Stuckwisch
SEYMOUR — In the past year since becoming president of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod Indiana District, the Rev. D. Richard Stuckwisch has visited with congregations around the Hoosier State and northern Kentucky.
That role involves overseeing the pastors of those churches and attending reformation festivals, celebrations, pastor installments and more.
So far, he has enjoyed the first year of his three-year term.
“There are things that I miss about being a full-time parish pastor, for sure, but there are also many new things that I get to do that I enjoy very much,” he said.
As his daughter explained his role to her son, Stuckwisch is “A pastor to the pastors.”
“I couldn’t put it better,” he said. “That is exactly who I want to be is a pastor to the pastors, and I love that. I love that privilege and opportunity, and I have opportunities every week, almost on a daily basis, to care for the men who serve as pastors throughout our district, and I count that a joy.”
He also helps congregations without pastors get pastors.
“I’m working on that almost constantly, trying to help congregations identify men that they can call and serve as their pastor,” Stuckwisch said.
“Those are two of the things that occupy most of my time, and I count both of them a real joy,” he said. “Serving as district president has been a real blessing. It’s a challenge, and then it is a job. There’s work to be done, but it is a privilege and a blessing.”
On Sunday, Stuckwisch will be pulling double duty, as he is preaching at a reformation festival in Georgetown and then heading to Seymour to preach at the Reformation Rally.
The latter event, sponsored by the Lutheran Mission Federation, starts at 6 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 1501 Gaiser Drive.
Stuckwisch is a distant cousin to the Rev. Jeffrey Stuckwisch at Zion, and Jeffrey had reached out awhile ago to see if Richard would be willing and able to preach for the service.
“I’m very happy to do it,” Richard said. “It is obviously a significant occasion each year to remember the events of the 16th century and the impact that had on the church and the legacy of theology and doctrine and confession and church practice that has stemmed from there, even to the present day and around the world. I’m looking forward to being there and preaching for the occasion.”
Lutheran congregations accept and preach the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century, according to lcms.org. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three phrases: Grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone.
“Martin Luther was concerned about the preaching and teaching and practice of the church, that it would be in accordance with the scripture and that it would allow the gospel the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ to be heard and received faithfully,” Richard said.
That’s still what Lutherans are concerned about today, he said.
“That the gospel would be preached in its truth and purity so that people would hear and receive the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name and rejoice in the free gift of salvation that he has obtained for us and live in faith toward God and in love for one another in the freedom of that beautiful gospel,” Richard said.
Ron Rieckers, president of the Lutheran Mission Federation, said each year for the Reformation Rally, the group likes to bring in speakers who are known.
Jeffrey said the district president has attended the event several times over the years.
“He’s the new president. It just seemed to make sense that we invite him and get his ideas or give him an opportunity to talk with us a little bit, not just to celebrate the reformation with us but then also to give him an opportunity to talk about his vision for where the church is going,” Jeffrey said of Richard.
Along with the district president speaking, the service will include area Lutheran pastors singing hymns, a joint choir from area LCMS congregations performing and Zion’s handbell choir playing.
A cookie reception, sponsored by Zion’s board of parish fellowship, will follow the service.
The Reformation Rally is open to the public.
The event also is a homecoming for Richard, as his father and grandparents lived in Seymour and he spent a couple of years living there and attending Immanuel Lutheran School.
While his dad was in the seminary in Fort Wayne, Richard and his mom and siblings lived in Seymour with his dad’s parents.
“He had been a Lutheran schoolteacher for many years prior to that, but he really wanted to become a pastor, and that’s what it took,” Richard said. “It was not an easy couple of years because he was in Fort Wayne and we were in Seymour. He would come and visit on the weekends when he could, but both his studies and the weather did not always permit that.”
Once he was done with the seminary, D. Richard Stuckwisch Sr. was called to Nebraska for several years. D. Richard Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps in taking the path toward becoming a Lutheran pastor, attending Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.
By that point, he was married, and he and his wife, LaRena, started their family.
They later lived in Minnesota before going to Fort Wayne for Richard to go to the seminary. He was ordained in May 1996 and has served as pastor of Emmaus Lutheran Church in South Bend ever since. He remains an associate pastor there.
The Stuckwisches live in Fort Wayne and have 10 living children and several grandchildren.
Given his deep connections to Seymour, Richard said it always feels a bit like coming home when he returns to the area.
“Lots of connections going back many, many years, and it makes it all the more enjoyable for me to have the opportunity to come and preach for the service,” he said.
“Jackson County has deep Lutheran roots and lots of Lutheran people who rejoice in the Gospel and work hard to glorify his name, so I expect there will be a nice turnout from the various different churches in the area, and I’m looking forward to being there and celebrating with them,” he said. “It will be a great occasion.”
If you go
What: Lutheran Mission Federation’s annual Reformation Rally
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Zion Lutheran Church, 1501 Gaiser Drive, Seymour
Who: Open to the public; speaker will be D. Richard Stuckwisch, president of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod Indiana District
