LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 59

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REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
you will carefully consider the proposal that they are now
offering to our Synod for consideration at our convention.

Committee 8 Blue Ribbon Study
Committee
Your committee has the privilege of bringing to the
Synod in convention the results of the long and hard labor
of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Structure. This committee is to be commended for its careful process of testing its
ideas with a variety of groups in the Synod and working toward as much consensus as possible. The committee went
out of its way to make sure this was a collaborative effort
with the various entities of the Synod, and also was concerned to keep the entire Synod informed through periodic
reports concerning its work. The Blue Ribbon Committee
on Structure deserves our support and thanks for its fine
work.

Conclusion
This brings to a conclusion my observations for our floor
committees. Again, I want to thank you for the work you
will do. I want to leave you with the encouragement of our
Lord for the work you will do. He will bless you richly as

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you prepare the resolutions to be presented to the convention. As you begin your meetings with prayer, and as you
repeatedly during your meeting turn to God in prayer, I
know that you will ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance
as you work with these important issues for the sake of our
Synod’s future health and strength.
Our Synod is at a very significant point in its history.
There is confusion in the church about what it means for
our Synod to remain committed to being a truly confessional Lutheran church, about how we best can go about
the task of reaching out boldly with the Gospel, and how
we can remain a strong, vibrant church body. Obviously,
from a human perspective, we will never have all the answers. But, thanks be to God, we do have the Word of God
and the bold confession of the fathers in our Book of Concord. With Scripture and the Confessions in our hands, let
us all resolve to move forward with all courage and confidence in the Lord—into the tasks immediately before us
this weekend—but even more, into the years that lie directly ahead for our beloved Synod. As we do, we have the
assurance that God will bless us, even as He has promised
to do. Yes, may God bless all of you richly! God bless mightily!