Official Workbook report source text
Official Workbook source-navigation report record. No analysis has been added.
- Report number/id
- R46
- Report title
- R46 Pacific Southwest District
- Workbook start page
- 130
- Workbook end page
- 132
- Source pages
- 130, 131, 132
- Source status
- source_checked
- Committee
- Not available
R46 Pacific Southwest District The Pacific Southwest District is honored to welcome the Synod to our district as the 2026 Synod convention gathers in Phoenix around the theme Christ Is Risen Indeed. The mission of the district is to effectively resource congregations and schools for transform- ing lives and making the Great Commission REAL! Here are 10 highlighted ways that this mission is being fulfilled as we partner together to proclaim the risen Christ. (References to applicable 2023 Synod convention resolutions are included at the bottom of each section.) The 47th Convention of the Pacific Southwest District gathered under the theme Redeemed to Tell, inspired by Psalm 107:2: “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” The convention, held June 25–27, 2025, at the beautiful La Quinta Resort in the desert of Southern California, reflected the hope and joy in which 265 congregations and 136 schools came together to tell the stories of God’s abundant faithfulness to the 36 million people who live with- in the district. Evangelism, Mission, and Church Planting The district continues to pursue the creation of 100 new Gos- pel-proclaiming ministries by 2031, the 100th anniversary of the district. To date, over 50 intentional Gospel-proclaiming ministries have begun. The Lutheran Mission Society of San Diego, under the guidance of Mission Director Rev. Dr. Tardelli V oss, is work- ing with over 50 lay evangelists who come from many different cultures and are individually connected to local San Diego County congregations. Many of these individuals are now pursuing LCMS pathways into rostered church work. The Coastal Mission Society has become a guiding force for church planting in the district. Rev. John Alwood, a career church planter who recently colloquized into the LCMS, leads this equipping and planting effort that has already launched 13 new locations that will soon qualify as “new church starts.” On Sept. 30, 2025, the district, in partnership with the LCMS Office of International Ministry, hosted a FORO in San Diego that introduced mission opportunities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. President Omar Garza of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico participated. (Res. 1-03A, “To Plant More Churches”; Res. 11-03A, “To Love and Disciple Peoples of All Ethnicities, Languages, and Skin Colors”; Res. 1-05A, “To Increase Mission Efforts to Immigrants and Various Cultural Groups in North Amer- ica”; Res. 2-07A, “To Commend Use and Attendance of FOROs”) In the Western Region, which includes the Enid, Kingfisher, and Panhandle circuits, outreach continues among the Burmese Karen people. The result includes multiple baptisms and confirma- tions. Lutherhaven Retreat Center is located near Knowles and of- fers wilderness and waterfront experiences. Youth retreats are held in the summer. Continuing education courses are also hosted for church workers. Various seminary professors have taught there and discovered the open spaces of the Oklahoma Panhandle. In the Central Region, which includes the Oklahoma City, Lawton, and Norman circuits, the Hispanic ministry continues. The future growth of these ministries offers exciting potential. We sup- port pastors and missionaries from this region who now serve at the new seminary in Shinyanga, Tanzania. We also assist in church planting in Italy and Latvia. One teaches systematics and also as- sists in pastoral formation. Ministry to the armed forces has contin- ued at the U.S. Army Training Center at Ft. Sill. Local pastors have conducted the Divine Service on the military base for the soldiers who are serving our country. In the Eastern Region, which includes the Tulsa, Miami, and Ponca City circuits, spiritual doors have opened for outreach among Hispanic people. Also, our Camp Lutherhoma resides on 120 acres in beautiful eastern Oklahoma, located along the Illinois River just east of Tahlequah. The mission of the camp is to nurture discipleship in Jesus Christ in outdoor settings. It ministers to hun- dreds of youth during summer and winter programs. They learn how to share the love of Christ to the world. The camp also offers its beautiful facilities as retreat settings for groups, congregations, and families. When a tornado went directly through Camp Lutherhoma in June of 2025, we worked together with district volunteers, the Lu- theran Early Response Team, and Ross Johnson from LCMS Di- saster Response to begin the extensive recovery and clean-up work. By the grace of God, no one was seriously injured, even though the camp was filled with youth campers. It was a joint effort that brought together dedicated and joyful service in the midst of a stressful event. God be praised! Three campus ministries are active in Norman (University of Oklahoma), Stillwater (Oklahoma State University), and Tulsa (The University of Tulsa). The impact from these ministries has in- cluded baptisms, confirmations, and marriages. Students have been directed into various church vocations of deaconess, teacher, direc- tor of Christian education, and pastor. Pastoral supervised vicars and student peer ministers have served in these campus ministries. English-as-a-Second-Language programming and international student ministries on campus have also brought the Gospel to vari- ous cultural and people groups. The saints of Oklahoma continue to carry out the Great Com- mission. Christ Is Risen Indeed is what we proclaim in the south- west part of our country and throughout the world. “In fact Christ has been raised from the dead. … By a man has come also the res- urrection of the dead. … In Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:20, 21, 22). The dedicated, sanctified service of our congregations is excep- tional. We are friendly people. We are faithful to the Word of God. We are family oriented. We rejoice in sacred spaces, sacred words, sacred music, sa- cred ways of acting and speaking. We are shaped by God’s Word, and not by the world. We understand that in today’s world, the old things have become new. The Gospel is best delivered to people by 2026 Convention Workbook 131 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS es available through Office of National Ministry to assist congre- gations in finding a path in a changing season of ministry. (Res. 1-02A, “To Aid Small Congregations and Multi-Congregation