LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 11

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 11

¢ We have consistently and generously demonstrated care and con-
cern for the human needs of people around the world through
LCMS World Relief, Lutheran Disaster Response, and Lutheran
World Relief. Acts of kindness and mercy are performed within
our country and beyond, in the name of the healing Christ,
through the generous offerings and gifts of our people. This is a
clear demonstration of faith active in love!

Our pastors and other professional church workers are engaged
and challenged in mission and ministry, often facing gargantuan
tasks and opportunities with limited fiscal and human resources.
They, like all of us, are imperfect human beings, constantly faced
with prioritizing needs and responsibilities in mission and min-
istry to congregation, community, and world. I thank God for our
faithful pastors, teachers, deaconesses, directors of Christian edu-
cation, directors of Christian outreach, directors of Christian
music, etc., etc., etc., who serve our congregations and their peo-
ple with a spirit of commitment, dedication, and joyful service!

Our lay leaders and congregational members are blessed beyond
all telling, perhaps even more than they themselves realize. In my
travels across the Synod I am even more aware of, and deeply
grateful for, the quality, dedication, faithfulness, and commitment
of the people of the congregations of our Synod than I have been
throughout my entire life and ministry. Our people love this
church! They have a deep desire and heartfelt longing to serve in
any and every way possible! The men and women of our Synod
have many talents, invaluable experience, and virtually unlimited
resources to bring to the table of mission and ministry in the
LCMS! J thank God for the men, women, and children of our
Synod!

In view of all these realities, I often ask the question, With so
many blessings and resources, why is our Synod continuing to de-
cline in numbers and why are we so seemingly impotent when it
comes to influencing the world and impacting its people with the
power of the Gospel at work through God’s Word and Sacraments?
The only answer I have been able to determine is that, quite simply,
the devil himself recognizes the potential impact of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod in the world that he so desperately wants
to destroy. And he works hardest among those he perceives to be
the greatest threat to his dastardly desires to divide and devour
(1 Peter 5:8),

The Holy Scriptures express this dilemma quite plainly, in the
words of St. Paul:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore
put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you
may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything,
to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your
waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet
fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. In addi-
tion to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit
on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also
for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that
IT will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am
an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I
should. (Ephesians 6:12—20)

That’s my prayer, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for my-
self, for you, and for our entire Synod. Only through the power of
God’s Spirit working within us can we ever hope to storm the gates
of hell, against which the church shall always prevail (Matthew
16:18)!

In practical terms, this spiritual battle must be fought with all
the God-given resources we can muster. Two-thirds to three-
fourths of the people of the world do not know or accept Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord! Without saving faith in Christ in their
hearts, they will not experience eternal life in heaven, but will
spend eternity in the flames of hell! I believe the people of our

Synod care about the eternal destiny of the people of the world! I
believe the resources of our Synod must be aligned, catalyzed, and
released into the world in a way that results in the transformation
and salvation of the lives of many, through Christ’s love, in time,
for eternity John 3:16—17).

Christians who lived in the days shortly after our Lord’s ascen-
sion into heaven scattered throughout the world, taking with them
their firm conviction that Jesus Christ had risen from the grave, ful-
filling our Lord’s command and prophecy spoken just prior to His
ascension:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and
you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Following the miracle of Pentecost, the believers “devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer...and the Lord added to their num-
ber daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42, 47).

These days I’m speaking widely, passionately, and unapologet-
ically about the “Critical Event” as a part of the heartbeat of our
church body. The critical event occurs when one Lutheran Chris-
tian gives witness about Jesus of the hope that is within him or her
to another person so that person may encounter Christ. That’s ex-
actly what happened in the early days of the Christian faith. That’s
exactly what must happen among us, in response to the grace of
God in our lives, given freely out of God’s love in Jesus.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, J invite you, as leaders in
the LCMS, to pray for the blessing of God’s Spirit upon each and
every member of each and every congregation of our Synod, that
the witness about Jesus of the hope that is within you may be used
by God’s Spirit to set this world on fire with the great news of Jesus
Christ, our Lord!

That’s what I mean by One Mission—Ablaze! . . . to the ends
of the earth!

Respectfully submitted,

“cans

APPENDIX
MEMO
TO: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
FROM: President Gerald B. Kieschnick
SUBJECT: A Matter of Concern
DATE: January 22, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world and
Lord of the universe, through whom alone we receive forgiveness,
life and salvation!

In recent months, I have engaged in fraternal dialog with indi-
viduals and groups in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who
have expressed genuine concern about matters of doctrine and
practice in our Synod. In more than one such gathering, after asking
sincere, heartfelt questions indicating their disagreement with some
of my decisions and actions, participants have requested of me. “In
your responses to our questions, show us your heart.”

The primary concern in such dialogs has to do with the general
subjects of “unionism” and “syncretism,” with specific reference
to my role in events surrounding the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001.
Frequent reference is made to an event titled “A Prayer for Amer-

2004 Convention Workbook