Assessing Loehe's Influence on the Deaconess Movement in North America

The rather new "International Loehe Society" has hosted three international conferences to date: 1) The founding conference at Wartburg Theological Seminary (Dubuque, Iowa) in 2005; 2) A second at Neuendettelsau, Germany in 2008; and 3) A third at Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana) in 2011.

The theme of the latter conference, "Wilhelm Loehe: Theological Impact and Historical Influence," included a presentation by yours truly titled Lutheran Deaconesses in North America: Assessing Loehe's Influence.

My presentation, along with others, was published in the most recent issue of Currents in Theology and Mission (February 2012 Volume 39 Number 1). Anyone who doesn't subscribe to this periodical but would like to acquire a copy of this issue can contact the circulation desk at773-256-0751 or currents@lstc.edu

Currents in Theology and Mission is produced by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Concordia Deaconess Conference Pro-Life

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) has for many years been one of the forerunners of the Pro-Life movement in the United States. That Pro-Life conviction was upheld by the Synod's President, Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, in his testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday February 16, 2012, in discussion of the threat to religious liberty that is posed by the recent contraception mandate from President Barack Obama's Health and Human Services Department. (Please see http://reporter.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=19663)

As implied, this stance is not new for the LCMS or for its pastors, teachers, and deaconesses. In fact, in 1984, only four years after its origin as an organization that provides personal, spiritual and professional growth opportunities for LCMS deaconesses, Concordia Deaconess Conference - Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (CDC) passed a resolution to ensure continued participation in Pro-Life support and education:

Resolution 1984S-1 – To Continue Pro-Life Studies

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod at its July 1983 Convention passed Resolution 3-04B “To Reaffirm and Implement the Synod’s Pro-Life Position;” and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ralph Bohlmann, President of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, has requested each organization affiliated with Synod to implement this resolution and report back to Synod; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that Concordia Deaconess Conference affirm Synod’s position that (a) the living but unborn are persons in the sight of God from the time of conception (Job 10:9-11; Ps. 51:5; 139:13-17; Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:41-44); (b) as persons the unborn stand under the full protection of God’s own prohibition against murder (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 20:13; Num. 35:33; Acts 7:19; I John 3:15); and (c) since abortion takes a human life, abortion is not a moral option, except as a tragically unavoidable byproduct of medical procedures necessary to prevent the death of another human being, viz., the mother (1979 Res. 3-02A); and be it further
RESOLVED, that Concordia Deaconess Conference encourage member deaconesses to take a pro-life approach in counseling opportunities and to be a referral source for members of their congregations and staff of their agencies; and be it further
RESOLVED, that Concordia Deaconess Conference continue pro-life studies.

Program organizers for the CDC annual conference have invited Maggie Karner, Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care Life and Health Ministries, to serve as their 2012 banquet speaker. More information on the annual conference will soon be available on http://www.concordiadeaconessconference.org/news.htm

Deaconess Cook Book

Every once in a long while I find a gem of Deaconess History on eBay. A few weeks ago it was a lovely little 1924 hardback "Deaconess Cook Book" compiled by the Deaconess Society of the First Lutheran Church, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Deaconess societies accomplished a great deal of work on behalf of the deaconess movement in North America, first through their members promoting and carrying out diaconal acts of mercy in areas local to the society; and second, by raising money to support deaconess training and deaconess service throughout the church.

I feel quite certain that my newly acquired "Deaconess Cook Book" is one of the projects that the ladies would have designed specifically to raise money for the deaconess cause! The fact that there are four "Patron and Patronesses" listed on the page opposite the front "Index" (Contents page) also testifies in favor of this possibility.

Within the 104 pages of great looking recipes, the Hor's D'oeuvre page includes a very interesting entry describing a good SMORGASBORD - what we might call a fancy buffet:

Butter pats; rye, wheat, and other breads cut in thin, small slices; strip of toasted bread, about width of two fingers; two or three kinds of cheese; caviar; sardines; anchovies, shrimps; lobster; medvurst; sausage; cold sliced chicken; cold sliced ham; sliced smoked salmon; sliced corned beef; sliced tongue; cold boiled salmon; small meat-balls; pickled herring; cucumbers; plain and stuffed olives; celery and other relishes. Besides the above a few salads may appear, as well as hot dishes consisting possibly of small meat pies, and various small omelets made by adding to omelet batter, sardines, minced ham, or fried mushrooms, also dainty meat or fish croquettes. The above dishes are placed upon buffet and serving table and are eaten before sitting down to dinner table; each guest may be asked to help himself; or, they may be placed upon dinner table and served before regular dinner is served, in that case the table must necessarily by cleared before the first course, leaving olives, celery, radishes, butter and bread.

