

Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the 

Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” 

(Romans 8:1). 

As long as I drive my car, I will have to deal with 

rock chips, cracks, and bug splatters on my windshield. 

As long as I live in this world, daily I will struggle with 

Satan, the world, and my own sinful flesh. Like the 

great sinner/saint King David, daily I pray “Create 

in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit 

within me.” And daily, through the means of grace, I 

hear these beautiful words: “Your sins are forgiven.” 

What messes up your windshield? What sins do 

you struggle with? The promises of forgiveness, life, 

and salvation are available to you through Christ. 

Jesus died for you as much as He did for St. Paul, for 

King David, and for His own disciples. On the day of 

Pentecost, in response to St. Peter’s sermon, people in 

the crowd said, “‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter 

replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, 

in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your 

sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

The promise is for you and your children and for all 

who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will 

call’” (Acts 2:37-39). 

This promise is for you! When we are wearied and 

scarred by our daily struggle, we find forgiveness 

of sins in our Saviour and the comforting assurance 

expressed in St. Paul’s triumphant cry, “Thanks be to 

God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!” 

Rev. Don Schiemann 






Servant of Christ award – Walter and Beverley Nachtigall 

NANAIMO, B.C. - The ABC District 

awarded the Servant of Christ Award this 

year to Beverley and Walter Nachtigall 

from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in 

Nanaimo, B.C. When they lived in 

Winnipeg, Walter served as an elder and 

also as chairman in their congregation. 

In addition, they were instrumental 

in helping to bring some Vietnamese 

refugees to Winnipeg. From 1977 to 

1993 they served the Lord as foster 

parents and special needs daycare 

caregivers, both before and after school, 

for about 175 children. 

Walter and Beverley have 

continued as foster parents in 

Nanaimo for 55 more children 

since 1994. They have cared for 

around 230 children in Winnipeg 

and Nanaimo combined. A number 

of these children were also brought 

to church and learned to know 

Christ while living in the Nachtigall 

home. Walter and Beverley adopted 

two girls from among their foster 

children in addition to their own 

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. - On June 

3, Rev. Ken Edel was installed as 

the new pastor of St. Paul Lutheran 

Church. The service was led by 

Rev. Carl Bogda of Peace Lutheran 

Church (Taber, Alberta), the liturgist 

was Rev. Richard Brown (emeritus, 

Lethbridge, Alberta), and the guest 

preacher was Rev. Jan Pastucha of 

King of Kings Lutheran Church 

Servant of Christ Award recipients (l-r) 

Walter Nachtigall, Beverley Nachtigall, Rev. 

Colin Liske. 

four children, and are in the process 

of adopting a third child. 

Walter and Beverley have been 

faithful members of St. Paul’s 

Lutheran Church, Nanaimo, for 

many years. Walter has served as 

head elder for most of this time, 

been on the properties committee, 

and headed up minor construction 

jobs at the church, as well as being 

involved in some major ones. He has 

often been the congregational and/or 

New shepherd for St. Paul, Medicine Hat 

(St Albert, Alberta). Guest clergy 

included Rev. Brian Amison of St. 

John Lutheran Church (Magrath, 

Alberta) and Rev. Nathan Fueher 

of Immanuel Lutheran Church 

(Lethbridge). Rev Edel hails from 

Winnipeg and has served as a 

chaplain with the Canadian Armed 

Forces in Edmonton. Following 

the service, approximately 200 

From left to right: Rev. Nathan Fuehrer, Rev. Richard Brown, Rev. Jan Pastucha, Rev. Ken Edel, 

Rev. Brian Amison and Rev. Carl Bogda. 

circuit representative at both district 

and synodical conventions. 

Beverley is a long-time member of 

the Lutheran Women’s Missionary 

League, and has for many years 

headed up the church’s kitchen and 

fellowship team. She has also been 

very involved in Sunday school and 

vacation Bible school. 

Walter and Beverley have both 

been on mission trips to Rev. Benoit’s 

parish in Haiti to help teach children 

and work on small construction jobs 

in Gonaives. They have sponsored a 

child in the area for many years. 

Both Walter and Beverley 

serve as representatives for the 

Church Extension Fund in their 

congregation. They have also been 

instrumental in bringing a refugee 

family from Colombia to Nanaimo. 

Walter and Beverley have been, and 

continue to be, stalwart workers in the 

Lord’s church, locally, in the district, 

nationally, and even internationally. 

Rev. Colin Liske, St. Paul’s, Nanaimo 

congregational members attended a 

dinner and a short program in the 

Fellowship Hall to welcome Rev. 

Edel, his wife Claudia, and their 

children Hannah and Luke. 

Phil Hawley, Medicine Hat 

Visit the ABC District website at 

www.lccabc.ca 

Send news, photos, articles 

and announcements six 

weeks prior to publication 

month. 

Karen Lyons, 

district editor 

7100 Ada Boulevard, 

Edmonton, AB T5B 4E4 

phone: 780-474-0063 

klyons@lccabc.ca 

Next deadline: 

December 16, 2012 


BERGHEIM, Sask. - St. Paul’s 

Bergheim Evangelical Lutheran 

Church marked its 100 th anniversary 

with a celebratory service August 12 

at which Lutheran Church–Canada 

President Robert Bugbee served as 

guest preacher. One hundred and ten 

people attended. 

An update to the congregation’s 

history book was available for 

purchase, as were anniversary 

plaques and wooden treasure boxes 

commemorating the hundred-year 

milestone. 

The anniversary service also 

saw the dedication of new hymnals, 

purchased with a donation from the 

Wruck family, long-time members. 

The church began with a 

group of German Lutherans who 

settled southeast of Aberdeen 


Central District News 

Saskatchewan, 

Saskatchewan, 

Manitoba, 

Manitoba, 

NW 

NW 

Ontario 

Ontario 

Elaine 

Elaine 

Stanfel, 

Stanfel, 

editor 

editor 

Bergheim congregation celebrates its centennial 

St. Paul’s Bergheim Lutheran Church 

(Saskatchewan) near 

Bergheim School. In 1906, 

area resident John Boelke 

asked Rev. F. Pempeit, 

the Lutheran pastor in 

Rosthern, to consider 

ministering to the group. 

Pempeit agreed, and 

between 1906 and 1912, 

came every four weeks to 

serve the Lutherans of the 

Bergheim district, holding 

services in the Boelke home. 

In 1919, the congregation 

was in a financial position to build a 

church, which was dedicated August 

10 that year. 

While the church has been a 

rural congregation throughout its 

hundred years, current part-time 

pastor Rev. Howard Ulmer notes 

that some congregants now come 

from the city. “I think it’s a tribute 

to the congregation that it has been 

able to maintain a church over the 

one hundred years. There were 

times, when the congregation was 

composed of larger families, that the 

church had a full-time pastor, but 

mostly it has been served by parttime 

ministry.” 

Music has always been a big part 

of worship at St. Paul’s Bergheim. It 

had a church band for many years, 

and today, Rev. Ulmer says, there 

Congregation celebrates 100 faithful years 

BROADVIEW, Sask. - St. Paul’s 

Lutheran Church celebrated its 100th 

anniversary on August 12. 

About 75 people attended the 

anniversary service, a service of 

rededication officiated by present 

pastor Rev. Gerald Andersen. Central 

District President Rev. Thomas 

Prachar also attended along with 

four other pastors: Rev. Martin Olson 

(son of the congregation), Rev. Barry 

Wood (former pastor, 1987-90), Rev. 

Raymond Maher (former vacancy 

pastor), and local pastor Abe Driedger, 

(Broadview Community Fellowship). 

Former member Eva Korfman gave 

a history of the congregation and 

the building. Following 

the service everyone was 

given a commemorative 

coffee mug and then the 

group celebrated with a 

barbecue and pot luck 

dinner. 

The congregation had 

its beginnings as part of 

a tri-parish September 

3, 1912, along with 

congregations in Grenfell 

and Oakshela, and 

presently it forms a parish 

with Peace, Grenfell and 

Zion, Wolseley. 

Rev. Gerald Andersen 

are often as many as 25 people in 

singing groups. 

“That’s a pretty good 

participation, given that our average 

attendance on a Sunday is 30 to 40 

people. At Christmas, it’s nearer 

100.” 

The church holds a fall supper for 

the community the first Sunday in 

October and generally draws about 

200 people. There is also an active 

women’s group, and the vacation 

Bible school held each summer at 

Bergheim School is a decades-old 

ministry. 

Over the years, the congregation 

has been connected with various 

synods. It started in the United 

Evangelical Lutheran Church and 

later became part of the Evangelical 

Lutheran Church in Canada. Three 

years ago, the congregation joined 

Lutheran Church–Canada. 

To mark the hundredth 

anniversary, new signs were 

erected at each of the church’s two 

cemeteries, and a new directional 

sign was posted on Highway 41. 

As well, the windows and roof 

were repaired and a new front door 

installed. 

with notes from an article by Darlene 

Polachic, The StarPhoenix 

St. Paul Lutheran’s eldest member (yet much younger than 

the church) Dorothy Rif cut the cake along with Pastor 

Andersen. 


Successful summer camps 

ROBLIN, Man. - Jackfish 

Camp was blessed with a 

warm, beautiful summer 

this year. The camp 

hosted 68 campers over 

four weeks, sharing 

God’s Word with each 

one. The campers 

enjoyed the lake, the 

swimming pool, soccer, a 

small rock climbing wall, 

trampolines, and many 

other activities. 

