St John Lutheran Church

From Pastor Schulte’s Pen

October 2009

 Annual Congregation Meeting Report

The Annual Meeting of St. John Lutheran Congregation was held on Sunday, September 27, 2009. The following new Congregation Council Members were elected: Dennis Kruse was elected to fill the unexpired term of one year. The Council has appointed the person elected to begin filling the vacancy immediately with term ending at the end of 2010. Don Busby was elected to serve as Treasurer; Deanna Grist was elected to serve as Chair of the Evangelism Committee; Anne Fulling Chair of the Children’s Ministry Committee,Brandt Klutts, Chair of The Property Committee; Emma Kruse and Alexander Ruck were elected to the two Youth Member positions.

The congregation adopted a budget of $1,055,000.00 for 2010. In separate action on a Congregation Council recommendation, the congregation voted to rescind its policy of forwarding 10% of Member Offerings to the Synod and ELCA, replacing it with an interim policy of placing 10% of Member Offerings into a St. John Lutheran General Benevolence Fund and authorized Council to distribute the benevolence to Synod Ministries such as Crosstrails, Lutheran Social Services of the South, Missionary Sponsorship, World Hunger, Lutheran World Relief, other local ministries as well as providing support for developing new Lutheran Church bodies. Provision will be made to allow members to designate offerings to The Southwestern Texas Synod for distribution to Synod and Churchwide support on offering envelopes.

The Congregation also approved the following Interim Policy in accordance with the ELCA’s recommendation for congregations who do not agree with the recently adopted Policy permitting “all congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.” In the policy adopted, St. John committed itself to welcoming Gay and Lesbian persons into the life of the congregation but restricted St. John clergy from performing any same gender union ceremonies and restricted congregation facilities to any such ceremony. The congregation also stated its intention to refuse to consider for call same gender rostered persons. Acting on a motion from the floor, the congregation voted to ask the Congregation Council to call a Special Congregation Meeting to consider and vote on the congregation’s disaffiliation from the ELCA in order to be part of another Lutheran Church body. No timeline was set for this action but the council is expected to call such a meeting when all pertinent information is available for the congregation’s consideration.

The Pastors reports celebrated the fact that our congregation is now fully staffed with most capable staff and wonderful ministry is taking place, along with their desire, hope and prayer that we not allow any issue or decision to interfere with our ministry to this community and to the world.