LUTHERANR The Newsmagazine of the Florida-Georgia District LCMS October/November 2020 LIFE DISTRICT DYNASTYA LUTHERAN LIFE PEOPLE CAPSULES Lutheran Life is the official newsmagazine of the Florida- District Calls Accepted Georgia District of the Lutheran Arrington Returns Church —Missouri Synod. Rev. Dennis Tegtmeier to The Mission of the Florida- to District Office Intentional Interim Pastor Georgia District is to serve, Trinity/Athens, GA assist, and encourage Administration Team congregations in the ministry Rev. Nathan LeGreco to of Jesus Christ. People of Grace/Key West, FL the Florida-Georgia District Debra “Debbie” Arrington has are equipped, empowered, returned to the FLGA District Office in Rev. Daniel Prugh to engaged in the Master’s the capacity of assisting both Peter Holy Trinity/Tampa, FL business … connecting people Meier, Executive Director, Missions and to Jesus. Lutheran LIFE is Outreach, and Laura Zirbel, Executive designed to inform LCMS Director, Finance and Administration. Transferred Out of FLGA church and school members of Most recently she had been to Other Districts the activities, personalities and working with the East Region Office of 8/01/20 — Rev. Brian Gauthier resources offered by the Synod to Nebraska District and the District. LCEF for two years. Prior to working for the East Region, Debbie served 8/10/20 — Mr. Thomas Menke Lutheran LIFE may also provide to Texas District a forum for Lutherans to as Administrative Assist to the FLGA District Executive Director of Finance 8/20/20 — Ms. Stacy Dzelzkains express their views and ideas to South Wisconsin District on a wide range of topics. and Administration and FLGA District Lutheran LIFE is published LCEF Vice President for 6 years. She was 8/27/20 — Rev. John Weiler bimonthly. News items and instrumental in coordinating events, to Missouri District photos are encouraged. Please booths, communications and more. 9/21/20 — Ms. Ellen Lewis send scanned photos as a to Pacific Southwest JPG attachment rather than embedded in your emails. Transferred Into FLGA Or mail your photo print in a from Other Districts good quality resolution to our 8/21/20 — Ms. Kathy Meier address below. Advertising is from Minnesota South welcome and encouraged; rates and information are available 9/08/20— Rev. Joseph Lecke, Jr. from Lutheran LIFE’s office. from Southern Illinois Initial Placements of Ordained/ Commissioned Ministers 8/16/20 — Mr. Jonathan Kisker from Concordia Nebraska to St. John/Ocala, FL 8/16/20 — Ms. Grace Gunther from Concordia Austin Lutheran Life Publishing: to St. John/Ocala, FL 971 SW Pepperidge Terrace Boca Raton, Florida 33486 Installations of Ordained/ Debbie is married to Jim (above) Commissioned Ministers flgadistrict.org/lutheran-life/ and they enjoy travel —­­ particularly 8/09/20 — Rev. James Weist, Pastor, ocean cruising and driving their large RV, Hope/Bradenton, FL E-Mail photos, news, address corrections or deletions to: fine dining, good wine and friends. 9/02/20 — Mr. James Essig, [email protected] “We are thrilled to have Debbie back on Principal, First/Clearwater, staff,” proclaimed FLGA District President, FL John List , Editor the Rev. Dr. Greg Walton. “She is a hard worker, and blends beautifully with the Status Changes in the District Florida Georgia-District LCMS entire District team and board of directors. 7/28/20 — Mr. Jon Wareham Lutheran Ministries Center 5850 T.G. Lee Blvd, Suite 500 She has an effervescent personality from Active to Emeritus Orlando, FL 32822 and a constant smile of her face.” n 10/04/20 — Rev. John Hirst Toll-Free: (877) 457-5556 from Active to Emeritus www.flgadistrict.org Greg Walton Please send address corrections, deletions, news District President Mark Brink articles for publication and photos to: School & Youth Ministries [email protected] Peter Meier Mission & Outreach Laura Zirbel Finance/Administration LUTHERAN Jay Wendland LCEF District VP Rusty Huseman Legal Counsel LIFE Concordia Mequon & Ann Arbor President Announces Retirement The Rev. Dr. Patrick with great challenges, the longest-serving T. Ferry has announced the university is in presidents in the that he will conclude an excellent position institution’s 172-year three decades of to move forward. history, overseeing distinguished service “After prayerful decades of tremendous to Concordia University reflection, I believe student, program, and Wisconsin and Ann that the time is right campus growth and Arbor, Michigan in for change — for me, Concordia’s designation June of 2021. The and for the