After last year’s 

problems with excess 

water, a new well was 

established with filtered 

and treated water. The 

camp hopes to see many 

more campers next year 

as it strives to maintain 

and improve its facility. 

Wendy Lutz 

PASQUA LAKE, Sask.- 

Camp Lutherland 2012 

was a great success, with 

each week seeing about 30 campers 

take part. 

The weather was mostly cooperative: 

the kids’ week was 

exceptionally hot and the youth week 

had mixed (but workable) weather. 

The lake was useable this year, which 

was a great way to beat the heat. 

Campers also enjoyed the dunk tank 

and the slip-and-slide. 

During the youth week there was 

an also an adult baptism, which was a 

unique opportunity for all to witness. 



Saskatchewan, 

Saskatchewan, 

Manitoba, 

Manitoba, 

NW 

NW 

Ontario 

Ontario 

Elaine 

Elaine 

Stanfel, 

Stanfel, 

editor 

editor 

Enjoying a dip. 

Outdoor Bible study 

“On behalf of the board and as 

director, I would personally like 

to thank everyone involved with 

making camp happen this year,” 

said Rocky Campbell. “This is an 

excellent outdoor Christian ministry. 

Lutherland has been enjoyed for 

the last 80 years and with the grace 

of God and the help of so many 

volunteers, it can be enjoyed for 

many more years to come!” 

Rocky Campbell 

Fellowship nurtures body, mind and spirit 

REGINA - The Body, Mind and 

Spirit Men’s Network of Good 

Shepherd Lutheran Church hosted a 

trap shoot and cook out in June. The 

day was organized and supervised 

by Greg Valley and sons, Brett and 

Dillon, at the farm of Bob Clubb. No 

men or animals were hurt on this 

fun day, but a lot of smokies were 

polished off at noon over an open 

campfire. 

Participants were not 

experienced with 

shotguns but had a 

lot of fun. 

Men’s NetWork 

group receives inperson 

visit 

SASKATOON - A group of men from 

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church gathers at 

a local restaurant at 7:00 a.m. each 

Thursday for breakfast. After their 

meal they turn their attention to 

video studies provided by Lutheran 

Hour Ministries’ “Men’s Network.” 

Sometimes they watch and discuss 

The Baloney Shop with Rev. Ken 

Klaus, former Lutheran Hour speaker. 

But mostly they use “Stuff They 

Didn’t Teach Me in Sunday School,” 

hosted by Bruce Wurdeman, Executive 

Director of Lutheran Hour Ministries. 

On Thursday, July 26, just prior to 

the International Lutheran Laymen’s 

League convention being held in 

Saskatoon, they had the opportunity to 

host and chat with Bruce Wurdeman 

in person at breakfast. 

Men’s breakfast. 

Visit the Central District website 

at www.lcccentral.ca 




Saskatchewan, 

Saskatchewan, 

Manitoba, 

Manitoba, 

NW 

NW 

Ontario 

Ontario 

Elaine 

Elaine 

Stanfel, 

Stanfel, 

editor 

editor 

Long-time vacancy filled as pastor joins community 

HUDSON BAY and MISTATIM, 

Sask. - The dual parish of Good 

Shepherd Lutheran Church (Hudson 

Bay) and Zion Lutheran Church 

(Mistatim) celebrated the end of a 

five-year vacancy July 29 with the 

ordination and installation of Rev. 

Stephen Bartlett. Rev. Robert Grout 

(St. John Lutheran, Humboldt, 

Saskatchewan) led the service, with 

Central District President Thomas 

Prachar preaching and Rev. Ken 

Keller (then of Faith Lutheran 

Church, Middle Lake, Saskatchewan) 

reading the lessons. 

“It’s been a long time since we’ve 

had a full-time pastor,” said Hudson 

Bay congregant Sandra Block. “We’re 

very thankful to have Pastor Bartlett 

with us, and we pray God’s blessings 

on his ministry.” 

The congregations also celebrated 

the faithfulness of lay-leaders who 

led worship during the long vacancy, 

with Hudson Bay congregant Joyce 

Lutherans touch hearts at Regina exhibition 

REGINA - Who stops at a Christian 

booth at an exhibition? Most people 

just walk by, but some facing pain 

or searching for answers stop to 

talk: a woman whose boyfriend was 

murdered, or the abused wife of an 

alcoholic, both searching for answers 

and comfort. Or a Hindu couple, 

a man from India, a woman from 

South Africa, all wanting to learn 

more about the Christian faith. Or 

a young mother who loved Sunday 

school when young, and now wants 

to start taking her children to church 

and Sunday school. 

A mother and her hearingimpaired 

son stopped when he 

saw the “head of Christ” cards. 

He immediately folded his hands 

in prayer. He was ecstatic when 

he received the card and a Bible. 

A mother stopped by to thank us 

for giving her daughter a Bible a 

couple of days earlier. Various people 

stopping by to thank us for our 

outreach and for being at the fair. 

Pape making cakes to celebrate 

both the lay-leaders’ service and the 

installation of Rev. Bartlett. Vacancy 

pastor Rev. Bill Stanfel (formerly of 

Nipawin, Saskatchewan) was unable 

to attend the installation as he had 

just accepted a call to Ontario. 

“I am overjoyed that God has 

called me to such a friendly and 

inviting community,” said Rev. 

Bartlett. “I look forward to serving in 

God’s Church during my time here.” 

Lay- leaders who led 

services over the vacancy. 

Back-row: Orville Lutz 

(Mistatim), Rod Wildeman 

(Hudson Bay), Garth Lutz 

(Mistatim), Terry Kennedy 

(Mistatim), Arnold Neu 

(Hudson Bay) Front-row: 

Roly Purcell (Hudson Bay), 

Pieter Maree (Hudson Bay), 

Wayne Pape (Hudson Bay). 

Not pictured: Merv Myhr 

(Hudson Bay) 

Bibles, New Testaments, and 

Children’s Prayer booklets were 

requested by many of the people 

stopping at the booth during the 

course of exhibition August 1-5. 

Booklets about depression, stress, 

angels, why bad things happen, and 

the Bible were most requested. The 

booklet “What Happens When I 

Die” was new and popular this year 

as well. 

Rene and Maryann Olson, 

members of Good Shepherd Lutheran 

(Regina), fair booth volunteers for 

many years, explained the booth’s 

importance this way: “Lives are 

touched by our witness and our 

outreach in ways we will never 

know. It is a ministry we must 

continue to carry on.” 

The Wascana Zone Lutheran 

Laymen’s League thanks all those 

who support the ministry by 

volunteering or through financial 

support, including the LWML– 

Canada Manitoba and Saskatchewan 

Pastor Bartlett cuts the cake. 

Faye and Walter Bittner of Mount Olive 

(Regina) two of the more than 30 volunteers 

that served in the fair booth. 

District for supplying Bibles. The 

league asks Lutheran Church– 

Canada members to pray for those 

who have been touched by this 

ministry, that they may be comforted 

by the love that only Christ can give. 

Ed Tiefenbach 




Saskatchewan, Manitoba, NW Ontario Elaine Stanfel, editor 


Local volunteers serve as convention hosts 

SASKATOON - For 

nineteen months a 

dedicated group of 

volunteers prepared 

and then served as 

hosts for the almost 600 

guests from around the 

world who attended the 

94th convention of the 

International Lutheran 

Laymen’s League in 

Saskatoon July 26- 

28. Most volunteers 

came from the four 

LCC congregations in 

the city as well as the 

congregation in the 

nearby community of 

Warman. The planning 

committee chairman came from 

Good Shepherd Lutheran, Regina 

and the assistant worship chairman 

serves the parish of Wilkie/Unity. 

Besides the planning committee, 

many others helped with things 

like ushering, taking tickets and 

VBS roundup 

The planning committee in the Bessborough Gardens, Saskatoon, where the 

Family Night program was held on a perfect prairie summer evening. Not 

available for the photo: Rob Tomiyama, Gerald Langner, Lorence Peterson, 

Gord Martens, Cliff Pyle. Photo: Wayne Timm 

NORTH SOUTHEY, Sask. - For the past 10 years, children in North Southey 

have spent three mornings each August singing, studying God’s Word, 

and making crafts. For the past two years, the children and leaders have 

(Right) ESTEVAN, Sask. - St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Estevan 

hosted an “Amazing Desert Journey” July 23-26. Nearly 110 

children attended over the four evenings, enjoying a variety of 

games, crafts, and songs such as “I’m Christian and I Know It.” 

Most importantly, the children learned important Bible messages 

related to the desert theme. 

providing information about local 

activities and the city. 

Many of those attending the 

convention departed saying how 

much they enjoyed the convention 

and the work done on their behalf. 

Those from outside Canada were 

pleased to visit our 

country and the city of 

Saskatoon made many 

new friends. 

Convention 

committee chairman, 

Ed Tiefenbach, in his 

final note to volunteers 

following the convention 

had this reminder: “Step 

back and remember why 

International LLL has 

these conventions and 

why we volunteer for 

events such as these. It 

is to do the work of the 

Lord, to praise our Lord, 

to glorify Him, to equip 

His people to spread 

His gospel to our neighbourhoods 

and around the world, to encourage 

one another in fellowship, to do the 

business of the League, and to have 

fun doing it!” Serving as hosts for this 

convention truly was serving our Lord 

and fellow Christians. 

taken part in a servant event in place of one craft session, 

putting their Christian faith and love into action! In 2011, 

more than 20 pairs of socks were stuffed with toiletry 

items for a Regina shelter. This year, more than two dozen 

food bags for the Regina Food Bank were put together by 

24 children from the community with the confirmation 

students serving as junior leaders, under the theme “The 

Feeding of the 5000.” Items in the bags included powdered 

milk, tuna, a can of soup, juice, and macaroni. Some of the 

supplies were purchased through a matching grant from a 

FaithLife challenge to collect pennies and coins. 


