LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 5

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Preface
“Baptized for This Moment” served as the theme for the 65th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, convened at the America’s Center convention complex in downtown St. Louis. The July 20–25
convention was attended by a total of 1,197 voting delegates, 316 advisory delegates and representatives, and a host of
special guests and visitors.
“Baptized for This Moment” was also the primary emphasis of the devotional life of the convention, beginning with
its opening Divine Service with Holy Communion and continuing throughout the convention’s daily worship services and
devotions, excellent homilies and essays, video presentations, and business sessions.
As God’s people “Baptized for This Moment,” the delegates attended to business not quite as usual. Theirs was
the first convention that did not have as its first order of business the election of the President of the Synod. The
announcement of the election of Rev. Matthew C. Harrison to a second term as President two weeks prior to the
convention resulted in a different start to the convention, one that attended to more than 100 resolutions and elected
nearly 70 officers and board and commission members in quite a commendable and positive manner (as I think most
would agree).
Those decisions are now reported in these Convention Proceedings in their final form, with all amendments and other
changes in place. The following key will be helpful:
•

An “A” or other letter attached to a resolution number indicates that significant changes were made by the floor
committee to the resolution that was published in the preconvention issue of Today’s Business (one of the resolutions
even has an “E” attached, indicating multiple rewrites of the resolution before the matter was finally decided by the
convention).

•

The first line under the resolution number indicates the origin of the subject or issue that is being addressed by the
resolution (usually a report and/or overture from the Convention Workbook).

•

Special Standing Rule #3 adopted by the convention makes clear that “preface, preamble, rationale, and/or whereas
paragraphs of resolutions are to be regarded as integral parts of resolutions” and therefore are to be regarded as of
the same importance as resolve paragraphs.

•

The final decision of the convention is provided following each resolution, the number in parenthesis indicating the
convention session when the action took place.

•

Comments in parentheses below each resolution provide information from the minutes regarding changes made or
attempted during convention discussion, with the final vote tally provided in brackets at the end of the paragraph.

The convention “moment” that had everything to do with the Baptisms of those attending the convention has passed,
begun and ended with the rap of the Synod’s historic gavel. But that moment now will lead to many more moments, as the
decisions of the convention, many of them momentous, are now put into practice in our walk together as a Synod. In his
sermon for the opening communion service, President Harrison said it memorably and well, both for the convention and
for the coming triennium: “Let’s go on about our business here baptized! Together we’re in the water, sink or swim. Now
let’s get about the business of getting the world wet. It’s all in the water. We’re baptized for this moment.”
Raymond L. Hartwig, Secretary

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