# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S32
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Armed Forces, who introduced three Missouri Synod active-duty
chaplains representing the military chaplains of the Synod:
• Chaplain (Colonel) Jonathan E. Shaw, U.S. Army Europe
Command Chaplain, Headquarters, Wiesbaden, Germany
• Capt. Gregory N. Todd, Chaplain Corps, USN, Chaplain of
the U.S. Coast Guard
• Chaplain, Lt. Col. Gregory Jans, U.S. Air Force, the 60th
Medical Group and David Grant Medical Center, Travis
AFB, CA.
Chaplain Muehler showed a video of chaplains in action and
spoke of the need for men like these to preach the Gospel and minister to active and veteran military and their families.

Committee 12: Ecclesiastical Supervision and Dispute
Resolution
Committee 12 Chairman John Wille introduced his committee
and spoke of the function of ecclesiastical supervision in the Synod.
He then introduced Res. 12-01A “To Restore Right of Accuser to
Appeal when a District President Fails to Act or Declines to Suspend” (TB, p. 362—Part 2, Sunday issue), reading it in its entirety.
During discussion, a motion was introduced to refer the resolution to the COP for further study. After discussion of the motion
to refer, a motion to end debate on the motion was introduced and
carried [Yes: 785; No: 271]. In the vote that followed, the motion to
refer failed to carry [Yes: 495; No: 599]. Discussion of Res. 12-01A
continued until a motion “to delay action until tomorrow” was
introduced and discussed. A motion to end debate was carried
[Yes: 747; No: 310], but the motion to delay action failed [Yes: 521;
No: 542]. The chair called the Orders of the Day.

Special Presentation—Honoring Missionaries
After a special prayer was offered for a tragic incident reported
in St. Joseph, Michigan, the chair called on Dr. Ed Grimenstein
of the Synod’s Office of International Mission executive staff for
recognition of missionary families. At the time of the 2013 LCMS
convention, the Synod had 68 career missionaries in the foreign
mission fields, with approximately 35 spouses and 80 children.
In response to an action by the last convention, that number has
increased to 125 career missionaries at present, with 65 spouses
and an additional 100 children, each a bright light in a dark world.
Dr. Grimenstein emphasized that, more than “extras,” spouses and
children are important to the field, and the OIM is dedicated to
taking good care of them. He introduced a number of missionary
families present at the convention.

Committee 7: University Education
President Harrison assuming the chair, Committee 7 Chairman Timothy Scharr, President of the Southern Illinois District,
began the committee’s presentation of its proposed resolutions with
a video sharing the message and unique difference of the Synod’s
Concordia University System. After reporting that his committee had withdrawn Res. 7-07 to allow further consideration of its
subject matter, he called Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, President of Concordia University System, to the podium, who spoke of the multiple
challenges faced by CUS boards of regents and called the CUS pres32

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idents in attendance forward to introduce themselves and together
“receive the encouragement of the assembly.”
Committee Chairman Scharr introduced Res. 7-01A “To Adopt
Lutheran Identity Statement for CUS Institutions as Prepared by
CUS Presidents” (TB, pp. 354ff.—Monday issue) on behalf of his
committee. After the resolution was read in its entirety, the chair
asked for a voice vote to end debate and Res. 7-01A was adopted as
presented [Yes: 927; No: 43].
Res. 7-08 “To Celebrate 125th Anniversary of Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota” (TB, pp. 379f.—Monday issue) was
next introduced by the committee. Res. 7-08 was adopted by voice
vote, after which President Harrison offered the prayer of special
thanksgiving and praise called for by the resolution.
Res. 7-05A “To Endorse Roster Status for Graduates of Classical Liberal Studies and Other Teacher Education Programs” (TB,
pp. 364f.—Monday issue) was introduced by the committee chairman and its resolve paragraphs read by a committee member. The
chair asked for the assembly’s consent to proceed directly to voting on the resolution. Hearing no objection, the chair called for the
vote and Res. 7-05A was adopted as presented [Yes: 912; No: 39].

Closing Prayer
After announcements, the chair called on Convention Chaplain
William Weedon to provide an evening prayer.

Session 5
Tuesday a.m. July 12, 2016
Matins
Rev. Laokouxang (Kou) Seying, Associate Professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, served as preacher, Chaplain Peter Bender
as liturgist, and Cantor Phillip Magness as organist. Matthew Wolf,
Paul Reske, Matthew Janssen, and John Jaeckel provided brass
accompaniment.
[The entire text of Rev. Seying’s homily is printed elsewhere in
these 2016 Convention Proceedings.]

Special Recognition
President Harrison introduced the newly elected vice-presidents
of the Synod according to their new ranking as determined by previous action of the convention:
Herbert C. Mueller, Jr. 		First Vice-President
Scott R. Murray 		Second Vice-President
Nabil S. Nour 		Third Vice-President
John C. Wohlrabe, Jr. 		Fourth Vice-President
Daniel Preus 		Fifth Vice-President
Christopher S. Esget 		Sixth Vice-President

Committee 13: Routes to Ministry
As Committee 13 was called forward, the chair recognized the
chairman of Committee 19: Registration, Credentials, and Elections Committee to receive the current voter registration report.
Committee Chairman Greg Walton reported that the voter attendance report remained the same as last reported: 1,123 voting
delegates. The chair noted that since the report remained the same
as reported earlier, there would be no need to repeat its adoption.
“Convention Minutes”