LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1977, Page 70

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70 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Ninety-one congregations have left the LCMS and
joined the AELC. The total baptized membership of this
group is 50,600. However, twenty-four pastors of these
congregations are still on the LCMS clergy roster. There
are fifty-five additional congregations which claim dual
membership in the LCMS and the AELC. Fifty-two of
the pastors of these congregations are still on the LCMS
clergy roster. Finally, there are thirty-eight splinter
groups which have joined the AELC. Fourteen pastors
of these small groups are still on the LCMS clergy roster.

Therefore a total of ninety-one pastors of the 186
congregations involved with the AELC are still on the
LCMS clergy roster.

In view of the careless charges of “immorality,”
“unLutheran,” and “unChristian” being leveled
against synodical leaders, one cannot help but wonder
about the integrity of men who have moved their
congregations out of the Synod or have split con-
gregations because of their disagreements with the
Synod, yet they themselves have not resigned from the
Synod and therefore remain on the clergy roster.

There has not been a single report of a congregation
which has left where the members themselves initiated
the action to leave the Synod. Once again, where is the
integrity we rightly expect from men of God and
brethren in Christ?

In connection with this matter it should be pointed
out that almost all of the congregations which left the
Synod and joined the AELC did not have the opportuni-
ty of meeting with a representative of the Synod. The
same is true of those congregations claiming dual
membership.

It is significant that President Bornemann of the
English District reports that where he has met with
congregations which were considering leaving the
Synod virtually all decided to remain. This is also the
report of Doctor Sauer, who has met with some English
District and many other District congregations during
the past twelve months. President Bornemann, whose
District has been most affected, was invited to address
only four of the sixty congregations which have either
left the English District and joined the AELC or claim
dual membership.

While an object of the Synod is the conservation and
promotion of the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor.
1:10) and a united defense against schism and sec-
tarianism (Rom. 16:17)—and it has to be said that the
AELC leadership is schismatic—another object of the
Synod is “the protection of pastors, teachers, and
congregations in the performance of their duties and the
maintenance of their rights.” Does not this commitment
of protection call for at least a minimum of communica-
tion with these congregations before writing them off?

In addition to this, the AELC leaders have stated
publicly that this new organization is temporary in
nature. It is very possible that the structure might be
dismantled as quickly as it was assembled. Acting with
undue haste with the congregations in question would
serve no good purpose but would only alienate those who
might want to reconsider their connection with the
LCMS in a year or so. I hope the committee will consider
these and other factors relating to the AELC situation as

they draft an appropriate resolution.

On page 189 there are overtures pertaining to voting
rights for teachers. This is an issue which has con-
fronted us for over a century, and it seems to me that we
should do something to recognize the great con-
tributions which our teachers render not only to
individual congregations but to the church at large. I
would urge that this matter be given positive affirma-
tion and then ask the Task Force on Constitution,
Bylaws, and Structure to work out the appropriate
Handbook changes.

The section on Higher Education contains enough
material to occupy all of the attention of the entire
convention, but some decisions need to be made.
Basically, if we are going to maintain our fine system of
colleges and seminaries, we are going to have to
financially support our schools much more generously
than we have in the past. I hope that some resolutions
can come from this committee which will really
challenge our people throughout the whole Synod to give
the kind of financial support to our schools which they
have to have if they are to survive.

Under this secton I would also call attention to the
matter of the Saskatoon seminary. We need a revision in
the pertinent Bylaws so that the graduates of Saskatoon
can be certified for the ministry without going through
the cumbersome process which has been forced upon our
Canadian brethren by reason of our failure to pass
certain Bylaws at the past two conventions. We must
give this our attention, and I would ask the committee to
grant it high priority.

The overtures pertaining to the deaconess program
ought to be approached with great care. There are many,
many serious questions regarding the whole matter of
the deaconess program, and before undertaking to
remove it from Valparaiso and make it a fully synodical
program, we need to consider very seriously exactly
what the whole deaconess program is seeking to
accomplish. We need to know how much it will cost usin
the situation where we don’t have enough money even to
support what we have. We need to decide whether it
should continue to be a recognized church profession
with Board of Assignment involvement and colloquy
procedures. Therefore I believe that this whole matter
ought to receive further study throughout the whole
church before being acted upon by the convention.

Under the section on Parish Services, certainly every
support needs to be given to the “Year of the Sunday
School.” This is one of the major concerns in the whole
parish service area. We had a decline of 20,000 children
in our Sunday schools last year, and I hope the
convention will take action which will stimulate and
encourage every congregation in the Synod to get
behind this program and really try to regain the very
serious losses which we have suffered.

In the same section, on the subject of the National
Youth Organization, I would encourage the delegates to
give this their full support. It already has the support of
the Board for Youth Ministry, is the subject of many
overtures, and, as the Charron Report clearly indicates,
is something which our people earnestly desire. So let us
give this effort our unqualified approval.