LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 81

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the exclusion of its message may easily become
vacuous.
We have both a strong appreciation for our pastanda
deep anticipation of the future. This convention, with
its twin foci on the 500th anniversary of Dr. Martin
Luther’s birth and the ministry of youth, is again
evidence of that fact.
We have both a profound appreciation for the tradi-
tional and a capacity to be innovative in the use of
new technologies in our Savior’s service.
We have both a strong commitment to ministering to
the souls of people and to caring for their bodily needs,
as evidenced, for example, in our balanced commit-
ments to both education and social ministry.
We realize the values of both discipline and pastoral
care in dealing with one another in our corporate
lives. We have not hesitated to take strong positions
in doctrine and practice and to expect their implemen-
tation, but we have always recognized the primacy of
pastoral care, especially in dealing with unusual
cases.
We have both a strong regard for our pastors and their
ministries and a deep appreciation for the priesthood
of all believers as exercised by our laymen. The
balance of pastors and laymen in our leadership
positions, such as this convention, and the ease with
which they work together is one of God’s great gifts—
often taken for granted—to our church body.
¢ We emphasize the importance of both the individual
Christian and the corporate dimensions of the church
in mission.
¢ Our organizational pattern has both its centralized
and its decentralized dimensions, as we adminsiter
services for one another centrally while retaining a
. healthy measure of respect for decisions made locally
and regionally.

* Admittedly, keeping these various elements in
balance is difficult, if not precarious, from time to time,
and it requires a deep sense of collegiality, commitment,
and understanding on the part of the Synod’s leadership
as well as its members. But Christ’s mission demands

4-But above all—and I cannot emphasize this too
strongly—to be a church in mission in this exciting time
requires more than organizational expertise. Our past
successes, our present strengths, and our future goals
are totally dependent on the blessing of the Lord of the
church Himself. Our relationship to the Lord Jesus
Christ and His life-giving promises is of the very
essence and lifeblood of our existence both as individ-
mals and as a church body. To be a church in mission, we
Need to be immersed in Him and His Word, to live daily

our baptism, to eat His body and drink His blood for
our sustenance, and to bask endlessly in the warmth
atid power of His forgiveness through the Gospel. We
Heed powerful proclamation of Law and Gospel from

hundreds of thousands of people studying His Word
t formally and informally. We need a strong steward-
tip program for each and every member of our church

ur-pastors in all churches on all occasions. We need -

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 81

body and for every one of our congregations; what that
really means is that we help one another grow in the
grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ so that
we, like the Corinthians, first give ourselves to God, and
then our gifts as well.

The joyful news as we begin this 55th convention of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is that it really
is possible! Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance and bless-
ing, we can indeed impact the future of this church body
and the world it serves in new and dramatic ways. What
we do here can help chart a course that will involve us
all in the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ to an extent
that exceeds our fondest expectations. Some call this a
new era for our church body. It will be that, indeed, if our
focus remains on Him whom we proclaim! By God’s
grace let us dedicate ourselves and this church body to
the task, the joyous task, of proclaiming Him, and in
that commitment give ourselves and those we serve “a
clear sense, a clear conception, a clear vision, of the road
ahead.” Because of God’s grace and power, it is indeed
“a fantastic time to be alive in the Lord!”” Amen.

Appendices

A—Dialogs with Valparaiso University
B—Luther Anniversary Committee
C—Public Statement on the Dr. Walter A. Maier Matter
D—Proposal for a New Inter-Lutheran Association
E—Planning Process for Inter-Lutheran Cooperation
F—Church Relations Principles and Practices: Develop-
ing Guidelines

G—The Missouri Synod and Joint Worship
H—President’s Commission on Higher Education
I—Entered into Rest

Ralph A. Bohlmann

Appendix A

Dialogs and Conversations
with Valparaiso University

Pursuant to Res. 4-18 of the 1981 convention, the
synodical President appointed a committee to pursue
with representatives of Valparaiso University “dialogs
and conversations toward a resolution of the theological
concerns” and to make a report on these conversations
in a way determined by the synodical President.

The synodical representatives are Drs. Richard
Bardolph, Greensboro, N.C.; Gerhardt Hyatt, St. Paul,
Minn.; and George Wollenburg, Billings, Mont.

Representatives of the Synod and the university met
on 13 Dec. 1982. They discussed the purposes and goals
of the consultation as well as the agendas of future
meetings that would culminate in an achievement of
those objectives and goals.

It was agreed that it is important that the laity and
ministers be able to understand the nature, mission,
role, and value of the university and that they have
confidence in it as an asset to Lutherans and to the
propagation of the Lutheran faith. The university
agreed to provide the synodical representatives with
syllabus materials and books used in the university’s