Yeah, now it's on. Okay, so Josh battled up north and asked me to give this report. The annual meeting, which was back in July, of course, much shorter than last year. 62 of 70 congregations delegates signed on to the Zoom meeting. We heard reports from the LLC staff on the 2021 meeting.
draft operating plan, including LLC, board, mission work, pastoral work, Christian education, communications, administration, and finance.
Delegates brought support from their congregations for the operating plan and support for the work of the LLC board and staff. This was expressed by many delegates. A question was asked regarding the impact of COVID on the LLC budget. And although there has been an impact financially, many expenses have decreased due to cancellation of camps, mission trips. So there was no change that was needed
to be made to the major, to any budget changes were needed. Membership dues will remain constant with no increase recommended. LLC Board, Dean Simonson and Rick Nevala were elected replacing Dwayne Piernas and Randy Nevala, I'm sorry, Herrala, who
requested to retire. Carrie Simonson and Sam Roiko were also re-elected to serve another term. LLC summer service schedule courses changed to Michigan for next year, God willing, as these 2020 were online. And the meeting adjourned at 2.10 p.m., so it was actually pretty short.
The LLC operating budget and plan will be reviewed and finalized at their board meeting on October 24th. And I did post a copy of these minutes on the bulletin board downstairs. If you do wish to have a copy for yourself, you can ask one of the board members and they can get that for you. Thank you.
Brothers and sisters, I have, um, three letters to read to you. Actually for, um, the first one is from Gordy and Lorraine Kumpula. And it says, dear MLLC board members. We want to inform the board.
and congregation that we will be moving our membership from Minneapolis congregation to another Southern Minnesota congregation. With much sadness, we must acknowledge the difficult spiritual unrest that has existed at MLLC and remains. This situation has affected us so that we now feel the need to change membership to preserve our own faith. Minneapolis has been very dear to us.
We keep the congregation in love and prayer that God could still help enlightened matters. May God help so that no souls would be lost. God's peace, Gordy and Lorraine. The next letter is from Mike and Kathy Simonson.
It says, this has been my home congregation for 11 years and 20 years for Kathy. We have both enjoyed many blessings of belonging to this congregation. However, we have decided to leave Minneapolis to join another southern Minnesota congregation. With the ongoing strife and division here, we feel this change is best for our personal endeavor of faith.
It is our prayer that God will help all of us remain on the narrow pathway that leads to heaven's home. God's peace, Mike Simonson. Then this next letter is from Josh Ulitello. It says, Dear Minneapolis congregation, I have been a member here for nearly five years. When I joined,
I found the congregation to be warm and welcoming, and I was grateful to have a new home congregation. Recent years have been different, as our congregation has struggled with division and many difficult discussions. Throughout my life, I found church to be a place of refuge and comfort. It is one of the joys of believing.
I realize with sadness that because of the tension and disagreement in our congregation, I no longer find that same feeling of peace and refuge attending services in Minneapolis. The tension and unresolved disagreements are always present and they steal the joy of faith.
Songs and hymns of Zion 185 verse five says, sin so often overtakes us, leaves us broken on the way, hinders hope and dulls our conscience, stealing joy of faith away. At the most recent LLC veterans camp, it was related or noted that in war, there are no unwounded soldiers. The same can be said for these times in God's kingdom.
The wounds become deeper as time passes. With that said, I have made the difficult decision to leave the Minneapolis congregation at this time. I have many dear friends and relatives here who I love and care for, which makes leaving all the harder. I yearn for the day that joy, peace, and unity are restored in God's kingdom.
That will not change despite my decision to join a different congregation. God's peace, Josh. And then, brothers and sisters, this letter is from me and from my wife. Our meeting last Sunday
showed clearly that I don't serve a significant portion of this congregation. The mistrust that some have for the board and the lack of unity among us is evidence of that. I don't want to be a cause of problems here or of difficulties here.
And I don't want to dry up in this battle. But I tremble when I think of these elders and these precious escorts leaving. I need, we need, Sue and I feel the need to have these precious escorts leave.
