Question – Give me a general overview of district conventions.
Answer – The districts meet in convention every two years, or years in which the synod convention does not meet. The purpose of the district convention, in addition to deciding local issues, is to study the issues that are going to be before the synod in convention.
One of the big issues this year is the district conventions will be hearing about and hopefully putting into good effect the Year of Jubilee offering, which is aimed at either debt reduction or debt elimination for the synod. And that’s important because if we can eliminate that debt we will have almost $3 million a year we can use for ministry.
We will also receive a report from the Ad Hoc Commission—that’s the commission that was authorized by the last synod convention. They are studying how the synod does its work or better ways to do the work more efficiently and the like. The districts will study it and pass on their thoughts to the synod for its further study.

Question – Tell me about Minnesota’s convention.
Answer – When the Minne-sota District meets in convention, it’s about the same size as a synod convention—around 400 people. It’s held at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., so we hold our opening service at St. Paul’s in New Ulm. It’s always a neat thing just to participate in that service when you get all of the people gathered into that wonderful church and the music is fantastic. That’s probably the highlight of the whole convention and it sets the tone for the convention.
One of the things that I believe is true about the Minnesota District is that it kind of reflects “Minnesota nice.” I really have always appreciated the spirit of the guys who are there. We discuss issues, but we do it in a wonderful brotherly way. We really enjoy that, and we enjoy our unity in the Word. So it’s a neat thing.

Question – Why are district conventions important for the work we do as a synod?
Answer – The main thing in the church is the preser-vation of the true Word of God—the guarding of the doctrine. So whether it’s at the conference level, the district level, or the synodical level, the most impor-tant things are the doctrines that are considered and discussed, and just continuing in that brotherly unity that we have in the Wisconsin Synod.

Question – Since you are retiring, this will be your last convention as district president. Is it going to be special for you?