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251

First-ever online General Synod sessions run smoothly

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The first-ever online sessions of a Convention of LCA General Synod have run smoothly overall, thanks to the diligent pre-Synod work done by most delegates.

Overwhelmingly, the delegates who attended one or more of the 10 online training and practice sessions offered before the two-day event were prepared and ready to fully participate in General Synod. Some initial problems were experienced around the long delivery time of emails sent to delegates using the OpaVote online voting system. To remedy this, an alternative ‘show of [electronic] hands’ method of voting was introduced for proposals, with OpaVote retained for elections.

Approximately 400 people participated in the online sessions of General Synod, including 375 lay and pastor delegates, chairs of boards, councils, committees and commissions, and non-voting consultants. In another first, among the delegate cohort for the 20th General Synod were six Aboriginal delegates from the three new Language Area Agreement groups from Central Australia, some of whom joined General Synod from Yirara College in Alice Springs, while others took part from Hermannsburg.

Participants were supported by more than 80 people working on the technical and administrative aspects of running the live, online and interactive General Synod, which was hosted by Concordia College in suburban Adelaide. As well as providing an outstanding venue, a number of the college’s technical staff assisted the LCANZ team with the video, audio, switching, livestreaming and recording components of the event. The technical aspects included livestreaming worship services from Queensland and Victoria.

Bishop John Henderson, who had announced that he would not be standing for re-election as LCANZ bishop, was formally thanked for his service in the role. During a rite of farewell, at which his wife Valmai and other members of his immediate family were present, he presented personal reflections on his nine-year term as bishop.

Delegates elected Pastor Paul Smith to be the next LCANZ bishop and Pastor Neville Otto as Assistant Bishop. They also elected the General Church Board to serve the LCANZ for the 2021–24 synodical term. This latter decision required Synod to pass a motion to give effect to the new GCB serving from the conclusion of the 2021 online sessions of Synod.

God-willing, the second part of the 20th General Synod will be held in person. The venue and dates, still to be determined, will be advised as soon as details are known.

All sessions of Synod, including worship services and the report of LCANZ Bishop John Henderson, are available for viewing on the General Synod website at www.generalsynod.lca.org.au/livestream

Members of the church might also like to view, download and share with their congregations the agency and department videos that delegates watched during their breaks at www.generalsynod.lca.org.au/videos

252

Former LCA secretary elected assistant bishop

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The General Synod of the LCANZ has elected Pastor Neville Otto, senior pastor at St Paul Box Hill in suburban Melbourne and former Secretary of the Church, as assistant bishop of the LCANZ.

Elected during the online sessions of the LCANZ’s historic two-part convention on 2 October, he succeeds Rev Dr Andrew Pfeiffer, who has served as assistant bishop since 2015 and who did not stand for re-election.

Before serving at Box Hill since 2019, Pastor Neville was the LCA Secretary of the Church from 2009 to 2018, also filling the role of LCA Mission Director from 2009 to 2014.

He served in the role now known as district bishop (then president) for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory from 2005 to 2009, and in parish ministry in Alice Springs and Sydney after being ordained in 1995.

He and Rev Dr Stephen Pietsch, Lecturer in Pastoral Theology and Director of Formation at Australian Lutheran College, were the two candidates nominated for the role by the LCA’s General Pastors Conference in July.

Assistant Bishop-elect Neville, who will continue his ministry at Box Hill, took on the new role from the end of part one of the Convention of General Synod on 2 October.

General Synod is scheduled to reconvene for in-person sessions in September-October 2022.

253

Synod elects General Church Board

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Hobart barrister Kim Baumeler has been elected to serve on the LCANZ’s General Church Board (GCB) by the LCANZ’s General Synod.

Joining Ms Baumeler as fellow lay members on GCB are Paul Argyle, Charmaine Harch, Tim Wiebusch, Mel Zerner and Peter Zweck, who were re-elected at the 20th Convention of General Synod’s online sessions on 2 October.

Rev Dr Tim Stringer, who joined GCB part-way through the last term after the death of NSW and ACT Bishop James Haak, was re-elected by Synod as GCB pastor member.

The other two members of the GCB by virtue of their positions are LCANZ Bishop John Henderson and new Assistant Bishop Pastor Neville Otto. Bishop-elect Pastor Paul Smith will replace retiring Bishop Henderson on GCB in 2022.

