LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 43

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MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION
that debate was ended and the amendment was defeated
by standing vote. When legal counsel was again asked for
input, the committee offered to take the matter back for additional attention.
Res. 7-12, “To Equalize Terms of Office” (TB, pp. 141–142),
was introduced by the committee. An amendment was offered
and agreed to by the committee to move the proposed paragraph (c) from under Bylaw 3.8.4.1.1 and locate the same as
paragraph 3 under Bylaw 3.8.4.1. An amendment changing
“may” to “shall” in paragraph 3.2.4.2 (a) was ruled out of
order as the committee’s allotted time ran out.
Committee 5: Seminary and University Education
Committee 5 Chairman Jon Diefenthaler directed attention to Res. 5-02, “To Address Licensed Lay Deacons,”
on page 101 of Today’s Business. He reported that Committees 3 and 5 had harmonized their nearly identical resolutions according to the text of Res. 5-02. Dr. Samuel Nafzger
was asked to address the convention regarding the licensed
lay deacon program. The committee then introduced Res.
5-02 for consideration. A substitute motion was offered:
“Resolved, That all laymen licensed by synodical or district
programs to conduct Word and Sacrament ministry be enrolled in the specific ministry pastor program by August 1,
2009, or such licensure shall be rescinded.” The assembly
voted not to consider the substitute resolution: [Yes: 489;
No: 585]. Discussion continued on Res. 5-02 until a motion
was introduced to amend the resolution by replacing the
second and third paragraphs with the following: “WHEREAS,
The need for such licensed lay deacons continues to be crucial and necessary, ‘lest God’s people be deprived of the opportunity for corporate worship and the celebration of the
Sacraments’ (Convention Proceedings, 1989, p. 112); therefore be it Resolved, That the Board for Pastoral Education
and the Council of Presidents be requested to study the situations currently served by licensed lay deacons and to present that report with recommendations at the 2010 convention of the Synod.” The chair ruled this to be a
substitute resolution, and the assembly voted not to consider it [Yes: 550; No: 557], causing debate to return to the
main resolution. An amendment was introduced to add the
following words to the resolve, following the word “Synod”:
“and additionally, to study this program as it relates to Augustana XIV.” A motion to cease debate on the amendment
carried [Yes: 901; No: 196], and the motion to amend failed
[Yes: 550; No: 577], leaving Res. 5-02 without amendment.
An amendment was proposed to add a resolve paragraph
before the existing resolve paragraph as follows: “Resolved,
That the Board for Pastoral Education be encouraged to develop financial incentives for licensed lay deacons to enroll
in the Specific Ministry Pastor Program (SMPP); and be it
further.” This proposed amendment was ruled out of order
because it addresses funding. A motion to cease debate on
the motion to amend was introduced and carried nonetheless [Yes: 974; No: 117], but the amendment failed [Yes:
391; No: 723]. As attention was returned to the resolution
as presented by the committee, the chair called for the Orders of the Day. He asked whether the assembly was ready

43

to end debate on Res. 5-02. Debate was ended [Yes: 967; No:
156], and the resolution was adopted [Yes: 948; No: 202].
This mutual effort with Committee 5 marked the end of
the work of Committee 3, and the committee was dismissed
with thanks.
Committee 8: Synod Structure and Governance
Res. 8-07A (TB, pp. 213–214) was brought before the assembly by Committee 8. A substitute motion was then presented by the committee (Substitute Resolution 8-07). A
motion to consider the substitute resolution was introduced
and carried [Yes: 883; No: 267]. In discussion that followed,
an amendment was offered: “Resolved that the said special
convention shall have no authority to impair the title of
congregations to their assets, most particularly to their
land and buildings.” Chair ruled the motion out of order
upon advice of the parliamentarian and was supported in
his ruling [Yes: 697; No: 410]. After further discussion of
the substitute motion, and after the Treasurer of the Synod
addressed the question of urgency, the chair tested the will
of the assembly to continue debate. Debate was not ended
[Yes: 741; No: 422] and will continue when the committee
returns at a later time.
Closing Prayer
The chair called on convention chaplain Dale Meyer for
a closing devotion.
Recess
Session 10
July 19, 2007
Call to Order
President Gerald Kieschnick called the final session of
the convention to order and asked convention chaplain Dale
Meyer to introduce the devotion leader, Rev. Matthew Harrison, Executive Director of the Board for Human Care
Ministries. With Mark 1:38 as his text, he spoke of Jesus
as a Savior on the move, with marching orders for His
church as well: “Let’s go!” Referencing the presidency of F.
C. D. Wyneken as one of the great missionary times of the
church, he spoke of the importance of the message of repentance to accompany the “One Message—Christ!”
Recognition of Former Officers and Church Body Leaders
President Kieschnick recognized the service of former officers of the Synod present for the convention: Presidents Ralph
Bohlmann and Robert Kuhn, First Vice-President Daniel
Preus, former Treasurer Paul Middeke, and former Chief Administrative Officers John Schuelke and Brad Hewitt.
He then introduced special guests in attendance from
other Lutheran church bodies in the United States: Rev.
Thomas Aadland, Presiding Pastor of the American Association of Lutheran Churches; Rev. Franklin Hays, Presiding Pastor-Elect of the American Association of Lutheran
Churches; Rev. James Pope, a member of the Wisconsin
Evangelical Lutheran Synod’s Commission on Inter-Church
Relations; Rev. Glenn Obenberger, Vice-President of the
Evangelical Lutheran Synod; and Rev. Lowell Almen, Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
2007 Convention Proceedings