# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S70 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 70 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT tricts. I believe you and many others share this concern. Close and careful coordination of work currently accomplished at the District- and national Synod-level is necessary for faithful stewardship of the precious resources entrusted to our care. • Theology and Church Relations — I am not alone in my concern for purity in our theology and progress in our efforts at deepening church relations where agreement exists in doctrine and practice. I believe you and many others share this concern. Our first constitutional objective is, “The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, shall—1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3–6; 1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy … ” (LCMS Constitution Article III). This is no small task in a pluralistic, postmodern, multicultural society. But the enormity of the task makes it even more imperative that we address it, seeking our God’s leading, guiding, and directing in this vital area of our life together in the Synod. • Program and Finance — I am not alone in my concern for adequate funding of the mission of the Synod. I believe you and many others share this concern. The people of the LCMS will support a church focused on faithful Gospel proclamation through Word and Sacraments, with a passion for mission. I believe there exists a spirit of openness to creative ways and means for doing so. In recent decades, gifts designated for a specific mission field or ministry endeavor have flourished while undesignated gifts have languished. In times of economic difficulty, both designated and undesignated gifts have decreased, regrettably resulting in reductions in all areas of national Synod ministry, including the mission field. We must address the questions of in what ways, to what extent, and with what resources we will continue to ask the national Synod to be involved in leadership in mission and ministry. • Higher Education — I am not alone in my concern about and support for the recruitment, retention, and general health of our Synod’s professional church workers. I believe you and many others share this concern and support. The pastors of our Synod are highly educated individuals who frequently face circumstances and situations for which they are neither trained nor experienced. Our educators are faithful servants, two-thirds of whom have received no formal theological education. Many of our pastors and educators are inadequately compensated, some living at or near poverty levels. They serve in the midst of people who are richly blessed and, under most circumstances, are eager to be of service and in mission with their people in meaningful ways. The fields are ripe for the harvest! We must continue to address the recruitment, retention, and care of our professional church workers. • Human Care — I am not alone in my concern for the expression of Christ’s love through human care and world relief, especially in times of national or world catastrophe. I believe you and many others share this concern. 2004 Convention Proceedings We must continue faithfully and generously to address ways and means of sharing the love of Christ with those in need, particularly in ways that clearly demonstrate the source of such faithfulness and generosity. “The love of Christ constrains us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). • Structure, Planning and Administration — I am not alone in my concern for church structure, planning, and administration that enhance and do not inhibit the mission of the church. I believe you and many others share this concern. Sooner or later our Synod must address the complex, complicated and even sometimes seemingly convoluted system of church governance with and under which we operate in our lives together in the Synod. We must do so with proper and diligent concern for biblical principles, balance of power, reduction of bureaucracy, and facilitation of mission and ministry. • Ecclesiastical Supervision and Dispute Resolution — I am not alone in my concern for ecclesiastical supervision and dispute resolution that honors, respects, and preserves the rights of members of the Synod while holding one another accountable to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions in an evangelical and fraternal fashion. I believe you and many others share this concern. Especially in the past three years we have seen and experienced the weaknesses and deficiencies of our system of ecclesiastical supervision and dispute resolution. We must address this important part of our work and walk together as members of the LCMS. Suggestions for Floor Committee Consideration Having summarized my perspectives on the state of the Synod and having articulated areas of concern that need to be addressed, I believe it is appropriate to offer general recommendations for floor committee consideration. This has been the precedent set by synodical Presidents in the past. I follow this precedent with the assurance of my absolute trust and complete confidence in you, the leaders and members of the floor committees entrusted with the responsibility of forming and fashioning the resolutions to be presented to the convention of our Synod in the weeks ahead. Here are a few general comments and recommendations for your consideration as you undertake this significant responsibility. Floor Committee 1 Missions As mentioned above, the congregations of our Synod have experienced a loss of approximately 350,000 baptized members over the past thirty or more years. A couple of the factors in this decline were the formation of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the 1970s and The Lutheran Church—Canada in the 1980s. However, these account for only part of an alarming decrease during a 30-year period, when the population of the United States grew by 77 million, from 203 million to over 280 million people (now over 293 million). This decrease is difficult to understand and impossible to accept, especially when total annual congregational offerings today amount to $1.3 billion!