# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S153
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

154 DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

2-33

To Honor Those Who Remained Faithful
in 1974 and Remain So Today

WHEREAS, This year, 2004, marks the 30th anniversary of the
walkout by the majority of students and faculty of Concordia Sem-
inary, St. Louis; and

WHEREAS, Many remnants of this walkout remain active within
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, This unremitting turmoil continues to divide The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in working the Great Commis-
sion; and

WHEREAS, There yet remain many congregations and workers
in the kingdom who strive to rise above the dissension and con-
tinue to be faithful as they labor unstintingly for the kingdom of
God in missions; and

WueREAS, Scripture lays upon the hearts and minds of all Chris-
tians the admonition to give hope and encouragement to those who
labor for Christ’s kingdom; and

WHEREAS, Jesus in the Scriptures promises to those who remain
faithful to God’s Word a crown of life; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention take time to remember those who, while divinity students
and professors at Concordia Seminary in February 1974, remained
faithful to their calling; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to God for the congrega-
tions and the members of those congregations who have remained
faithful in confession, deed, and mission; and be it finally

Resolved, That this 62nd convention of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod give thanks to God for those remaining faithful by
standing and being led by President Kieschnick in the singing of
the Doxology.

Faith
Ukiah, CA

2-34
To Encourage Spiritual Discipline of the Church

WHEREAS, God’s Word and Sacraments are means of grace, ve-
hicles that the Spirit uses to grow our faith and equip us for min-
istry; and

WuerEAS, Many people are eager to worship Christ and study
the Bible; and

WHEREAS, The times require a greater need for prayer; and

WHEREAS, In the early church, the disciples “devoted them-
selves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the break-
ing of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42); therefore be it

Resolved, That each member of LCMS congregations be en-
couraged to develop similar spiritual disciplines through daily
Bible study, weekly attendance at corporate worship and group
‘Bible study, and regular reception of Holy Communion; and be it
further

Resolved, That each congregation in the LCMS be encouraged
to increase participation in the number of group Bible study oppor-
tunities it offers, particularly those on sharing the faith and creating
a caring church family; and be it finally

Resolved, That we encourage each other to devote ourselves to
prayer, remembering to pray for each other, our Circuits, our Dis-
trict, our Synod, and the world.

Board of Directors
Southeastern District

2-35

To Establish Committee to Address
“Back-Door Losses”

WHEREAS, Around 47,000 members are removed from the rolls
of congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod each
year who have not died and have not transferred to another con-
gregation; and

WHEREAS, This number is similar to the total number of chil-
dren and adults confirmed in our congregations each year; and

WHEREAS, While the LCMS as a whole has experienced a net
loss of 100,000 members in the past decade, almost 500,000 have
walked out “the back door”; and

WHEREAS, More needs to be said and done to help congrega-
tions close “the back door” while they welcome people in “the front
door”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2003 convention of the Northern IIlinois
District establish a Blue Ribbon Committee appointed by our Dis-
trict President to gather pertinent facts about “back-door losses”
and about the prevention of “back-door losses” and make appro-
priate recommendations to our District President for dissemination
to our NID congregations within one year; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2003 convention of the Northern Illinois
District ask the 2004 convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod to establish a Blue Ribbon Committee appointed by
the Council of Presidents to gather pertinent facts about “back-door
losses” and about the prevention of “back-door losses” and make
appropriate recommendations to the Synod in convention when
next it gathers.

Northern Illinois District; Trinity, Roselle, IL; Circuit 6,
Northern Illinois District

2-36

To Establish Task Force to Review
Parish Governance Styles

WtereEAsS, The traditional voters’ assembly style of parish gov-
ernance was developed in the 1800s in response to realities of the
time; and

WHEREAS, Since the 1800s a variety of parish governance styles
have developed due to varying governance needs often related to
the size and the makeup of their laity; and

Wuereas, Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and the
LCMS Handbook are silent on the exact form of governance in the
local parish other than the mention of pastors and elders and their
responsibility for establishing a Word and Sacrament ministry and
propriety in worship; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention establish a task
force to review governance styles available to LCMS congrega-
tions so that the Synod may truly fulfill its advisory role (Art. VII
of the LCMS Constitution) in the area of parish governance as it
has so well in so many other areas of ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That this task force consist of active parish pastors
and representatives of their congregations appointed by the Council
of Presidents to assure national and regional representation and be
it finally

Resolved, That this task force be assigned the task of identifying

a variety of parish governance styles appropriate for the coming

century which allow congregations to set “winning souls for Christ

and His kingdom” as their primary mission and reporting its find-
ings to the Synod before the 2007 convention.

Trinity

Roselle, IL