With prayer and thanksgiving to God for His great mercy, the Montana District began its work for the 2023–26 Synod triennium under the theme “Your word is a lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105).
A. Presidential Activities During the triennium, the president of the district visited every congregation during a worship service, encouraging fidelity to God’s Word as our lamp in the darkness of this world. He also met with the elders of each congregation, using the same theme to teach how elders may support their pastors. In addition, he met with the pastors of the district to hear their joys and sorrows and to review their Pastor’s Information Forms, offering encouragement in their ministry. Finally, he visited the schools of the district, making similar presentations and providing encouragement and support.
B. Goals Being Met The district has made progress in implementing resolutions of the 2023 Synod convention. Several highlights follow:
(Res. 6-02A). Scholarships for men and women enrolled in church work programs at our Concordia universities and seminaries have increased (Res. 7-06B). In addition, the district board of directors has expanded student-loan repayment assistance for ordained and commissioned ministers (Res. 12-03A). The majority of district congregations average fewer than 50 worshipers on a weekend and more than 70 percent are in multi-parish relationships. These congregations care deeply for one another and actively seek ways to provide mutual support. The district continues to work with the Office of National Mission to “aid small congregations and multi-congregation pastors and parishes” (Res. 1-02A). The district has a rich heritage of supporting life as a gift of God from cradle to grave. Congregations continue to support Lutherans For Life groups, local crisis pregnancy centers, and efforts to “promote a culture of life” throughout the district (Res. 3-01). We also give thanks for our Lutheran schools (Res. 12-04A). Though the district has only six K–8 schools due to the number of small congregations, these schools receive strong support. During his visits, the president consistently encouraged support for Lutheran schools and teachers, as well as strong cate cheti cal instruction— especially in the home (Res. 12-05A)—with the goal of fostering a next generation of Lutherans who know and live the faith. During the triennium, the district board of directors developed a new tool to assist in evaluating the district’s four subsidized congregations. The board seeks to be faithful stewards of the Lord’s gifts while identifying additional opportunities for Gospel proclamation. The new district triennium (2025–28) began with the theme “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Rom. 1:16). We gave thanks to God for the faithful service and 19-year presidency of Rev. Terry Forke. The district elected and welcomed the Rev. Ryan D. Wendt as its ninth president.
C. Strengths The district remains remarkably homogenous and evangelical in its dedication to the truth of God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions. The ministerium demonstrates genuine love and care for one another, and the people of God are generous with their time and gifts. Congregational offerings to the district continue to increase, schools are growing, and the lamp is not hidden under a bushel in Montana.
D. Weaknesses While the congregations of the district are predominantly small, they are also widely dispersed geographically. Pastors in the district cover extensive territory, and many serve in relative isolation. Increasingly, it seems that pastors are reluctant to serve in multi-parish settings or to heed the Lord’s call to serve congregations many hundreds of miles from home and family.
District congregations, schools, and church workers have been encouraged to engage zealously in the Set Apart to Serve (SAS) initiative (Res. 6-01). A district SAS committee was established and remains active. Renewed conversations with young men and women about church work vocations have borne fruit, and the number of full-time church work students from our congregations has increased.
Some 50 percent of the active pastors in the district are already at retirement age or will reach it within the next five years. Although several younger pastors were welcomed into the district during the past triennium, some proved unable to serve faithfully and were removed from office. Filling pastoral and teaching vacancies has become increasingly difficult. Some 46 percent of retired pastors on the district roster continue to serve vacancies, many of them traveling hundreds of miles over a weekend.
The district convention directed up to 5 percent of yearly congregational giving to the Joint Seminary Fund in continued support of “proper pastoral formation through our Synod’s Seminaries”
The need for more seminary-trained capable pastors and certified Lutheran teachers who are eager and willing to serve is a pressing and ongoing concern for the district.
E. Opportunities Because God has promised that He will provide workers for His harvest field and has assured us that His Word does not return to Him void, we see many opportunities for ministry in the district. The strength and competence of our well-educated clergy are respected within our communities. As Montana’s larger cities continue to grow, younger people are seeking an unchanging truth amid a world of constant change and uncertainty. We have what they need, and we are “not ashamed of the Gospel” for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.