# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S25
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION
Balloting for Second through Fifth Vice-Presidents
The elections committee provided an update on registrations (620 voting pastors and 620 voting laypersons) and
reported the results of the second ballot for Vice-Presidents
Two through Five:
David Buegler, 601
Robert King, 594
Paul Maier, 759
Kurt Marquart, 557
Dean Nadasdy, 623
Wallace Schulz, 608
William Weinrich, 550
Thomas Zehnder, 594
Paul Maier was declared elected Second Vice-President
and Dean Nadasdy was declared elected Third Vice-President. The two persons receiving the least votes were removed as the delegates voted on the third ballot.
Committee 5: Higher Education
Committee 5 Chairman Carl Krueger introduced Res. 502A, “To Restructure Higher Education Governance” (TB,
pp. 200−201). After pointing out changes from the committee’s earlier Res. 5-02, the resolution was read and discussed. A motion was introduced to amend the third resolve
on page 201 by deleting the second last sentence. After discussion of the amendment, debate was ended on the motion
to amend and the main motion [Y: 837; N: 350]. The
amendment carried [Y: 637; N: 555], as did also the motion
as amended [Y: 684; N: 507].
Balloting for Second through Fifth Vice-Presidents
The Elections Committee reported the results of third
ballot, as follows:
David Buegler, 622
Robert King, 627
Wallace Schulz, 601
Thomas Zehnder, 563
Robert King was declared elected Fourth Vice-President,
and David Buegler was declared elected Fifth Vice-President. President Kieschnick invited all of the newly elected
Vice-Presidents to come to the front of the convention hall
at 2:25 p.m. Monday.
Committee 5: Higher Education
As Committee 5 prepared to present business to the convention, a motion was made to reconsider the action
adopted earlier changing the orders of the day to allow for
nominations to be handled by submitting them in writing
at a determined time. After the chair ascertained that the
motion maker had voted on the prevailing side and after
discussion, debate was ended [Y: 1,075; N: 97] and the motion failed [Y: 503; N: 673]. Due to the orders of the day,
Committee 5 was excused.
Committee 7: Structure, Planning, and Administration
Committee 7 recalled attention to substitute Res. 7-01
(TB, pp. 218−219). As discussion continued, a motion was
introduced to amend the substitute resolution by replacing
the crossed-out section in the top paragraph of page 219

25

with the suggested new wording for Bylaw 3.181 a in Overture 7-70 (CW, p. 274). After debate was ended on the motion to amend [Y: 1,083; N: 71], the amendment was defeated [Y: 334; N: 821]. After further discussion of the
substitute motion, debate was ended [Y: 1,066; N: 83] and
the substitute motion was not adopted [Y: 401; N: 758].
After discussion resumed on Res. 7-01A (TB, p. 212), a motion was introduced to amend the resolution with a final resolve: “and be it further Resolved, That this change in the
bylaw will take effect at the 2007 convention.” Debate was
ended on the motion to amend and the main motion [Y:
775; N: 370]. The motion to amend carried [Y: 678; N: 470]
and the amended Res. 7-01A was adopted [Y: 711; N: 439].
Devotion
Prior to the closing devotion, the Committee on Convention Nominations announced that it would accept floor
nominations in Room 125 until 8:00 p.m., except for nominations for positions affected by remaining Committee 5
business.
The convention session was closed with a devotion that
included a responsive reading of Psalm 121, prayers, and
stanzas of the hymn, “Jesus Shall Reign.”
Session 3
July 12, 2004
Opening Devotion
Rev. Dien Taylor, representing Concordia College,
Bronxville, New York, provided “call to gather” music in
preparation for the morning devotion. Convention Chaplain
Loren Kramer introduced Dr. Viji George, President of Concordia, Bronxville, who provided the opening devotion
under the theme, “Courage and Conviction.”
He based his devotion on Psalm 27, reminding that
when the Lord is our light and salvation, we have no reason
to be afraid. He recalled the fearlessness that he experienced among his fellow Christians in India and compared it
to the atmosphere of fear that exists today throughout the
world. He reminded that the antidote needed to overcome
this fear is courage, the courage that comes from the power
of our Christian convictions, the confession that defines the
essence of our beings. Hence the words of the psalmist:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation,” our light within
and the light that we reflect. Our enemies are different
than David’s—enemies of ideas and principles, but it still
takes courage to stand up for convictions. Our lives derive
their strength from God, enabling us to say boldly, “Of
whom shall I be afraid?” May God enable us to hold fast to
our convictions and to face fear with fearlessness.
He concluded his devotion with the hymn, “God of Grace
and God of Glory,” a responsive prayer, and words of benediction.
Committee 3: Theology and Church Relations
Committee 3 Chairman Arleigh Lutz introduced the
proposed actions being brought forward by his committee.
He called the assembly’s attention to Res. 3-01, “To Formally Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya” (TB, pp. 55−56). Upon
his announcement that the committee would not read the
2004 Convention Proceedings