LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 51

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REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Church—Missouri Synod have ONE Mission—to be
ABLAZE! with the power and presence of the very Spirit
of God in our lives, on our lips, and in our labors! We proclaim ONE Message, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior
of the world! We pursue the ONE Mission and proclaim
the ONE Message as ONE People, united by God’s love
in Jesus Christ!
In the light of Christ’s love, following the lead of Jesus
Himself, we seek lost people for Christ, who said, “For the
Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke
19:10). That is God’s mission, which is also our mission . . .
One Mission—Ablaze!
Yet we recognize that even as God gives us His mission,
it is also God who makes us “a light for the Gentiles,” that
we may bring His salvation “to the ends of the earth.” We
are ABLAZE! with the light that comes from the power of
God, at work within us through God’s holy Word and Sacraments. And that power propels us to proclaim the light of
God’s love to the Gentiles, namely, to all who are in the
darkness of doubt and disbelief.
And so our task, our purpose, our privilege in life is to
be ABLAZE! with the God-given light of God’s love, made
real to us in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our
Lord. In and with that light, we are enabled to focus our
time, our talents, and our treasure on reflecting God’s love
in Jesus Christ to the people of the world.
That is precisely the meaning of the LCMS Mission
Statement:

Part I
Introduction and Welcome
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ, Savior of the
world and Lord of the universe, through whom alone we receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation!
Welcome, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to the
62nd Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. It is my privilege to share with you this first
portion of the report of the President of the Synod to this
very important synodical gathering.
The report of the President will be presented in four
parts:
• Part I is the written report you are now reading, printed
in the 2004 Convention Workbook.
• Part II will be presented orally at the initial meeting of
the Convention Floor Committees, to be held in St. Louis
May 21–24, 2004. It will also be posted on the LCMS Web
site immediately following its presentation on May 21.
• Part III will be presented orally at the convention on Sunday, July 11, 2004.
• Part IV will consist of a question-and-answer session at
the convention, also on Sunday, July 11, 2004.
It is my hope and prayer that your service as a delegate
to this triennial convention will be a blessing to you, to the
congregations, and to the individual members of the Synod.
Furthermore, it is my prayer that your involvement in this
convention will be instrumental in the accomplishment of
the mission that God has given His church on earth.

In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered
by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the
mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is
vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word
and deed within our churches, communities, and the
world.

Convention Theme and Biblical Basis
The theme of this convention is “One Mission—
Ablaze!” Its Scriptural basis is Isaiah 49:5–6:

May that mission be the constant focus of this 62nd Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod!

And now the LORD says—He who formed me in the
womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and
gather Israel to Himself, for I am honored in the eyes
of the LORD and my God has been my strength—He
says: “It is too small a thing for you to be My servant to
restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the
Gentiles, that you may bring My salvation to the ends
of the earth.”

The Purposes of a Synodical Convention
The Bylaws of the Synod clearly indicate the major purposes of a synodical convention in these words:
The national convention of the Synod shall afford an
opportunity for worship, nurture, inspiration, fellowship, and the communication of vital information. It is
the principal legislative assembly, which amends the
Constitution and Bylaws, considers and takes action on
reports and overtures, and handles appropriate appeals. It establishes general synodical positions and
policies, provides overall program direction and priorities, and evaluates all such positions, programs, policies, directions, and priorities in order to provide responsible service for and on behalf of its members. Only
a national convention of the Synod shall authorize affiliation or association of the Synod with other church
bodies, synods, or federations, and the discontinuance
of such affiliation or association. (LCMS Bylaw 3.01)

In this portion of Holy Scripture the only true God, the
God of the universe, the God who has revealed Himself as
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is speaking to His Old Testament people Israel through His servant, the prophet Isaiah. The main message of this Word from the Lord is that
the gifts He has given to His people are too many and too
abundant for them to be used only to proclaim the truth of
God’s love to “the tribes of Jacob and . . . Israel.” Indeed,
says our God, “It is too small a thing” for His people to pay
attention only to the Old Testament people of Israel. “I will
also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring
My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
That’s the reason for choosing the word ABLAZE! It describes something or someone on fire, full of light, illuminated with the brightness, the power, and the energy produced by the fire of God’s Holy Spirit. We in The Lutheran

The Bylaws also direct that certain officers, boards, and
commissions are to be elected by the synodical convention,
including “a President, five Vice-Presidents in line of succession, a Secretary, and a Vice-President–Finance—Treasurer” (Bylaw 3.53) and a Board of Directors of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; a Board for District
and Congregational Services; a Board for Mission Services;
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2004 Convention Proceedings