# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S152
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES 153

WuereaS, Many teaching materials today often leave out or fail
to highlight “grace alone through faith”; therefore be it

Resolved, That Concordia Publishing House (CPH) be com-
mended and encouraged to continue producing sound biblical ma-
terials; and be it further

Resolved, That CPH, the publishing arm of the LCMS, be en-
couraged to produce confirmation and adult instruction materials
using Dr. A. L. Barry’s What About... ? materials.

Brainerd Circuit Forum
Minnesota-North District

2-29

To Encourage Concordia Publishing House
to Publish Gospel-Oriented Materials

WHEREAS, Paul McCain, Interim President of Concordia Pub-
lishing House, recently addressed the congregations of the Synod
decrying the lack of Gospel in much of Christian publishing today;
and

Wuereas, Profit and marketability might play too large a role in
the determination of what materials are published by any publisher,
and

WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House is a corporate entity of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, AS a Corporate entity, CPH’s publications educate
the people of the Synod and widely influence the reputation of the
Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS, in convention, remind Concordia
Publishing House of its responsibility to publish materials that are
both doctrinally pure and correct in their presentation of Law and
Gospel.

Our Redeemer
Columbia Falls, MT

To Use An American Translation
in Concordia Self-Study Bible

WHEREAS, The Concordia Self-Study Bible—NIV, published
by Concordia Publishing House, and edited by Robert Hoerber,
Walter Roehrs, Horace Hummel, and Dean O. Wenthe, says in its
comments on Psalm 16:9-11 that “David speaks here, as in the rest
of his psalms, first of all of himself and of the life he now enjoys by
the gracious provision and care of God”; and

Wuereas, The Apostle Peter says that David in Psalm 16:9-11
is not speaking of himself at all. (Peter said that David was speak-
ing only about Jesus Christ since David’s bones were stil] there:
“David saw what was ahead and said the Christ would rise again:
He was not deserted when he was dead, and His body did not ex-
perience decay. God raised this Jesus—we’re all witnesses of that”
[Acts 2:31-32].); and

WHEREAS, The NIV at times reflects Reformed theology and is
not entirely accurate (See “Caveat Emptor! Let the Buyer—and the
Reader—Beware!” by Armand J. Boehme, in Logia [Vol. X. No. 1,
2001]. In it, Boehme, who has been with the LCMS CTCR, writes:
“A Reformed cast to the NIV should concern Lutheran pastors and
theologians when Lutherans [lay and clergy] claim the NIV as their
overwhelming favorite Bible version; A Confessional Lutheran de-
nomination that regularly uses the NIV will suffer damage to its
sound biblical and confessional heritage”); and

Wuereas, An American Translation of the Bible, the work of
Dr. William Beck, an orthodox Lutheran, and a committee of some
leading orthodox Lutheran theologians, is an accurate translation
of the Bible in modern English; and

Wuereas, Concordia Publishing House first published the New
Testament portion of the AAT in 1963 and was asked by an LCMS
convention to publish the entire AAT; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention ask Concordia Pub-
lishing House to use the AAT in its self-study Bible.

Trinity

New Haven, MO

2-31

To Commend Concordia Publishing House
WuereAs, Concordia Publishing House, under the leadership of
Rev. Paul McCain and the current CPH Board, has published out-
standing materials supportive of the doctrines and confessions of
the Lutheran church; and
WHEREAS, Sufficient profit has accrued from sale of such mate-
rials for a favorable return of funds to our Synod; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, commend the work of
Rev. Paul McCain and the CPH Board; and be it further
Resolved, That pastors and congregations of the Synod make
diligent use of these materials for the edification of the church.
Faith
Plano, TX

2-32

To Commend Interim President of CPH

WHEREAS, Several years of operating losses at Concordia Pub-
lishing House (CPH) reached a peak of $2 million in 2001; and

WHEREAS, Net income at CPH in 2002 was $1.6M and $2.3M in
2003, after Rev. Paul McCain accepted the appointment as Interim
President; and

WerEas, In 2003 CPH met its sales budget for the first time in
five years, achieved through Rev. McCain’s efforts to streamline
the organization, contain costs, and focus on core competencies to
serve the congregations and schools of the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, In 2003, a sum total of $380,000 has been returned to
the Synod for the first time in many years with vouchers for every
congregation with total redemption value of $360,000; and

WHEREAS, Strategic planning horizons have been established for
short-, mid- and long-term goals, some of which have already
begun to show fruits such as:

* a customer service initiative resulting in a 99 percent level of cus-
tomer satisfaction being recorded

* an enhanced Web site showing steady growth in sales through the
Internet

* employee morale being raised because of a higher sense of job
security and the ability to provide an annual bonus for every em-
ployee in 2002 and 2003

* anew information technology data management system to better
improve operational efficiency and improve management of cus-
tomer relations

* strong management initiatives strengthening relationships with
LCMS agencies and Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs) .

and

WHEREAS, World Gospel outreach has been increased through
expanded publishing of multiethnic resources and the Concordia

Gospel Outreach program; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, acknowledge, com-
mend, and thank Rev. Paul McCain for his work at Concordia Pub-
lishing House and for his service to The Lutheran Church—Mis-

souri Synod. ,

Zion
Fort Wayne, IN