LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1995, Page 99

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OTHER PRESENTATIONS

1. Greetings of President Emeritus

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Thanks for the warm greeting ... and thanks for staying

to listen rather than hurrying out to lunch! After standing _

before the last four conventions of the Synod as chairman
and an active participant in the life and work of the Synod,
I must say that it feels a great deal different (and not nec-
essarily worse!) for me to stand before you today as a
greeter and a spectator. But I speak especially as a friend
and brother in Christ. For one thing remains constant—
and that is my deep love and commitment to this great
church body, even with all its faults. There are many per-
sonal reasons for this bond, to be sure, but none more im-
portant than the partnership in the Gospel of Jesus Christ
that we have enjoyed and continue to enjoy together. It’s in
His name, and the name of our precious Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, that I would express both a word of gratitude
and a word of encouragement.

A Word of Gratitude

On this 100th anniversary of our mission work abroad, I
am especially grateful for the missionaries and their fami-
lies who have served so faithfully over the years; to the mis-
sion board and staff which continues to give us such out-
standing leadership; to Missouri’s partner churches around
the world; and to the many pastors and congregations who
send, support, pray for, and actively engage in the work of
bringing the Good News of Christ to the nations, beginning
in our own communities. For all of you, on this great an-
niversary occasion, celebrating what it truly means to be
the church carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ, one
can only exclaim: Thanks be to God!

I am deeply grateful, as well, to those officers and staff
persons who have served us so well again during these past
three years, and especially to those with whom I worked so
closely for so long: to Augie Mennicke, Walt Rosin, and
Norm Sell who have served quietly and faithfully during a
very difficult time and all too often under criticism that was
neither truthful nor fair; special thanks also to two fine
Vice-Presidents, Walter Maier and Bob Sauer, with whom I
was privileged to work for many years and who now leave

office. To all of you and the many others who served with -

us, may I say that you were always a team that worked col-
legially and well to do what you were elected to do, namely,
to uphold and apply the Synod’s doctrine as well as the
Synod’s visions and goals; and I sincerely thank you for
that.

Special thanks, too, to our District Presidents, who serve
" our congregations and pastors.so well as those who truly
represent the will of the people, and to the Board of Direc-
tors (especially those who now leave the board) for your
wise and patient leadership; to all of you who serve us in
financial support and management positions for your con-
tinuing competence and integrity; to all those associated
with the Concordia University System for your quiet effec-
tiveness in a difficult transition period; to the beard and

99

staff people who have worked so well to coordinate and im-
prove our Synod’s congregational services; to our youth
ministry leaders, in St. Louis and throughout the Synod,
for the wonderful warmth and promise of the recently con-
cluded Youth Gathering in San Antonio where 28,000 peo-
ple celebrated the Gospel in such a unique and powerful
manner (what an inspiration!); for the continued confes-
sional faithfulness of our Commission on Theology and
Church Relations, often under trying circumstances; for our
two seminaries, not only for their solid theology, but also
for timely curriculum revision, as well as new mission and
ministry ventures, and especially to Fort Wayne, for main-
taining a strong sense of mission. while achieving a large
measure of peace and stability after years of difficulty; and
to the staffs and boards in the large, complex, and often
under-appreciated areas of human care and social ministry,
for helping all of us show love and compassion to the many
in our world who are weary and heavy laden.

Most of all, I am deeply grateful for, and I strongly com-
mend, the parish pastors, lay leaders, and congregations
who continue to be so faithfully involved in proclaiming and
living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the many who
pray and work toward the growth of the church, often in
bold and innovative ways.

As I think of these and many other examples of excel-
lence and Gospel-motivated service among us, I am re-