LCMS World Mission Blog

LCMS World Mission was pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Ablaze! awards at the Mission Partners’ Conference in Tampa Bay, Fla., on  Nov. 18. Executive Director Rev. Dr. Thomas Zehnder announced the winners and presented them each with their awards.

The 2009 Executive Director’s Ablaze! Award 2009 recipient is Rev. Jim Keurulainen and the New England District. This award is given annually to a district president who exemplifies a heart for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with unreached and uncommitted people through active involvement in the Ablaze! movement. President Keurulainen and his staff, congregations, schools, and members work tirelessly in a region on the country which statistically ranks as one of the most “unchurched” areas in the United States. Under Keurulainen’s leadership, the New England District has set courageous goals to involve 50 percent of their congregations in the revitalization process and 60 to 75 percent of pastors in local learning communities. The district is intentionally working to assist its congregations in becoming active mission outposts of the Gospel.

The 2009 LCMS World Mission Ablaze! Vision Award recipient is Rev. Dr. Robert Scudieri. This award is given to an individual who has worked in collaboration with LCMS World Mission and exemplifies a vision for creatively identifying the lost and reaching them with the Good News of Jesus. Bob has demonstrated this vision throughout his career in ministry—as a parish pastor, district mission executive, and most recently a synodical executive (LCMS World Mission—National Mission associate executive director)—in exemplifying innovation and creativity for developing faith-sharing tools and techniques. Specifically, Bob has provided leadership for the Center for U.S. Mission, Open Arms Institute, Apple of His Eye Ministry, and the Mission Partners Conference. We give thanks to God for Bob’s faithful service and leadership.

The 2009 LCMS World Mission Ablaze! Partners Award recipient is the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML). This award is given each year to an LCMS World Mission national or international partner that demonstrates a heart for reaching out with the Gospel by pursuing the goals of the Ablaze! movement in its daily ministry activities. The LWML was honored for its overall support for Ablaze!, as well as the generous contributions to support outreach in local, regional, national, and international mission fields. Members of the LWML have given faithfully, not only financially, but also of themselves, to plant seeds of faith in those around them. Additionally, in February 2008, LWML President Jan Wendorf issued a challenge to all LWML districts to send two teams each on short-term mission trips over the next few years. To learn more about the LWML and their mission resources, visit www.lwml.org.

Prior winners of the LCMS World Mission Ablaze! Awards include:

Executive Director’s Ablaze! Award:

2004 – Rev. Dr. Warren Schumacher, Northwest District;

2005 – Rev. Dr. Paul Sieveking, Iowa District West;

2006 – Northern Illinois District;

2007 – Rev. Russ Sommerfeld, Nebraska District; and

2008 – Rev. Randy Golter and Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Rocky Mountain District

Ablaze! Vision Award:

2005 – Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler, Southeastern District;

2006 – Kansas District;

2007 – Rev. Dr. C. William Hoesman, Michigan District; and

2008 – Terry Schmidt, associate director of Lutheran schools, District and Congregational Services—School Ministry

Ablaze! Partners Award:

2006 – People of the Book Lutheran Outreach;

2007 – Lutheran Hour Ministries; and

2008 – Lutheran Church Extension Fund