wfn.org | [LCMSNews] LCEF chief urges support for 'Ablaze!'

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	November 24, 2004 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 82

	LCEF chief urges support for 'Ablaze!'

	By Joe Isenhower Jr.

	DALLAS -- Merle Freitag, president of the Lutheran Church
Extension Fund, encouraged participants at the annual LCEF Fall
Leadership Conference here to "get involved, personally and
organizationally, in a big way" with "Ablaze!," LCMS World Mission's
initiative to reach 100 million unreached people with the Gospel by
2017.

	"I believe this is the right initiative, at the right time, by
the right organization; and, as such, is an opportunity of unparalleled
importance to The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod," said Freitag in his
"The State of the LCEF" address Nov. 21.

	"One Mission -- Ablaze! -- Igniting the Flame" was the theme for
this year's Nov. 19-21 conference.

	Freitag noted that Jesus "gave us an example" of how to
accomplish the Ablaze! goal when he said in Luke 10, "the harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few."

	"Then He sent out ... disciples ... to spread the message, the
Good News," he said.

	"So, it is clear," Freitag said. "Our mission as a community of
believers -- as a church -- is to be outreach-oriented, not contained
within the walls of a congregation, but to go out and instruct others
[and] share the message of the Word."

	"You need to be an initiator," he told conference participants,
"in your organization, your department, your school and your church. ...
Start your own Ablaze! movement. Share your passion with others."

	Freitag noted that LCEF has decided to support Ablaze! in three
specific ways, by:

	* adopting elements of it -- such as this conference's theme --
in marketing efforts over the next three years;

	* designating $10 million to be provided at a cost of 1 percent
to districts that participate with an LCMS World Mission program to
plant new missions in North America; and

	* rolling out a new feature of its Special Interest Program,
through which LCEF investors can support specific ministries with their
interest earnings.

	Activity report

	Freitag also provided an update on other LCEF activities, as of
June 30.

	He reported that total assets on that date stood at a record
$1.398 billion, that the capital-asset ratio (which indicates financial
strength) improved to 11.24 percent, and that the loan portfolio grew
7.3 percent, to $1.098 billion.

	"Congregations continue to be our primary customer and our
primary focus," he said, "accounting for 77 percent of the loan
portfolio.

	"In addition to growth in loans, the other good news is that the
loan interest rate has been remarkably low for the past year, [with]
rates for congregations on new loans dropping to as low as 5 percent,"
Freitag said.

	Since interest rates recently have started to climb, he
predicted that LCEF cost of funds will rise, "but at a slower rate than
the marketplace. ... That will be good for all of our loan customers."

	He noted that the loan-approval rate "ran well above the norm"
in the period of 2001-2004, peaked in 2004 (reaching a record high of
$294 million), but is projected to drop to about $180 million for the
fiscal year that ends next June.

	"In spite of the drop, that high loan demand for five years is
good news for the Missouri Synod," Freitag said. "It reflects optimism
by the people in the pews about the future of their church body.

	"The related good news," he said, "is that investors in LCEF
continued to be strong supporters for the work of the church" in FY
2004, "and their invested funds will meet the projected loan demand at
least for the next 18 months.

	"We had a remarkable year," Freitag told the conference
participants, with earnings for 2004 "substantially above prior years."
As a result, LCEF management and its Board of Directors "doubled the
distribution of shared earnings to our partners in ministry," he said.

	He then showed a slide revealing that $2.54 million was
distributed from those earnings -- $254,000 to the Synod and $2.29
million for 28 LCEF partner districts.

	Among other "highlights" for LCEF, Freitag cited:

	* the StewardAccount, which he described as an "easy-access
savings account," had investments of $231 million in 7,600 accounts by
the end of September.

	* the Professional Church Worker Loan Program within its first
four years has served about 1,000 professional church workers.

	* a successful tax-exempt loan program for Synod colleges and
universities has led to the start of a similar program for high schools
and social-ministry organizations.

	Freitag drew applause when he said that since the beginning of
FY 2005, more than $35 million has been placed with tax-exempt
offerings, resulting in savings of more than $700,000 to schools and
other participants.

	* a prototype Mission Site Fund is in place through which LCEF
has agreed to provide $10 million, at a cost of 1 percent, for planting
new missions in North America. Participating districts use the proceeds
to fund new mission planting.

	* the Art Haake World Mission Fund has provided assistance to
the Board for Mission Services and partner churches. Through the fund,
Concordia International School Shanghai is currently constructing a
third building on its campus.

	* Laborers For Christ hosted a strategic planning session a year
ago to develop plans for the future, including a design
consultant/project manager service to help congregations through the
building process.

	* the Iowa District East Church Extension Fund joined LCEF last
January.

	LCMS president's address

	In his address to the conference, Synod President Gerald
Kieschnick told participants, " I am counting on each and all of you to
provide leadership for our wonderful church in the years ahead."

	Kieschnick said he has "passion to move this church that has
gained the reputation of being a 'sleeping giant' into one that will be
known as a 'church ablaze' in the One Mission of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ."

	"It is no secret that I am energized by the One Mission--Ablaze!
emphasis that is sweeping across our church," Kieschnick said. "As I
look at all that is going on at this particular conference and at so
many of the 6,150 congregations of our Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
and [its] mission stations and partners, I truly believe the hand of
Almighty God is upon our little church body, preparing us for a time ...
analogous to the excitement, commitment, and passion catalyzed by none
other than God the Holy Spirit on the occasion of Pentecost."

	"I realize that the Lord can do far more than we can ever
imagine might be done and that He can accomplish far more than we can
envision," Kieschnick told the assembly. "So, as I speak of goals like
2,000 new mission congregations and 100 million people around the world
reached with the Gospel, I do so with fervent prayer that God will do
far more among us than our feebler minds can conceive."

	Kieschnick asked the 650-some conference registrants "... to
join me in praying to the Lord of the Harvest to work a mighty work
among us for the sake of His church and for the mission of Christ, that
the hearts of many may be set ablaze with the Gospel."

	Other meetings

	As in past years, a number of other groups -- including the
Synod's Board of Directors, Council of Presidents, and district business
managers -- met in days just before the LCEF conference started.

	During its Nov. 18-19 meeting, the Board of Directors decided to
prepare and send out a communication piece -- similar to its "Board
Briefs" earlier this year -- giving its views regarding an amendment to
the Synod's Constitution dealing with the Board's authority.

	The amendment, adopted by this year's Synod convention, has been
sent to LCMS congregations for a vote that requires the approval of
two-thirds of them for ratification. The deadline for that voting is
Feb. 16.

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

	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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