Showing solidarity 

BRANDON, Man. - “Fellowship 

in the Word” is a study group 

at Grace Lutheran Church, 

encouraging weekly Bible study 

and providing weekly fellowship 

along with the study. 

Some members of the group 

recently heard about the case 

of William Swimner and the 





(l-r) Ken Stelmack, Ilde Rodriguez, Maxine Tokar, 

and Carla Usher. 

Ponderings from the president 

A Lilliputian lesson 

Recently, I read again Jonathan 

Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. If you 

remember the story at all, you 

will recall that Gulliver starts out to see the world 

and is promptly shipwrecked. The only survivor of 

his expedition, he awakens after spending a night 

on the beach to discover he can’t move; he has been 

tied down by the tiny inhabitants from the land of 

Lilliput. After quickly learning to communicate with 

his captors, he gains their trust and is released. 

In the course of many conversations with Reldresal, 

the imperial Secretary of Private Affairs, Gulliver learns 

that Lilliput is in a dire conflict with the neighbouring 

empire of Blefuscu. Apparently, Lilliput and Blefuscu 

have been “engaged in a most obstinate war for six 

and thirty moons past. It began upon the following 

occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive 

way of breaking eggs before we eat them, was upon 

the larger end: but his present Majesty’s grandfather, 

while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking 

it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut 

one of his fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his father 

published an edict, commanding all his subjects, 

upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their 

eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that… 

there have been six rebellions raised on that account, 

wherein one Emperor lost his life, and another his 

crown…It is computed, that eleven thousand persons 

have, at several times, suffered death, rather than 

submit to break their egg at the smaller end. Many 

hundred large volumes have been published upon 

this controversy, but the books of the Big-Endians have 

been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered 

incapable by law of holding employment. During the 

course of these troubles, the Emperors of Blefuscu did 

frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing 

us of making a schism in religion.” 

religious freedom controversy 

sparked by his T-shirt (see http:// 

www.canadianlutheran.ca/t-shirtsparks-row-over-religious-freedomat-nova-scotia-school/). 

As a group, 

they wanted to show their support, 

and had similar T-shirts made. 

More t-shirts are being printed as 

others in the congregation request them. 

Rev. Edmund Mielke 

Gulliver reluctantly agrees to assist Lilliput in their 

battle, using his size to single-handedly capture the 

pesky Blefuscans and force a peace. 

Some commentators I’ve read believe that Swift is 

lampooning differences in the faith that have divided 

Christians down through the centuries. It is not really a 

question of whether or not you break your egg at the big 

or little end, making you either a “Big-Endian” or “Little- 

Endian.” It’s about how small, seemingly insignificant 

events can blow up into monumental issues. 

The same is true of our relationships with one 

another in the church. We need to remember that 

our arguments often start over either material or 

personal issues. When we discuss material issues, we 

concentrate on substantive matters: “What colour 

will the new carpet be?” “How much will we pay our 

pastor?” And then there are personal issues that bring 

into play our feelings, attitudes, and motives: “She’s 

an idiot to want that colour of carpet!” “He needs his 

head examined if he thinks we can afford that salary 

for our pastor!” But really, the question we should be 

asking is this: “Is this issue really worth a fight?” 

In many situations, hurt feelings could be avoided 

if we overlooked minor offenses that people commit 

against us. “This isn’t worth fighting over—I’ll ignore 

that person’s words or actions.” But as Ken Sande writes 

in his book The Peacemaker, certain offenses are too 

serious to overlook—especially when they publically 

dishonour God, damage relationships, or hurt others, 

including the person who has wronged you. 

As Holy Scripture says: “Good sense makes one 

slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” 

(Proverbs 19:11). And the apostle Paul encourages: 

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, 

you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of 

gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). 

Rev. Thomas Prachar 


Bidding farewell 

SASKATOON - At 

a farewell service 

July 15, Rev. James 

Dimitroff preached 

his last sermon as 

pastor of Grace 

Lutheran Church. 

Rev. Dimitroff 

was ordained and 

installed at Grace 

Lutheran on 

August 10, 2003; 

he retired at the 

end of June 2012. 

Rev. James 

Vosper, Central District Vice- 

President for the Saskatoon Region, 

conducted the Rite to Bid Farewell 

and Godspeed to a Pastor Entering 

Retirement. John Riggs, Board of 

Lay Ministry Chair, presented best 

wishes and a farewell gift on behalf 

of the congregation. Following 

the service a farewell luncheon 

gave congregational members the 

Red Lake receives pastor 

RED LAKE, Ont. - Michael 

Montague, a graduate of Concordia 

Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton, was 

ordained in a service on Saturday, 

September 1 at Christ Lutheran 

Church. He was installed as the 

newest pastor of that congregation 

by Central District President Thomas 

Prachar. 

Rev. James Wood, pastor of Rev. 

Montague’s home church (Our 



Saskatchewan, Manitoba, NW NW Ontario Elaine Stanfel, editor 

(l-r) Rev. Jim and Christina Dimitroff, with Rev. James Vosper 

opportunity to also bid farewell to 

Pastor Jim and Christina. 

The Dimitroffs plan to remain in 

Saskatoon for the immediate future. 

They hope to do some travelling, 

beginning by visiting parts of the 

province they have heard so much 

about but have had little opportunity 

to explore during the time they have 

been in Saskatchewan. 

Arlene Hiller 

Saviour, Dryden) and also the 

vacancy pastor at Red Lake, preached 

on “beautiful feet” based on Romans 

10:15. Rev. Garry Heintz (Redeemer, 

Kakabeka Falls) was liturgist, and 

Rev. Brian Lee (Calvary, Thunder 

Bay) was lector. The service was 

held on a Saturday morning in Red 

Lake to allow pastors from Thunder 

Bay to attend. 

(l-r) Revs. Garry Heintz, Thomas Prachar, Michael Montague, James Wood, Brian Lee. 

Returning “home” 

SASKATOON - On July 15 Grace 

Lutheran Church celebrated 

as Rodney Craig Parker, newly 

graduated from the Master of Divinity 

Program at Concordia Lutheran 

Seminary, Edmonton, was ordained 

and installed as the congregation’s 

fifth resident pastor. Rev. Parker’s 

call followed a five-year partnership 

with Grace through the seminary’s 

Adopt-A-Student program. 

The new pastor and his 

wife Tammy are both native 

Saskatchewanians; Rod was born in 

Regina, baptized at Zion, Weyburn, 

and confirmed at Emmanuel, Moose 

Jaw; Tammy is from the Tisdale 

area. In Rev. Parker’s words, they 

are both “overjoyed to be returning 

to our home province (Go Riders!) 

and to return to a congregation that 

has supported us so much already.” 

Arlene Hiller 

Rev. Rod and Tammy Parker. Tammy 

presented the stole at her husband’s 

ordination. 


and announcements six weeks 

prior to publication month. 

Elaine Stanfel, district editor 

509 Airport Road, 

Pembroke, ON K8A6W7 

613-687-6620 

E-mail: elainestanfel@ 

gmail.com 





East East District News 

Ontario, Ontario, Quebec, Quebec, New Brunswick, Brunswick, Nova Scotia Ilene Fortin, editor 

“I Believe” . . . another successful Banana Cram 

KITCHENER, Ont. - “I Believe… 

Exploring the Apostle’s Creed” was 

the theme of the East District fall 

Confirmand Retreat. Confirmands 

from all over the district met the 

weekend of September 28-30 at 

Grace Lutheran Church to study, 

pray, and play. 

Over the course of the weekend 

the Confirmands had the opportunity 

to delve deeper into what it means 

to confess the faith in times of 

opposition, and to better internalize 

the faith that we believe, teach, 

and confess as a church. During 

the devotions, participants sang 

the articles of the Creed and their 

meanings using the musical settings 

available from the new “Sing 

the Faith” CD from Concordia 

Publishing House. The orders for 

“Daily Prayer: For Individuals and 

Families” (Lutheran Service Book 

p.294ff) were employed for devotions 

in both large and small group format 

with the hope that the youth would 

bring back this usage to their homes 

and youth groups. 

Those who came also had a 

good deal of fun. For a fourth year 

in a row, participants competed for 

the coveted Banana Cram Trophy. 

The trophy is won by the team that 

not only gains the most points in a 

series of ungainly games but is also 

foremost in their attentiveness and 

participation during the “Logos” 

teaching sessions. 

At the confirmands ‘camp out’ at 

the church on Friday and Saturday 

night, a copy of “Sing the Faith” CD 

was given to the confirmand who 

was most helpful in restoring the 

facility to good order for Sunday 

morning. 

Having adopted the hymn 

“Glory to God, We Give You Thanks 

and Praise” (LSB #946) as the 

theme hymn for the weekend, and 

having practiced it during the daily 

devotions, the Confirmands then 

enriched the Sunday morning Divine 

Service at Grace with their gutsy 

singing of the same. 

“Many thanks to all on the East 

District Youth 

Committee who 

helped organize 

the weekend,” 

said Rev. David 

Smilek of the 

committee, “and 

also to the many 

tireless youth 

leaders who kept 

careful watch 

over their charges. 

