Mercy Forever

07-23-2010 > LCMS Will Continue to Share Mercy amid Restructuring, Harrison Says

Amid the church body's mandated restructuring, the LCMS will continue to share mercy with people in need, says Rev. Matthew Harrison, the Synod's president-elect. In his former post as executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care, Harrison headed the department that oversaw the church's response to numerous major disasters, including the Haiti earthquake.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will continue to reach out with mercy even in the wake of the church body's restructuring, said Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, the newly elected LCMS president.

"While restructuring mandates many changes for our church and we don't know exactly what will happen, LCMS World Relief and Human Care is still here," said Harrison, the former World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC) executive director who was elected July 13 by delegates at the Synod's 64th Regular Convention in Houston. "We want World Relief and Human Care's many faithful supporters to know this for certain: Our vision for being merciful and being Lutheran will continue and even expand."

Since 2001, Harrison has served at the helm of WR-HC, the Synod's mercy arm. The Board for Human Care Ministries, which oversees WR-HC, is one of seven program boards eliminated by a sweeping proposal adopted at the convention. Along with electing a new Synod president, delegates approved the realignment of LCMS programs under two mission boards, one each for domestic and international ministries.

At a meeting with WR-HC staff on July 21, Harrison emphasized that "mercy will continue" and that the LCMS will continue to do what Lutherans are called to do – reach out in mercy and in mission to physical and spiritual needs. "There are still orphans around the world. Disasters happen every day," he said. "We will continue to reach out with mercy to people in need. That's not going to change."

At WR-HC, Harrison oversaw a department that dramatically shifted gears to become a hands-on, uniquely Lutheran, domestic and international mercy ministry. WR-HC developed the first-ever comprehensive LCMS disaster response initiative and oversaw the church's response after the Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Haiti and Chile earthquakes. The ministry launched new mercy programs, including the popular Mercy Medical Teams of volunteers who provide health care in some of the world's poorest communities and orphan support opportunities that connect children with loving homes and congregations.

During this decade, WR-HC donors have provided more than $125 million in gifts that enabled the ministry to fulfill its mission of reaching out with mercy and compassion to people in need, motivated by Christ's love.

Harrison will become the Synod's 13th president when he takes office Sept. 1. He and the other newly elected LCMS officers will be installed Sept. 11 at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.