History

The history of Lutheranism has, for its more than 500 years, been closely intertwined with social ministry. In Europe, Scandinavia, in developing countries and on this continent, Lutherans have been pace-setters in identifying human needs and responding to them. Where numbers and resources have been significant, Lutheran contributions in some cases have been monumental. However, even when not in positions of great power and influence, Lutherans have also seen themselves as instruments of the gospel, carrying the news of Christ’s love to others by bringing hope, healing and strength to people in need. The Lutheran presence in Georgia has been evident since colonial days. During the past several decades its growth has been both rapid and steady.

On September 1, 1979, Lutheran Social Service System (LS/3), the predecessor of Lutheran Services in America (LSA), launched the Sunbelt Resource Mobilization Project. The twelve-month project focused on plans and recommendations for the development of Lutheran social ministry services in the Sunbelt during the next decade and beyond. The Sunbelt, as defined for the project, included eleven states in the Southeastern part of the United States. The Sunbelt Committee included Roger Gutman, Chairperson, the Rev. Leslie Weber Jr., Secretary, and Dr. Charles Thompson, Project Coordinator. (For details on the Project see “A Regional Plan for the Development of Lutheran Social Ministries in the Sunbelt beginning in the 1980’s, written by Dr. Charles Thompson).

In each of the eleven states a Task Force was formed. The Georgia Task Force of the Sunbelt Strategy recommended the establishment of an “Ad Hoc Committee for Social Ministry Services” in Georgia. The Ad Hoc Committee was established by the four judicatories represented in Georgia: The East Coast Synod of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches – Bishop Ressmeyer, the Southeastern District of the American Lutheran Church – Bishop Wolber, the Southeastern Synod of the Lutheran Church in America – Bishop Troutman, and the Florida-Georgia District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod – President Behnken. The primary assignment of the Ad Hoc Committee was to conduct a study of the possibilities of a statewide inter-Lutheran social ministry agency in Georgia. It was important for the emerging agency to be inter-Lutheran in order to pool available resources for a task that transcended denominational boundaries and historical differences. That task was to share the Gospel through the work of social ministry (for further details see Lutheran Ministries of Georgia: A Development Plan prepared for the four judicatories by the Ad Hoc Committee Chairman, the Rev. Leslie Weber Jr., and the Secretary-Treasurer, Joe Wilkins)

At the same time that the Committee was assessing the possibility of a statewide social ministry organization, the Committee learned that Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) was interested in beginning work in the Atlanta area. The Committee approached LIRS about the possibility of joining forces.

With the approval of the judicatories the Ad Hoc Committee proceeded to seek commitments from Atlanta area congregations to this effort. It was important to obtain a commitment and a promise of support from one leading congregation of each judicatory. Those who stepped forward were Faith, Marietta (the Rev. Edgar Trinklein); Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Atlanta (the Rev. Harold Skillrud); and Rock of Ages, Decatur (the Rev. William Corkish). On March 28, 1981, representatives of 18 congregations met and incorporated Lutheran Ministries of Georgia – Atlanta. The agency opened its doors on July 1, 1981, at the Lutheran Center in Atlanta. The first Executive Director was the Rev. Henry Wohlgemuth who came to Atlanta from Lutheran Children and Family Service of Eastern Pennsylvania.

It was acknowledged from the very beginning that Lutheran Ministries of Georgia – Atlanta was only an initial step in the development of the statewide agency. During the summer of 1981 the Ad Hoc Committee sought advice of Lutherans throughout Georgia on the purposes, functions and structure of a statewide inter-Lutheran agency. The result of this work was a report entitled Georgia Lutherans in Social Ministry: A Statewide Plan submitted to the four Lutheran judicatories. The Committee was encouraged to continue its work. Finally Lutheran Ministries of Georgia, Inc. was scheduled to become a reality on January 1, 1984, by which time all four judicatories would have had the opportunity to approve involvement via convention vote. The budget for the first year’s operation was just under $68,000. The actual date of the Incorporation Meeting was October 14, 1983 (for further details see Minutes of Incorporation Meeting…October 14, 1983).

In reality there was work being done beyond Atlanta before the official Incorporation. Carl Lettow was an unpaid staff member who, at the beginning, spearheaded refugee work in the Savannah area. The Savannah office actually began work in late 1982 under the direction of Karen Wray.

According to the Ad Hoc Committee, Lutheran Ministries of Georgia would initially perform four basic functions:

The Committee also recommended that the funding for the administrative unit of the agency should be underwritten by the participating judicatories to assure financial stability. Each judicatory’s contribution was to be equal to the number of its communicant members in Georgia multiplied by a certain dollar figure. The 1984 contribution of each judicatory was to be a minimum of $1.25 per communicant member.

Such are the early years of Lutheran Ministries of Georgia – Atlanta, and its successor, Lutheran Ministries of Georgia, Inc. In addition to the above-mentioned functions, LMG realized early on that it could not provide all services to all people. Therefore one of its major roles from the start was that of a referral service to other community services for those in need. Only later were programs like adoption, foster care, employment training, parenting classes and a wide variety of children’s services added.

In 1994 the Rev. Henry Wohlgemuth retired as Executive Director of LMG. He was succeeded by the Rev. Dr. Gary Danielsen. Rev. Danielsen’s leadership was interrupted by the events of September 11, 2001. Being a chaplain in the United States Army Reserve, he was called to active duty, and served his country in Kuwait for one year. During his absence, the Rev. Richard Eissfeldt, retired social ministry Executive, served as Interim Director on a part-time basis.

In November 2002, the Board of Directors of LMG voted to begin the process of changing the name of LMG to Lutheran Services of Georgia. Effective March 31, 2003, LMG became Lutheran Services of Georgia, opening a new chapter in the history of the agency.

Under Rev. Danielsen’s leadership, LSG has expanded programs and services in Atlanta, Savannah, Albany, Athens, Rome, Augusta and Columbus. The agency has grown, placing it among the 50 largest non-profits in Atlanta based on revenue.