This is the meeting of the Project 24 working group that recently met in St. Louis to look to the future of Project 24 – from back right around the table clockwise – Rev Don Fondow, President of the Minnesota North District LCMS; Rev Schauen Trump, LCMS area director for Eastern and Southern Africa; Rev. Dan McMiller, associate executive director for Field Operations and Recruitment; John Kissinger Nyang’au, Project 24 project manager in Kenya; Roger Weinlaeder from North Dakota, Robert Wurl from North Dakota who are part of the original Project 24 group; Hans Springer, associate executive director, Mission Advancement; William Sharpe, Executive Director of the North Dakota District; not pictured was Rev. John Fale, OIM executive dsirector.
This blog was written to show the connections and the “crossings” and the cooperation between the North Dakota District and the Minnesota North District of the LCMS and the Synod and others in works of mercy and mission. Our connections are deep and cover a multitude of areas and issues. The two Districts decided a few years back to partner in the building and care for Project 24 centers. Not long after that the Project fell upon hard times and very difficult issues.
There is always conflict in a fallen world and there is always conflict in the church because we are all “simul justus et peccator” (saint and sinner). Problems in mercy work and missions always call for withdrawal by some, abandonment with extreme prejudice by some, tinkering with the issues by some, and spending more and working harder by still others.
The apostle Paul had some horrendous problems that he had to deal with and yet, he did not get depressed, go to some outside agency in order to coach him through his problems, or seek some new program to get the congregations to follow his vision. He didn’t abandon anything unless the Holy Spirit literally prevented him from doing something that he wanted. He did nothing except what Jesus drove him in his spirit to do. In accordance with this, Paul did nothing or expected nothing until the Lord gave him the necessary scope. In other words, “the disclosure of working possibilities is solely the concern of him who calls man as his representatives, just as he also imparts the knowledge of what must be done and in his effort supplies the power to carry it out.”
In a book called “Apostolate and Ministry”, the author talks about the knowledge of this being God’s work that gives us an attitude toward mercy and mission that the world can’t quite grasp. Because we are doing Christ’s work we are not “slaves to success”. At the same time we work hard to do what we believe Christ does will.
I believe that Christ in this meeting pictured above disclosed working possibilities and I believe that he will supply the power to carry it out.
More on what Project 24 looks like in the days ahead.
[1] Karl Heinrich Rengsdorf, “Apostolate and Ministry”, Concordia Publishing House, ST. Louis, 1969 page 61