Pas- tors and Parishes”) Koinonia Project The district hosted a Koinonia Project to discuss pathways for pastoral formation. The gathering was held in Las Vegas Jan. 7–8, 2026. One hundred and twenty individuals representing twenty LCMS districts participated. The Synod resources created by the sainted Rev. Dr. Herbert Mueller were used to shape the event and guide the conversations. Seven brief presentations primed the pump for significant times of table discussion and captured content. A report is available on the district website. (Res. 4-01A, “To Com- mend and Encourage Continued Use of the Koinonia Project and Give Thanks to God for the Sainted Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr.”) Disaster Response—LA Fires From Jan. 7 to 31, 2025, wildfires devastated parts of the Los Angeles area, with Santa Ana winds blowing up to 100 miles per hour. Over 200,000 people were evacuated, with fire destroying more than 18,000 homes and structures. The communities of Al- tadena and the Palisades were significantly impacted, including numerous members of district congregations who lost everything. The response to the disaster from within the district and across the Synod was amazing. Special thanks to Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson and LCMS Disaster Response for their guidance and resources. A year later, Rev. Chris Schaar of Historic First Lutheran, Pasadena, and Rev. Dr. Martin Lee of Holy Cross Lutheran, Palisades, continue to provide outstanding ministry to their members and community. The resources received by the district enable these congregations to provide both the spiritual and financial support necessary for many years of rebuilding. Thank you to all in the LCMS who provided support in this crisis. (Res. 3-04A, “To Commend and Give Thanks for Synod Work regarding Disaster Response”) Rejecting Racism The district is greatly blessed by its racial and cultural diversi- ty. To ensure our continued unity, a video and discussion resource was created for use during the 2025 district convention as an effort to reject racism, rectify past wrongs of commission and omission within the district, and focus on future opportunities in ministry within our communities. This resource is available for circuits and congregations to use as they walk together. (Res. 11-02A, “To Re- ject All Forms of Racism and Affirm Our Witness to All People”) Innovative Stewardship—Real Estate Solutions The district is working in partnership with Lutheran Church Ex- tension Fund (LCEF) and the Real Estate Solutions team to help congregations strategically repurpose property for ministry sustain- ability. Proposed district projects exemplify this effort to build new housing, community spaces designed to support mission, housing for workers, and to generate sustainable ministry income. The dis- trict is grateful for the outstanding leadership and trusted partner - ship of LCEF. A New Home for District Ministry In September 2024, the district moved its office to CUI’s Spec- trum campus. The relocation was possible thanks to a close part- A Next Generation of Church Workers Recruiting future church workers is a top priority in the dis- trict. The recruitment committee works tirelessly to foster growth for these vocations. Concordia University, Irvine (CUI) has seen encouraging growth in church work students, with a steady rise in district enrollees. Working in partnership with Set Apart to Serve, congregations and schools are encouraged to invite young and old to serve in professional church work. We are pleased to report that in the 2025–26 academic year, 49 men from our district are partic- ipants in the various pastoral formation pathways offered by our Synod. The recent triennium has seen a growing partnership be- tween the Synod’s Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS) and the West Coast districts’ Ministry Applied Practice. Rev. Jonathan Manor, director of PALS, is an annual presenter and participant. The exchange of resources and practices is a blessing to both. (Res. 6-01, “To Affirm and Strengthen Set Apart to Serve in Word and Action”; Res. 1-06A, “To Direct Districts and Council of Presidents to Provide a Strategic Plan for Addressing the Well - ness of Church Workers”; Res. 6-06A, “To Support and Participate in Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support and Preach the Word”) Celebrating Our Schools The district’s 136 schools continue to be a cornerstone of Gos- pel ministry, reaching over 19,000 students and their families. We have embraced a bold vision to become the private schools of choice in the Southwestern U.S. District schools have established several artificial intelligence (AI) lab classrooms to learn how to appropriately integrate AI educational technology into Lutheran school classrooms. 2025 marked a leadership transition as we said goodbye to Executive Director of Schools Rachel Klitzing after 28 years of service to the district and the Synod. At the same time, we welcomed Executive Director of School Administration Xavria Schwarz, who serves alongside fellow Education Executive Super- intendent of School Innovation Eun Chu Kim. We are pleased to re- port that Eun Chu Kim participated in the effort to produce uniform Lutheran Academic Standards for Synod schools. (Res. 12-04A, “To Commend and Give Thanks for Lutheran Schools”; Res. 12- 01A, “To Produce a Uniform Set of Lutheran Academic Standards for Our Schools”) Equipping the Saints The Mission Training Center (MTC) has blossomed into a vi- brant platform, offering ministry training to laypeople so that they can better serve alongside their pastors. MTC is a partnership of the Northwest, California-Nevada-Hawaii, and Pacific Southwest dis- tricts and CUI. Seventeen online courses are now available, making quality instruction accessible and affordable. Foundations of Lu- theran Teaching (FLT), offered through MTC, helps non-Luther - an educators in our schools learn what is Lutheran about Lutheran education and deepen unity in doctrine and mission. We pray that FLT will lead to more teacher colloquy and rostered educator sta- tus. (Res. 6-04, “To Affirm and Provide Guidance for the Service of the Laity”) Small and Multi-Congregation Parishes With a growing number of smaller congregations, many of which can no longer afford a pastor, the district works closely with small congregations and multi-congregation parishes. Congrega- tions are personally engaged through the work of District Ministry Executive Rev. Jim Henkell, who brings local and shared resourc- 2026 Convention Workbook 132 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS Christ Is Risen, Indeed. Alleluia! James B. Maxwell, President