LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 76

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76

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
others are not such at all and no intent at compromise
is intended. … I believe our fathers were eminently sincere and totally correct in what they did, but I think we
have to rethink our own position on these matters so as
to make their position our own or so as to make their
position something that is workable and feasible and
acceptable in our own midst. … We can all agree that
we want to avoid a total separatism on the one hand
and a wild irresponsible ecumenism on the other.
(Dr. Jacob A. O. Preus, President’s Address, 1981
LCMS Convention Proceedings, pp. 65–66).

I certainly agree. The matters of interchurch relations,
unionism, separatism, syncretism, participating in events
or services involving non-LCMS participants, and so forth,
cry out for biblically based resolution among us.
In this regard, I believe it is important to address, one
more time, the so-called “Yankee Stadium” controversy.
Here again is a summary of this matter:
• As we all know, terrorists destroyed the World Trade
Center towers in New York City on September 11,
2001, killing 3,000 people, including members, friends
and relatives of LCMS men, women, and children. Our
nation and the world have been radically affected by
the events of that day.
• Atlantic District President Dr. David Benke was invited by the office of the Mayor of New York City to
participate in “A Prayer for America” in Yankee Stadium, September 23, 2001.
• Before accepting the invitation, President Benke
sought the counsel of his ecclesiastical supervisor, the
President of the Synod, me. On the basis of my careful
study and clear understanding of the collective will of
the Synod, I provided counsel to Dr. Benke that his
participation appeared to be permissible and appropriate.
• During its meeting that same weekend, on September
26, 2001, the LCMS Council of Presidents adopted a
resolution that read, “In light of the tragic events of
September 11th … a pastoral letter should be sent to
all pastors and church workers. … The draft prepared
by committee was revised a number of times by the
members of the whole Council. A motion was unanimously passed to adopt the letter as amended and revised, bearing the signature of the President of Synod,
all the Vice-Presidents of Synod, and all the District
Presidents.”
While not specifically referencing the Yankee Stadium
event in the letter itself, strong expressions of support and
affirmation regarding President Benke’s involvement in
that event were offered orally by members of the Council,
including some who have subsequently been critical of his
participation.
The letter itself states, in part, “We commend President
Kieschnick and District President Benke for the strong
leadership they have given at this time. We commend
them, and others like them, for the compassion and the encouragement they have given to the caregivers. We are especially grateful for the many pastors and church leaders
who seize the opportunity to bring a clear testimony of hope
in Christ to people everywhere.”
2004 Convention Proceedings

• Nevertheless, some pastors filed formal charges to
have me removed from membership in the Synod for
the counsel I provided to Dr. Benke. Those charges
were followed by an official opinion of the Commission
on Constitutional Matters that the President of the
Synod is accountable only to the convention of the
Synod. As indicated in Part I of my report, I am quite
well-aware and fully accepting of the fact that the
President of the Synod is accountable to the convention of the Synod. You are my boss!
• Formal charges were also brought by individuals and
congregations against Dr. Benke, seeking to have him
expelled from membership in the Synod. Those
charges have been formally resolved. Although initially suspended from the clergy roster of the Synod by
a synodical Vice-President, Dr. Benke’s appeal to the
duly constituted and conducted Dispute Resolution
Panel resulted in the final decision that he should not
be expelled from the Synod. He was (and still is) fully
reinstated to his office as District President.
A few additional comments are in order. In the days and
weeks following September 11, people in our Lutheran congregations throughout the Synod, particularly in the Atlantic, New England, New Jersey, Eastern, and Southeastern Districts, were grieving and in a state of shock
following this terrible and traumatic act of terrorism.
• Children in our Lutheran schools were struggling with
questions of life and death, many of them directly affected by the deaths of parents, siblings, loved ones,
and friends.
• How does one tell a child that his or her father or
mother or anyone else near and dear to that child . . .
• was not only burned beyond recognition but also cremated beyond existence in the unfathomable intensity of the heat, smoke, and flames of the explosion;
• or made a literal life-and-death, split-second decision
to jump from the window of a 110-story tower rather
than face the kind of death just described;
• or in one way or another has quite literally disappeared and will never again be heard from or seen?
• Pastors, teachers, and social workers were experiencing depression and exhaustion as a result of working
almost literally around the clock, trying to answer
such questions, not only being asked by others, but
also by themselves—at the same time providing
proper spiritual care and comfort to the people in their
congregations and communities.
• Life still has not returned to normality in our country,
especially in those communities most directly affected
and impacted by a handful of terrorists on that now
historic day.
Just the day before President Benke sought my counsel
on his invitation from the office of Mayor Guilliani to come
to Yankee Stadium, he and I, with counterparts from The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, had toured
Ground Zero.
• We smelled the stench of death and burning flesh.