Extra praise is 

also in order 

for the fantastic 

volunteers at 

Grace Lutheran 

who blessed us 

with their musical 

and culinary 

gifts.” 

Rev. David Smilek, 

Youth Committee 

Top right: group 

study; middle: games; 

bottom: choir; below: 

trophy. 

Commentary on Romans republished 

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - 

The Justification of the 

Ungodly: An Interpretation 

of Romans, by Jonathan F. 

Grothe, former president 

of Concordia Lutheran 

Theological Seminary, 

has been widely received 

with enthusiasm since its 

publication in 2005. With 

the first print run sold out, 

Dr. Grothe took the opportunity to 

review the text thoroughly, correct 

typographical errors, and 

re-format the work so that it 

now fits in one volume. 

The second edition is 

now available through www. 

lulu.ca, a print-on-demand 

service, in hardcover, 

paperback, and electronic 

editions. The Adobe 

Digital Editions PDFmay 

be used on a computer or transferred 

to an e-book reader or iPad. 

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Grothe 


TILLSONBURG, Ont. - During the 

July 16-20, 53 children and numerous 

teachers and helpers gathered each 

morning at Peace Lutheran Church 

to take An Amazing Desert Journey. 

They learned how God continually 

cares for His people—after the fall 

into sin that led Adam and Eve out 

of the Garden of Eden, during the 

wandering of the Israelites in the 

desert, during the temptation of 

Jesus by Satan, followed by His death 

and resurrection, and finally also a 

glimpse of Heaven. 

Each day the children participated 

in the opening, led by Rev. Ron 

Mohr, where they were introduced 

to songs and a Bible truth of the day 

explaining how God takes care of 

them. Following that, they studied 

…and in Dashwood 

DASHWOOD, Ont. - The 2012 

Amazing Desert Journey at Zion 

Lutheran Church was a great 

success, with 67 students and 30 

adult teacher/helpers attending the 

vacation Bible school held July 23-27. 

The Amazing Desert Journey 

included desert themed music that 


East District News 

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Ilene Fortin, editor 


Children take Amazing Desert Journey in Tillsonburg 

Desert journey participants gather for a group photo. 

a Bible story in their classrooms. 

Games and snacks reflected the 

theme of the week and each day the 

Bible challenge was based on one of 

the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. 

The mission project for the week 

was to raise funds for a school in 

Kapasseni, Mozambique. Through 

video presentations, the children 

studied Kapasseni and were able to 

see the very different and difficult 

conditions these African children 

experience in school life. A free will 

offering of $600 was raised for the 

Kapasseni Project, matched by a 

$500 grant from FaithLife Financial. 

On Friday evening a large 

crowd of students, parents, and 

congregation members gathered 

to observe what the children had 

kept everyone moving. During the 

closing program for family and 

friends, the children performed the 

songs learned over the week and 

displayed the crafts they had created. 

Total VBS donations were 

$443.76, plus 22 boxes of 8-pack 

Crayola Crayons for a VBS to be held 

Children participate in a Bible Challenge 

session. 

learned. A hotdog supper followed. 

All who attended agreed that not 

only the journey was amazing but 

we have an amazing God who takes 

care of all of our needs. 

Janice Buchner, Peace Lutheran Church 

in Nicaragua at the end of this year— 

the third mission trip to Nicaragua 

from Zion Lutheran Church. Some of 

those taking part in the mission trip 

have participated in all the church’s 

Nicaragua trips to date. 

Doris Osgood, PR Chairman, 

Zion Lutheran Church, Dashwood 


DASHWOOD, Ont. - The “9- 

11 Remembrance Moment” was 

observed again this year September 

9 at Zion Lutheran Church. The 

County of Huron has established the 

Sunday closest to September 11th as 

the Annual Day of Remembrance for 

all our local volunteer fire fighters, 

emergency service personnel and 

law enforcement officers. Each 

year on this day, members of Zion 

Lutheran take the opportunity 

to recognize our own local heroes 

who protect us everyday through 

the year. As they work among 

us, with us and on our behalf, 

we recognize their special gifts and 

sacrifices and we thank God for the 

grace and strength that allows them 

to continually face the challenges. We 

pray that the world will never have 

to face such a tragedy again. 

Doris Osgood, Zion Lutheran Church 

BORDEN, Ont. - While a Lutheran 

chaplain with the Canadian Forces 

(CF), I kept a journal of my 

thoughts and experiences 

during my deployments 

to Afghanistan. 

I decided to 

publish the journal 

shortly thereafter. 

Not all entries 

could be published; 

some I deemed 

inappropriate—not 

only due to the 

kinds of events they 

described, but also 

due to questions of 

national security, in light 

of the fact that our forces are still at 

mission. 

The selection process was more 

difficult than it sounds. Those that 

I eventually selected, were edited 

and many of the names, places, 

and dates were changed. After 

posting them on the internet, I 

quickly realized what a helpful and 

therapeutic resource these journal 

entries were to families of both 




Congregation honours local heroes 

At Peace with War 

(back l-r) Rev. John Trembulak III, Firefighters Ken Rader, Jim Hoffman, Assistant District Chief 

Peter Datars, Firefighters Vern Sorensen, Sam Datars. (front l-r) District Fire Chief Jeremy Becker, 

Paramedic Jennifer Miller, Firefighters Dave Gackstetter, Aaron Datars, Josh Becker, Jamie Becker, 

Radio Operator Mary Becker and Captain John Becker 

veterans and deceased members 

of the Canadian and American 

military. Many commented on how 

comforting these 

honest Christian 

reflections were to 

them, and how they 

helped them better 

understand the postwar 

emotional and 

spiritual struggles of 

friends and family 

returning from a theatre 

of war. I eventually 

turned the diary into a 

kind of devotional and 

added prayers with this 

readership in mind. 

In a review of the 

book, President Robert Bugbee of 

Lutheran Church–Canada said this: 

“Christian people and their pastors 

can learn here about how tenets of 

the faith are not just ideas on paper, 

but actually leap to life when seen 

through the lens of fear, boredom, 

separation from loved ones, and 

the ever-present threat of death… 

If you’re looking for systematic 

theology or an author claiming to 

be a hero, you’ve come to the wrong 

place with this book. But if you 

want to meet a workaday chaplain 

showing how faith and soldering 

can walk together, I recommend ‘At 

Peace with War’ very highly indeed.” 

I hope that it serves both as a 

resource of our church and as a 

way of honoring chaplains and 

CF members who have served 

overseas. For this reason, all royalties 

and proceeds from the book will 

go to the Haiti Lutheran Mission 

Society, remembering that our 

troops were recently deployed to 

that poverty-stricken country. The 

book is available on Amazon.ca, 

and can also be ordered directly 

from Wipf and Stock: https:// 

wipfandstock.com/store/At_ 

Peace_with_War_A_Chaplains_ 

Meditations_from_Afghanistan. 

Canadian orders from Wipf and 

Stock need to pass through: orders@ 

wipfandstock.com. 

Padre Harold Ristau is a Chaplain with the 

Canadian Armed Forces. 


MONTREAL - L’Église évangéilque 

luthérienne de l’Ascension was 

selected by a government cultural 

heritage project to represent the 

Lutheran Church in an effort to 

increase public awareness of religious 

diversity in Quebec. In collaboration 

with Université Laval and the 

Ministère de la Culture, ethnologists 

with the 6-year study have been 

preparing texts and video clips 

allowing various groups to explain 

their history themselves—beliefs, 

key texts (e.g. the Bible, the Small 

Catechism, the Book of Concord, 

and LCC’s official hymnal, Liturgies 

et cantiques luthériens) as well as 

worship and educational practices. 

The results have been posted on 

a website entitled “Le patrimoine 

immatérial religieux du Québec.” 

“It all started with a letter,” 

explained Rev. Dr. David Somers, 

“and ended with a series of video 

clips and explanatory texts on 

Lutheranism being posted on a 

government sponsored website.” 

“Imagine the province saying, ‘Tell 




Provincial project presents the face of Lutheranism in Quebec 

New mission building dedicated 

STRATHROY, Ont. - With over 120 

people in attendance, the celebration 

of God’s achievements thus far in 

Strathroy were celebrated. Rev. David 

Bode, founding pastor, returned to 

share a message of Longing, Loving 

and Living with the people who have 

gathered at Grace Lutheran since the 

dream began, and with many from 

the circuit and beyond who shared 

in the blessings of God in this new 

congregation. 

Three children of the congregation 

shared their talents with violin and 

piano music while Faith Lutheran 

Church, London, added their voice 

with a choir piece. Proceeds from 

the 125th Thanksgiving Fund of the 

East District assisted the beginnings 

of this new mission start but much 

effort and energy was provided by 

continued next page... 

Screen shot of the Patrimoine website. 

us who and what and why you 

are,’” he continued, “and Lutheran 

Church–Canada called the shots!” 

To see examples of the material, 

visit “Lutheranism in Quebec” 

New congregation celebrates . 

at www.ipir.ulaval.ca/fiche. 

php?id=984 and “The Lutheran 

Faith” at www.ipir.ulaval.ca/fiche. 

php?id=1049. 

Rev. Dr. David Somers, Montreal, QC 


continued from previous page 

both the people of God gathered at 

Faith, London, and those who have 

come together to be the members of 

Christ’s church under His Grace in 

Strathroy. Pray for them so they may 

be a blessing to this community. 

Rev. Larry Gajdos, Mission Executive, 

East District 




From the president 

The Virtue of Patience! 

