LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Page 12

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STATEMENTS 13

STATEMENTS BY DRS. BEHNKEN AND HARMS

Statement Read by Dr. J. W. Behnken
Requesting the Delegates to “Elect Another
Man to the Presidency”

(Read to the convention Wednesday afternoon, June 20, 1962)

Before the Committee on Elections proceeds to pass
out blank ballots for the election of Synod’s President,
permit me to make a statement to which I have given
much prayerful thought. I sincerely hope that I will not
be misunderstood. Ido not mean to be so presump-
tuous as to imagine that Synod would elect me to the
presidency for another triennium. God has permitted
me to serve Him and my beloved Synod for nine terms.
This means that I have reached an age beyond which
very few people might be expected to shoulder the re-
sponsibilities of the ever-increasing duties of Synod’s
presidency. I am not such an exception. God has gra-
ciously granted me health during my years of service
now drawing to a close. For this I am deeply and
humbly grateful. However, some of the infirmities of
advancing years have definitely shown themselves.
I shall be grateful, therefore, if you elect another man
to the presidency. My prayer to God is that He may
lead you to elect a truly great and courageous leader,
endowed by God with the necessary talents and abilities
and unquestionably and unflinchingly loyal to the Word
of God and our Lutheran Confessions,

Permit me to add that technically my term of office
terminates June 30. I shall gladly serve until then.

Statement by President-elect
Dr. Oliver R. Harms

BeELoven FetLow REDEEMED AND FELLOW Mempers oF
THe LurHeran CuurcH — Missouri Synop:

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whose pres-
ence was invoked by prayer, you have chosen me to
be your servant in the office of the presidency of The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.

The selection came from the Synod, which has been
Signally blessed by a merciful God during its 115-year
history. This Synod increased in numbers as well as
in influence under the leadership of six illustrious Pres-
idents, who were wonderfully endowed by the gracious
God on whom all of us are dependent. Standing at the
foot of this line of great men, I feel very small. I am
aware of the fact that all of my predecessors left their

‘mark on the history of our Synod.

I appreciate fully the deep impression made upon
churchmen the world over by the dynamic personality
of my immediate predecessor, Dr. John W. Behnken,
who has shown me many personal favors. I am very
grateful to him for this. My prayer is that God may
continue to bestow His blessings upon our retiring
President, whom our Synod honored with the longest
presidential tenure in its history.

Since the inauspicious beginning of our church body
in 1847 it has lengthened and broadened its outreach

President Oliver R. Harms delivers his speech of acceptance.

to an almost incredible dimension under the blessings
of God. This is true very especially of the last two
decades. What a privilege it is for all of us to be party
to a program of expansion based on preaching and
teaching the Gospel to the glory of God and for the
salvation of the souls of men! I pray that God may
show us ways of reaching more and more people with
the Gospel from day to day, also through strong per-
sonal witness by word and deed wherever we have
Opportunity or wherever there is need.

Problems within our Synod are not few, and no one
at this time of the world’s history should expect them
to become fewer in number or diminished in intensity.
Satan, the devil, the old evil foe, will see to it that
problems will be severe.

We shall resist him victoriously through faith in
Christ Jesus. Satan cannot stand in the presence of
Jesus, the Conqueror of sin, death, and the devil. How-
ever, Satan will use all his wiles. He may, for example,
seek to dissuade God’s children from bringing their
financial offerings in a measure compatible with God’s
blessings in this area, from practicing a proper steward-
ship of time which would give opportunity for offering
service to the local congregation, from making a daily
testimony to fellow men and women concerning the
way to Jesus, and from rendering many other services.

Satan knows that the most cunning and pernicious
device of all is to create strife among Christians. For
example: controversy over the doctrine taught in the
schools, pulpits, colleges, and Seminaries in our Synod.
May we withstand the foe of God and man on this