English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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Living Our Baptized Life in Christ
Galatians 2:20
| | Rev. Theodore Hoham was installed as Associate Pastor at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Alexandria, VA. Rev. Derek Mathers, Mission Executive & Assistant to the Bishop, officiated. | | Commissioning and Installation | | | |
Emma Stegall was recently commissioned and installed as Director of Parish Music at Ascension of Christ Lutheran Church, Beverly Hills, MI.
Pastor James Leistico, who serves at Peace Lutheran Church, Windsor, ON, is Emma's father and was the guest preacher at the Divine Service. Pictured below are Pastor Larry Loree, who serves Ascension, Emma, and Pastor Leistico.
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Call Received
The Rev. Benjamin N. Janssen has received a Divine Call to serve as Senior Pastor of First Trinity, Pittsburgh, PA.
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Set Apart to Serve (SAS) continues to research, develop resources and raise awareness across the LCMS about the church’s life and work of forming and recruiting ordained and commissioned workers for the church from one generation to the next.
The Set Apart to Serve: LCMS Church Work Recruitment report for June/July 2025 is now available. Click here to download the report.
| | The pastoral office is the one divinely mandated office for the church in the Holy Scriptures. In this video, the Rev. Dr. James Baneck, executive director of the LCMS Office of Pastoral Education, describes the work of his department in raising up future pastors and supporting those who are currently serving. | | 1-1-1 Dollar for Missions | | | |
When you give 1 dollar per week to the Mission 1-1-1 box at your church, to what are you giving? In what are you participating?
Just as we have heard when so many questions are asked at church services, Sunday schools, and vacation Bible schools, the children can ring out with the answer: JESUS!
Jesus is the Answer
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus has the answer.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
We have our motivation…and our co-mission with Jesus in Mission 1-1-1! For more information on 1-1-1 Dollar for Missions, click here.
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We pray for those affected by the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunamis, that God will provide His peace and comfort.
District daily prayers for September 2025 are located on our website.
Your prayer concerns are important to the English District. If you have a prayer request you would like shared in this newsletter, email the district office.
| | Contact John Hoover, LCEF Vice President, by email or phone 314-276-3370 for more information. | | Lutheran Federal Credit Union | | | For more information, please contact our Operations Department at 314-394-2790. | | |
Calvary, Mechanicsburg, PA
Congregation members of Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bob Ardner and Jeff Douden, presented a $500 donation to Thomas W. Zimmerman, Co-Founder of the Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania. The donation will be used to purchase needed cleaning supplies for 13 tiny homes of veterans in the community.
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Grace, Redford, MI
Members of Grace Lutheran Church and Pastor Timothy Halboth welcomed Daniel who received the Rite of Adult Confirmation. He was invited by his fiancé and received a private catechesis from Pastor Halboth. Welcome to the family of Christ, Dan!
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Rev. Bruce J. von Hindenburg, Assistant Pastor at Catalina Lutheran Church, Tucson, AZ and Circuit Visitor for Circuit 20 of the English District, was invited to be the guest preacher and participate in the installation of Rev. James N. S. Kollie as Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia (ELCL). The ELCL has been in altar/pulpit fellowship with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since 2013.
More than 500 people from throughout Liberia gathered for the Installation service. Pastor von Hindenburg was accompanied by his wife Karina. She was presented with a special dress, making her a part of the Kollie family on this special day.
The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cotton Tree, Liberia, hosted approximately 40 pastors from throughout Liberia to two classes taught by Pastor von Hindenburg, one on Liturgy and Worship and one on Homiletics. More than 500 people from throughout Liberia gathered for the Installation service. Pastor von Hindenburg was accompanied by his wife Karina. She was presented with a special dress, making her a part of the Kollie family on this special day.
| | For more information on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia, click here. | | |
DRLM missionaries Stan and Dana Stigdon shared images from their Altar & Pulpit Fellowship celebrated with the Lutheran Church of Bolivia. They shared, "Blessed to be both from a country and living in a country where we can worship freely. We pray for our brothers and sisters who don’t have that privilege." Click here to view their June 2025 scrapbook.
| | Is the Lord calling you to serve in Africa? LCMS International Mission is looking for people from all walks of life to join our team as volunteer coordinators, business managers, theological educators, and more. To help you discern, consider joining the Missionary Formation Trip, November 4-14, 2025, to explore ongoing international mission work in Kenya & Tanzania and prayerfully consider the opportunities to serve. To make it accessible to potential missionary candidates, the total cost for both ground expenses and airfare is $1,000. If this is of interest to you, please apply today – the deadline to start the application process is August 17th. Please also feel free to share this opportunity with any LCMS folks you know who might make good missionaries. | | Lutheran Heritage Foundation | | | |
Does your church or school have families whose first language isn't English? Why not share a Lutheran book about Jesus with them in their heart language? Get FREE resources from the Lutheran Heritage Foundation, including children's Bible storybooks and Luther's Small Catechism in more than 180 languages! Click here for more information.
| | Alliance Defending Freedom | | | |
Ministry Insider: Protecting Your Ministry from Corporate Cancellation
From deplatforming to the sudden closure of bank accounts (“debanking”), ministries across the country are facing corporate cancellation threats.
Join us on Thursday, August 14th at 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT for a members-only livestream. We’ll explore what corporate cancellation is and actionable steps your ministry can take to reduce its chance of being debanked.
What we’ll cover:
- Real-life stories of ministries that have been debanked
- Proactive steps you can take to protect your ministry legally and operationally
- How to faithfully respond when corporate values conflict with biblical convictions
Register here.
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Nicaea Then and Now: Join the Conversation
2025 Theological Symposium Sept. 16-17
For 1,700 years, the Council of Nicaea has shaped Christian orthodoxy, offering a model for doctrine, discipline and relations between churches. Lutherans have long valued its insights, which remain relevant today. This symposium seeks to answer questions such as "How does a Christian not only recite but also live out the Creed?" and "How does Nicaea provide a framework for dealing with issues the church faces today?" Register now and be part of the conversation!
| | Lutheran Bible Translators | | | |
7,000+ languages are spoken in the world, but only 750 languages have the full Bible. Help raise awareness as a church advocate for Bible translation ministry.
Host a Bible Translation Sunday at your church to advocate for the mission of Lutheran Bible Translators. Engage your church with a call to action by inviting individuals and families to contribute $35 monthly to translate one verse of Scripture until the work is done (or set a total goal for your church). It’s a simple yet powerful way to gather in prayer, inspire generosity, and make a huge impact, translating entire chapters and books of the Bible. Join us in this mission to let the world know, “God speaks your language.” Ready to make a difference? Click here to take the next steps.
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Please share the unique ministries of your school or congregation with the rest of the English District. Send pictures and stories for consideration to llinthicum@englishdistrict.org by Wednesday at 12:00 noon ET.
We want to see how YOUR congregation or school is showing the love of God to those in your community and around the world.
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