LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 64

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

64 SYNOD REPORTS

things) an impressive publication at regular intervals throughout
the year.

Bringing this about calls for dramatic measures; it warrants a
master communications plan. The Synod already is formulating
such plans for its finances and structure and governance. We can do
the same with our communications. The days of “turf protection”
and everyone “doing his own thing” must give way to a new day of
consolidation, cooperation, and common sense.

More than being ready and willing to help do this, the BCS ac-
tually is expected to do it, at least according to our Bylaws, which
say the BCS “shall establish communication policies to guide the
staff in organizing and coordinating communications activities at
all Synod, district, and circuit levels” (emphasis added).

The notion of bringing more focus, standardization, and ac-
countability to the whole realm of Synod communications (you can
have these things without sacrificing creativity and effectiveness)

coincides with the BCS’s stewardship of the Synod’s official peri-’

odicals and other BCS information-delivery sources.

Consider Reporter. The BCS sees Reporter not as an indepen-
dent news organ but rather as a service organ of the Synod. As
such, while not whitewashing the negative stories in the Synod, Re-
porter and other BCS vehicles must seek to put the best construc-
tion on things. They are to be fair, balanced, and objective—yet
always with the Synod’s best interests at heart. Finally, they are to
report not merely on the doings of “1333” (an easy habit to fall
into) but strive to tell the stories of the whole church.

That, really—“‘telling the stories of the whole church,” and, in
so doing, promulgating a coherent theme of “One Message: Christ”
in all that we do—is the overall purpose of the BCS. That is the
call we follow, even as we await further instructions from the Synod.
We didn’t have any convention- or presidentially mandated resolu-
tions to act upon in this past triennium, but we hope to have some
in the future, especially when it comes to reshaping the communi-
cations strategy of our church.

Emest E. Garbe, Chairman
David L. Strand, Executive Director

R3-01
Commission on Theology and Church Relations

The Commission on Theology and Church Relations has three
functions: “‘assist the President of the Synod at his request in dis-
charging his constitutional responsibilities for maintaining doctrinal
unity within the Synod”; “provide guidance to the Synod in matters
of theology and church relations”; and, assist the members of the
Synod in their witness regarding “societies, lodges, cults, or any
organizations of an unchristian or antichristian character” (Bylaws
3.9.6.2 to 3.9.6.3.1).

CTCR membership consists of sixteen voting and four advisory
members. The voting membership consists of two parish pastors,
one parish teacher, and two laypersons elected by the Synod con-
vention; two pastors (one of whom is a district president) and two
laypersons elected by the Council of Presidents; four seminary pro-
fessors, two appointed or elected by each seminary faculty; and
three additional members appointed by the President of the Synod,
in consultation with the vice-presidents (one of these appointees is
a nonseminary Synod professor). The advisory members are the
President and First Vice-President of the Synod and the presidents
of the two seminaries.

Dr. Kurt Marquart, a faculty representative of Concordia Theo-
logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, died on Sept. 19, 2006. During the
history of the commission, Dr. Marquart served as a faculty repre-
sentative for a total of twenty-two years, the longest serving vot-
ing member from the commission’s beginning in 1962. The

2007 Convention Workbook

seminary appointed Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. to serve in the posi-
tion held by Dr. Marquart.

The commission’s officers during the past triennium were: Dr.
Loren Kramer, chairman; Dr. Paul Raabe, vice chairman; Mr. Peter
A. Hessler, secretary. The CTCR is served by three staff persons:
Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger, executive director; Dr. Jerald C. Joersz, as-
sociate executive director; and Dr. Joel D. Lehenbauer, associate
executive director.

I. Theology
A. Assignments Completed
1. A Lutheran Response to the “Left Behind” Series

In a Sept. 27, 2002, memo to the CTCR, President Kieschnick
reported ‘“‘a growing concern in our church about the impact that
the popular Left Behind series of books is having on people today,
including members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”
Sharing his conviction that “this is a legitimate concern and that
some attention needs to be given to the matter,” he requested that
“the commission review this topic and prepare a statement on it
that will be helpful to our people as they exercise discernment
when reading such literature.” In response to this assignment, the
commission at its April 2004 meeting adopted a report titled A
Lutheran Response to the “Left Behind” Series for distribution to
all the members of the Synod—congregations, pastors, and other
rostered workers, This document is included in Appendix II of the
Convention Workbook and is available online at www.lcms.org/
cter.

2. Public Rebuke of Public Sin

In October 2002, President Kieschnick requested that the CTCR
“prepare a study on the explanation to the Eighth Commandment
found in Luther’s Large Catechism.” He specifically asked that this
study “include the historical context of this explanation in the Large
Catechism, an analysis of our current context, and guidelines for
the application of the explanation to our current context especially
in regard to public rebuke of public sin.” The President indicated in
his cover letter to the CTCR’s study that concerns have been raised
in recent years regarding the use and contemporary application of
Luther’s commentary on the Eighth Commandment dealing with
public rebuke of public sin. The commission adopted a document at
its May 2006 meeting under the title Public Rebuke of Public Sin:
Considerations in Light of the Large Catechism Explanation of the
Eighth Commandment for distribution to all members of the Synod.
This report is included in Appendix II of the Convention Workbook
and is available online at www.Icms.org/ctcr.

3. Response to 2004 Omnibus Resolution A

Omnibus Resolution A of the 2004 convention included twenty
overtures for referral to the CTCR (see 2004 Today’s Business, pp.
169-70). However, time expired before the convention could act
on this resolution, with the result that these overtures were not re-
ferred to the commission. Nevertheless, the President and the Sec-
retary of the Synod encouraged the commission to handle them as
if the Omnibus Resolution had been adopted. At its December 2004
meeting, the commission discussed and implemented responses to
these overtures.

4. Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices

The Synod at its 2004 convention adopted Res. 3-08A “To Af-
firm the Conclusions of the 1994 CTCR Report: The Service of
Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices.” Following the
convention, the President of the Synod appointed a special task
force consisting of two representatives from the CTCR, two repre-
sentatives from the CCM, and one district president to prepare
guidelines for congregations and district constitutional committees
to follow in revising congregational constitutions and bylaws to