LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 76

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16 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

to those congregations, pastors, and District leaders
who really got down and dug with regard to Forward in
Remembrance.

Forward in Remembrance has taught us two things.
It has taught us, and this is now beyond all argumenta-
tion or refutation, that our people have the resources
and when they are properly approached and motivated
they will give these resources for the work of the Lord. If
the Missouri Synod is constantly struggling for money,
we haveno one to blame but ourselves. We cannot blame
God, we cannot even blame the government, inflation,
unemployment, or bad crops. The money is there and
the people will give it.

It is in line with this that the Board of Directors and
the Task Force followed by Floor Committees No. 2 and
12 are proposing some rather far-reaching changes in
our structure which will enable us to raise more money
from our people. I hope you will vote for these proposals
overwhelmingly. It is amusing that a Synod which in
less than 2 years can raise $75 million dollars, in the
past 12 years only 3 times has been in the black. We are
like a congregation which never has enough to pay the
preacher or pay the heating bill, but we can go out and
build a $300,000 church building and pay cash for it.

The problem is not with the people or pastors, the
problem is not really with the Districts, although many
people like to criticize them. The problem is with the
methods we have used and with the lack of training in
loyalty and in stewardship techniques with which our
pastors have been equipped when they have gone out
into the ministry. Let us move forward in remembrance
by adopting a structure which will enable us to keep the
momentum of this great campaign going for many,
many years. We have only begun.

At this time, as I complete my term of service as
synodical President, I want to express, as I always
have, but this time in a very special way, sincere thanks
to all who have rendered such marvelous help. First of
all, a sincere thanks to the help of all of our lay people
who by their prayers, their gifts, and their dedication,
have contributed so much to the forward progress of the
work in our 6,000 congregations and throughout the
world.

Thanks also to our thousands of dedicated pastors
and teachers who, in their respective areas of service,
have served often with low salaries, little recognition,
and with herculean efforts in ministering to people and
sharing the Gospel of Christ.

Then, thanks to all of our synodical boards, commis-
sions, and committees who, each in their own area have
made a significant and wonderful contribution to the
work of the church; to our District Presidents, who have
been such helpful arms to the President as we together
carry on our duties in administering the church and its
Districts; to our District executives; to our synodical
Board of Directors; to our college presidents, boards of
control, faculties and students for the great work that
is being done to prepare professional church workers
and dedicated laymen and lay women for service in the
years that lie ahead; to my colleagues, the Vice-Presi-

dents, Dr. E. C. Weber, who is retiring with me at this
time and who has labored so faithfully during the past
four years under the hindrance of a stroke which he
received on his way home from the Dallas convention;
to Dr. Merkens, Dr. Walter A. Maier, and Dr. George
Wollenburg. Also special thanks to Vice-President
Sauer, who in addition to his vice-presidential duties
and helping with the colloquy program has served so
faithfully as my assistant; to my ever faithful and
dedicated secretaries, Miss Jean Buettner and Miss
Betsy Kops; to our great staff at 500 North Broadway,
both the dedicated and hard-working executives and the
secretarial and clerical people; to our missionaries and
chaplains and to all others in whatsoever capacity who
by their gifts and prayers and their talents have helped
in the forward progress of the church. Also, I would like
to give special thanks to my esteemed colleague and
co-worker, Dr. Herbert Mueller, Secretary of the Synod.
Dr. Mueller is a man of great wisdom and prudence, who
both as Secretary of the Synod and secretary of the
Board of Directors as well as a member of the Commis-
sion on Constitutional Matters, has rendered yeoman’s
service to his church.

I would like also to single out for special thanks Dr.
Norman Sell, our synodical Treasurer, who has been the
first full-time Treasurer of the Synod. He has served
faithfully and well, and has done a great deal to help in
the development of a full-scale financial program for the
church. Also thanks to Mr. John Schuelke, administra-
tive officer of the Board of Directors, who has given
unstintingly of his time and talents in the work of the
church. Thanks to all who have worked to arrange this
convention.

A special word of thanks should be given to one of the
leading lay people of our church, Mrs. Florence Montz,
of Bismarck, North Dakota, a former president of the
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and presently
acting as staff administrator for the Council for Chris-
tian Medical Work. Mrs. Montz has contributed thou-
sands of hours of her time, and hundreds of days away
from home, traveling widely throughout the world, in
the interest of the health and healing ministry of our
church. When there was no money for a staff adminis-
trator for this position, she willingly accepted the
request of the Council for Christian Medical Work to
serve. She has done much to bring order out of what had
been a chaotic and neglected situation. She has done a
great deal to raise the sights and interest level of people
all over the church in this important ministry, a minis-
try to the whole person—soul, body, emotions, and
attitudes.

And finally and above all I would like to make
special mention of my dear wife, Delpha, who has stood
so faithfully at my side, not only during the past 12
years but for 38 years, praying and waiting in humility
and patience for me to come home, always meeting me
with love, support, and kindness. She deserves far more
credit than she has ever been given or ever will be given.
If the Lutheran Church believed in saints, I would
propose that she be beatified.