LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 55

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
exceptions on an individual basis to the prerequisite of eligibility for
state licensure for teacher colloquy applicants. The pertinent policy
now reads as follows:
5.1.1.3.2 Other exceptions to the requirement for eligibility for
teacher licensure may be granted on an individual basis by the Colloquy
Committee for Commissioned Ministry upon the recommendation of the
teacher colloquy program director of the CUS institution through which
the applicant is seeking certification.

This is not offering another option, but rather providing opportunity
for exceptions to be made on the basis of the merits of each individual
case. The full policy manual may be accessed on the Synod website
at http://www.lcms.org/colloquy-ministers-of-religion-commisioned.
The Concordia University System provides for the preparation
of candidates for certification for call and placement as ministers
of religion—commissioned. CUEnet is the organization within the
CUS national office authorized to deliver instruction for colloquy. All
approvals come from the academic institution. The Committee oversees the colloquy process, but most of the actual work is handled by
CUEnet and the Concordia University System. The Committee itself
deals with policies as well as exceptions and difficult cases.
How many people are involved in colloquy through CUEnet? As
of late 2014, approximately 620 people were enrolled in CUEnet
colloquy courses. A total of 1,174 men and women have completed
colloquy courses through CUEnet since its inception in 2001. There
are currently about 10,600 nonrostered teachers in our schools—early
childhood, elementary, and secondary schools (48 percent are LCMS
members). There is therefore a great need for the efforts of CUEnet.
We are thankful for CUEnet and for the people who oversee the
program and teach the courses, particularly its director, Dr. Heather
Stueve, but most of all we are thankful for the people who have been
presented to the church as commissioned ministers, gifts of Christ, by
this process. It is a pleasure to serve the Synod by chairing this committee and working with these people. To God be the glory!
Herbert C. Mueller Jr., First Vice-President, Chairman
R2.3

Koinonia Project
Three years ago, we reported that the “Koinonia Project” is a longterm initiative of the President’s Office under the Constitution of the
Synod, Art. XI B 3, which enjoins the President to “conscientiously
use all means at his command to promote and maintain unity of doctrine and practice in all the districts of the Synod.” Koinonia is the
Greek word meaning “communion,” “partnership,” or “participation
together” in something. Spiritually, koinonia in the New Testament is
always something that the living Lord Jesus Himself works through
His Means of Grace. We do not create koinonia, but by the grace
of God in Christ we live in it and recognize it by the “marks of the
church,” namely, the Gospel purely preached and the Sacraments
rightly administered (Apology VII and VIII).
The project fosters theological study and discussion groups at
many levels designed to bring together capable and respected people
to study God’s Word and the Confessions of our church so that, by
God’s grace, we come to clear agreement on (1) the points at issue;
(2) what we confess together; (3) what we reject, and (4) what we will
therefore do together on the basis of Scripture and our Confessions.
We have chosen to call this effort to develop spiritual and theological
solutions to our difficulties the “Koinonia Project” because we pray
that God will build and strengthen our unity in the Word of God, that
is, our “koinonia” together.
During the 2010–2013 triennium, we were developing the basic
concepts and running several pilot efforts. As will be explained
below, during the present triennium, under my leadership as First

55

Vice-President, along with Rev. Randy Golter (special assistant to the
President), we sought to broaden and deepen the effort across many
areas of the Synod. We are the first to say that much more needs to
be done for this long-term effort.
2013 Synod Convention
At the 2013 Convention, the Synod wholeheartedly supported
the Koinonia Project by passing Res. 3-01A, which, among other
things, resolved to (1) encourage widespread support for the project,
(2) develop a website, (3) form three theological study groups in the
Council of Presidents, (4) encourage circuit winkel meetings to use
the Koinonia Project, and (5) involve more church workers and laity
at all levels of the Synod in the project (2013 Proceedings, p. 115).
How have we done? How has God blessed our efforts?
Again, this is a decades-long initiative. As will be shown below,
however, support and participation is increasing such that the
President has assigned one of his assistants, Rev. Randy Golter,
to assist me with the project. Koinonia materials are available on
the Synod website at www.lcms.org/koinoniaproject. Many more
resources need to be written and added to this site. We continue to
encourage participation at the circuit level and have conducted presentations and retreats to that end.
Council of Presidents
One of the most helpful efforts thus far has been the participation
of the Council of Presidents. Res. 3-01A mandated that the Council
form (by blind draw) three study groups, both to lead by example and
to provide a forum for the members of the COP to work toward greater
unity on the council. The three groups were formed in November
2013. The council began with a Koinonia Retreat at its February
2014 meeting. At nearly every meeting since then, the council has
been engaged in theological discussion around some of the issues that
bring friction among us. One group discussed admission to the Lord’s
Supper, another the “communicant as confessor,” and the third group
focused on the role of the laity in the mission of the church. There are
no statements prepared by these groups yet, but the council has been
drawn closer together in the process.
Since the publication of the report of the Res. 4-06A Task Force on
licensed lay deacons, the Council has held, within the three Koinonia
groups and in plenary, extensive discussion of the proposal to require
deacons licensed for Word and Sacrament ministry as de facto pastors to undergo colloquy to the SMP roster. While not completely
unanimous, as of this writing a broad consensus has developed that
if the church sends a man regularly to preach and administer the
Sacraments, he needs either to be ordained or en route to ordination.
Future meetings will certainly entail more work on this topic.
Atlantic and Wyoming Districts
One quite public effort with respect to the Koinonia Project has
been the joint efforts of the Atlantic and Wyoming District pastoral
conferences. The two districts held a joint pastoral conference (supported, in part, by a Thrivent grant) in May 2014 in New York City,
led by myself and Chaplain William Weedon of our staff. A second
conference involving the same groups took place in September 2015
in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In February 2016, five representatives from
each district met for discussion and to chart a course forward, thanks
also to the leadership of the two new district presidents, John Hill of
Wyoming and Derek Lecakes from Atlantic. Each district has asked
questions of the other for clarification. Each district will discuss how
to answer and will come back together at a future date under the blessing of God. There are many challenges, but both districts are quite
committed to continuing the conversation.
2016 Convention Workbook