LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 72

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72

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

Floor Committee 8
Ecclesiastical Supervision and Dispute Resolution
Numerous overtures asking for amendment of the
processes of ecclesiastical supervision and dispute resolution are addressed in the report of the Blue Ribbon Task
Force on Ecclesiastical Supervision and Dispute Resolution.
In light of the experience of the past three years, careful attention should be given to proposals regarding ecclesiastical
supervision of District Presidents and the Synod President,
being particularly cognizant of the potential for conflict of
interest, reserving deposal of these elected officers for matters of egregious offense, and avoiding confusion and conflict that could result from officers being accountable to one
another rather than to the entity that elects them.
Overtures that address specific actions and decisions of
the Synod President should be considered in light of CCM
opinions regarding ecclesiastical supervision of the individual occupying that office. Otherwise, these overtures rest
currently in the hands of the floor committee and, ultimately, solely in the hands of the convention itself. Accordingly, further comment is neither necessary nor appropriate.
Overtures Not Approved for Inclusion
in Convention Workbook
A word is in order at this point regarding overtures submitted to the Synod that do not appear in the Convention
Workbook. Part of the responsibility of The Office of the
Synodical President in the procedure and process of overture review is dictated in the Bylaws of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod. One such dictate is outlined in
Bylaw 3.19 d of the 2001 Handbook. This Bylaw reads, in
part:
Bylaw 3.19 d. The synodical President shall determine if any overture contains information which is materially in error, or contains any apparent misrepresentation of truth or of character. He shall not approve
inclusion of any such overture in the convention manual and shall refer any such overture to the District
President who has ecclesiastical supervision over the
entity submitting the overture for action.

In reviewing the overtures submitted for convention consideration, it was determined that some overtures contained “information . . . materially in error, or . . . apparent misrepresentation of truth or of character.” In accord
with Bylaw 3.19.d., those overtures were referred to the respective District President who “has ecclesiastical supervision over the entity submitting the overture for action.” I
did not thereby suggest any specific action on the part of
the District President, but only referred the overtures to
the District President’s office in fulfillment of this bylaw requirement.
In further accordance with the Bylaw directive, these
overtures were not approved for inclusion in the Convention Workbook. However, in an effort to honor what I perceive to be a genuine concern on the part of the congregation or other entity submitting it, I have decided to forward
the overture to the proper floor committee for whatever action it may deem appropriate.
The action of reviewing all the overtures submitted for
consideration was undertaken in the spirit of the Scriptural

2004 Convention Proceedings

exhortations, as well as in light of the resolves of 2001 Convention Resolution 7-04A, a copy of which is included as an
Appendix to this report. It is my prayer that all our actions
be guided continually by the inspired words of the Apostle
(quoted in Res. 7-04A), who wrote, “Be imitators of God,
therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love,
just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1–2).
In Conclusion
Notwithstanding the areas and expressions of concern
that must be addressed, hopefully at the 62nd Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod through
the actions and decisions of the delegates in response to the
resolutions you will present, I do not hesitate whatsoever
in saying to you that I am highly encouraged and hugely
excited about the future of our Synod!
• We have much for which to be thankful throughout
the 157 years of our existence!
• We have been and remain faithful to Holy Scripture
and the Lutheran Confessions!
• We have been aggressive and progressive in mission
endeavors for more than 100 of those years!
• We have the respect of many church bodies throughout the world!
• Our counsel, resources, and support are frequently
and regularly sought by Lutheran Christians across
the face of the globe!
• Our most productive years of mission outreach are just
ahead!
These are obviously optimistic observations and positive
projections that will not automatically, instantly, or easily
be achieved. Why might this be the case? Sometimes I perceive that we in the LCMS are our own worst enemy and
that our mission and ministry endeavors are limited and
perhaps even stymied primarily by our seemingly incessant
inability to live together in peace and harmony. Surely that
is the evil intention of Satan himself, who would love nothing more than to see our congregations, professional church
workers, and people embroiled in internal bickering, unChristian backbiting and unflattering bellyaching about
and with one another. My dear brothers and sisters in
Christ, these things simply should not be.
Most respectfully and quite sincerely, I invite and encourage each and every one of you to join me in a godly crusade to alter the negativity and lack of basic Christian demeanor that often attempts and frequently succeeds in
defining the culture of our Synod, beginning with this Floor
Committee weekend and continuing through and beyond
the 62nd Regular Convention of the LCMS. I do so with
painful cognizance of my own sinfulness and daily awareness of my own imperfection. I also do so with joyful assurance of the grace of God in my life, made new each day with
the reminder that I am a baptized child of God, redeemed
from sin and Satan by the blood of Jesus Christ, my Lord.
And I boldly and happily remind you of the same eternal
blessings that are yours through that very same grace of
God in Jesus Christ, your Lord.