LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 179

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LATE OVERTURES
The following overtures were received after the deadline
for receipt of reports and overtures but have been accepted
for convention consideration. They are of two kinds.
The first of the following overtures (L1-19, L2-26, L3106, L6-07, and L8-72) were originally submitted prior to
the deadline for reports and overtures but were returned to
the submitting entities for consideration of minor changes
to address concerns regarding content. These overtures
subsequently were returned with concerns addressed but
too late for inclusion in the convention’s Workbook. They
are included here.
The remainder of these overtures (L1-18, L3-105, L4-38,
L5-39, and L7-63) were submitted after the deadline for reports and overtures and are true late overtures, each
judged according to Bylaw 3.1.6 (a) “to be a matter of overriding importance and urgency which is not adequately covered by documents already before the convention.”
L1-19

To Support Chicago Racetrack Ministry
WHEREAS, The Reverend David Krueckeberg, better
known to the people whom he serves as “Reverend Dave,” is
an ordained minister of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod who has served with distinction as a minister for the
workers of the thoroughbred horse racetracks in the
Chicago area since 1969; and
WHEREAS, He was the first full-time racetrack minister
in the United States and his ministry has served as a model
for racetrack ministry for the Christian Church at large;
and
WHEREAS, He has been licensed by the State of Illinois
for 38 years to have access to the people who live and work
in the stable areas of the racetracks; and
WHEREAS, He has conducted a unique, but thriving
seven days a week ministry to those who care for the horses
that could not be done easily by a parish pastor, since state
law restricts access to the stable area to licensed personnel
and since many of the grooms, hot-walkers, exercise riders,
and other workers work long hours seven days a week that
hinder their involvement in a typical congregation, and
many lack transportation to leave the racetrack; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dave, in addition to preaching the
Gospel, has tried to help racetrackers meet some of their
most basic physical needs (including electricity, indoor
plumbing, and water quality); and
WHEREAS, It is not good for any mortal to prevent a pastor from exercising his holy stewardship over Word and
Sacrament; and
WHEREAS, One of the purposes for which The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod was organized and exists is to
support pastors from unjust removal from their ministry;
and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dave has been barred by the
Hawthorne Race Course from ministering to racetrackers

in both the public and the nonpublic areas of the racetrack
and by the Arlington Park Racetrack, which is owned by
Churchill Downs, Inc., from ministering to racetrackers in
the nonpublic areas of the racetrack; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dave had been allowed to conduct
services within a two-hour period each week in the nonpublic stable area at the Hawthorne Race Course, but even
that privilege was revoked on March 31, 2006; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dave has repeatedly not been allowed to do grief ministry to the families of deceased workers who live and work in the nonpublic stable areas of the
racetracks immediately following the death of a loved one,
even though he had a pastoral relationship with the families; and
WHEREAS, There has been a significant decrease in the
number of Baptisms among racetrackers and their families
since Reverend Dave has been denied full access to the stable areas of the racetrack; and
WHEREAS, There has been a 40 percent decline in the
number of racetrack children enrolled at Grace Lutheran
School since Reverend Dave has been denied full access to
the stable areas of the racetracks, and it is anticipated that
enrollment will continue to decline if he continues to be
barred from his ministry; and
WHEREAS, The owners and managers of the Hawthorne
Race Course and the Arlington Park Racetrack have rebuffed numerous requests for the reinstatement of the ministry of Reverend Dave; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dave’s plight has been featured in
the English Channels, the Northern Light, Reporter, The
Lutheran Witness, and in the local secular press, including
the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily
Herald, and the Pioneer Press, and Reverend Dave has
been commended by our Synod President, Dr. Gerald
Kieschnick, and by five district presidents whose districts
include Hawthorne Race Course and all racetracks owned
by Churchill Downs, Inc.; and
Resolved, That the LCMS in convention publicly commend Reverend Dave for his labors and publicly support
his ministry; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS in convention in the names of
our 2.4 million members find Hawthorne Race Course and
Arlington Park Racetrack’s actions unacceptable; and be it
further
Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention formally request that the owners of Arlington Park and Hawthorne
racetracks allow Reverend Dave the access he previously
had to the racetrackers at those racetracks to continue his
ministry among God’s people.
Trinity, Villa Park, IL
Trinity, Chicago, IL
Markham, Markham, IL
New Life, Hugo, MN
179

2007 Convention Proceedings