LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 55

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REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
The President’s Commission on the Sanctity of
Life
Under the capable leadership of Dr. Raymond Hartwig,
the President’s Commission on the Sanctity of Life has produced excellent materials to encourage our people to be
aware of and committed to life issues. They are presently
preparing educational resources geared toward our young
people and will debut this project at the National Youth
Gathering that will be held after the Synod’s convention
this summer. Their work has been noticed by many individuals and groups beyond our Synod who have also expressed appreciation for work they are doing and the leadership the LCMS continues to provide to the pro-life
community in this nation.
Nomenclature Study Committee
I appreciate the work this group has done for our Synod
in studying how best to classify and name our church workers. I encourage delegates to read their report carefully. I
recommend that the proposals of the Nomenclature Study
Committee be accepted by the Synod in convention.
Assignments Given to the President
Commission on Worship
At our last convention the Synod directed that the Commission on Worship should have a full-time staff member and
remain a free-standing commission (1995, Res. 2-03A). The
President was directed to work with the commission in obtaining a new executive director. I am pleased to report that
Dr. Paul Grime was called to this position. The Commission
on Worship has been providing excellent leadership to our
Synod on worship issues and is working hard on improving
our Synod’s appreciation for good, solid Lutheran understandings of worship. We will have an opportunity to use the
new hymnal supplement at our convention this summer.
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne
At the last convention, the Synod asked the President to
work with Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, in
order to quiet certain concerns that had arisen in the years
just prior to the 1995 convention (1995, Res. 5-07A). I conducted a formal visitation of the seminary and presented a
report to the Synod of my findings. Since that time I have
met with the new president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Dr. Dean Wenthe, on a regular basis to
monitor the progress that has been made in restoring peace
and unity on the campus. I am pleased to report that the
seminary has responded very well to the visitation and has
addressed the concerns that were raised.
It needs to be said very clearly that our Synod can indeed thank God for the fine pastors our two seminaries are
preparing for our beloved Synod.
Study on Racism
The Synod asked that the President and the CTCR take
into consideration responses to the CTCR’s statement:
“Racism and the Church.” The document has been well received and widely distributed, including to all Lutheran
churches in the world. The document has provided useful
guidance and counsel to the church on this important issue.

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Review of CTCR Procedures
The Synod in convention asked the President (1995, Res.
3-04A) to oversee a process by which the CTCR would initiate an internal review of its procedures in order to streamline its operation. While the CTCR has addressed some of
the concerns raised by the Synod in convention, I believe
there is still more that should be done in response to our
Synod’s directives that the CTCR seek ways to improve
their work flow and complete assignments in a more timely
and efficient manner.
Herman Otten Matter
Also during the last convention, the Synod asked me as
President to take steps to bring a final resolution to the
matter of Rev. Herman Otten’s certification into the ministry of the Synod (1995, Res. 7-18A). Shortly after the convention, the Commission on Constitutional Matters was
asked to issue an interpretation of the resolution adopted
by the Synod. The CCM ruled that in acting on this resolution, the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws must be followed, specifically those Bylaws governing the certification
of men for the LCMS ministerium. As directed by the
Synod in convention, a study committee was appointed and
reviewed the voluminous material concerning this whole
matter. The Synod’s Bylaws stipulate that exclusive responsibility for determining whether an individual should
be certified for pastoral ministry rests with the seminary
from which he graduated. Therefore, the committee recommended that discussions take place between Rev. Otten
and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. The seminary administration appointed a small committee of faculty members
to meet with Rev. Otten to discuss various concerns with
him. On the basis of those discussions, the seminary did not
feel it was possible to proceed with the process of certifying
Rev. Otten for the LCMS ministerium. Under the Bylaws of
our Synod, this decision by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
concludes this matter.
Church Growth Study Committee
The Synod advised the President to appoint a committee to study the Church Growth Movement (1995, Res. 309) and address how the truth of the Scriptures and the
Lutheran Confessions might be clearly proclaimed in light
of the Church Growth Movement and the influences of
American culture and pluralism. The Church Growth
Study Committee has issued an interim report that is
printed elsewhere in this Convention Workbook. I encourage you to read their report carefully. I recommend that
their proposals be implemented.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I need to express a genuine word of
thanks to the members of our beloved Synod. I am grateful
to God for the manner in which you have continued to serve
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in carrying forward His
mission and ministry. I also need to express my deep appreciation for the repeated words of encouragement that so
many of you have continued to express to me during this
past triennium. I thank God for you! God bless always.