Ms Baumeler was chair of the church’s three-member Ecclesiastical Discipline Review team, which, based on a General Synod 2018 resolution, reviewed and made recommendations into the way the LCANZ deals with matters of church discipline.

Chair of St Peters Hobart congregation, she was also part of a working group for LCANZ’s constitution review and is deputy chair of the board of Eastside Lutheran College in Hobart.

Former GCB members Faye Schmidt, who was first elected to General Church Council as it was then called in 2015, and Assistant Bishop Pastor Andrew Pfeiffer, who also served from 2015, did not nominate for re-election.

They were thanked for their service by Bishop Henderson.

254

Lutheran Women leaders installed

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The Lutheran Women of Australia (LWA) Executive Committee has been installed to lead the LCANZ auxiliary for the next three years.

The installation by LCANZ Bishop John Henderson of LWA President Grace Kroehn, Vice-President Maureen Turner, Secretary Val Schild, Treasurer Beryl Smith and Extra Member Dianne Adams took place on Sunday 3 October during worship held as part of the Convention of Synod at Concordia College chapel Highgate SA. LWA custom is to elect an executive of members from the state in which its next convention is to be held, in this case, South Australia. However, Western Australian Dianne Adams is part of the team as WA does not have a large enough membership to host national conventions and does not form a standalone executive team.

Incoming President Grace said the new committee had ‘hit the ground running’, holding its first meeting on the same day as the installation. She also acknowledged the work and the disappointment of the outgoing executive from Lutheran Women of Victoria, which had planned and prepared the LWA Convention scheduled to be held in Horsham in September, only for it to be cancelled due to COVID-19 shutdowns, restrictions and uncertainties.

‘We feel for them having put in all the work and preparations for the convention only for it not to have eventuated’, she said, passing on thanks to outgoing President Wendy Habel and fellow executive members Irma Dymke, Linda Niewand, Irene Geer and Leonie Hateley. Grace, who finished a four-year stint as Lutheran Women of South Australia-Northern Territory president in May this year and had previously held a range of positions at district level, also said the new LWA executive intended to make use of any items purchased or prepared for the cancelled convention for the 2024 event if at all possible.

With the 2021 national meeting unable to go ahead, LWA delegates conducted some business by postal ballots. The ratification of nominations for the new LWA executive was done via Zoom internet conferencing in June.

Backed through district, parish and congregation-based Lutheran women’s groups, which meet for fellowship, study, fundraising and other forms of service, LWA is committed to supporting 11 projects within the LCANZ and its partner churches overseas.

These include Aboriginal missions; Australian Lutheran World Service; LCA International Mission programs and partnerships in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand; support for overseas students studying at Australian Lutheran College (ALC); the ALC Women’s Auxiliary and the ALC Pastoral Ministry Assistance Fund.

255

Queensland welcomes new bishop

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Pastor Mark Vainikka has been installed as the new bishop for the LCANZ’s Queensland District.

Watched via livestream by family members interstate and overseas, including his parents, who were in lockdown in Victoria, Bishop Mark was installed on Sunday 19 September during a service hosted by Redeemer Lutheran College, Rochedale, by District Bishop Emeritus Noel Noack. Due to COVID-19 travel restriction concerns, Bishop Emeritus Noel represented LCANZ Bishop John Henderson, who shared words of encouragement for the new bishop via a video greeting, which was played during the service. Bishop Emeritus Noel also preached at the installation service on the gospel text of Mark 9:30–37, focusing on verse 35: ‘Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all”.’ Queensland First Assistant Bishop Ben Hentschke, Second Assistant Bishop Nathan Glover and Bishop Emeritus Paul Smith, the immediate past bishop, assisted with the service.

Many of the participants in the service represented the parishes and schools Bishop Mark has served in ministry since being ordained as a pastor of the LCA in 2002.

Elected unopposed as bishop during the Queensland District Convention of Synod at Eight Mile Plains in June, he succeeds Bishop Emeritus Paul, who served in the role since June 2015, did not seek re-election, and is now bishop-elect for the LCANZ.

As well as serving in parish and school ministries, Bishop Mark was previously the LCAQD vice-president/assistant bishop for eight years, first assistant bishop since 2018 and the full-time first assistant since 2019. Addressing District Synod after his election, he said: ‘It’s very humbling. You have entrusted me to be your bishop. It is a call to serve you.’

Bishop Mark was born in Helsinki, Finland, and was baptised in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. He migrated to Australia with his family as a child and was an active member of Mikael Agricola Finnish Lutheran Church, Melbourne.

