Double Wow

I haven't written much about it, but our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod elected a new president at our recent convention. His name is Rev. Matt Harrison. For the last nine years Rev. Harrison has been the executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. Think of all the disasters at home and abroad in the last nine years. Rev. Harrison has overseen the mercy work of our church in all of those disasters, going to the scene of the disasters to move boxes and supplies, to hold the hand of amputees, to relieve the burden of the pastors and relief workers that are there, to pray, to let those affected know that the Lord is present. He's our new president.

I received word from a friend of mine that at the installation service of our new officers, Rev. Walter Obare will deliver the sermon. This is the double wow, for Rev. Walter Obare is the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya, our sister church body. And Walter and I were in homiletics together at seminary. Walter is an older man, in his fifties, but we were in the same class. A genial, kind, funny, man of faith and integrity. I'm so pleased with this news.

And in a very nice note, the Concordia Deaconness Society, the official organization of all the deaconnesses that serve in our church body, will have a participatory role in the installation service as well!