From the Jersey Shore to the Appalachian Highlands, from the New York suburbs to the Philadelphia suburbs, from the sandy Pine Barrens to the fertile dairy lands, New Jersey is a wonderfully diverse place to live and proclaim the Good News that Christ Is Risen Indeed! Yet, the geography only points to an even more diverse demographic. New Jersey is the home to more scientists and engineers per square mile than any other area of the world. Religiously and ethnically, it is host to the second-largest population in the U.S. of Jews, Muslims, and Cubans, the largest population of Peruvians, as well as high numbers of Portuguese, Brazilians, Hispanics, Arabs, African Americans, Asians, Chinese, and Italians. In fact, 23.4 percent of its residents were born outside of the U.S.! This great diversity of people of over 9.5 million and growing is all gathered together into 8,721 square miles, making New Jersey the most densely populated state in the U.S. Yet there are only four cities with a population greater than 100,000! That means the population is spread out over a multitude of smaller cities and municipalities. The challenges of culture, language, religion, thought, and worldview are readily evident within this environment. The question is how does a well-established, relatively long-term resident, primarily of a northern European descent, church share the Gospel of the risen Christ with such a diverse population? The good news is that this is happening and with God’s blessing will accelerate in the coming days. Both our prayers and our work aim at reaching all the people of New Jersey in their great diversity one person at a time. Ironically, the dense population of New Jersey is, in some ways,
3-04A Disaster Relief – Disaster Relief Team training 4-01A Koinonia – Participated in SMP Koinonia 5-13A Online Technology – Subject at Pastor Conferences 6-02A, 6-03A Pastoral Formation – Subject at Pastor Conferences / Discussions with pastoral candidates 6-04
Service of Laity – Presidential missive
6-06A PALS – Work with area districts to form a group 6-09
Provide for pastors’ families – Strategic Plan, Target 2
7-06B Support Universities – District Scholarships The seven mission priorities dating back to the 2016 Synod convention continue in the background, helping to shape the district’s ministry response to its mission and challenges.
Ministry and Strategic Plans Back in 2021, it was determined that a ministry plan was needed to help stabilize congregations and move them forward in ministry. The result was the Initiative for Ministry Development (IMD). Working in conjunction with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund’s Ministry Solutions unit, the district has developed a long term, ongoing plan to help congregations develop and implement ministry plans. The plan had three phases: • Small Church Clarity (SCC) helps smaller congregations develop and implement a manageable and effective annual ministry plan. The plan includes a simple guiding statement, goals and action steps in the areas of worship, study of the Word, fellowship, service (outreach), and a printed brochure presenting the ministry of the congregation for distribution to visitors and at outreach events. Campus and financial planning are also included in the plan. • •
New Jersey District University (NJDU) is a fuller, more in depth version of SCC for more mature congregations. Since these are larger congregations, their plans will encompass more areas of ministry, in a more sophisticated way. NJDU is a seven-session, seven-month process compared to SCC’s four-session, four-month process. Advanced Development. Congregations that have completed either SCC or NJDU are eligible to enroll in Advanced Development sessions that will cover a host of topics to train and equip congregational leaders to better lead and serve their congregations and communities.
More than half of the district congregations have participated in IMD, and that number continues to grow! In addition to this ministry focus, the district unveiled its new strategic plan at the 2025 district convention. This plan features four strategic targets: • Healthy Congregations
- Healthy Workers
- Expanded Ethnic Ministry
- Financial Development
you in His own holiness, hung naked, bare, and exposed. He hung on the cross dressed only in your sins and the sins of the entire world. He’s covered in your sin, and you are covered in His righteousness. Despite various challenges, the district has been exceedingly blessed by our gracious Lord. The pastorate is dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel, despite the hardships they may face. Several of the pastors travel over 200 miles to serve a vacancy. Among the 77 congregations in North Dakota, there are 10 dual parishes, 7 tri-parishes, and 2 quad-parishes. Many other congregations share a pastor but are not in an official parish arrangement. These congregations are being served, at the time of this writing, by 44 active pastors. I have never heard any of the pastors complain or give thought to pulling back. The challenges that the district faces are shared by many others. The demographic shift away from rural communities has made it difficult in many areas of North Dakota. Rural churches are growing smaller, putting at risk the proclamation of the Gospel in congregations that used to flourish. Apathy toward God’s Word, financial stress, and overall rural congregational sustainability are problems that our people face. To address these issues, I have put before the district a threefold emphasis: catechesis, rural ministry, and preaching stations.
