Rev. Ryan D. Wendt, 2025-present
To contact President Wendt at the Montana District Office, please call 406-259-2908 or email him directly at pastorwendt@gmail.com
Church Worker Appreciation Month
8… “When [Jesus] ascended on high, He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” … 11And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:8, 11-12)
“Gifts,” that is the way Holy Scripture describes those that the Lord has called into service in His church. I hope that is the way that you see your pastor and every other church worker who has brought the Lord’s Word and sacraments, His teaching, and His comfort and joy into your life!
Each year in October the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod begins again to recognize and give thanks for our Church Workers, starting with pastors on October 11th. On various dates throughout the church year other Church Workers and vocations are also recognized.
The official newspaper of the LCMS, the Reporter, has a nice article with more information, specific dates, and numerous ideas about how to celebrate and say thank you. You can find that article here.
You can also find resources and ideas on the Synod’s website here.
There are many great ideas in these articles, and I encourage you give some of them a try. More than anything else that you can do to say thank you is showing up to church to receive the gifts the Lord desires to give you. Being a supportive and active member of the community of believers, along with your continued diligent prayers, will also be most appreciated.
Everywhere I go in the Synod I talk about our hard-working Pastors, Teachers, DCE’s, Deaconesses, and other Church Workers in the Montana District. I share how thankful I am for their faithful service.
God continue to bless each of you as you receive His gifts and use the special gifts that He has given to you in service to His church and our communities.
You are in my frequent prayers.
President Wendt
MONTANA DISTRICT SUPPORT FOR CHURCH WORKERS
The Montana District works diligently to support present and future Church Workers who are or will serve in Montana as well as those who will go out from us to serve at other locations in the Synod. The Board of Directors, our District in Convention, our Pastors’ Conferences, and our congregations gathered before the Lord’s Altar, take the Lord’s words in Luke 10 seriously: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” We pray often as the Lord has invited and commanded, and we trust that He is faithful to keep His promise.
The Board of Directors works hard to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given to the District through our congregations, grants, investment returns, and other gifts. There are many needs, the cost of everything continues to go up, but the Lord continues to bless. This year we gave scholarships from our “Church Worker Scholarship Fund” to nine students (from seven different congregations) who are attending one of our Universities or Seminaries. At our next BOD meeting in early November, we will award student loan repayment assistance to qualifying Church Workers actively serving in our District from our “Student Loan Repayment Fund.”
We also maintain a “Mercy Fund” for emergency medical assistance for Church Workers, and a “Mission and Ministry Fund” to help with church plants, subsidized missions, and other congregational needs.
Our God created the heavens and the earth, the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him. He is generous beyond measure, and He doesn’t need anything we can give. We certainly can’t buy salvation from Him, He has given that freely as a gift in His crucified and risen Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He gives generously for our needs of soul and body and He even takes what we offer to Him and gives it back for the sake of His church.
Please consider how the Lord has blessed you and continue to give of your time and talents to support your congregation and church workers!
If the Lord has so blessed you to consider supporting one of these District Funds dedicated to serving our workers and congregations, we would be grateful for your support and appreciate hearing from you.
Montana District LCMS
759 Newman Lane, STE #2
Billings, MT 59101
406-259-2908