LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 169

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church), as expressed in Article II of
our Constitution.
The President of Synod “has the supervision regarding the
doctrine and administration of … all such as are employed by the
Synod” (Article XI B 1 b). “It is the President’s duty to see to it
that all the aforementioned are acting according with the Synod’s
Constitution, to admonish all who in any way depart from it, and, if
such admonition is not heeded, to report such cases to the Synod”
(Article XI B 2).

Composition and Methods of the Visitation
The visitation team:
Rev. Dr. Jon Bruss, Board of Directors, Concordia University System
Rev. Paul Dare, pastor, Zion Lutheran Church and School,
Alexandria, Minn.
Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, President, The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod
Michelle Kazmierczak, JD, Board of Regents, Concordia
University Chicago, River Forest, Ill.;
Dr. Leo Mackay, Board of Regents, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Dr. Gerhard Mundinger Jr., chairman, Board of Directors,
Concordia University System
Rev. Dr. Paul Philp, director of institutional research and
integrity, Concordia University System
Rev. Dr. Dean Wenthe, president, Concordia University
System
Rev. Dr. John Wohlrabe Jr., second vice-president, The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Over the course of the three days on the Mequon campus and
one day on the Ann Arbor campus, we interviewed 113 individuals,
attended chapel, and ate lunch in the campus dining halls. Interim
President Cario was very accommodating of our requests, and his
executive assistants are to be especially commended for their tireless work helping to schedule interviews; communicate with administrators, faculty, and staff; and assist the visitation team.
The visitation team asked questions related to Lutheran identity,
the mission of the university, the faculty’s use of a biblical worldview in their approach to controversial topics, concerns regarding
the presidential search, campus life, and other related topics. At the
end of many interviews, I asked how loved and supported students
and faculty felt on campus. The visitation team did not argue with
the interviewees and did not push back on answers given. The team
asked clarifying questions when appropriate or necessary. Summaries from the interviews and related comments were included as an
appendix to the report given to the BOR.

The Good
The team found much that was good and worthy of celebrating.
Both campuses are beautiful, with stunning chapels at the heart of
each. Both have vibrant student communities composed of a mixture of Lutherans, other Christians, and non-Christians. Both campuses have pastors on staff who seek to be attentive to the spiritual
needs of the students. Many CUWAA students are preparing for
careers in church work alongside students preparing for secular occupations where they can and are bringing the light of the Gospel to

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their corners of the world. Despite the financial challenge of merging Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA), Ann Arbor, Mich.,
into Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, Wis., in
2013, the Ann Arbor campus is now achieving positive financial
results. CUWAA is expanding its academic programs and seeking
ways to grow and remain competitive amid the uncertainty facing
higher education in the country.
Many students told us how they had grown in their faith during their time at CUWAA. They praised the theology faculty for
their compassionate engagement with their students and their fidelity to the truths of sacred Scripture and the distinctiveness of
the Lutheran confession of the faith. In Ann Arbor, we heard of 90
students baptized since the merger of CUAA and CUW. We also
heard good reports about many professors in the science departments, which include faithful LCMS men and women, who teach
according to the biblical understanding of creation and the fall. We
consistently heard of the professors’ dedication to their students.
There are many good faculty members, diligent administrators, and
hardworking staff who could probably make more money in other
universities or in the secular marketplace but who choose to work
long hours, teach more classes, and make less money because they
value the mission of Concordia and want a share in God’s work to
deliver His Word to young people. Interim President Cario is conscientious, kindly serving at a difficult moment of transition. Many
faculty are deeply committed to the institution and its historic mission, and they demonstrate competence toward this goal.
The visitation team’s specific objective was to evaluate the university in light of concerns raised to me in recent years, concerns
that escalated and were exacerbated during the presidential search.
In our interviews, we asked questions related to these concerns.
The fact that we found so much praiseworthy about Concordia
should encourage readers of this report that, despite the problems
noted, there is hope for the future of CUWAA. In fact, CUWAA is
a great university.

The Presidential Search and Bylaw Violations
The visitation report to the BOR discussed, at length, events
surrounding the presidential search process; the inadequacies in the
presidential search process, including deviations from the Synod
Bylaws and Synod doctrine; and the need to correct those failures.
We detailed concerns that arose in the presidential search regarding
use of secular buzzwords with no theological redefinition of these
terms and laid out a detailed explanation showing how the BOR
had abdicated its Bylaw authority and responsibilities. In particular, the report detailed how the visitation team found that the BOR
violated the Bylaws in three significant ways: (1) failing to oversee
the carrying out of the university’s Lutheran mission, (2) delegating
authority to the Executive Committee of the BOR, and (3) failing to
participate fully in the presidential search process and to maintain
supervision over the Search Committee. As a result of these very
serious concerns, I called on the BOR to return to a presidential
search process undertaken in accordance with the Synod Bylaws.
We are grateful that, following our visitation and the delivery of
the report to the BOR, the regents complied with our exhortation
and reengaged the process for selecting a president laid out in the
Synod Bylaws. From the list of eligible candidates, the BOR called
Dr. Erik Ankerberg, who accepted this call. I remain tremendously
hopeful that Dr. Ankerberg will address other concerns uncovered
by the visitation team and outlined in the full report given to the
BOR.
2023 Convention Workbook