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

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SYNOD REPORTS 5

mission involvement, congregational training, and media and
printed resources for the people and congregations of our Synod.
All these and many more initiatives are aimed at assisting con-
gregations and their members “vigorously to make known the love
of Christ, by word and deed, within our churches, communities,
and the world.” (LCMS Mission Statement)

Ablaze! and Fan Into Flame Goals

Although these goals have been stated numerous times in mul-
tiple ways, I believe it is important to state them here once more.
By 2017, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, under the
blessing of Almighty God, we pray that the Spirit-guided efforts
associated with the Ablaze! movement will have resulted in ac-
complishment of the following goals adopted at the 2004 Synod
convention:
¢ Provide a Gospel witness to 50 million unreached or
uncommitted people in the USA.

¢ Provide a Gospel witness to 50 million unreached or
uncommitted people in the rest of the world.

¢ Plant 2,000 new LCMS missions in the United States.

In addition, we pray God’s blessing upon the achievement of
the following specific strategies articulated by LCMS World Mis-
sion in support of the Ablaze! goals noted above.
¢ Provide support and assistance for 2,000 LCMS congregations

who recognize the need for renewed health and vitality.
* Increase by 50 percent the number of LCMS career missionaries
in the field.

¢ Provide increased support for the 29 partner churches of the
LCMS throughout the world.

Fan Into Flame! Goals

By 2010, we pray that our Synod will have gathered $100 mil-
lion to support the mission objectives of Ablaze! that require finan-
cial expenditure. These objectives include:
¢ the planting of 2,000 new missions in the United States;
¢ the revitalization of 2,000 existing LCMS congregations;
¢ the increase in numbers of career missionaries involved in a

ministry of Word and Sacrament; and
¢ the provision of increased support for the mission and outreach
efforts of our 29 partner churches throughout the world.

At the time of writing of this report, $15 million in gifts and
pledges have been received, mostly from major gift donors
($50,000 and up) and from the two pilot districts (Texas and South
Wisconsin) who initiated the congregational phase of Fan Into
Flame. During 2007, seven additional districts will participate in
the congregational phase, with approximately that same number
scheduled to participate in 2008, 2009, and 2010, the year in which
Fan Into Flame is to be concluded.

For the Sake of the Church

For the Sake of the Church is an effort to double the number of
LCMS students and to gather $400 million in endowments at our
Concordia University System’s ten colleges and universities. The
latest report indicates an increase of LCMS students at our Con-
cordias of approximately 50% and a total endowment at our ten in-
stitutions of approximately $150 million. This is a most important
endeavor worthy of our continued prayers and support!

Synod Solidarity in the Midst of Synod Conflict

In my report to the 2004 convention of the Synod, I shared ob-
servations and concerns regarding Synod solidarity in the midst of
Synod conflict. That section of my 2004 report is included in the
appendix of this Workbook, titled “Synod Solidarity in the Midst

of Synod Conflict—Excerpt from the President’s Report Part | of

the 2004 Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”

Specifically, the following topics were addressed.

¢ Close Communion

¢ Church and Ministry

¢ Traditional and Contemporary Worship

¢ Participation in Events or Services with Other Christians or
Non-Christians

While these issues are still matters of concern among us in our
Synod today, numerous steps have been taken to address them.
Noteworthy among these are the two “Model Theological Confer-
ences” held in Phoenix in 2002 and 2005, both of them in August!
All 35 districts of the Synod sent as many as five representatives,
who then assisted with the planning and conducting of similar con-
ferences in their respective districts to consider such topics as par-
ticipation in civic events and the role of the office of the pastoral
ministry in relation to the priesthood of all believers.

In addition, the Praesidium (the President and five vice-presi-
dents of the Synod) is providing Bible studies for use by circuit
counselors at circuit pastoral conferences for further study and dis-
cussion related to these and other issues. Also, the Council of Pres-
idents is working diligently to provide counsel to the Synod
regarding these subjects. When the COP completes it work aimed
at achieving concord and unity on many of these matters of con-
cern among us, that work will be shared with the Synod.

Lawsuit against the President and First Vice-President of the Synod
and the Synod Itself

In the past three years, another point of contention has arisen
among us, namely, how Christians in general, but specifically
LCMS Christians, resolve conflict that arises in our midst. A most
notable event this past triennium that caused particular attention to
such concerns was a lawsuit filed August 15, 2005, against the Pres-
ident and First Vice-President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod and against the Synod itself. It is difficult to estimate how
many people in the LCMS are aware of the lawsuit. Suffice it to say
that many in our Synod have heard about this matter, the facts of
which I will attempt to relate as objectively as possible in a Special
Report from the President to the 2007 Convention of the Synod.

That Special Report, included in this Workbook, provides details
regarding the issues and resolution of the lawsuit. I invite you to
read that report to discern with certainty and in greater detail the
facts of the lawsuit and to understand the agreements reached in its
culmination. Some of the major matters of concern from the law-
suit are addressed in the report of the 2004 Resolution 7-02A Com-
mittee, which delegates will receive prior to the convention. The
convention will have ample opportunity to consider the 7-02A Com-
mittee report and to take any action the delegates deem appropriate.

In this section of my report, the following news release from
the November 1, 2006, issue of LCMS e-News offers a summary of
the matter.

The lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Mo.,
in August 2005 (known as the “Anderson Lawsuit”) has now
been fully dismissed, with all clerical details and waiting peri-
ods satisfied. The lawsuit was filed initially by approximately
80 LCMS members against President Gerald Kieschnick, First’

Vice-President William Diekelman, and The Lutheran Church--
Missouri Synod (as a necessary nominal defendant).

The plaintiffs initiated the lawsuit based upon their belief that
exceptions requested by district boards of directors and granted
by the President of the Synod that allowed circuits not meeting
bylaw criteria to send delegates to the Synod’s 2004 convention
were excessive. A second issue in the lawsuit was the plaintiffs’
belief that certain official opinions of the Commission on Con-

2007 Convention Workbook