Early Mission Efforts in the New Mid-South District

Upon its establishment in 1966, the newly-formed Mid-South District included 77 congregations in its 1,000-mile wide territory. However, “Lutherans” were somewhat of a minority in the region. A number of other denominations were considered to represent the majority of the Christian population in this collection of states often referred to as the “Bible-belt.” While this did present a challenge, the new District’s leadership embraced it as an opportunity. Driven by this mindset, the District began to work with existing congregations to start new ministries in their respective communities. By 1979, an impressive 17 congregations had been established through these partnerships.

While the successful planting of new churches was a significant achievement for the new Mid-South District, it also presented a great financial challenge. A key part of addressing this challenge in the district’s earliest days was its Church Extension Fund (CEF). The new district’s CEF was established with a few assets that were transferred from the Western District’s CEF when the two districts were divided. To grow the Mid-South’s new CEF, there was a significant push to spread the word and encourage individuals to invest in this important resource.

The new district’s Executive for Business and Finance, Al Behnke, undertook the challenge of building the Mid-South’s CEF investor base. He began a vigorous campaign for new investors, built largely on regular updates in the monthly Lutheran Witness district insert. By the end of 1967, total assets for the Mid-South District’s CEF broke the $1,000,000 mark and 1,018 new investors were added. By April of 1971, new deposits reached $1.5 million!

The success of those early appeals was a benefit not only for the mission expansion efforts of the Mid-South District, but also in offering some financial flexibility for existing ministries in the District. Simply put, CEF Funds placed a variety of the new district’s ministry needs within reach. Later this year, you’ll learn about the CEF’s incorporation into Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF)—and how the organization has continued to help build ministry in the Mid-South District.

Watch for more District history in the May Encourager. If you missed the April installment on the formation of the Mid-South District, visit our website to see the collection of monthly history features: mid-southlcms.org/category/60-anniversary/.