LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 11

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SYNOD REPORTS
• Decisions of the 2010 convention regarding constitutional amendments would be effective only upon ratification by two-thirds of the
congregations of the Synod, per the current constitutional requirement for amendments to the Constitution.
It is my belief, hope, and prayer that this process will avoid any
appearance that recommendations of the task force are thoughtlessly
or hastily made or in any way “forced” upon the Synod, and that the
result will be greater understanding, agreement, consensus, harmony,
trust, and lasting peace among us as we continue “vigorously to make
known the love of Christ, by word and deed, within our churches, communities, and the world” (LCMS Mission Statement).
Though I did not request it, the Council of Presidents unanimously
adopted a resolution in support of these decisions and recommendations,
a resolution that was followed by extended applause from members of
the Council.
Again, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I thank you for your service to our Lord Jesus Christ and His church through your participation
in the convention this summer and through the various tasks and responsibilities that you will carry out during this triennium. Your willingness
to “stand ready to serve” at a special session of the Synod, had one been
called, reflects the churchmanship and character of the people of the
LCMS, who have relied on the grace of God for the 160 years of our
beloved Synod’s existence.
Also, thank you in advance for your anticipated response to the
recommendations that will be proposed by the Task Force on Synod
Structure and Governance in the survey that the task force will be sending you in the future. Your participation in that survey will be highly
valued as this process unfolds. Please keep this process and the mission
of the LCMS in your prayers.
May God’s grace, mercy, and peace rest upon us all as we vigorously
proclaim the One Message: Christ—His Love Is Here for You!

Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
It should be noted that I ultimately called for the report of the
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Structure and Governance to be delivered to my office by Oct. 15, 2009, in order to give the members of
the Synod ample time to review the report prior to the 2010 Synod
convention. The contents of that completed report then provided the
content for presentation and discussion at the nine regional gatherings that were conducted during December of 2009 and January and
February of 2010 in Denver, Detroit, Madison, Minneapolis, Boston,
Newport Beach, Atlanta, Dallas, and St. Louis.
My response to the BRTFSSG Report is included in the
Convention Workbook as a supplement to this Report of the President
of the Synod—Part I.
Res. 8-13 To Amend Bylaws for Special Convention
Resolved,
That the following bylaws be added to Bylaw section 3.1:
PROPOSED WORDING
3.1.11 The business of any special session of the Synod (Constitution
Art. VIII B) is limited to the specific stated purpose(s) for the calling of
the special session.
3.1.11.1 The President of the Synod, in consultation with the
Council of Presidents and the Board of Directors of the Synod, shall
establish the specific provisions for any special session of the Synod
such as “Reports and Overtures,” “Convention Committees,” “Preconvention Publications,” “Convention Order,” and “Convention
Communications,” including any required implementation timeframes.
Action Taken:

Since no special convention was called, no action was necessary or taken.

11
V. Conclusion

The past three years have been difficult for many people in many
ways. Unemployment, stock market declines, shrinkage in value of
retirement plans of many Americans, ongoing conflict in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the seemingly never-ending war against terrorism, the
continued decline in many circles of traditional Judeo/Christian values, and many more challenges have impacted life in America and,
thus, life in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
The previous sections of my report have indicated in a number
of places the lack of availability of adequate funding to accomplish
what the delegates to the 2007 Synod convention, as well as other
previous conventions, wanted to accomplish. Indeed, over the past
40 years the general trend of undesignated funding for national and
international mission and ministry has been downward. Many congregations and districts have not been immune to this general trend,
especially in the last few years, finding it necessary to reduce staff,
cut back on mission and ministry, and, in general, tighten their belts.
At the same time, financial resources received by many other congregations, agencies, entities, institutions, and numerous districts of
the LCMS have increased. And the response of LCMS members and
congregations to numerous disasters around the world, particularly
during the past triennium, has been quite generous.
Nevertheless, it is clear that spending at the national level of our
Synod will either need to continue to be reduced or will need to be
supported in ways other than dependence upon undesignated receipts
from congregations through districts to national Synod. The work of
the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance proposes a number of recommendations that will facilitate consolidation
of national Synod ministry in a strategic and intentional manner. It is
also clear that the work of national Synod will need to be supported
by special gifts if even the basic work directed by Synod conventions
past and present is to be accomplished.
All of this is to say that we are faced with finding new and better
ways of more efficiently and effectively making known the love of
Christ. It is my firm belief that this can be done while still remaining
faithful to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, the faith of
our fathers and forefathers. We must do so in ways that engage individuals, congregations, and groups of many kinds in the never-ending
task and privilege of “declaring the praises of Him who has called you
out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
My friends in Christ, this has never been more urgent than it is
right now! Scripture warns us regarding the work of Satan: “Be soberminded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like
a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your
faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced
by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:8–9).
How true those words really are, even in current times. Reports of
massacres and uprisings against Christians continue to sprinkle the
news. A recent news article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described
the brutal slaying of more than 120 people (“others put the number
at about 200”) by “hundreds of Muslim herdsmen armed with guns
and machetes” who “swept down on three Christian villages outside
Jos in central Nigeria” in what was “apparently a revenge attack.”
How horrible it is to realize that still today people suffer and die as a
result of their commitment to Christ.
Not only around the world, but also here in America, the Christian
faith and the Christian church, once widely accepted and even honored, have now in many places and many ways become unacceptable
and even intolerable. While most of us in the LCMS are strangers to
the horribly brutal persecution of Christians described in the article
2010 Convention Workbook

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