“He sets on high those who are 

lowly,and those who mourn are lifted to safety” 

(Job 5:11). 

Lately in my travels within the East District, I have 

found myself delayed in reaching my destination 

due to the mishaps and accidents which unfortunately 

occur so frequently on many of our highways in 

southern Ontario. I recently read in the newspaper 

the account of a woman who was one day brought to 

a local hospital as a result of one of these accidents. 

Her hospital-trip was brought on merely because she 

had tried to be kind and helpful. She had observed a 

minor highway accident, and had stopped her own 

car, deciding that someone ought to direct oncoming 

traffic. For a few moments she had the situation well 

in hand, but then one driver failed to heed her signals 

and went crashing into one of the wrecked cars. It, 

in turn, hit her. The kind lady, who was not involved 

in the initial accident, suddenly found herself being 

taken to the nearest hospital. 

Sometimes it seems that when we show kindness 

and consideration to others it only turns into 

dissatisfaction and regret. Perhaps we offer our 

services to people and get only sneers and bitter 

remarks in return. We begin to wonder if it is 

worthwhile to be generous and thoughtful at all. 

Undoubtedly, many of the kind things we do go 

unappreciated and seemingly fail to accomplish their 

purpose. But life in the Master’s spirit never loses 

its worth, even in an ungrateful world. By merely 

demonstrating patience and perseverance, a great 

deal can be accomplished. 

A young student from a sparsely settled region 

of the country became disheartened because of the 

difficulties of his studies and the long years it took to 

finish school. He threw down his books in despair 

and went back to the rather remote and distant 

area in which his home was located. There, to his 

bewilderment, he saw a woman rubbing a bar of steel 

on a large rock. He asked her what she was trying 

to do. He was told that she wanted a needle, and 

intended to rub the steel until it was small enough. 

It seemed utterly ridiculous, but it served the young 

man as an example of real patience. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not ask anything in return 

when He went about doing good to His fellow men. 

Most of the time, He received nothing but ridicule 

for the things He was doing, the things He was 

attempting to accomplish. But that ridicule did not 

keep Him from living abundantly. Never did He lose 

His perspective. Patiently, even as He tended to the 

physical and spiritual needs of others, He kept focused 

on His ultimate goal: going to the cross and dying 

there for our sins. And through that, He finally gained 

the victory of defeating sin, death and the devil. 

May God grant to each and every one of us the 

patience to keep ourselves focused on the tasks He 

places before us. And may we ever be willing and 

able to do with zeal those things which give glory to 

Him and which will benefit others. And may we do 

so looking forward to that final day when our Lord 

will bring us to Himself in heaven, because He Himself 

patiently fulfilled the task of our redemption! 

Rev. Paul Zabel 





New shepherd installed in Petawawa 

PETAWAWA, Ont. - On July 15, 

members of Christ Lutheran Church 

welcomed Rev. Bill Stanfel, his 

wife Elaine, and their family at his 

installation service, officiated by 

President Paul Zabel. 

Assisting in the service were 

liturgist Rev. Clair Denninger, who 

had served the congregation as 

vacancy pastor, lectors Rev. Dr. Bryan 

King, Rev. Deane Detlefsen, and Rev. 

Richard Lockstadt. Also present were 

Rev. Stephen Alles and Rev. Harold 

Patzer. Christ Lutheran’s Senior Choir 

and Handbell Choir provided festive 

music for the service. Approximately 

124 were in attendance, including 

congregation members, clergy, family, 

and other guests. 

Following the service, a potluck 

supper was held in the basement 

where members had a chance to meet 

Rev. Stanfel and his family. 

Rev. Stanfel served the joint 

parish of St. Mark, Choiceland/ 

Zion, Nipawin, first as vicar in 2003, 

New dual parish installs pastor 

HAMILTON, Ont. - On July 22, 

Rev. Eric Betsch was installed as 

pastor of Redeemer Evangelical 

Lutheran Church, a church which 

became a dual parish with Christ 

Our Saviour Lutheran Church in 

Grimsby, Ontario on June 10 of this 

year. Rev. Betsch has been Grimsby’s 

(front, l-r): Rev. Clair Denninger, Rev. Bill Stanfel, Rev. Harold Patzer (back, l-r): Rev. Stephen 

Alles, Rev. Richard Lockstadt, Rev. Dr. Bryan King , Rev. President Paul Zabel, Rev. Deane 

Detlefsen. 

and then as pastor following his 

graduation in 2004 from Concordia 

Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. 

pastor since January 2010. 

There were 78 people in 

attendance with representation from 

both congregations. Pastors from the 

Hamilton Circuit and a few others 

participated in the Worship Service 

including installer and preacher 

President Paul Zabel and Rev. Kevin 

(Back l-r) Dr. Bill Mundt, Rev. Robert Bryans, Rev. Peter Gatluak, Rev. Walter Hambrock, Rev. Mark 

Koehler; (front l-r) Rev. Richard Wukasch, Rev. Kevin Walrath, Rev. Eric Betsch, Rev. Paul Zabel. 

Catharines, Ontario). 

Stephanie Nieman, Christ Lutheran Church, 

Petawawa 

Walrath, Circuit Counsellor. 

All attending were blessed 

spiritually and bodily, strengthened 

by the Word of God, and enjoying a 

pot blessing meal afterward. 

Rev. Eric Betsch, pastor, Redeemer-Hamilton/ 

Christ Our Saviour-Grimsby 

Visit the East District website at 

www.lcceastdistrict.ca 


and announcements six weeks 

prior to publication month. 

Ilene Fortin, district editor 

East District Office 

275 Lawrence Avenue, 

Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1Y3 

E-mail: 

ilene@lcceastdistrict.ca 

Fax: 519-578-3369 




BC Mission Society: A question with impact 

PARKSVILLE, B.C. - All of 

a sudden there was a voice 

roaring behind us. The team 

of students from the Canadian 

Lutheran Bible Institute and I 

quickly turned to see someone 

barreling down the hill at us. 

We were a bit startled, but 

discovered the roar was coming 

from an eight year old boy! We 

all braced for impact, but just 

before he would have typically 

slammed into us, he slowed 

up and started chuckling. He 

teased us for a minute about 

how scared we looked but 

then stopped short again and 

simply asked, “Why did Jesus 

have to die?” 

That simple question left 

a bigger impact on the group 

of students than if he would 

have just slammed into them 

physically. 

We at the BC Mission 

Boat Society (BCMBS) are 

constantly amazed at how God 

works through the teams who 

minister with us. Questions 

like these, and many others 

that I have heard during my 

last three visits to Klemtu, 

show that the seeds that have 

been sown are being nourished 

and we are seeing fruit. 

This eight year old boy had 

heard the BCMBS and other mission 

groups teach the Easter story a 

number of times over the previous 

years, but something about this 

specific time, with this specific team 

from CLBI, clicked for him and he 

felt a strong enough friendship to 

ask his question. 

One of the students shared, 

“They welcomed us so warmly, 

it didn’t take long, sometimes 

hardly more than a sentence, to be 

friends.” Another team member 

explained it this way, “It takes 

smiling at a stranger, colouring 

a picture, and sharing crayons, 

telling a story, or saying a simple 

heartfelt prayer…it’s the little 

things that matter more than we 

Mission Update 

Working with a Kid's Club participant. 

think or can see.” 

We have been blessed with 

teams that return year after year 

to build on past friendships, and 

others that are joining for the first 

time, making new connections that 

other teams haven’t been able to. 

God is continually working through 

the gifts and talents of the teams as 

a whole and individually, for He 

knows the needs of each specific 

community we work with. 

Well after the group had 

recovered from the impact of the 

eight year old’s question, they 

responded to him with joy and 

individual attention. They shared 

how Jesus had to die for the sins 

of the world and just how amazing 

God’s love truly is—something, 

they later reflected, was not the 

easiest of messages to get across to 

an eight year old. 

The young boy pondered this for 

a child-like moment and then took 

off with the same roar he greeted 

us with, but this time with a big 

smile on his face. As we turned the 

corner, there he was again, waiting 

for us at the door. He was waiting 

for Kid’s Club and wondering what 

was taking us so long. 

Marcus Huff is Executive Director of the BC 

Mission Boat Society. 


LCC launches 2012 missions newsletter 

WINNIPEG - Lutheran 

Church–Canada (LCC) 

has released a newsletter 

highlighting the mission activity 

of some of its Auxiliaries and 

Listed Service Organizations. 

“LCC is privileged to have 

numerous partners to support 

it in its mission work both 

here at home and around the 

world,” the booklet begins. “In 

this newsletter, we highlight 

some of those partners, letting 

you know how their work 

supports Synod as it shares 

the Gospel of Jesus Christ—a 

Light for our dark world.” 

This year’s issue features 

ten LCC-associated agencies, 

highlighting how their work 

supports Gospel proclamation 

and social ministry service not 

only in Canada but around 

the world in places like 



Website for youth and young adults launched 

CANADA - For years, Lutheran 

Women’s Missionary League— 

Canada (LWML-Canada) has offered 

a devotional for recent high school 

graduates entitled Now What?. 

When LWML-Canada decided in 

2011 it was time for an update, they 

approached the original booklet’s 

author Lynn Gergens. While the new 

project—Glimpses of Grace—includes 

the production of a new booklet, it 

quickly expanded into a much larger 

vision: the development of a website 

with material for a broad range of 

ages, not just those graduating from 

high school. 

