The quadrennium has been a challenging time for the people of the state of Illinois who support life from conception. Illinois prides itself on being the most progressive state in the Midwest and is striving to become the leader in providing abortion services of all kinds in the United States. The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision of the United States Supreme Court overturned what was perceived to be a constitutional right to abortion following the Roe v. Wade case a half-century ago. Neighboring states are enacting stricter abortion controls or outright bans. Illinois welcomes abortion providers from out of state to relocate to Illinois. A culture of death for the newly conceived and even newborn from a failed abortion surrounds us. Previous restrictions as to who, where, and when an abortion may occur have been lifted by the legislature. There are no mandated reporting requirements or even health standards for clinics providing abortion services. Abortion advocates once called for abortions to be safe, legal, and rare. In the frenzy following Dobbs, the health care of the woman is sacrificed to get rid of the newly conceived any way possible. Amid these challenges, the Southern Illinois District (SID) encouraged the formation of an Advocates for Life team. Dedicated laypeople and church workers have accepted the challenge and do exactly what their name indicates. They advocate for life for all people of all ages. The culture of death threatens to expand into assisted suicide. A day may come when those who are unable to make a positive contribution to society will be left to die or assisted to do so with the blessing of the state. Within this deadly culture, We Preach Christ Crucified. We proclaim the eternal Gospel of life and salvation through the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. The Lord God created life. When man sinned, God the Father sent His own Son to take our sin upon Himself and pay for it through His own death on the cross. It is the Lord who makes people alive again through the birth from above in the waters of Baptism. Isaiah reminds us that the dead will live. Where in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive. We need this life-giving and life-affirming message in this culture of death that permeates our state and nation. Life issues, coupled with the restrictions that followed from the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to greater cooperation among all three geographical districts in Illinois. Together, we are monitoring events in state government that challenge the sanctity of life and restrict the freedom to assemble and worship. Our staffs are pledged to meet regularly to better understand the challenges, coordinate responses, and work with like-minded people across the state on these shared issues. In response to the government orders to close schools for an initial two weeks to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic outbreak in March 2020, our churches and our elementary and secondary schools responded quickly. Within two weeks of in-person closure, our schools were open with online learning. Several congregations never stopped meeting. Most sought to comply with health department regulations. Some pastors and congregations responded by offering parking lot services broadcast over low-power FM radio. Many others took their services online through Facebook and You Tube. Provisions were made for people to receive the Sacrament of the Altar in person. Our people and church workers are to be commended for their heroic efforts to provide education and Word and Sacrament ministry in a most trying time.
Southern Illinois remains a largely rural and small-town district. There is no community within our district with more than 50,000 in population. The Metro East suburbs of St. Louis have an urban vibe, yet one finds farmland interspersed throughout these communities. A fourth of the SID congregations started in 1865 or earlier. Most of our congregations are within a 75-mile radius of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The farther east and south you go from St. Louis, the lower the Lutheran population. These areas may rightly be considered part of the old Bible Belt. Several smaller congregations are having difficulty finding a pastor to serve them, even part-time. The number of congregations sharing pastors has doubled since 2015. Some dual parishes find it difficult to support a full-time pastor. The farther one is from St. Louis, the greater the difficulty in finding a vacancy pastor or even pulpit supply. Four congregations have closed since the 2019 convention in Tampa. We expect to see further consolidation or closures in the decade ahead. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest fields! Parochial education remains strong within Southern Illinois. Over half our congregations either operate or belong to an association that has a daycare, preschool, K–8 elementary, or Lutheran high school connection. The district supports campus ministry at Southern Illinois University at both of their campuses in Carbondale and Edwardsville. Both campus ministries are known for their work with international students. Prison ministry continues despite various restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The 2022 SID convention entered partnership with the Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic. This seminary serves Latin America and the Caribbean with the training of pastors and deaconesses. We are excited to share in the training of workers to be pastors and deaconesses in their home countries that they may also proclaim the crucified and risen Savior. We Preach Christ Crucified. By God’s grace, this is what we live and do in our modern culture of death. As the triune God blesses, may we never stray from this message!