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	LCMSNews -- No. 8
	February 4, 2004

	Administration officials commend
	Missouri Synod human-care work

	Officials of President George W. Bushs administration commended
Synod human-care work in remarks at the Jan. 19 inauguration of the new
deaconess program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.

	The President is interested in results as they help poor
people, said Tim Goeglein, a Missouri Synod Lutheran and Fort Wayne
native who serves as deputy director of the White House Office of Public
Liaison.

	Goegleins address previewed what the President later said in
his State of the Union Address. He (Bush) is not going to exclude an
entire class of faith-based organizations because they happen to have a
cross or star of David on the wall, Goeglein said.

	Rebecca Rees Dummermuth, associate director for legal affairs in
the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI),
said the wide range of services provided by LCMS ministries and the
new deaconess program make abundantly clear that you are among those
the President refers to as the neighborhood healers and social
entrepreneurs of our country -- those who are filling needs that the
government alone cannot fill.

	One goal of the FBCI office, Dummermuth said, is to level the
playing field in making government funds more accessible to faith-based
organizations that help hurting Americans.

	The church serving people in need was the focus of the Jan. 19
inaugural event, which was co-sponsored by the seminary and LCMS World
Relief and Human Care. About 170 people took part, including U.S. Rep.
Mark Souder of Indiana, LCMS Indiana District President Daniel May and
seminary officials.

	This is a historic moment for the seminary as women begin to
study Lutheran theology and prepare to serve the church through
diakonia, an integral and vital part of the churchs mission of mercy
and compassion in the clear name of Jesus, said Rev. Matthew Harrison,
LCMS World Relief and Human Care executive director, and a keynote
speaker.

	A total of 75 women are enrolled in three LCMS deaconess
programs, including 12 at Fort Wayne, and others at Concordia
University, River Forest, Ill., and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

	This is the highest number ever, said Deaconess Kristin
Wassilak, director of the River Forest program and chair of the LCMS
World Relief and Human Care Deaconess Task Force, who delivered the
plenary address.

	Wassilak urged congregations to recognize that mercy and care
is an essential mission of the church and to tap the services of at
least 15 deaconesses available for calls.

	******************************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.)

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