LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 1

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SYNODICAL REPORTS

R1-8

The President’s Report to the 2004
LCMS Convention

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 Regu-
lar 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 Con-
vention 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 con-
vention, 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 instrumen-
tal in the accomplishment of the mission that God has given His
church on earth.

Convention Theme and Biblical Basis

The theme of this convention is “One Mission—Ablaze!”’ Its
Scriptural basis is Isaiah 49:5—6:

And now the Lorp says—He who formed me in the womb to be

His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and gather Israel to Himself, for

T am honored in the eyes of the LorpD 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 sal-

vation to the ends of the earth.”

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 atten-
tion 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 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 Him-
self, 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 pro-
pels 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:

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.

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

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
vita] 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 syn-
odical positions and policies, provides overall program direction and
priorities, and evaluates all such positions, programs, policies, direc-
tions, 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 bod-
ies, synods, or federations, and the discontinuance of such affiliation or
association. (LCMS Bylaw 3.01)

The Bylaws also direct that certain officers, boards, and com-
missions 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 Mis-
sion Services; a Board of Directors for Concordia Publishing
House; and a Board of Regents for each synodical seminary
(Bylaw 3.55 a.).

In addition, some members of other Boards and Commissions
are also to be elected by the Synod in convention (Bylaws 3.55 and
3.57).

Accordingly, convention sessions and activities will be planned
and conducted with all these goals and objectives in mind. During
the delegate orientation the first day of the convention, Saturday,
July 10, specific attention will be given to matters of information
and importance for each delegate to consider as the convention be-
gins. Please plan now to attend one of these orientation sessions
Saturday afternoon, whether or not this is your first time as a dele-
gate.

Additional information will be provided to delegates in the
months and weeks prior to the convention. All delegates are evan-
gelically advised and encouraged to read carefully all official ma-

_ terials received from the Synod.

In addition, delegates are no doubt already aware, if not disap-
pointed or even confused, that unofficial and unsolicited materials
will be received in abundance. It is my fervent prayer that God will
provide wisdom and discernment to each delegate, enabling each of
you to evaluate objectively and prudently the many opinions and
perspectives that, without a doubt, will literally fill your respective

2004 Convention Workbook