Almost 60 years ago (August 1960), Dr. Charlie Tusing, longtime synod secretary, called to offer me a job as editor of The Virginia Lutheran. I had  helped him promote the Massanetta Summer Assembly. Although I knew little about the monthly publication, I accepted, started in September and 60 years of work flew by quickly. This is my last issue as editor but Bishop Bob Humphrey said the publication will continue in some form.

            Following in the footsteps of five pastors, I soon learned that the job involved many phone calls and a lot of begging in the search for news of the Synod, its pastors, lay members, organizations and institutions. The Virginia Lutheran has had many contributors, several printers and a variety of formats through the years. My first issue in September 1960 had 16 pages and it was hard copy for much of its life until electronic printing became more economical.

            Conference deans once were enlisted to report on their areas. For several years, a four-page insert was included in The Lutheran magazine.

            Through six decades of tremendous change in every form of human activity, I have tried to report what was happening in the church, how our members and pastors have worshiped in many ways. Since I come from an historical background-my grandfather was a horseback pastor in Wythe County in the 1800s-I have been interested in the life of the Virginia Synod and its family members.

            The trends reported here often echo changes in the secular world. After World War II, a number of new missions were formed; some congregations constructed new buildings, sanctuaries, fellowship halls or administrative wings; men and women turned from business and industry to a second career in the pulpit, and the Synod's leadership structure evolved from superintendent to president to bishop. Restructuring after two national mergers changed the territory alignment of the Synod as the former Knoxville Conference was shifted from Virginia to a new Southeast Synod and Northern Virginia congregations were placed in a Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod. Small congregations, especially in the Shenandoah Valley, have faced declining support, causing major concern, while ministries are healthy in the urban areas of eastern Virginia. In 2009, the national human sexuality issue caused several congregations to leave the Synod.

            Two major trends in recent years and the subjects of many articles have been the steady growth of women pastors and the retirement of many pastors leading to a surge of newcomers from other areas of the church to fill Virginia vacancies. Once, the Synod raised its own pastors. Many families produced more than one pastor but now they are coming from diverse backgrounds. The number of women serving Synod parishes reached an amazing 44 percent earlier this year-quite a change since Pastor Jean Bozeman was the first woman ordained 44 years ago.

             Probably the leading program of the Synod has been the creative youth ministry of Pastor Dave Delaney, drawing hundreds of young people to such popular events as Winter Celebration, Lost and Found, Kairos and the annual Youth Assembly. This youth work has been held up as a model for the ELCA.

            The Virginia Lutheran has reported on the old Marion College, the steady growth of Roanoke College, the work of Virginia women's organization and a smaller group of Virginia men, as well as Caroline Furnace and Hungry Mother Camp.

            Many people have been important sources of information, President J. Luther Mauney and Bishops V. A. "Buck" Moyer, Richard Bansemer, Jim Mauney and Bob Humphrey have been generous and helpful. Working with their staffs has been essential. Foremost has been retired Pastor Dwayne Westermann, who has played a key role in makeup for this publication. I am grateful for his work. Also, Dr. Charley Tusing, Pastors George Handley, Chip Gunsten and John Byerly, Charley Shenberger, Skip Zubrod and more recently, Pastor John Wertz Jr., Kelly Derrick, Becky Walls and Emily Pilat have been friends and supporters.

            I gained an appreciation for the work of the wider church when I was a delegate for four churchwide assemblies. Also, the old Lutheran Church in America

Department of Press, Radio and Television held workshops in the assembly cities. We learned the latest in church communications and saw some local sights, such as the Southern Baptist radio-TV studios in Dallas and the Boeing plant in Seattle.

            A compliment once came from Pastor Philip Bouknight of Trinity Ecumenical Parish, who said, "George can squeeze news out of a  turnip"                                           

              For the past sixty years, since 1960, The Virginia Lutheran has been under the competent care and editorship of layman George Kegley, professional newspaperman. "The synod established its voice among its constituency by means of The Virginia Lutheran." (Eisenberg, W.E., The Lutheran Church in Virginia 1717-1962, p.289.)

            To these words from Eisenberg should be added "faithful" and "enduring".

A Brief History

            The Virginia Lutheran  was authorized for publication in 1921 by the "old Synod" of Virginia.  Published in the prominent mass communication format of the day - the newspaper, it proved to be a popular instrument of the synod giving congregations and their members a sense of identity and common mission beyond their local congregations.  It became known as "the voice" of a new Virginia Synod in the newly formed national expression - the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA), 1922-1962.  Pastor Eli Calvin Cronk of the Southwest Virginia Synod and Secretary of the Lutheran Laymen's Movement was its first editor and principal reporter.  

            In its first forty years, The Virginia Lutheran was guided by six editors and principal writers. Three Virginia Synod Superintendents followed Cronk - The Reverends George Heilig Rhodes, Charles Milton Teufel, and Robert Homer Anderson.  In addition, two parish pastors stepped forward - Frank KimbalI Efird, Pastor, Christ, Roanoke, editor from 1948 to 1952, followed by Marshall Frantz Mauney, Pastor, Holy Trinity, Lynchburg, editor from 1953 to 1960.  With all of the these new beginnings of synods in Virginia, The Virginia Lutheran emerged as a popular means of keeping Lutherans connected from the mountains of Southwest Virginia and parts of West Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley, to the Tidewater of Virginia and everywhere in between. 

