The Concordia Story: A Fifty-Year History of Concordia Lutheran Church 1951-2001

More documents

Recommendations

Info

CHAPTER 5 ✦ On December 13, 1998, just a month after dedicating the new campus, Concordia added 278 new members through transfer and adult confirmation. The people of Concordia enthusiastically acclimated to their new environment. It was the same pastor, the same music, the same members, and the same gospel message, but it had a different feel to it. Members of Concordia were justifiably proud of their new surroundings, and grateful to God for his blessings. It showed through their worship. Members quickly noticed that a lot of new faces were showing up on Sunday mornings. This was validated when, on December 13, 1998, just over a month after the dedication, 278 new members were accepted into the fold by transfer and adult confirmation, the most to ever join in a single day. It was another Missouri Synod record to add to the many already held by Concordia. A major effort was undertaken to identify and follow up on visitors to Concordia. Early head counts found over a hundred visitors a Sunday were checking out Concordia’s new location and ministry. The many exciting changes in worship already in place at Basse Road were carried over to the new campus, enhanced by multi-media screens, a new organ, and the great acoustics of the worship center. Thompson had assembled a powerful ministry team at the old location. Now the team members had a facility and ministry tools second to none. The team reflected Thompson’s management style. Rather than a large pastoral staff, he put in place trained departmental “directors.” As ministry began at the new Concordia, only 62 ✦ THE CONCORDIA STORY
two full-time pastors and two part-time pastors were on the church payroll, compared with five full-time pastors in the early 1990’s. Departments, such as youth ministry, children’s ministry, adult education, business, and others, were headed by directors. A highly visible and, at times, controversial aspect of Concordia’s ministry was its music program. Rhoda Canion, Merkens’ sister, had served as organist and music director at Basse Road as long as most Concordians could remember. She stayed on after Thompson became senior pastor. “Rhoda allowed me to introduce a lot of new music, but it was still organ and choir primarily, and a style with which Concordia was comfortable,” said Thompson. “When she announced plans to retire (in 1996) I knew we had to find someone who was intimately familiar with contemporary Christian music.” Thompson’s choice for the position was Gary Lohmeyer, whom he describes as “the best bridge organist/musician in the Missouri Synod.” Lohmeyer was equally comfortable hammering out old Lutheran hymns on the organ or leading a contemporary group with keyboard, guitars, and drums. “Music,” Thompson notes, “is the most important element in drawing people into worship today. Just look at how powerful music is in our culture. Luther understood this. Look at how he introduced music. In Luther’s time, that music was contemporary to those people. Somewhere the church stopped keeping up with changing music styles.” Lohmeyer said his goal was to blend a variety of styles into Concordia’s worship life. “It’s simply a matter of being committed to ministering to a diversity of needs of people,” Lohmeyer ✦ Above: Gary Lohmeyer, Concordia’s music director, led the way in giving Concordia’s worship services a decidedly more contemporary flavor. Left: Jeff Morrison sings during the Christmas Eve musical drama in 1998. Chapter V ✦ 63
Page 1 and 2:
THE CONCORDIA STORY A Fifty-Year Hi
Page 3 and 4:
THE CONCORDIA STORY A Fifty-Year Hi
Page 5 and 6:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I first came to Co
Page 7 and 8:
gregations across the U.S. and in m
Page 9 and 10:
✦ Left: The original chapel serve
Page 11 and 12:
Rast that this aggressive, young pa
Page 13 and 14: that would express God’s love thr
Page 15 and 16: Address Record, which gave us the n
Page 17 and 18: School led to action. A companion b
Page 19 and 20: they kept in mind Merkens’ commen
Page 21 and 22: was sent gratis by CPH to every pas
Page 23 and 24: We tried to get everything done in
Page 25 and 26: Perhaps the innovation in which Mer
Page 27 and 28: format was to be a series of semina
Page 29 and 30: other congregations, all of which h
Page 31 and 32: ✦ Left: “They come to play and
Page 33 and 34: prospective members, and over one h
Page 35 and 36: ✦ Above: At Easter Sunday service
Page 37 and 38: ice.’ So they came that week and
Page 39 and 40: The year 1982 marked the publicatio
Page 41 and 42: ✦ Left: Concordia operated a bus
Page 43 and 44: The day was planned so the dedicati
Page 45 and 46: springs forward to daylight-savings
Page 47 and 48: eally selling short the good people
Page 49 and 50: Still the period beginning in Janua
Page 51 and 52: ✦ Left: The sanctuary as it looke
Page 53 and 54: has up here on 281,” Thompson sai
Page 55 and 56: experience as a lay pastor had dram
Page 57 and 58: tract for the purchase, but also au
Page 59 and 60: ✦ Left: Carl Steiger, right, serv
Page 61 and 62: gage. And it was not the kind of pr
Page 63: ✦ Left: San Antonio Mayor Howard
Page 67 and 68: ✦ Left: Concordia’s Men’s Min
Page 69 and 70: Seminar speakers, like Paul Maier,
Page 71 and 72: Concordia who live in the area and
Page 73 and 74: Prior to the arrival of the Prieto
Page 75 and 76: ✦ Far left: Concordians Mike Manu
Page 77 and 78: ✦ Above: Concordia’s administra
Page 79 and 80: P ASTORS W HO H AVE S ERVED C ONCOR
Page 81 and 82: ✦ Above: Adult Bible Class is hel
Page 83: Sunday School, 1952. Vacation Bible
show all

The Concordia Story: A Fifty-Year History of Concordia Lutheran Church 1951-2001

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?