Mark married Minna in 1988. They have three adult children.

256

Bishop urges church to ‘act for good of all’

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LCANZ Bishop John Henderson has urged church members to ‘act for the good of all’ as they respond to issues around COVID vaccines and ‘passports’.

‘It’s our individual choice to be in favour of vaccination or to oppose it, and to form our own views on any purported “passport” scheme. Whatever we think of such things, however … under God each of us has the right, privilege and duty to act for the good of all, restrain any sense of panic, and to maintain good order and a spirit of neighbourliness and compassion that goes beyond self-interest and seeks to serve others.’

Bishop Henderson gave the encouragement in a ‘Heartland’ eNews entitled ‘A Pastoral Note to Members of the LCANZ: COVID Vaccines and Passports’, published in September.

‘We are in the midst of a pandemic, a disease which is likely to be with us for quite some time’, he said in the eNews. ‘Our elected Australian and New Zealand governments – with some exceptions – seem committed to relaxing COVID-related restrictions and opening up borders when we reach agreed vaccination thresholds.

‘It’s a time of mixed feelings. One emotion is relief – vaccines are an answer to prayer, giving us a means of protecting lives and ending mass lockdowns. But another emotion is apprehension … We are apprehensive about living with COVID … How much smaller (than other places) our toll of disease and death will depend directly on how many of us are vaccinated.

‘I respect people’s right to make their own choice, and I recognise that a few people cannot receive the vaccine for medical reasons. In general, though, I do encourage church members who are eligible to take advantage of the vaccines.’ He said that the national Australian church leaders with whom he has spoken about these issues see the hand of God at work in the unprecedented cooperation that resulted in not just one but several vaccines. They see this as an answer to prayer.

‘Yes, there are ethical questions about the vaccines … I encourage Christians to look into the evidence which overall shows that we can, in good conscience, accept the vaccines currently on offer through our governments.’

Bishop Henderson affirmed that public worship should be open to all, but he does not think it helpful to regard any future temporary moves to restrict access to venues to those who are fully vaccinated or have exemptions, or so-called ‘vaccine passports’ as ‘persecution’. ‘An implied benefit is to motivate people to get vaccinated if they want to get back to normal life’, he said of the passport concept. ‘A large part of the population appears to consider this approach ethically justified as long as it is temporary. For our part, we in the LCANZ want to keep our public worship services open to all … It is very likely that, for some time yet, we will need to continue the personal hygiene and physical distancing measures with which we have become familiar.

‘I see no evidence that the concept of a vaccine passport constitutes a deliberate attack or persecution against Christians. I don’t think it is helpful, or fair, to view it through the lens of a threat to religious freedom. So far, during COVID, our governments have done their best to understand the needs of churches and accommodate them.’

You can read the full message on the LCA website at: www.lca.org.au/a-pastoral-note-to-members-of-the-lcanz-covid-vaccines-and-passports/

257

Church@Home November 2021

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CHURCH@HOME www.lca.org.au/churchhome

Opportunity to draw closer to Christ

Regular devotions can help nurture our faith and even that of our families, as they strengthen our relationship with Jesus, increase our trust in God and our openness to the call of his Spirit. We pray that you will receive blessings from the devotional materials here and in the Church@Home resources collection collated and shared on the special webpage at www.lca.org.au/churchhome

If you have internet access and a printer, why not print some and mail or deliver them to those who may otherwise miss out?

– Lisa

Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the Lord forever, for (he) is the Rock eternal.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

These reflections are adapted from a collection of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us to keep our eyes on Jesus. You can find the full versions of these and others on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

Proverbs 31’s unattainable woman by Sonia Hulme

‘A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies’ (Proverbs 31:10).

Read Proverbs 31:10–31.

The book of Proverbs is intriguing and earlier chapters also have plenty of female imagery. This is not surprising, considering the target audience of this ancient piece of writing. Young men, who were being prepared for life in court, who would lead and rule, needed schooling about living well. What better language to use to catch the attention of testosterone-fuelled teenagers than that of young women? Proverbs outlines their two choices – the path of wisdom (portrayed as a wise lady) or the path of foolishness (portrayed as a temptress and adulteress who will lead them astray). The ‘perfect wife’ which ends the book of Proverbs, then, can be seen as the ultimate portrayal of what it means to be wise.

