From expanding our relational efforts with investors to hosting new events and programs throughout the year, these past 12 months have been filled with opportunities to further His kingdom. All of our work is thanks to the loyal contributions of our investors for more than 120 years.
Hands and Feet of CEF
Throughout 2023, we have said hello and goodbye to some fantastic servants at CEF. Our 12-person staff may be small, but there is no question of our dedication. In fact, there are over 200 cumulative years of ministry across CEF personnel!
One such loyal worker was Bill Burmeister, who retired from CEF after 13 years of serving as Gift Planning Counselor and Director of Congregational Services. In the words of President John Bates, “Bill is beloved by the many pastors and church leaders in Michigan. He will be truly missed by hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the district and here at the CEF office.”
CEF has also had the privilege of welcoming Rodney Barodte as the new Director of Relations. Thanks to his work, CEF daily connects with churches, pastors, volunteers, Lutheran school principals and their faculty, as well as CEF congregational representatives. As Rodney put it, “I get to focus on closing the gap between the investor and those who benefit from CEF loans. My job allows me to connect the dots and understand the story behind each group that CEF serves.”
And Josue Quinones joined the CEF team as our new IT administrator in September. This fills a position that has been vacant for over a year, as CEF has waited for the best option to head of our IT department. Quinones is a recent graduate of the computer engineering program at Eastern Michigan University. He brings with him two years of experience working for University Christian Outreach, a campus-based group designed to equip college students for lifelong ministry.
Promoting Worker Wellness
Since 2020, stress levels have been on the rise, especially for those who work in the mission field. That is why CEF declared 2023 the Year of Worker Wellness, and we specifically promoted programs that worked toward this vision.
Our investment in this goal involved promoting a summer worker wellness workshop with Concordia Plan Services. The workshop was free to Lutheran school teachers and pastors in the Michigan District, and it focused on the idea of preventative planning and personal care through financial, physical, and mental health.
CEF also established the Ministry Worker Wellness Grant this year. The grant program has offered funding of up to $2500 for Michigan ministry workers to host a wellness event, along with three bonus grants of $10,000 for the most creative wellness ideas. Cosponsored by the Mighty Fortress Foundation, the objective was to inspire creative wellness work throughout ministries in the Michigan District. From supporting short-term pastor sabbaticals to funding staff retreats and healthy cooking demonstrations, we have helped support so many ways for church workers to look after their own well-being.
Plus, CEF hosted a luncheon at the Synodical Convention in Milwaukee at the end of summer 2023. Attendees included delegates from district-based Church Extension Fund chapters, such as Southern and Central Illinois, Texas, and, of course, Michigan. The luncheon served as a good reminder of how church extension funds as a whole tend to the wellness of congregations through our financial support. It was also a good reminder of individual grants and services offered on a personal level by each district-based CEF.
Building the Kingdom in 2023
But the true core of our work at Church Extension Fund is furthering the kingdom by empowering ministries throughout our District. 2023 has definitely been a banner year for this work!
Many of our inspiring projects were highlighted through our spotlight articles throughout the year. We shared the recent fruits of St. Matthew Westland’s programs to address mortgage debt, campus infrastructure issues, and community outreach. We reconnected with Marian and Tim Grothaus, who have been living in the same home for over 35 years, thanks to the continued CEF church worker Housing Loan program. We celebrated the ongoing ministries of Messiah Midland—and all the ways CEF has helped fund their expansion into new community support programs. We also featured MOST Ministries, one of CEF’s sustaining financial recipients through endowments, grants, and investment opportunities.
Pastor Ed Doerner put it beautifully when he talked to us in October: “I get to tell my congregation constantly, ‘Don’t ever underestimate the work of your offering, because it changed a life.’” Similarly, Marian Grothaus shared, “Knowing that you are cared about and cared for by your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ can help you keep going. We are constantly grateful for how Church Extension Fund helped sustain a future for our family.”
With your support in 2023, we have built new facilities, improved building accessibility, launched new outreach programs—and financed the dreams of Lutheran ministries all over the Michigan District. It is thanks to your investments that we get to support church workers and district-wide ministries at Church Extension Fund.
We are so grateful for how you continue to empower CEF’s work, and we can’t wait to see what we