Reclaiming Our Heritage (ROH) is an on-line monthly publication of CrossTies Lutheran Ministry Resources. Subscribers are notified of each issue by email. There is no cost for the subscription. Only subscribers have access to the complete articles as well as the archives. The goal of ROH is to serve the people of God with practical, Biblically based information, ideas, stories, research, books and links. We seek to demonstrate the power and significance of historical Christian teaching for life in the 21st century. Our writing and work reflects the basic principles of the Lutheran Reformation: Grace Alone, Faith Alone and Scripture Alone. If you have questions or comments about Reclaiming Our Heritage or its contents, please respond by using our feedback form.
Editor: Dr. Al Franzmeier
CrossTies Lutheran Ministry Resources
PO Box 90697
Houston, TX 77290
Meet Our Authors:
 | Rev. Ron Bogs was born, baptized and raised in the LCMS, attending Lutheran grade school, college and seminary. He has served as a Lutheran School techer in North Miami, FL; as a DCE in San Antonio, TX; as Associate Pastor in Steeleville, IL; as sole pastor in Corpus Christi, TX and currently as sole pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Westfield, TX. His Doctral Paper was on "Developing and Implementing a Lifestyle Evangelism Culture.". |
 | Rev. Gerhard Dobberfuhl, a graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, he served as senior pastor of congregations in Missouri and Michigan. His last pastorate was Bethany Lutheran Church, Detroit, Michigan. He also served as a Circuit Counselor and as a member of the Michigan District's Stewardship Board. Now retired from parish ministry, he and his wife reside in The Woodlands, TX. |
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 | Deborah K. Frontiera has been published in non-fiction, poetry and children's books. A retired teacher, she thinks the geese have the right idea--summers in the north and winters in the south. She and her husband live in Houston, TX, but spend the summer months in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Visit her web site at www.authorsden.com/deborahkfrontiera. |
 | Lee Franklin spent 33 years in the oil and gas industry in the finance and systems project management arenas. A few years ago Lee left the oil and gas industry corporate world to pursue his own small business interests. Lee was born in the Cayman Islands but grew up in the United States. He received a BS in Accounting from the University of Louisiana--Lafayette. He lives in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife Kristl. |
 | Dr. Al Franzmeier is a graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (M.Div.), Luther Seminary, St. Paul (M.Th) and Chicago Theol. Seminary (D.Rel). He was the founding pastor of churches in Thunder Bay, Ontario; Roseville, Minn.; Spring, TX; and The Woodlands, TX. He serves the church at large through Bible studies, sermons and retreats. He has been Dean of Chapel at Concordia University, St. Paul; Circuit Counselor in two Districts and a member of the Texas District's Church Growth Task Force. He is the published author of novels, essays, short stories and The First Words of Jesus, a study of Jesus' Beatitudes. Now retired from parish ministry, he is the founding editor of this e-zine and a Blog by the same name. |
 | Laurie Fraser has a BA in English from Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH. Having left a career as an airline pilot, she is working on her second career as a fiction writer. She is an active member of |
 | Larry D. Harvey, is a graduate of Texas A & M University (B.S., 1973) and Baylor Law School (J.D., 1975). He practices law in Houston. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crossties Lutheran Ministry Resources, Inc. He presently serves as an Elder at Zion Lutheran Church, Tomball, Texas and leads two Adult Bible Studies at Zion each week. He and his wife, April, reside in Spring, Texas. |
 | Rev. Harold A. Hein, was born Dec. 31,1925, in rural Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, and raised in a pastor's family of 8 children. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After graduating from Concordia Seminary, Springfield, Ill. in 1952, he was called to serve as a missionary in Nigeria, West Africa. There he served for 12 years as a supervising pastor of 15 churches and 11 Lutheran schools, as well as teaching and leading the Lutheran Seminary, Obot Idim, as President. Upon returning to the U.S. he served as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Fort Worth,Texas from 1965 to 1989 when he retired. In retirement he served as interim pastor at Redeemer Lutheran and part-time visitation pastor at St. Paul Lutheran, Ft. Worth. During his ministry in Fort Worth he also served as Circuit Counselor, Civilian pastor for military at Carswell Air Force Base, part-time chaplain at DFW Airport, Lutheran contact pastor at the Federal institution, and chairman of the Metroplex Lutheran Pastoral Conference. He also served for 18 years as a member of the Board of Directors of Lutheran Bible Translators. Harold and beloved wife June were married in 1952. To be closer to family, in 1995 they moved to South Elgin, Ill. ,where they now reside. They are currently members of Lord of Life Lutheran Church, LaFox, Ill. and are blessed with three daughters and three grandchildren. |
 | Pastor Dale B. Krueger is grateful that, in his Baptism on December 20, 1931, he was joined to Jesus Christ and became a member of the family of God, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. He graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 1957 and has been pastor of congregations in Nebraska, Northwest Ontario, and Michigan. Using his training as a certified Intentional Interim Minister, he has served congregations in Boston, New Mexico and Michigan and is currently preaching and teaching the Gospel at Salem Lutheran in Coloma, MI. He is a member of the National Asso. of Lutheran Interim Pastors (NALIP). He and his wife, Ruth, reside in Kalamazoo, MI. |
 | Pastor David R. Nehrenz is Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Norman, Oklahoma, where he has served the Lord from 1988 to the present. The theme for their work is: “One Family in Church, School and Campus Ministry.” He has directed the Oklahoma District LCMS Campus Ministry at the University of Oklahoma, with the assistance of 20 vicars. Pastor Nehrenz is the 2nd Vice-President of the Oklahoma District. He and his wife Kathy have four children - Kurt, Mark, Stephen and Michelle. From 1982-1988 he was the Pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Pagosa Springs, Colorado which was a mission church and his first call to a parish. |
 | Rev. Rick Richter is a graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and has served as senior pastor of congregations in Atlanta, Ga; Lake City, MN; Anita, IA; Clinton, IA; St. Louis, MO; and Arlington Hts., IL. He serves now at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Schaumburg, IL. He has spent the last several years studying Islam, doing workshops, and writing and revising his book, " The Qur'an and the Bible - A Comparison." To hear Rev. Richter discuss his book, go to KFUO Web Audio; Archives: Law and Gospel; Jan. 17. He strongly believes that Christians need to be fortified in their faith, based on the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. |
 | Rev. Carl Roth is the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church. in Livingston, Texas. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2006. He and his wife Heidi have been blessed with two precious gifts from the Lord, Grace Ann and Emma. He has written Sunday School materials and several series of Bible studies for Concordia Publishing House, including those contained in the Christmas resource "Away in a Manger" and the Lent resource "Lamb of God, Pure and Holy." He also is an editorial associate for LOGIA: A Journal of Lutheran Theology. And he could rightly be called a SCRABBLE fanatic |
 | Jonna Smith is a wife, mother and grandmother, living in The Woodlands, Texas. She is an active member of Living Word Lutheran Church, a writer of children's literature and co-editor of The Write Ingredients, a writers' website. |