LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 5

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Preface
“One Mission—Ablaze!” was the theme as the delegates to the 62nd Regular Convention of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod met in St. Louis, July 10–15, 2004. This theme permeated not only the convention proceedings but also a number of convention-associated events
leading up to the convention: a gathering of the active, full-time missionaries from around the
globe; a meeting of partner church and International Lutheran Council leaders from many
countries; a celebration that concluded the Pentecost 2000+ effort, underway for several years;
and a reunion of retired missionaries whose service spanned many years and many miles, literally “to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
“One Mission—Ablaze!” also prompted numerous actions taken by the convention, resolutions that affirmed the theme for the coming triennium, committed the Synod to a $100 million
fund-raising effort, established national mission goals, reassigned the Synod’s outreach ministry program to LCMS World Mission, initiated a new stewardship education initiative, and
more—all associated to a large extent with “One Mission—Ablaze!” In addition, interest in
this theme was regularly fanned by Bible studies and devotions intended to kindle a renewed
Isaiah 49:6 fervor for reaching out with the Good News of the Gospel of salvation in Jesus
Christ.
“One Mission—Ablaze!” was, therefore, well suited for the two-fold purpose of Synod conventions: to provide an opportunity for nurture and inspiration and to conduct the business of
our church body. Truly uplifting was the moment during the convention when altar and pulpit
fellowship was declared with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya. But even weighty
constitution and bylaw decisions were addressed in an environment that constantly brought to
mind the primary purposes of our Synod: to conserve and promote the unity of the true faith
while strengthening congregations and their members in giving bold witness by word and deed
to the love and work of God. Included were significant decisions regarding the provision of a
new hymnal, the oversight of our schools to foster mission-minded education of church workers
and laypersons alike, the continuation of theological discussions of high-profile issues in our
districts, and a major revamping of some elements of our dispute resolution process—to name
a few.
Under the theme, “One Mission—Ablaze!,” 62 proposed actions were approved and 2 declined by the time the delegates left St. Louis. Those actions, along with the minutes of the
ten convention sessions and other related materials, are included in these Convention Proceedings. To facilitate your reading of the resolutions, the following will be helpful:
• An “A” attached to a resolution number indicates that significant changes were made to the
resolution after it was initially proposed by a convention floor committee.
• The number in parentheses below each resolution indicates the convention session during
which the final action was taken.
• Comments in parentheses below resolutions offer information regarding changes attempted
or made during discussion of the proposed resolution and also significant vote tallies. All
vote tallies are recorded in the minutes of the convention.
Of course, “One Mission—Ablaze!,” while it served well as a convention theme and permeated the convention’s business, was intended to go along home with the delegates to permeate
also our entire Synod. May it do so, helping to kindle a renewed fervor for sharing the Gospel
throughout our Synod, “to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
Raymond L. Hartwig, Secretary

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