For each of these target areas there is an assigned task force that works on developing the strategic plan with goals and action steps to be shared with congregations and pastors. While there are too many aspects of each of the targets to be mentioned here, the task forces, in conjunction with the direction of the district president, are prioritizing goals and developing action steps for district and congregational implementation. Some of them correlate to Synod resolutions (see above), and others are of local priority. Filling the pastoral office of our congregations continues to be a priority and challenge for the district. One answer has been the increasing number of congregations that have chosen to enter into a shared ministry. This enables congregations to have another chapter in life and the opportunity to write an alternative to closing. Our prayer is that with involvement in Small Church Clarity they can have a brighter future. Another answer is for congregations to engage in the specific ministry pastor program. The district now has six specific ministry pastors and another three in training. These men are proving to be a great blessing to our congregations and district. We encourage our Synod to embrace our history when we had both a practical and theoretical path to ordination and use this concept in the present. Our prayer is that the risen Christ would bless the humble efforts of the district toward healthy congregations, healthy workers, and vibrant outreach to the glory and honor of God, the edification of His Church, and the salvation of the world. Stephen A. Gewecke, President
A. Catechesis The treasures of our Lutheran heritage are great and abundant, wide and deep. This marvelous confession of faith, drawn from the sacred Scriptures, has been passed down by the faithful who have come before us. As a cherished heirloom is bequeathed down the generations, so, too, have we received this confession of Christ and His redeeming work from our forefathers in the faith. We do not hold the Lutheran Confessions on par with Scripture; we do not say that the Confessions are infallible, but we do say that our confession has not erred or failed. The goal for the district is for there to be a Confessions study in every circuit and parish. These Lutheran treasures are not just for egg headed clergy but are a gift bequeathed from our Lutheran forefathers to all of us today.
B. Rural Ministry Rural ministry is of great concern for our district. The goal is to help as many struggling congregations as possible. To that end, a Rural Ministry Task Force has been established to discuss ideas to serve struggling rural congregations. There are several ideas that have been discussed. 1. Hub-and-Spoke Models, also called the Cathedral Model. A larger, multi-staff congregation deploys her pastors to serve smaller congregations in the area. 2. Reise pre diger, i.e., traveling preacher. A man travels a larger area, bringing the gifts of God to the people.
North Dakota District
3. Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program. The SMP is, in my opinion, an exception that is to be made only in rare circumstances. Thus, for an SMP candidate to serve, the situation must be a rural parish that makes it improbable for them to be served in any other way.
The North Dakota District met in convention in January 2025 under the banner “Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness.” Our Lord, who has clothed you in His righteousness in Baptism, who robed
4. Congregations entering into parish agreements. Some of these models require a congregation to be gathered by the Holy Spirit to receive the gifts of God at a time other than
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Sunday morning. In my congregational visits, I teach the people that Sunday morning is not a divinely mandated time to receive the Lord’s gifts. If they receive the gifts on Sunday afternoon or Tuesday evening, give praise to God for sending them. In addition, 2025 district convention Res. 3-04A, “To Create a District Fund for Sudden Financial Hardships,” has been implemented. There has been a fund and an application process created for struggling congregations to apply for funds in case of an acute need, usually maintenance related. Also, the idea has been put forth that, as Paul collected funds from churches for the saints in Jerusalem, a fund be set up for more chronic needs of struggling congregations. The working title of this initiative is “Collection for the Saints.”
C. Preaching Stations As we are thinking of ways to assist the rural congregations of the district, we also keep an eye on opportunities for church planting as well. Currently, there are two preaching stations in the district and several others have been identified as good candidates. In my view, preaching stations are preferable to the district calling a man as a mission planter for several reasons. 1. It locates the primary work of missions in the local congregation, with the district in a supportive role. 2. Preaching stations are significantly less of a financial burden. 3. The pastor already has a call to an altar and pulpit. He, essentially, takes the pulpit to which he has been called to another location. A mission planter who has been called by the district is called neither to an altar nor a pulpit. If 10 preaching stations are started and one flourishes into a congregation, God be praised; the work of growth is granted by our Lord who works through His Word. The district also participates in international mission work. Project 24 and Christ Care for Children Kenya have been enthusiastically supported by convention delegates for many years. The district has partnered with and supported the Lutheran Church in Chile. The saints in North Dakota, who have shirked their own righteousness before God and have received the robe of Christ’s righteousness, continue faithfully to hear and receive. Our pastors continue to bring God’s Word to the people, despite the many challenges. The district continues to strive to be faithful to our Lord’s Word and cherish that which we have received from the saints who have come before us. Mark A. Chepulis, President