LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 117

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legates the other day who had last attended the 1959
ention of the Synod in San Francisco, and he said,
‘Jt seems to me we had a budget then of about $30
nillion.” When I became president in 1969, we had a
od, sturdy, solid steam rolling budget of about $30
nillion. We’ve had Behnken, we’ve had Harms, we’ve
Preus, we’ve had Bohlmann, together with all
sorted and sundry other people. And this year again
‘ke Board of Directors is struggling how to raise $30
jillion!

¥olks, the problem is that we’ve got to get it dis-
Hibuted’ back to the Synod. Now, we can blame the
icts who've increased 65 percent. We can blame the
$ngregations who’ve raised, who’ve improved 95 per-
it'in the last 10 years. But, folks, what you folks are
veto help get done at the congregational level and to
ime extent at the District level is to translate that
ney which increasingly, increasingly, increasingly
taying at home. Get our people to get the vision and
fe what great things this church body, this beloved
hurch body of ours, is doing.

Greetings in the Name of Our Crucified and Risen Lord
7gesus Christ!

Ithank you for this opportunity to appear before you,
nd particularly I’m thankful for your allowing me to
ppear so early on your schedule. It is always good to
ave this opportunity to greet our American Lutheran
hurch’s sisters and brothers in The Lutheran
hurch—Missouri Synod. I’m especially glad to be able
» tell you of the personal friendship and respect which
arks my feelings towards your President, Ralph
johImann. We speak frankly with one another, trust
ine another, and are mutually desirous that we can help
‘eate the best possible relationship between our
urches.

T also wish to express my deep appreciation for Herb
ueller. He has served all of us Lutherans well, es-
ecially in these recent years as president of the
heran Council in the U.S.A. I only heard just prior to
coming down here that Herb is entering a new chapter
‘his. life, and I know that so many people in The
American Lutheran Church would like to join me in
ishing you God’s rich blessings as you do so. We are
‘grateful for your service. ;
Thave enjoyed seeing my esteemed cousin, Jacob, as
‘Well. I don’t get to see him very often since he’s become
cowardly and moved south. He will be pleased, I’m
confident it will please his Norwegian heart, to know
that.I picked up on a recent trip to Europe a theological
definition of heaven and hell, with no Norwegians
involved in the definition. Heaven is, according to this
definition, where the French do the cooking, the English
‘Provide the police, the Italians provide the entertain-
ment, and the Germans do the organizing. Hell is where

GREETINGS OF THE BISHOP
OF THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH 119

I’m not going to speak again on the floor of this
convention unless asked to. I have no free advice for my
wonderful successor or any of the rest of the people, but I
make a plea with you. If you really believe the things
we’re adopting here, and really believe in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and really believe that our church, it’s a
confessional Biblical Lutheran church, has got some-
thing to say to the people of the world—and you ask our
brothers from Brazil, and Argentina, and Africa, and El
Salvador, and the other places, and they’ll all tell you,
we do—then, folks, let’s support it with our prayers, with
our sons and our daughters, and with our money. We’ve
given it, it’s there, let’s see that the Synod gets its fair
share.

Now that was a nice positive speech, which I told
you, Ralph, I’d give. Again, congratulations. God bless
you all. I think we’re going to have a marvelous
convention. I’m delighted to be here. And now let’s get
on with the whatever you want to call it. Thank you.

J. A.O. Preus, Ph.D., D.D.

2. Greetings of the Bishop of the American Lutheran Church