These simple, quiet, childlike believers are the ballast or the backbone in any congregation. Another thing I can't imagine, it's the end of September and the annual meeting prep would start probably in another month. And I was pondering that the other day and I can't imagine
going through another annual meeting like we went through last year. It breaks my heart to think of how that went and how it might go. So for these reasons, I think it's no longer healthy that I serve on the board. And Sue and I also think it would be best for us to move to a different congregation.
We long to sit on the bench and listen to be comforted by the word and gospel and by believing escorts that uplift and carry us and help us on our way to heaven. May God bless the Minneapolis congregation and may we all one day rejoice together there on the shores of heaven. And in closing, I just need to ask that
For my many failings and lackings and my many weak words, could you please preach gospel to me? I join with the words of the letters that Mike read.
And the thoughts and the feelings as he expressed how he has felt this, our annual meeting and the last congregational meeting to go. And Sinika and I come to that same understanding for our own faith life.
we will need to find another congregational home. It is so painful to say that. This has been, of course, my home since my birth, 70 years plus, and now is no longer my spiritual home. We experienced it last Sunday so powerfully. So we will also be leaving for another congregation.
This isn't easy for me to stand up here. I also want to share that with more dear fellow travelers leaving, it has become difficult to remain in this spiritually divided congregation. For the sake of our weak faith, it seems like it would be better for us to also change to another congregation. So effective today, I am resigning from the congregation board also.
And along with my wife, we will be leaving the congregation for another Southern Minnesota congregation. It is still my hope and prayer God would have mercy on this congregation that has been so dear to me my whole life. May our merciful God help those that are not in spiritual unity with his precious kingdom, that none would be lost to the enemy of souls.
This has been our home for many years. And it's very, very difficult for me to speak anyway in front of a group. But Marilyn and I have also reached that, that we're our own undying souls. We need to go to another Southern Minnesota congregation. We ask for your prayers.
Most of all, we ask for your blessing. Generally, when people leave a congregation, that congregation will wish them God's blessings on their way. And people also ask for those blessings.
I would ask that I had served on the board for another five months, but I will be today resigning from that board. And I ask that if I could believe all my sins forgiven.
Brothers and sisters, listening to so many speeches last Sunday that I could not join with. And we have heard some of these same speeches over and over and over again. And it's hard to serve and it's hard to
when there is this constant strife and I have been wounded and there are times when myself I have realized that I'm not that it's making my walk of faith very very difficult and my wife and I
Last Sunday, after the meeting, discussed it and felt that it would be best that we also leave to find another congregation. I hope and pray that God would be able to bless this congregation. I'm going to have to leave. I'm resigning my position on the board.
And for all my weaknesses, doubts, and fears, I need to hear the gospel. Can I hear that gospel? I echo the words from the previous brothers.
I don't have much to say other than I can't stay here any longer. And Annette and I have decided we're going to switch to Southern Minnesota congregation. I want to leave with that blessing. Can you forgive me of anything I've done wrong?
Dear brothers and sisters, beloved brothers and sisters, at our meeting a week ago, I have, though with weak words, already confessed my faith openly and shared the thoughts of my heart.
This is how I feel yet today, but will not reiterate any of that. In spite of the battles that we have gone through, I pray that I can preserve the love and mind of Christ towards each of you. I am weak in this too and need God's help.
I ask that you would please forgive my weaknesses, my offenses that many of you I know have felt from me. It's my sincere desire to believe them all forgiven. Today, with sadness in our hearts, Kathy and I are letting you know
that we have decided to leave my home congregation of 62 years and Kathy's home congregation for 34 years. It has not been our desire to do so, but for the sake of our own personal faith, we have come to this difficult decision. We pray that God will help and care for us and all of you.
You are dear to our hearts. I am praying for a miracle that the Heavenly Father can so affect in our hearts that love and unity of understanding and spirit are restored through the gospel so that one day we can all, all of us, be at those services in heaven that have a beginning
So for the sake of our personal faith, we feel the need to join another Southern Minnesota congregation. I long one day to reach heaven with all of you. As the songwriter has written, there I shall dwell forever. No more a parting guest
with all the blood-bought children in everlasting rest. The pilgrim toils forgotten, the pilgrim conflicts o'er, all earthly grief behind me, eternal joy before.
If there are no further comments, there would be a few minutes if there were, but maybe we should sing that short song. Praise God from whom all blessings flow 352.