“As I started to pray about this 

project and discuss with my students 

what they would like to read,” Lynn 

Gergens said, “I kept coming to a 

common answer: we all need grace— 

lots and lots of grace.” 

And so Glimpses of Grace 

was born. “I wanted to provide 

‘glimpses of grace’ to hang onto 

when life gets complicated and 

tough and incomprehensible,” said 

Lynn. “I want to show all the hope 

and love and confidence found in 

God’s grace.” 

In order to do that, Lynn recruited 

additional help from her young 

adults group. “As I thought about 

how I could best do this, I thought 

about how many other gifted people 

I know who could give different 

‘glimpses of grace’—people who 

have important things to share.” 

And share they did. The website 

currently features devotions, Bible 

Thailand, Cambodia, Costa Rica, 

Nicaragua, Honduras, Ukraine, 

Haiti, Mozambique, Cameroon, 

Botswana, and India. 

“LCC’s Missions and Social 

Ministry Services is grateful to Jesus 

Christ, the Lord of the Church, for 

providing human and financial 

resources for LCC’s proclamation 

of the Good News of salvation,” 

said Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel, 

LCC’s Executive for Missions and 

Social Outreach. “We request the 

continued prayers of all LCC pastors, 

congregations, and organizations 

on behalf of our Auxiliaries and 

LSOs—as well as LCC’s Missions 

and Social Ministry Services—in 

their efforts to reach out with the 

Gospel of Jesus Christ to many.” 

Download a print-ready version 

of the newsletter at http://www. 

lutheranchurch.ca/missions/2012missions-booklet-print.pdf. 

studies, videos, poems, songs by 

Lutheran Church–Canada musicians, 

a photography project, and a “Dear 

Grace” column answering real life 

questions. Resources continue to 

be added. Visit the project online at 

www.glimpsesofgrace.ca. 

Glimpses of Graces went live in 

July of this year. A printed booklet 

of the same name can be ordered 

from the LWML-Canada Resource 

Centre to be used to introduce 

young people to the website. Contact 

resourcecentre@lutheranwomen.ca 

or 1-888-596-5226, ext. 2220.


Final year of studies for Ukraine’s seminarians 

The 2012 opening worship service at Ukraine’s Concordia Seminary. 

UKRAINE - After “a very short 

summer,” as one student described 

it, students have slowly made their 

way back to Concordia Seminary 

in Odessa, Ukraine. For all the 

students, summer was a busy time. 

Some worked to help their parents 

and earn money for their families. 

One had the opportunity to serve in 

a church, trying out the things he 

was learning in class. A number of 

students came back a few days early 

in order to prepare the seminary for 

the beginning of classes. 

The year’s first instructor— 

Rev. Colin Liske of St. Paul’s 

Lutheran (Nanaimo, B.C.)—arrived 

in Odessa September 2 with his 

wife Judith. They will be staying 

in Odessa for nearly twelve weeks, 

during which time Rev. Liske will 

teach a course on dogmatics and a 

few courses on books of the Bible. 

The new academic year of 

Concordia Seminary was opened 

September 4 with a small service. 

Rev. Oleg Schewtschenko opened 

the service—and with it the final 

school year for the six students— 

with a reading from the first chapter 

of the book of Daniel. 

That chapter focuses on Daniel, 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s 

experience as “believing students” 

in the education system of Babylon. 

During the opening service, the 

seminarians looked at this early 

group of “believing students,” 

applying the biblical story to their 

own experience in Odessa today— 

how they too can grow in faith 

and knowledge together when they 

trust God’s Word and its power, 

follow His holy will, and receive 

the gifts He gracefully gives His 

beloved children. 

The service included much 

singing and many prayers for God’s 

blessing on the new academic year. 

While this is the third and final 

year for the students, there is still 

much to learn, many questions to 

be asked and answered. 

The seminary requests 

continued prayers for students and 

teachers, as well as the churches 

where students will serve vicarages 

and, ultimately, be called to serve as 

pastors and missionaries. Students 

also express thanks for the support 

received from Lutheran Church– 

Canada, its President Rev. Dr. 

Robert Bugbee, the Concordia 

Lutheran Mission Society, and the 

Rector of Concordia Seminary in 

Odessa, Rev. Dr. Norm Threinen. 

Rev. Oleg Schewteschenko pastors the 

Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of 

Ukraine (SELCU) congregation in Odessa, 

Ukraine. SELCU is LCC’s partner church in 

Ukraine. Concordia Seminary is operated 

by LCC. 

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To purchase classified 

space, or to receive a rate 

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opportunities with The 

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please email pres_sec@ 

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1-800-588-4226. 




Theological education in Nicaragua 

Seminary students of Iglesia Luterana Sinodo de Nicaragua. 

NICARAGUA - It has been amazing to 

see the fields of sandias (watermelons) 

in Nicaragua these days, even though 

it has not rained much this year. As 

one drives on the highways, large, 

grown-up watermelons are easily 

spotted, lying in the fields waiting to be 

harvested. There are lots of boots along 

the carreteras (highway) and people 

waiting to make some money. A ten 

to twelve pound sandia is sold for 25 

Córdobas—around one dollar. They 

are sweet as honey. There is a sense 

of urgency in the sandia business for 

if they are not picked they will spoil. 

The fourth intensive session of 

seminary classes in Nicaragua was 

recently completed, and the same sense 

of urgency for harvest is evident. There 

are 40 students in the class: 15 men in 

the pastoral ministry program and 25 

women in the diaconate program. For 

over one year, several of these students 

have received daily mentorship from 

their pastors and been involved in 

ongoing practical church, education, 

and mission work. The students still 

have a long way to go in their training, 

both academically and practically. 

However, it has been interesting to 

witness the level of their maturity 

and spirituality in class discussions 

and small groups. They have a clear 

perception of their role in the church 

and mission as future pastors or 

deaconesses. Their discussions are 

often geared toward starting new 

missions or witnessing the Gospel to 

people on a personal level. 

I see this as a positive and powerful 

tension in theological training. The 

pastors in Nicaragua are few compared 

to the number of their congregations. 

There are currently 13 pastors and 

23 congregations. The harvest is 

indeed great, and in mercy the Lord 

of the Church has provided Word 

and Sacrament to all congregations 

in Nicaragua. And church workers 

continue to reach out with the Gospel 

of Jesus Christ to new areas. Our 

pastors near the capital city of Managua 

have four of their members studying 

at the seminary. These students are 

learning to work with children in 

the Education Program, and to reach 

out with the Gospel into Managua. 

Contacts have been established already 

and, according to the Lord’s strength 

and guidance, a new mission station 

may be established in the near future. 

It is very common to hear the 

seminary students speak in this way: 

“Nicaragua is a large country with 

many people, and we are in only one 

part of the country. Our goal is to 

reach out to the entire county with 

the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” There is 

also one student from Tegucigalpa, 

Honduras, being trained at the 

seminary for pastoral ministry. 

As Lutheran Church–Canada 

(LCC) continues to invest greatly 

in the training of church workers 

for Central America, we thank the 

Lord for providing workers for His 

harvest field. And we pray that He 

will continue to provide the financial 

resources necessary for the Church to 

carry on His mission in that area. 

For more information on 

supporting LCC’s mission work in 

Nicaragua, other parts of Central 

America, or Ukraine, Thailand, 

and Cambodia, please, contact LCC 

Mission Executive Leonardo Neitzel 

at missions@lutheranchurch.ca. 

Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is LCC’s 

Executive for Missions and Social Ministry.

Baptismal blessings in Honduras 

Rev. Aguilar baptizes a young girl during an August 

service. 

HONDURAS - Lutheran Church– 

Canada’s (LCC) missionary 

work in Honduras continues to 

bear fruit. Missionary Douglas 

Aguilar reports that, this August, 

a group of girls was received into 

LCC’s congregation in the city of 

Olanchito through holy baptism. 

“Praise be to our God!” writes 

Rev. Aguilar. “Five young girls 

were baptized and received by 

CLWR elects new executive 

WINNIPEG - The board of 

Canadian Lutheran World Relief 

(CLWR) elected a new executive 

committee at their biannual meeting 

held September 28-30, 2012. 

Marcus Busch was elected 

president of the board, and is now 

serving his second term on CLWR’s 

board of directors. He is a social 

worker working in the education 

sector in Edmonton, Alberta. Busch 

is a member of the Evangelical 

Lutheran Church in Canada. 

Rev. Gerhard Wilch was 

returned as vice-president, and is 

in his second term on the board 


the Saviour Jesus Christ” 

during a service held 

August 5, 2012. The 

parents were reportedly 

overjoyed to celebrate with 

their daughters the day of 

their baptism. 

The baptisms follow 

weeks of Bible studies with 

the children’s families on 

the blessings conferred by 

God through His means 

of grace. 

“For my 

part,” Rev. 

Agular says, 

“I am very happy 

and grateful to God 

for the impact the 

Gospel of Jesus 

Christ has had in 

the lives of these 

families.” 

Rev. Douglas 

Aguilar is a pastor 

to the congregation 

in Olanchito and 

of directors. Rev. 

Wilch is the 

senior pastor at 

Faith Evangelical 

Lutheran Church, 

a Lutheran Church–Canada 

congregation in Surrey, British 

Columbia. 

Gene Blishen was returned 

as treasurer of the board, and is 

currently serving his first term. 

He manages a credit union in 

the Fraser Valley and resides in 

Burnaby, British Columbia. Blishen 



Rev. Dr. Faith Rohrbough was 

elected secretary of the board 

and is currently serving her third 

term. She is a retired professor 

and a past president of the 

surrounding villages in Honduras 

as part of LCC’s Mission Cristiana 

en Honduras (Christian Mission in 

Honduras). 

