PRESS RELEASE September 20, 2022

The Southern Illinois District of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League holds Convention September 16 and 17, 2022

A total of 218 men and women attended the 41^st Biennial Convention of the Southern Illinois District of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. It was held September 16 and 17^th at Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School in Evansville, IL. The theme for the event was “Walking With Jesus” based on Luke 24:15(NIV) “As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them

The Convention began Friday evening, with a Bible Study and a prayer walk hosted by the Young Women Representatives (YWR) from the Southern Illinois District. 86 women enjoyed the evening of fellowship.

Saturday morning, the guests were greeted with coffee, juice and breakfast goodies. The convention began at 8:30 a.m. with a Worship Service with Holy Communion. Rev. Stephen Krenz and Rev. Steven Jacobsen, SID Counselors, officiated at the service. 

Following the service, Diane Grebing, the SID President, called the business meeting to order and welcomed everyone. She was then pleased to introduce three special guests, Rev. Timothy J. Scharr, SID LCMS President, Shelley Moeller from the CID and is serving as the Convention Manager for the National LWML Convention in Milwaukee and Deb Larson, our National LWML President. 

 Delegates of the convention voted by mail prior to the Convention for the 2022-2024 Southern Illinois District Mission Grants. The total mite goal was set at $67,000.00.  A total of 14 recipients were selected out of 31 applicants.  The following are the grant proposals that were selected for the 2022-2024 biennium:

1.  Belong to Jesus Scholarship: Helping Hands in Need-Unity East St Louis            $6,000.00

2.  Camp Wartburg “Shepherding Sheep” Camp for people with disabilities             $5,000.00

3.   Seminary Student Scholarship – Southern Illinois District                                       $8,000.00

4.  Lutheran Braille Centers in our Southern Illinois District (4 Centers)                      $8,000.00

5.  Orphan Grain Train Domestic Disaster Relief                                                                $4,000.00

6.  Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School Financial Aid Assistance                           $4,000.00

7.  Shared Prison & Jail Ministry with Southern Illinois District 11 Facilities              $6,000.00

8.  American & International Campus Ministry, SIU Carbondale                                    $4,000.00

9.  Lutheran Campus Ministry, Edwardsville, LCMS-U@SIUE                                        $3,500.00

10. Holy Cross Lutheran Church LLC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry                                    $5,000.00

11. Student Assistance Fund Scholarships – SID                                                               $4,000.00

12. Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School, Centralia. Rev. Mueller Mentor Grant    $4,000.00

13. Hope for the Hopeless – LCMS Life Ministry                                                                $5,000.00

14. LCMS Missionary Support, Mission Central Mapleton, Iowa (partial funding)    $    500.00

Following was the voting for the election of new officers. The results of the election are as follows:

Pastoral Counselor: Rev. Jesse Biermann

President: Carol Walther

VP of Organizational Resources: Carol Small

VP Special Focus Ministries: Mary Gray

Corresponding Secretary: Norma Tucker

Financial Secretary: Carol Oldinski

Guest Speaker, Deb Larson, LWML National President brought greetings from the National LWML. We are HIS. Held by His Word, Inspired to share HIS message, and Surrounded by HIS grace! She thanked each and every one of us for sharing our time and talents. President Larson reported we have given a total of $130 million to our Mission Grants which includes both National and District grants. For the 2021-2023 biennium, we will plan to fund 28 National grants for a total of $2.15 million!  This year is LWML’s 80^th anniversary, and she encouraged us to pass on our blessings with “80 something”. Our 40^th Biennial National Convention will be held June 22-25, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and invited us all to attend.

The familiar hymn “Let us ever walk with Jesus” was the bases of the afternoon session.  Presentations were made by past grant recipients Comfort Dogs Ministry, New Minden Braille Center, SID Prison Ministry, Camp Wartburg, Unity Lutheran from East St Louis and the Seminary Scholarships on how these grants were a blessing to them. Also, there was a presentation from Heart to Heart Sisters, Gifts of Love and the new On-line giving program. A skit was performed reminding everyone about the upcoming National Convention in Milwaukee June 22 – 25, 2023.

The ingathering for the event were paper products for Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School. The amount collected was 114 rolls of paper towels, 50 packs of napkins, 39 packs of paper plates, 35 reams of paper and 8 assorted paper supplies. Also, a Mite Market was held, where members brought items that were made and sold, and the proceeds are for Mite projects. The total proceeds from the Mite Market was $2,631.00. The worship offering totaled $4,966.00 and this went to support our new mission grants for 2022-2024.

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is the official auxiliary of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. This year, the LWML is celebrating 80 years of God’s Grace. In thanksgiving of God’s blessing for 80 years, each member was encouraged to do “80” of something to pass on their blessings to others. Go to the website www.sidlwml.org to see some of the creative ideas these ladies came up with. 

Saturday began with registration, shopping at the Mite Market and visiting the many vendor tables.

Installation of Officers

The newly elected officers formed a circle and the current Board of Directors encircled them.  Then after they were installed the out going officers stepped out of the circle and the new officers joined the rest as the New Board of Directors of the Southern Illinois District.

Time for fellowship and making lasting memories