I was surprised by the amount of seafood included in this smorgasbord - but then the book was published on the eastern seaboard. But what a massive amount of food to eat before dinner!

For the fun of it - Next time you go to eBay, type "deaconess" into the search bar and have fun looking at all of the different things that pop up about deaconesses.

Guest Blog by Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr

A New Page in Deaconess History

The Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA) will soon write a new page in deaconess history. For the past two years a small group of women have received short-term intensive course training from Deaconess Grace Rao with the support of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. These women will complete their final course in October, and on October 28, 2011, the LCSA will commission its first deaconesses.

As the director of the new full-time residential deaconess training program that will launch at Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Pretoria in January 2012, I look forward to becoming better acquainted with these women who will shortly become my colleagues in the mercy work of the LCSA. Two of the current students, Nancy and Esther, were able to join us for the annual conference of the Concordia Deaconess Conference – LCMS in June (see July 3rd blog below). While we do not expect to move to South Africa until late in 2011, LCMS World Relief and Human Care is making it possible for me to join the LTS deaconess students for their final days of training and also be present for the commissioning on October 28. It is hoped that my visit in October will facilitate a smooth transition from the initial intensive training to the new full time program and permit me to develop professional relationships with the new LCSA deaconesses and others who will be resources for the new training program.

Although deaconess ministry will be new to the LCSA, women have been active in the work of the church for many years through the Women’s League. Similar in many ways to the work of the LCMS Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), these women organize to pray for the people of South Africa and the work of the church, and engage in projects that extend the mercy work of the church to the community. In South Africa, every major Christian denomination has a women’s league with a denominationally-distinct uniform. Nancy and Esther, who will soon be deaconesses in the LCSA, are also members of the LCSA Women’s League and appear in the league uniform in the July 3rd blog photo.

Concordia Deaconess Conference 2011

Concordia Deaconess Conference - Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (CDC) - a 'Recognized Service Organization' of the LCMS - holds annual conferences to provide its members with opportunities for personal, spiritual, and professional growth. This year's conference, held at Concordia University, Nebraska, from June 15-18, centered on the theme: Lutheran Spirituality: A Life of Receptivity.

Among the 2011 conference participants were two deaconess students from The Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, a partner church of the LCMS. The conference mission offering was designated for the support of a new deaconess training program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane (Pretoria, South Africa). CDC member, Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr (pictured above with the two students), recently accepted a call to serve as Director of this program.

CDC members thanked the outgoing Spiritual Counselor, Rev. John Berg, and four outgoing officers, Deborah Rockrohr, Carol Schroeder, Linda Cosgrove, and Lorraine Groth, for their hard work over the last several years. Newly elected officers include Sara Lemon, Vice President; Kim Schave, Treasurer, Jana Peters, Member-at-Large for Annual Conference Logistics; Heidi Bishop, Member-at-Large for Membership. Rev. William Weedon was elected as the CDC Spiritual Counselor for the next three years.

More information about the conference, membership applications, copies of the CDC newsletter, and so forth, are available at http://www.concordiadeaconesslcms.org/

Finishing the Run!

I am extremely proud of two colleagues - one a deaconess and the other someone who enjoys calling herself an F.O.D. (Friend of Deaconesses!) - who both completed a 5-Kilometer run today!
Congratulations,
Violeta and Sarah!

These women have been training for this day for months. And their training paid off. They finished the run - and with good times - 31.41 minutes and 33.13 minutes respectively. And they are smiling at the finish line!

If you will forgive me, I need to add a faith-life application while I'm at it. The timing of this 5K run is a great reminder to me of the ultimate love God has shown to the human race. Jesus Christ didn't give up in the garden when He knew that the Heavenly Father wasn't going to take the bitter cup of suffering and death away from His lips. He had become incarnate and lived as true God and true man for this very purpose. Our Savior finished the run for us. And now we rejoice in remembering His death and in preparation for a glorious celebration of His resurrection on Easter day!


A blessed Easter to all!

Where Do LCMS Deaconesses Serve?

The most recent information available from The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod's Department of Rosters and Statistics shows that there are 213 deaconesses on the Synod's roster. The current "status" and "positions' of the women are described as follows:

By Roster Status:

131 – Active

24 – Candidates

22 – Non-Candidates

36 – Emeritus


By Position:

76 – Serving Member Congregation

16 – Recognized Service Organization

8 – Other Special ministry

8 – Synod HS/College/Univ/Seminary Faculty or Staff

6 – Chaplain-Institutional

5 – Synod Executive or Staff

3 – Missionary-Synod

3 – District Executive or Staff

2 – Synod College or Seminary Faculty

1 – Teacher

1 – District-Other Staff

1 – Executive Director

1 – Missionary-Other