For more information on 

Lutheran Church–Canada’s 

mission work in Honduras, contact 

LCC Mission Executive Rev. Dr. 

Leonardo Neitzel at missions@ 

lutheranchurch.ca or call 1-800- 

588-4226. 

Rev. Aguilar poses with the four girls at their baptism. 

Lutheran Theological Seminary in 

Saskatoon. She lives in Saskatoon, 

Saskatchewan. Dr. Rohrbough 



CLWR’s other board members 

are Deanna Friesen, Rev. Dr. Mark 

Harris, Lisa Janke, Rev. Dr. Glenn 

Schaeffer, and David Schulze. 

Rev. Robert Bugbee, President of 

Lutheran Church–Canada, Rev. 

Susan Johnson, Bishop of the 

Evangelical Lutheran Church in 

Canada, are advisory members, 

and Dr. Ishmael Noko of Geneva, 

Switzerland is the board’s 

international advisor. 

From a CLWR release. 


EDMONTON - On August 

20, the Concordia High School 

(CHS) Board of Governors 

announced that CHS would 

be closing immediately and 

permanently. What follows 

is the statement released 

by the Concordia High 

School Board of Governors 

announcing the school’s 

closure: 

“It is with deepest regret that 

the Concordia High School (CHS) 

Board of Governors announces 

that Concordia High School will 

cease operations of the 2012- 

2013 academic year effectively 

immediately and will be closed 

permanently. 

Every effort is being made 

to ensure placements for CHS 

students for the upcoming year 

to other academic programs that 

will address their needs and future 

success. This will also include 

efforts with government partners 

to find employment for teachers 

and staff at CHS. 

On Monday, April 13, 2012 at 

2 pm, CHS was notified that our 

partnership and lease agreement at 

the present campus location with 

the Eminata Group was terminated 

and negotiations would not be 

possible to find a solution. Due to 

this unanticipated development, 

Concordia High School has been 

left with no facility to operate its 

dormitory program or academic 

courses. 

‘This is extremely disappointing 

to everyone here at the school. 

Every possible solution to this 

challenge has been researched and 

exhausted in efforts to locate a 

new facility prior to the start of the 

academic year in order to continue 

school operations. There is simply 

not enough time to find another 

feasible option,’ Trevor Johnson, 

Chair of CHS Board of Governors. 

Although the avenue of a one 

year recess in order to locate a new 

facility and rebuild for the future 


Education Report 

Concordia High School closes permanently 

was explored, it is no longer an 

option under the Alberta Provincial 

School Act. Concordia High School 

is working in partnership with 

Alberta Education to complete the 

formal closure process as efficiently 

and effectively as possible for all 

parties concerned. 

The Board of Governors would 

like to take this opportunity to 

thank all who have supported 

Concordia High School throughout 

its rich 90 year history. 

Information and updates 

for parents, students and other 

parties will be made available 

on the CHS website (in the near 

future) once the domain name 

has been transferred to the Board 

of Governors. In the interim, 

information will be provided 

through the EMS Creative website: 

updates, contact information, phone 

numbers and new information as it 

becomes available at http://www. 

emscreative.ca/concordia. 

For over 90 years, Concordia 

High School has provided excellence 

in Christian leadership education 

for students from around the globe. 

As Alberta’s only international 

boarding school, our mission of 

providing Christian education to 

high school students has reached 

out to communities in China, 

Korea, Russia, Hong Kong, Africa, 

Europe, the Canadian north, and 

more. This has provided a unique 

and engaging learning environment 

for all students; the multicultural 

aspect of the student body has 

taught students respect for diversity 

and learning to work in a 

diverse, global environment, 

better preparing them to be 

leaders in the international 

work force. 

In preparation for growth 

and expansion in the next 

chapter of its 90 year history, 

CHS moved in August 2011 

from its previous location 

on the Concordia University 

College of Alberta campus 

to its present southwest Edmonton 

location. The plans for this bold 

move into the future included 

increased classroom space, 

expanded dormitory facilities and 

new curricular initiatives creating 

leading edge learning opportunities 

in the educational marketplace.” 

HAVE YOUR SAY! 

The Canadian 

L u t h e r a n 

welcomes letters 

to the editor 

on articles 

published in the magazine. 

Send submissions to 

communications@ 

lutheranchurch.ca with 

“Letter to the editor” in the 

subject line. 

Letters to the editor may 

also be sent in hard copy to 

the following address: 

The Canadian Lutheran 

c/o Lutheran Church–Canada 

3074 Portage Avenue 

Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2

Growing hope in Christ 

PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. - For 

the past two years, Hope Lutheran 

Church and Christian School have 

been developing a High School 

program, adding a new grade each 

year. In 2010, Grade 9 opened at a 

local recreation center. Classrooms 

were rented, and seven students 

were enrolled. In 2011, Grade 10 was 

added, and the High School hosted 

15 students. This year, another step 

has been taken—the most exciting 

step to date. 

Not only has Hope added Grade 

11 this year, but they have rented a 

new facility which has become the 

official home of Hope High. The 

school has been restructured to 

include Grades 8-11 and now has 

over 50 students. 

God has been faithful over the 

years of growth at Hope. To start this 

school year, the community at Hope 

paused to celebrate God’s goodness. 

A dedication service was held 

Saturday, September 8 at the new 

location. President Don Schiemann 

of the Alberta-British Columbia 

District of Lutheran Church–Canada 

preached on the importance of 

sharing the faith with people of all 

ages, starting with a foundation in 

childhood. President Robert Bugbee 

sent greetings from synod. 

So, what’s next for Hope? There 

is even more exciting news. Not 

only is the school growing through 

the High School grades, but it is also 


expanding its elementary program. 

There are plans to create a second 

class for each grade, and this year, a 

second Kindergarten class was added. 

Parents signed up quickly for this new 

class. In fact, parents have already 

registered children for Kindergarten 

for the next two years, making sure 

their space at Hope is secured! 

“We thank God for His goodness 

and faithfulness, and we pray for His 

blessings as we move forward,” said 

Principal Mike Schiemann. “Please 

continue to keep Hope in prayers as 

God blesses the ministry going on in 

Port Coquitlam.” 

Hope faces challenges of acquiring 

property and building new facilities 

over the upcoming years. They 

are currently engaged in a capital 

campaign in which they are seeking 

three million dollars over the next 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who 

follow his laws have good understanding. To him belongs 

eternal praise.” 

Psalm 111:10 

A message from 

D. A. KURT INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. 

and Financial Services 

604 Belmont Ave. W., Kitchener, ON N2M 1N5 

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Toll Free: 1-800-339-9935 www.kurt-ins.com 

Great is the glory of the Lord! 

Thank the Lord and Sing His Praise 

three years to continue ‘Growing 

Hope in Christ.’ 

For additional information or 

to join Hope as a prayer partner or 

donor, please contact the principal at 

mschiemann@hopelcs.ca. 

Mike Schiemann is Principal of Hope 

Lutheran School. 

Partners in Mission 

with 

Concordia 

Lutheran 

Mission Society 

(an auxiliary of LCC) 

CLMS 

3074 Portage Ave. 

Winnipeg, MB, R3K 0Y2 

Toll Free: 1-866-799-2567 

concordiamissions.org 

PARTNERS IN MISSION Phil. 1:5 

C L M S 

No mission-designated funds were used to pay for this ad. 


EDMONTON 

- Concordia 

Lutheran 

Seminary has 

announced 

the school will 

award four onetime 

entrance 

scholarships 

totalling $16,000 for first-year 

students beginning pastoral studies. 

“Do you know of someone who 

is planning to study at Concordia 

Lutheran Seminary to prepare to 

become a pastor?” a release from 

the seminary asks. “Are they ready 



Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary installs president 

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Thirty 

pastors were among the 120 attendees 

at the opening service for the 37th 

school year at Concordia Lutheran 

Theological Seminary (CLTS) in St. 

Catharines September 30. As usual, 

the seminary choir participated 

and the Board of Regents, who had 

just met the previous two days, 

joined in the procession. Unusual 

this year was the number of out-oftown 

clergy and guests joining the 

seminary faculty and family for the 

installation of Dr Thomas Winger 

as the seminary’s President. 

President Robert Bugbee 

of Lutheran Church–Canada, 

conducted the rite of installation and 

Rev. Dr. John Stephenson preached. 

Vice-Chairman Nolan Astley of the 

Board of Regents brought greetings 

and best wishes on behalf of a 

number of people, including a letter 

from CLTS’ first president Rev. Dr. 

Howard Kramer. Rev. Dr. Norman 

Threinen, Interim President of 

Concordia Lutheran Seminary, 

Edmonton also brought greetings 

from that institution. 

Dr. Winger, a 1990 graduate of 

CLTS, joined the faculty in 1999 and 

served as a deployed tutor at Westfield 

House in Cambridge, England, for 

seven years. During this time he 

also served on the liturgy committee 

for the preparation of the Lutheran 

Pastors present for the installation of Dr. Winger (center-front). 

Service Book. In 2006, he returned 

to St. Catharines to serve as Professor 

of New Testament and Liturgics. He 

has also served as Academic Dean, 

Dean of Chapel, and most recently 

as Acting President since 2008. In 

addition to his teaching duties, Dr. 

Winger has also been preparing a 

commentary on Ephesians for the 

Concordia Commentary series. 

