1. The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod pulpit vacancies in recent years have hovered around 800-1000 . At any given time 450 to 500 parishes have had calls pending. In addition, churches with vacancies, but not calling often, have more total vacancies than the number calling. For a congregation, being without a pastor for up to 2-3 years can have an adverse effect on membership. In the aggregate this may help explain the downtrend in number of confirmed members. For the denomination as a whole, this number reached a peak in 1976 at 2,026,000. The steady decline since that time gave a total for 2006 of 1,856,783.
   
   
2. Prior to the mid-1970s, ample financial support for seminaries was provided by the Synod from what has been termed the “Sunday Morning Contributions.” It was not necessary to charge tuition. Growth in number of confirmed members expanded with the United States population (See Slide 2). From the mid 1950s to mid-1960s it is estimated contributions to LCMS churches were equivalent to 4.5 percent of members’ disposable incomes. But since the mid-1990s, this ratio has held steady 2.3 percent (See Slide 8).
   
   
3. The network, Church Extension Fund (CEF), one of the institutions established by Synod, has served an exemplary role in financing the erection of physical structures and acquisition of some furnishings. A comparable institution has not been designed to assist in development of “human capital” to appropriately staff the institutions.
   
   
4. The existing pulpit vacancy levels together with the impending , sharp increase in number of pastors becoming eligible for retirement pose a huge challenge for the Denomination. The designation of “Financial Crisis” by Synod in the 2004 Triennial Convention is still applicable. The dual declaration (2007 Convention) that: 1) the seminaries be made tuition driven institutions and 2) the LCMS as a whole assumes responsibility for helping with tuition” is a timely, very worthy objective. How shall it all be activated?
   
   
5. In a very real sense the potential for communicating essential information to lay members is greater than in passed periods. Unfortunately, on the average people do not “read and heed” to the extent in former times. A modest involvement by personal presenters to complement printed or illustrative materials would help greatly to meet the challenges presented by information voids that prevail among LCMS members.
   
   
6. The Harvest is Plentiful but the Workers are Few (MT 9,37)

          The Roles of Gabriel Messengers are to - - -

   • Inform LCMS members regarding the extent and gravity of pastoral vacancies and financial situations of the seminaries and seminarians   
   • Encourage direct-to-seminary contributions and note the ease for doing so electronically or with  alternative measures as needed.
   • Visit with and provide  informational materials to youth concerning church careers.

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you may say to the mountain, move from here to there’ it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (MT 17,20)