            In the first forty years there were six ordained editors and principal writers.  In the past sixty years there has been one layman - George Kegley!  In these years he faithfully chronicled for the members in the pews and the pastors in the pulpits of the congregations of the Virginia Synod the significant mission and ministry accomplished throughout our synod and its related institutions, auxiliaries and camps. He has also kept a clear eye on the various accomplishments and changes of national expressions of the Lutheran Church in North America, especially the formations of the LCA (1962-1987) and the ELCA (1988-).

            Most of his writing and editing has been about significant Virginia Synod moments - synod conventions and assemblies, election of leaders, important decisions, changes in pastoral leadership and events in every congregation, work of our auxiliaries, and the development and accomplishments of synodical related institutions, agencies, social ministry organizations, and camps.

            As printing and mailing costs of printed copies of The Virginia Lutheran increased so did the availability of email communication.  These and other developments in electronic communications led to the decision to make The Virginia Lutheran a digital publication in the early 2000's. For several years, both the newspaper and digital formats were sent to subscribers to give everyone time to transition to the digital format.

Good and Faithful Servant

           George would be the first to tell you that of most importance to him were the stories written by Pastors and members about the local mission and ministries of their congregations in their communities of the synod - their joys and struggles, times of growths and losses, and through them all their continued strong support of an historic synod of Lutherans in Virginia. 

            In an interview in preparation for this article, George said, "These were the real editors and writers of the synod's stories." With this edition, George retires as editor of The Virginia Lutheran.

T he whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 

(Acts 15: 11-12 NRSV)

            Well, I cannot confirm "the whole assembly kept silence," - I wish I could! But, I am completely confident - had we been able to meet this year in-person - that when George Kegley finished speaking we would have leapt to our feet and thunderously applauded and shouted our affirmation and appreciation for six decades (Yes, 60 years!) of editorial oversight for our "flagship" 20th Century Virginia Synod publication, The Virginia Lutheran. It still enriches us monthly - well into the 21st Century!

            It is with deep affection and admiration that I write this brief article of appreciation for the truly remarkable work George has maintained month after month (@720 months, to be clear!) in faithfully reporting "all the signs and wonders that God has done" through the saints of our synod. 

           He personally sought out and reviewed every congregation's newsletter and annual report, scouring them for news in which the whole synod would take interest, learn and possibly be inspired. 

            When the internet age dawned George was undaunted. He not only still found and filtered the news, he also helped shepherd The Virginia Lutheran into a new format and distribution system. In this effort he has had a wonderful and capable partner in Pastor Dwayne Westermann, to whom we also owe a huge debt of thanksgiving! Their partnership has left us richer in our ministry and historical data for the ages.

            So, as we say thank you, we also make a promise - to continue the tradition and treasure of sharing the stories of ministry and mission from every corner of George and Dwayne's beloved Virginia Synod. "Thank you" seems not nearly enough... Thanks be to God! Amen.

              Pastor Anders Nilsen from Southeastern Minnesota Synod has accepted a call to serve at Emmanuel, Virginia Beach. Interim Pastor Patsy Koeneke has been serving since Pastor Aaron DeBenedetto moved away. Nilsen, son of Pastor Kai Nilsen, is a native of Madison, WI and he grew up in Columbus, OH, graduated from Luther College and Trinity Seminary. He has been serving at Our Saviour, Faribault, MN. His wife, Nichole Nilsen, is an Air Force ob-gyn doctor.

            Pastor Ryan Radtke is coming from Hope Lutheran, Atascadero, CA, to answer a call to Messiah, Mechanicsville, where Pastor Richard Carbaugh has been interim pastor.

            Pastor Robert Wise has resigned from serving Prince of Peace, Basye. He said that he has decided it is in the best interests of the church and himself that he resign, according to the congregation's weekly update. He began serving a year ago. A native of Shenandoah County, he is a son of Pastor Gerald Wise.

         Muhlenberg, Harrisonburg, will be employing a minister of communication. Mycah McNett served in this position until she entered seminary.

            Pastor Leslie and Jacob Weber, Grace, Chesapeake, are the parents of newborn Caleb Weber.

            The council of Our Saviour, Richmond, has established a Covid-19 Relief Fund to help congregation members, staff and pre-school teachers who are experiencing hardship in the pandemic. Those needing help may contact Pastor Katie Pocalyko.

            Luther Memorial, Blacksburg, is collecting diapers for the New River Diaper Pantry. As of mid-May, the pantry had distributed 7.000 more diapers than in all of last year. A typical infant uses more than 50 diapers a week

            Our Saviour, Norge, received an Award of Excellence from the Williamsburg Area Council of Garden Clubs for planting trees and flowers and maintenance at its parish house. The congregation was commended for its "contribution to the quality of environment."

           Epiphany, Richmond, has a community garden producing vegetables to be shared with food pantries. The congregation is seeking a director of faith formation.

           Christ the King, Richmond, is one of many congregations whose members are making face masks for use in the pandemic. They have made over 200 which were donated to hospitals, nursing homes and medical practices.

           At St. Peter, Stafford, a Boy Scout troop collected food and left it at the church to help stock a food pantry.