Special recognition was given 

to Rev. Lester Prusha as this year’s 

“Emeritus Crucis” recipient. This 

award, rotating among LCC districts 

and chosen by the district’s Board 

of Directors, honours men who 

have demonstrated faithful service 

in years of parish ministry. As a 

“veteran of the cross,” their example 

encourages the students who are 

preparing for such service. Rev. 

Concordia Lutheran Seminary offers $16,000 in entrance scholarships 

to start but just do not have the 

money?” 

For the 2013-2014 academic 

year only, the seminary will award 

$4,000 each to the four top LCC 

students entering the Master of 

Divinity program. Applicants must 

have completed both the Greek and 

Hebrew language requirements 

and hold a minimum grade point 

average of 2.5. There is no special 

application form necessary; simply 

apply for the program. 

“Every year we hear of potential 

students who have great academic 

qualifications, but who are planning 

Prusha had also taught Pastoral 

Practice as a guest instructor at CLTS 

from 1995 to 2002. 

Four students also received 

academic awards. Milton Lam was 

honoured with the Zondervan 

Publishing House award for 

excellence in Greek and Hebrew. 

The President and Mrs Kramer 

Honours Endowment Fund Awards 

went to the students with the highest 

marks in second and fourth year: 

James Preus, Basil Christoforidis, 

and Wesley Hromowyk. 

Refreshements were provided 

by the Seminary Guild. Special 

music for the vent was provided 

by James Preus, (seminary choir 

director), Paul Walrath (organist), 

Anne Winger (violin), and Benjamin 

Winger (trumpet). 

to work a year or more because 

they just don’t have the funds,” 

said Professor Jonathan Kraemer, 

Director of Financial Aid. “We’re 

hoping these entrance scholarships 

will make it possible for them to 

begin their studies sooner than they 

thought possible.” 

The application submission 

deadline to the Master of Divinity 

program for hte 2013-2014 year is 

April 1, 2013. For more information, 

visit the seminary’s website at www. 

concordiasem.ab.ca, or contact 

Professor Jonathan Kraemer at 

jkraemer@concordiasem.ab.ca.

announCemenTs CLassified 

Rev. Doug Stapleton of Creston, 

BC., has submitted an application 

to the Pastoral Colloquy Program 

of Lutheran Church-Canada. 

Communications regarding this 

application should be submitted in 

writing within four weeks to: 

Rev. Tom Kruesel, Chairman 

LCC Colloquy Committee 

c/o 201 Birch St. 

Campbell River, BC, V9W 2S6 

Email: lcc.colloquy@gmail.com. 

Suzanne Eberhard, Helen 

Gagnier, Lori Laszewski, Monica 

Morin, and Sharlene Procknow 

of Windsor, Ontario, have completed 

the Teacher Colloquy Program of 

Lutheran Church-Canada and are 

eligible to receive a call. Contact: 

Rev. Tom Kruesel, Chairman 

LCC Colloquy Committee 

c/o 201 Birch St. 

Campbell River, BC, V9W 2S6 

Email: lcc.colloquy@gmail.com. 

CLassified 

Bible Lands Tour 

Jordan-Israel 16 days (April 8-23, 2013). 

Contact Pastor Norm & Ruth Miller: 

(604) 556-7111 or ruthkm@telus.net. 

With Rostad Tours. 

READ ONLINE! 

Before it’s in your 

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publishes news, articles, 

reviews, interviews, and 

more online—more 

material, in fact, than 

there’s room for in the print 

version of the magazine! 

See what you’re missing at 

CanadianLutheran.ca. 

Bethlehem Lutheran, Vancouver, 

B.C. 100th Anniversary 

Celebration: November 3-4, 2012. 

Banquet – Saturday Nov. 3. 

4:30 pm Refreshments, 6:00 pm 

Dinner. Rev. Dr. Steven Chambers, 

Guest Speaker. Heritage Hall (Old Post 

Office) on Main Street. 

For tickets: 604-876-4310, bethluth@ 

telus.net. 

RSVP October 24. 

Service – Sunday Nov. 4. 

11:00 am Celebration Service. Rev. Vic 

Esperanza, Guest Preacher. Rev. Lorne 

Reddemann, Guest Liturgist. 

Catered Lunch To Follow. 

Walther League & Youth Group Reunion 

– Sunday Sept. 16. 

9:30 am Worship. Rev. Daniel Deyell, 

Guest Preacher (last Walther League 

organiser in Canada). 

Lunch To Follow. 

How about a baseball game? 

RSVP September 5. 

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Buy back policy in effect 

CLassified 

Lutheran Association of 

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is currently seeking at least one full 

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spending significant time in northern 

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PresidenTiaL PersPeCTive 

President Robert Bugbee 

It helps me to think of our synod 

as a family. It’s a long way from 

Dartmouth in the east to Port 

Alberni in the west, a long way from 

Kingsville in the south to places 

like LaRonge and the Peace River 

district in the north. That could 

easily make the old saying come 

true, “Out of sight, out of mind.” 

Most of us don’t see most of the 

rest of us very often. There are long 

stretches between conventions. 

Even then, few of our people can 

come in person. So, just as parents 

stay close to a daughter or son 

who left for the military or moved 

halfway across the country, I try 

through my intercessory prayers to 

get my arms around our family and 

to hold you all close. I also know I’m 

not the only one in the synod who 

does this. 

We have an extended family, 

too. Some of its wonderful members 

came to visit in September. For the 

first time ever, the International 

Lutheran Council (ILC) held its 

World Conference in Canada. Most 

of the presidents (or bishops) of its 

34 member churches came to Niagara 

Falls for that “family reunion.” 

Like many extended families, our 

members appear in all shapes and sizes. 

There are big ones (like the Missouri 

Synod) and tiny ones (like our partners 

in Portugal); growing ones (as in 

Brazil), and those struggling in places 

very resistant to the Gospel (such 

as western Europe). Some endured 

terrible repression in years past (like 

the Ingrian Church of Russia); others 

spoke of earthquakes (Chile) and 

tsunamis (Japan) since the last family 

reunion three years ago. The dining 

hall in Niagara Falls echoed with 

conversations in English, Spanish, 


Our beloved family... 

In Australia and 

around the world! 

German, French, and Chinese. 

This reunion did me good. It 

made clear that we Canadians 

have something to give our family 

members around the world. They 

also—even the small and modest 

ones—have something to offer 

us, too, treasures like patience, 

endurance, and the courage to 

be bold for Christ in a way that 

can make us want to grow in that 

area. Despite barriers of distance, 

language, and customs, the ILC is 

a heartwarming, loving family. It’s 

such a joy to see one another. It’s an 

emotional experience to say goodbye 

when the meetings come to an end. 

After Niagara Falls, I jetted out 

to Surrey near Vancouver, because 

other loved ones were coming to call. 

National and district presidents from 

the Lutheran Church of Australia 

(LCA) spent a workweek meeting 

with our own Lutheran Church– 

Canada Council of Presidents. We 

have very unique and close ties with 

the Australians; in fact, LCC is the 

only church in the world that enjoys 

a formal confessional relationship 

with the LCA. 

We have so much that draws 

us together: a relatively small 

membership spread over a vast 

land mass, societies that are “post- 

Christian” in that many people in 

both countries seem to have cast 

Christ’s Gospel aside, the challenge of 

trying to help aboriginal people, and 

a strong desire to do mission work 

among new ethnic groups within our 

own lands, as well as to expand our 

mission efforts abroad. 

Family reunions always reveal 

that other family members don’t see 

everything precisely as I do. Perhaps 

they even display shortcomings, 

as I surely display some of mine 

for them to see. But we are family, 

not because we decided to create 

a touchy-feely connection to each 

other, but because Christ died and 

was raised as the Saviour of us all, 

and because Christ has united us 

in a shared confession rooted in the 

infallible Holy Scriptures, the Word 

of God written (Ephesians 2:11-22 

and 1 Corinthians 1:10 would be 

good to ponder here). 

My predecessors, Edwin Lehman 

and Ralph Mayan, worked very 

hard to deepen our ties, both to the 

ILC and to the Lutheran Church of 

Australia. Both served as chairmen 

of the ILC for many years; both 

traveled repeatedly to Australia to 

stay close to our extended family in 

that particular country. I am deeply 

committed to carrying forward what 

they started so well. 

When you’re at home and in 

your local congregation, it’s very 

natural to pray for the issues that 

touch the families and friends you 

see in person, or the challenges 

faced by your congregation and its 

neighbourhood. Keep at it! But I ask 

you also to think sometimes about 

the faraway extended family we have, 

begging the Lord to meet their needs 

and helping our eyes to see when He 

is opening a door for us to be in touch 

with them or to encourage them in 

some way. 

You can get to know these loved 

ones of ours online too, so I’m 

providing their website addresses 

in the hope you might do some 

“visiting” very soon! 

Visit the International Lutheran 

Council at www.ilc-online.org. Visit 

the Lutheran Church of Australia at 

www.lca.org.au.

Plan. Make a difference, 

Meeting your congregation’s future 

financial needs. 

$6 Million promised to congregations 

over the last 5 years. 

Has your congregation hosted a Christian 

Will and Estate Planning seminar yet? 

A FINANCIAL MINISTRY OF LCC 

for your loved ones and 

the ministries you value. 

Plan today 

for the ministry 

of tomorrow. 

Call a Gift Coordinator today 

1-877-711-4438 toll free 

www.lutheranfoundation.ca 

Lutheran Foundation Canada 

REFLECTING GOD’S GRACE

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