With its male-centred focus, how do we read this passage and embody its truths? If I am not male and not going to rule, what does it say to me? How do I find this precious jewel, this capable and noble ‘wife’ (wisdom), to guide me in my life? For anyone – male or female – Proverbs 31 has a clue in its details. This woman lives well by taking care of the everyday things in her context. They will be different in your 21st-century world, but they are there, all the same. You may not have fields planted out and a husband sitting at the city gate while you make your linen garments, but there are plenty of ‘small things’ in your life, things that need to get done. What are the things you need to take care of, the things no-one else might see except you and God?

Take care of the small stuff, head into your day with Jesus walking beside you, and you are on the way to living wisely and well! When you fail, as you will, let Jesus into those struggles too, and receive his grace to keep on walking.

Lord, I am thankful you do not call me to aspire to be the Proverbs 31 woman but to be my wisest me in my context with the people you have placed around me. Help me live generously and love those around me with the love you have freely passed on to me. And when I need wisdom to live well, help me turn to you, the source of all perfect wisdom from God. Amen.

King David on how to run a fundraiser! by Pastor Stephen Abraham

‘But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand’ (1 Chronicles 29:14).

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10–19.

Have you ever been involved in building something for God’s kingdom?

Maybe your church was fundraising to update the worship centre or start a new school, school building project or program.

This is the setting for this text. In the final years of his reign, King David has it on his heart to finally build the temple in Jerusalem. Because he had ‘drawn blood’ as a military commander, he wasn’t permitted to build it. The actual oversight of building it would fall to David’s son, Solomon. But David was the initial project manager laying all the groundwork. We read in chapter 28 that the Spirit of God had inspired David with architectural plans to build this great and glorious temple – even down to the budgetary costings of gold and silver needed for the lampstands and finery! At the beginning of chapter 29, King David has a great assembly with all the leaders, commanders and officials (the well-to-do of society). And it’s like he holds our equivalent of a fundraising gala or benefactor dinner to raise money for the project.

And then, right at the high point of the event, as the money and donations are rolling in, this happens …

Re-read 1 Chronicles 29:10–13.

Yes, they break out into a full-blown worship service! Starting with this amazing song of praise (verses 10–13) that acknowledges that everyone’s riches belong to God anyway.

Re-read 1 Chronicles 29:13–20.

David breaks out into a prayer of gratefulness. Just reading it, you get the sense of the joy and excitement David had. As he prays in verse 17:

‘I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.’

I wonder whether these passages give us a model of how we can raise funds for projects the Spirit is guiding us to build.

Praise be to you, Heavenly Father, for all the wonderful gifts you have given us to enjoy. Thank you for the LLL and the hundreds of projects it has supported over the decades. Holy Spirit, guide our communities who are building. May we worship and acknowledge you as the giver of all good things as we donate those treasures that we have that are ‘on loan’ from you. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

PRAYER

LET YOUR WORD SHINE

Dear God,
let your Word
shine in our hearts
by your Holy Spirit.
Make it
so bright and warm
that we always find
our comfort and joy
in it.
Amen.

– Martin Luther (1483-1546AD), from justprayer.org

Childlike humility by Carolyn Ehrlich

But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest’ (Mark 9:34).

Read Mark 9:30–37.

Jesus and his disciples were travelling from place to place. Jesus had already predicted his death (Mark 8:31–33), and he had taught that being a disciple meant denying self and following him (Mark 8:34).

Peter, James and John had witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration, and still, the disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest. How often do we (you, me) do this? How often do we experience that Jesus has something profound to say to us about who he is, about what is happening, about something supernatural, something that we do not understand? How often has Jesus spoken to us, given us his direction and asked us to do something, and still, we are concerned about our own greatness?

We gloss over what is supremely important in our walk with God, and we focus on ourselves. We justify, saying, ‘I am okay, better, smarter, stronger, prettier, more important, greater than … ’ Where is the humility and servitude in our approach?

Further along in this passage, we are instructed to welcome children. Yes, we are to take this literally, but we are also to embrace the childlike qualities of simplicity, innocence and humility. Instead of focusing on ourselves, on our own sense of self-importance and greatness, we are directed to welcome little children – because when we do, we welcome Jesus.

In Jesus’ time, welcoming implied service. A host serves their guest. Selfless serving is the hallmark of Christianity. So, we are to selflessly serve everybody, including children. How will you humble yourself and simply and innocently welcome God, our Father, today?

