LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1986, Page 70

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70 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

Triune God and teaching them to observe all that He has
commanded us. Evangelization and teaching the Gospel of
Jesus Christ on the basis of His Holy Word remains our

solemn task also for the future.
But it is to the future that we must be directed as a

church body. Without a vision of that future and a clear
sense of direction as we move forward, we will surely not
be effective in meeting the challenges of our time. To help
us in that effort, representatives and leaders of the Synod
have been meeting for more than two years to carry out a
major planning effort requested by the Synod. The results
of the planning conferences of 1985 and 1986 have received
strong attention in the periodicals of our church body. As
you have prepared for the convention, [ am sure that you
have seen the important report on this process in the Con-
vention Workbook, a report that will affect the work of
every committee of this convention in some respect. We
have listened to our people through congregational surveys
and in other ways. They are telling us what they want the
Synod to do as it serves the congregations of this church
body. One of the strong opportunities before this conven-
tion, and particularly before the floor committees, is to help
the congregations of our Synod have a clear plan as we
move toward 2000, alive in Christ’s mission. You will be
receiving more information and encouragement on this
process in the individual sessions of your committees, but
I urge you in the strongest possible terms to give the high-
est priority to addressing the future with appreciation of
the past and understanding of the present. Think of some
of the questions that confront us as we face that future.
Let me list some of mine, hoping perhaps that they are
yours as well:

1. What are the implications for the witness and outreach
of this Synod, of the fact that ours is becoming a mul-
tigenerational, multicultural society whether we talk
about the major cities of our land, or its small towns
and rural communities?

2. What are the implications of the fact that experts are
projecting zero or even negative population growth for
our land, particularly inasmuch as our church body’s
pattern of accession is largely through births and bap-
tisms?

3. How do we witness to a predominantly elderly world
and learn to minister more effectively to and with el-
derly persons?

4. How shall we provide for a truly representational form
of governance and direction in our life together as a
Synod? How do we provide more opportunities for the
involvement and ownership and representation of all
of our people in the decision-making processes of the
church? How do we spend our dollars so that all min-
istries at local, district, and national levels are carried
out in ways that truly reflect the priorities of our peo-
ple?

5. How can we enhance the mission and ministry of local
congregations, and recognize in greater measure that
the work done at district, national, or auxiliary levels
is done either in service to the congregations or on be-
half of the congregations?

6. How do we remain a confessional church in a time of
increasing doctrinal and ecclesiastical ambiguity? How

can we maintain Biblical and confessional faithfulness

while combining it with a responsible openness and

flexibility to various kinds of inter-Christian relation-
ships? This question, I might add, is among the most

important facing our church body, particularly at a

time when more than 5 1/2 million Lutherans are form-

ing a newer and larger Lutheran church body and when

Lutherans in those church bodies are radically chang-

ing their ecumenical postures toward non-Lutheran

Christians. I believe we will find ourselves increasingly

involved in a strong, confessional, orthodox Lutheran

way, but one that is also characterized by openness and
good will, as we learn to interact with other Christian
people. Our task is both to listen to and to influence
those whose beliefs differ from ours, as well as to fortify
those with whom we agree on the basis of Holy Scrip-
ture. We have an increasingly strong obligation to the
rest of world Lutheranism, as well as to world Chris-
tianity, to be not only strong in our confession, but open
to discussions and involvements and working together
with other Christian people where this can be done
without compromise and where this can help to carry
forward in some sense the Great Commission of the

Lord Jesus Christ as the greatest task of the church.

7. How can we hold high the pastoral office, giving it the
support and encouragement that it needs? You've all
heard a lot of talk about the difficulties and stresses of
the pastoral ministry, and these have begun to be more
and more common in our midst, too. When we consider
the demands placed upon our pastors who serve as our
shepherds and preachers and organizers and friends
and leaders, there is small wonder that the mental,
emotional, and spiritual health of pastors is cause for
concern and occasion for support and encouragement.

It is obvious that our dreams and expectations for the
future constitute a list that can go on and on. My point in
underscoring the importance of a futuristic direction for
the Synod is that we see our work at the coming convention
of our church body primarily in terms of assisting the peo-
ple and the congregations of this church body to face that
future with joy, celebration, and confidence in the Lord,
and that we do this with deep appreciation and commit-
ment to our past and a strong understanding of our present
strengths and weaknesses. But, above all, it means that
we will simply learn to trust the Lord, without whose bless-
ing all our plans and actions are useless.

Simply stated, the task of floor committees is to assist
the convention to that end. That means, among other
things, that committees must assist a convention to use
its time well. Conventions do that when the major portion
of their time is devoted to major issues. Accordingly, one
of the tasks of floor committees is to identify the priority
items to come before the convention in the limited time we
have available. Floor committees also need to ask which
group within the Synod is best suited to respond to given
concerns and opportunities. In that connection, it’s impor-
tant to remember that not all decisions in a church body
of our size and complexity are best made by a convention.
There are, in fact, many items of business that are more
effectively and thoroughly done by boards and commis-
sions or other groups within the church. Again, when major

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