# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S 13
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Disneyland? Anaheim?

We have already heard a great deal of comment relating
the coming convention of The Lutheran Church~ Missouri
Synod to Disneyland. There have been references to Mickey
Mouse, ete.

Perhaps we might well pause and think for a moment about
Disneyland and especially its creator. Walt Disney made a mark
for himself in American life for especially two reasons, his
tremendous creativity (developing or at least refining a new
art form) and his dedication to wholesomeness in an industry
not particularly known for it.

Perhaps there are lessons here for us. Our Synod at this
moment needs God-given creativity if it is to solve its problems,
and it needs a fresh breeze of wholesomeness.

Having emerged from several weeks of editing the pages of
this book, one comes away with the impression that many peo-
ple in our Synod feel very, very deeply indeed. When people
feel deeply, their language can become at times quite direct
and even painful. This presents a problem for those who are
charged with the responsibility of editing this book. There are
those who hold that every critical statement must be regarded
as slander. Strangely, some who hold that view in regard to
statements made by others about one person are quite free to
make similar statements themselves about another person!
This is the strange inconsistency of the human heart.

And yet one needs to maintain that the members of an organi-
zation have the right to criticize those to whom they have en-
trusted responsibilities. One can only hope that such criticism
will be expressed in a kind, loving, and gentle manner. Where
this seems to be exceeded in the estimation of the Person
criticized, we would pray for him a special measure of the
forgiving spirit.

* * *

Once again the Board of Directors, with the endorsement of
the special Convention Format Committee, requested that all
reports and overtures be submitted 4 weeks prior to the absolute
deadline date set by the Handbook. However, the documents
received before the final date have still been transmitted to the
floor committee and in a few instances have even been included
in the book if they presented matters not already before the
convention in some form.

Special attention should be called to the new procedure
initiated this year on recommendation of the Convention Format
Committee. Instead of the floor committees meeting on the site
of the convention for almost a week prior to the convention, they
are meeting at the end of May in St. Louis to draft all of their
Proposed resolutions. These resolutions will then be mailed to
all registered delegates. It is hoped that this mailing will reach
them early enough so that an Opportunity will be afforded for
discussion of the resolutions among the folks back home prior
to the convention. In many instances Circuit meetings will even
be called for that purpose in order to secure additional input
into the decision-making process. This is beneficial so long as it
is borne in mind that the delegates go uninstructed to the con-
vention and must finally vote their conscience.

The New Orleans convention referred 177 items of unfinished
business to the Board of Directors. These referred resolutions
are being reprinted in a separate section in the back of the
Workbook. To pick up the trail of each of these resolutions, we
suggest that you consult the report of the Board of Directors,
Section III.

In the report of the Convention Format Committee (see
Chapter XIV) you will find special standing rules which the
committee is proposing for adoption by the convention in the
hope that this will enable the convention to do its work more
efficiently and expeditiously.

* * *

We referred above to Disneyland. The convention will really
be held in Anaheim, not Disneyland. Anaheim. A fanciful
exercise in etymological reasoning (faulty but interesting) might
remind us that ana in the Greek sometimes means “above” and
heim in the German means “home.”

Perhaps we should permit “Anaheim”
“home above.” Through the mercy of God
the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
through the power of the Holy Spirit we hope to share that
“home above” someday. We will not forget that as we deal with
One another in Anaheim, or anywhere else this side of our real
family homestead.

to remind us of the
the Father, through

Herbert Mueller, Secretary

Convention Arrangements Committee

Rev. Arnold G. Kuntz, Chairman

Rev. William H. Ilten, Convention Coordinator
Rev. Ron Kusel, Secretary

Miss LaVeda Helmke, Scribe

Rev. Lowell Siebrass, Worship

ii

Rev. Kenneth Zank, Public Relations

Rev. Lothar Tornow, Convention Services

Mr. Vernon Pate, Registration and Credentials
Rev. Herbert Mueller, Advisory

Mr. W. J. Barge, Convention Manager