This past Tuesday and Wednesday was the Northern Illinois District East Region Pastoral Conference. The East Region comprises the parishes of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in the City of the Chicago and the near suburbs. We met at the beautiful DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin where we have met for the past six conferences.
The conference was excellent. First of all, the DeKoven Center is a beautiful retreat center with an excellent staff, great food and great facilities. Above all, they have a chapel to celebrate the Prayer Offices, private Confession and Absolution and the Holy Mass, which were done with care and reverence. Secondly, we had excellent speakers: Rev. Mason Beecroft and Rev. George Borghardt, who spoke on "Gospelling" the neighbor (youth and in general) through the holy things of God: the proclaimed Word, Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. Third, we had wonderful homilies delivered by Pastor Roger Gallup (Conference Chairman), Rev. Borghardt and District President Dan Gilbert. Fourth, we had wonderful conversation and consolation among the brothers who attended.
It is always a highly informative and Christ-centered conference. It is really what all Pastoral Conferences should be, and it makes me glad to be in the East Region of the Northern Illinois District.
