LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 5

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Preface
“One Message—Christ!” served as the theme of the 63rd Regular Convention of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, which convened at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, July 14–19, 2007. Official attendance included 1,239 voting delegates
and more than 400 advisory delegates and other official or invited guests, including partner
and sister church leaders from the international Lutheran community who were in Houston for
an Ablaze! conference.
The convention theme was expanded by the President of the Synod in his sermon during
the opening worship service: “One Message—Christ! His Love Is Here for You!” It was also
the subject of Bible studies led by the vice-presidents of the Synod (“A Message of Love for a
Church in Mission”; “A Message of Unity to a Sectarian Culture”; “A Message of Truth to a
Post-Modern World”; and “A Message of Love to a Desperate People”), and served as the theme
of the memorial service message delivered by Fourth Vice-President Robert King (“One Message: Christ—Resurrection and Life”). Dr. King was given special recognition by the convention
for his 21 years of service as a vice-president of the Synod.
In addition to worship and Bible study opportunities, the convention also conducted the
business of the Synod, which included the adoption of 76 formal resolutions proposed by convention floor committees and the approval of three omnibus resolutions which referred some
convention business to previous convention actions or to various boards and commissions for
further attention.
A major action of the convention was the declaration of altar and pulpit fellowship with the
American Association of Lutheran Churches. The text of the response to the convention given
by AALC Presiding Pastor Thomas Aadland after the action was taken is provided in these
Convention Proceedings. Other significant business included the creation of a director position
for strategic development of Hispanic ministries; the establishment of a Specific Ministry Pastor Program; strong statements regarding stem cell research and the care and placement of
foster and adoptive children; the adoption of the bylaw changes to help to resolve Board of Directors/Commission on Constitutional Matters authority issues; and approval for the possible
calling of a special convention in 2009 to address Synod structure and governance issues.
All resolutions addressed by the convention are included in their final form in these Convention Proceedings, along with the minutes of the ten convention sessions and other related materials. To facilitate reading the resolutions, the following will be helpful:
• An A attached to a resolution number indicates that significant changes were made to the
resolution by the floor committee after it was published in the first (pre-convention) issue
of Today’s Business. An S attached indicates a resolution that the floor committee proposed in place of that which was initially published.
• Following each printed resolution, the decision of the convention is noted. The number in
parentheses indicates the convention session in which the final action was taken.
• Comments in parentheses below each resolution provide information regarding changes
made or attempted during discussion of the resolution. The vote tally for the final decision
is provided in brackets.
• A more detailed record of the discussions and proposed changes of resolutions and all vote
tallies during those discussions are provided in the minutes of the convention.
Even as the business of conventions continues long after the closing gavel as decisions are
carried out, so also the usefulness of a convention theme is not limited to the few days of convention meetings. How especially true of “One Message—Christ!” which will continue to serve
our Synod well for the coming three years and far beyond. There is, after all, no other message like “Christ,” for there is “no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved” (Acts 4:12).
Raymond L. Hartwig, Secretary
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