university,” as a top-tier, nationally Board of Regents will Ferry wrote in his email. ranked university. plan a national search “Privileged beyond Florida-Georgia for his successor. all deserving, I give District President, the In his 30th year at thanks to our Lord for Rev. Dr. Greg Walton, Concordia University the opportunity to said this about Ferry, — 24 of them as be a part of such an “The announcement president — Ferry extraordinary mission of President Pat told the University’s … For Concordia the Ferry’s retirement Board of Regents in focus is appropriately marks the end of an Septeber that he will fixed on the future … era for Concordia retire from his position The same Lord who has University/Wisconsin. at the conclusion of the blessed Concordia and He was instrumental current academic year. has been our help in in moving the campus During his tenure, ages past is our hope to its current location Concordia University for years to come.” in Mequon. He was Wisconsin has been Ferry came to also instrumental in widely recognized Concordia University the merger between for its excellence in in 1991 from St. Concordia University/ Christian faith and Andrew’s Lutheran Wisconsin and Working with also leave a legacy learning, student Church in Laramie, Concordia/Ann Arbor, Pat over the years has which will extend well outcomes, robust Wyoming, where he Michigan. He has been been a joy and I have into the future through program growth in served as campus an inspirational leader been amazed at all the many students, the areas of health pastor for students with vision and insight, he has accomplished faculty and staff he has science, business, and at the University of who gathered a great at CUW and CUAA. impacted over his 24 education, and the Wyoming. He began team around him to His well-deserved years of service.” n successful merger his Concordia career as serve the needs of retirement will leave with a sister campus, a professor of history. students while serving some large running Concordia University Ferry was inaugurated the Church at large. shoes to fill, but it will Ann Arbor, MI in 2013. as the university’s 8th While the days president in August ahead are ones filled of 1997. He is one of Free District Middle School Event Gathering Goes Virtual FLGA Executive Director of Missions and Outreach, Dr. Peter Meier, invites you to join him for Mission Mondays, a one-hour Zoom discussion on a FLGA District Middle School Gathering slated for Novembr wide-range of mission and outreach 7th is going virtual! This is a FREE EVENT and will offer keynote topics. Mission Mondays discussions speakers, the Bread of Stone band (including a live 30-minute are scheduled for the 2nd and 4th casual meet and greet with them). The event will be emceed Mondays of each month at 11am by Wes Wright and will run from 6 to 9 pm. Additional information is available on the FLGA District Website. three As I write this we are just days following the President’s Equip Conference 2020. It wasn’t the conference I initially envisioned, but it was AScertainly the conference God can and will use to help shape His Church into the future. In fact, there’s still time to check it all out until December 31, 2020 — and it is my hope that many will take the time to experience this first-ever online virtual conference in the Florida-Georgia District. In 2018, as we began to think about this triennial conference, I began a conversation with Trish Aamoth, former President of the FLGA District LWML. It had been my hope for some time that we could hold a conference all together in one location, hence the theme that emerged, “One Body, Many Parts.” The verses that inspired me came from 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Here’s a portion of that text: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many… But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and ONE BODY individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 24b-27) MANY PARTS We determined that working together was not only God pleasing, but would also reduce costs and give everyone four LIFE a greater opportunity for worked, and we had less Almost 900 registered that seemed to work fellowship and learning. than 13 weeks to pivot (what for the conference, and so well together, It wasn’t long before Trish, has become a very popular will have full access to the from the excellent with the support of her concept) and change our material until the end of this Bible studies led by board, signed on, and we format to pull together calendar year.