Father God, you are an amazing, gracious and wonderful God. Instead of welcoming you, I so often argue with others in ways that reflect my sense of self-importance and self-reported greatness. I do this privately and publicly. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. In Jesus’ awesome name, I pray, Amen.

How much is enough? by Pastor Mark Gierus

‘You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God’ (2 Corinthians 9:11).

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6–15.

When it comes to giving, how do you go? Do you give from what you have leftover, or do you give because you can?

If you won or inherited a substantial amount of money, what would you do with it? New car? Pay off debts, mortgage, and school fees, buy new clothes, take holidays (in our limited COVID context), or simply put it in the bank? But would you give some away?

What does God say about giving? Do you need to give a percentage? Or what you promise, no matter what? You see, it is not about the amount, nor is it up to you and me to judge what others should give. Saint Paul reminds us to give what we have decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. This is about cheerful giving.

God wants us to give and to be generous and cheerful in giving. If it is not money, give your time cheerfully. If it is a skill someone else needs, share it with a cheerful heart. And if it is money, give what you decide cheerfully.

God will enrich us daily, especially by his word, so we can be generous with the gifts he gives us. I am talking about worldly things, but also the gifts of God’s grace, mercy and love, which we can share generously.

Start with a generous heart in everything you do, and God who is faithful will give you all you need to do the work he sends you to do in Jesus’ name.

Gracious Father, you give us so much. Help us give generously in all things – our time, our talents and our treasures, knowing that you have first given to us. Thank you that while we were still sinners, you generously gave us your only Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for our sins. Amen. 

258

Congratulations to the LLL!

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by Richard Fox

Thanks to God for the gift of the LLL and for the people who have served with and deposited at the LLL across 100 years to provide for the ministry and mission of the LCANZ.

Because of the LLL and its partnership with Lutheran Media, we have been able to continue to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

HOW FUNDS HAVE BEEN RAISED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LUTHERAN MEDIA

These funds have helped establish a worship DVD and online streaming ministry that have enabled thousands of people to join in with Lutheran worship.

CONTINUING SUPPORT REACHES MILLIONS

The support of the LLL and its depositors continue to enable the missions of Messages of Hope and Happyland to reach millions of people, including families, with Jesus’ message of hope.

You can find out more at www.lutheranmedia.org.au under the ‘Support Us’ tab at the top of the webpage.

Thank you LLL, and we pray for many more years of partnership in spreading the gospel.

Pastor Richard Fox is Director of Lutheran Media.

260

Editor’s letter

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When LCA International Mission’s Pastor Matt Anker, Erin Kerber and Nevin Nitschke and I discussed possible cover ideas for this edition we kept coming back to one subject: baptism.

As we walk with our overseas church partners, we share in the call to ‘make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit …’ (Matthew 28:19). Baptism goes to the heart of all mission – whether local, regional or global. It is central and essential to the Great Co-mission we have with the triune God and with all believers.

Where there are baptisms, God is growing his church. Where there are adult baptisms, people who have been without the hope we have are coming to know Jesus as their Saviour and Friend – and that gives cause for great rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:7) and on earth.

Of course, if we stay focused only on what we see happening within the four walls of long-established congregations in Australia and New Zealand, many of which may be shrinking, it can be easy to miss that joy and the vitality and passion that new believers can bring to a faith community. (Naturally, there are exceptions to this experience, including some of our church-plant communities and multi-ethnic ministries).

But for our overseas partners, many of whom face far greater financial, logistical and spiritual challenges to mission and ministry than we do, witnessing people being transformed by God’s awesome, unbounded love and forgiveness is a regular blessing. And we are privileged to share some wonderful stories in this edition about lives changed by the freeing power of the gospel.

It is indeed a great blessing for our LCANZ to be able to serve with, support and learn from these international friends in their kingdom work through LCA International Mission, and you’ll read about some of the many ways in which that’s already happening and how you can be involved. Along with volunteering and giving, prayer is a vital support for our regional church friends and this month’s prayer calendar is also dedicated to these relationships.

I hope and pray that you’ll be excited, encouraged and inspired by what you read in these pages.

Lisa

PS – I’ve been disappointed to learn that some of our subscribers are having to wait many weeks for their copy of The Lutheran – in fact, my own home-delivered September copy took more than two weeks to arrive from one part of Adelaide to another! If you are experiencing long delays in getting your copy, you may wish to contact your local Australia Post outlet and let them know. We lodged the September edition for postage on 31 August.