# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S 30
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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Convention address ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Please report any errors in registration listings; see the last page of this Convention Workbook.
For ongoing convention information, see www.lcms.org/convention.
Delegates must bring copies of all convention publications to all sessions of the convention.

Preface
Greetings in Christ Jesus! These pages contain reports and overtures, as well as the elected voting and advisory representation
of the congregations and advisory members of the Synod, for the 67th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, which is to be held in Tampa, Florida, July 20–25, 2019. Please give them all your careful attention. The theme for the
convention is “Joy:fully Lutheran—Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.” This reminds us of Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians in
1 Thess. 5:16–18, a gem of a passage in a whole chapter and book deserving our careful attention. For as this Workbook may come
to you in the midst of other concerns and may mean “just more work to do,” so Paul’s word of encouragement comes to those who
sorely need it—and who have much work to do in great faith.
“As to the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you” (1 Thess. 5:1). But the truth is, even
in the midst of the great challenges of our age, there is joy in work if it is done in the Lord. We can rejoice even in the tremendous
work of a convention, if it moves our Synod along in faithfulness to His Word and together toward the consummation of His
promise of a great reaping if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9). There is prayer in work, too, as Luther recalls in his A Simple Way to
Pray: “He who works, prays twice.” As we gather in the fear and love of God to focus our Synod on His work—trusting that as we
not only conserve and promote the unity of the one faith but also together give it bold witness by word and deed before the world
(LCMS Constitution, Art. III 1, 2), He will surely bless—does not this make all of life, even a convention, if done so, the most holy
prayer and sacrifice of praise? And there is thankfulness in good work done together, as communities across the heartland are now
doing, where the floods have brought the fruitful plain again to a formless, muddy void, to restore life together and rich provision.
The Lord gives to our labors done in faith the ability to accomplish what is humanly impossible—even the salvation of souls in
repentance and the forgiveness of sins—and for that we give thanks. Our weary churches face such challenges in many places, and
have joined the Synod to have help, counsel, encouragement, and strengthening through the unity of Spirit in the bond of peace.
May the Lord Jesus establish the works of our hands in convention as He does there, that a great people may come forth thankful,
prayerful, rejoicing.
Delegates will note a diversity of impressions and even contested facts among some of the overtures. The President has, out
of respect for submitters who have taken care to participate even if not with full knowledge or information, taken a light hand
in his assigned task of culling overtures which might be “materially in error” or containing “apparent misrepresentation” (Bylaw
3.1.6.2 [c]). Ultimately, all submitted by the deadline have been published. Publication does not attest veracity of every detail; the
committees and delegates must “weigh all things and hold fast to the good” (1 Thess. 5:21). The convention is the place for elected
delegates to address forthrightly concerns and disagreements in the Synod. Let us only do that in the fear of God and the love of
one another, following “the example of the apostolic church. Acts 15:1–31” and in keeping with “our Lord’s will that the diversities
of gifts should be for the common profit. 1 Cor. 12:4–31” (LCMS Constitution, Preamble).
Convention floor committees, listed in the prefatory material of this volume, will be meeting in St. Louis May 31–June 3, 2019.
Any member of the Synod (congregation, commissioned or ordained minister) or any lay delegate may offer any comment to any
of the floor committees regarding the content of reports and overtures by sending a letter to me at this address: Office of the Secretary, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; 1333 S. Kirkwood Road; St. Louis, MO 63122. Such letters must be sent at least nine
weeks prior to the convention (May 18, 2019) to allow time for forwarding to the appropriate committee.
Another book, the Biographical Synopses and Statements of Nominees, contains information delegates will need to prepare for
the elections to take place at the convention. Its preface explains its contents.

Joy:fully Lutheran—Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:16–18
John W. Sias, Secretary and Editor