LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 186

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186 SYNODICAL ADMINISTRATION

doing all the time. It is worthy of the Synod to mark 125
years of history because we intend thereby to thank God
and to bring honor to His name. It is worthy of the Synod
to seek to be faithful to her total mission all of the time and
in everything she does.

3. We assume that we will have a special observance only
if the membership is truly involved in that observance
wherever the members are. God will be honored and things
will happen when we move beyond impressive resolutions
to the genuine responses of people where they live and work.
We are not dismayed, but rather we rejoice in the fact that
this type of observance may stimulate more and different
activities than we have ever seen before on any specific
occasion.

4. We assume that a special observance should build on
existing programs and Structures rather than create new and
independent or repetitive and competitive programs and
Structures. On this assumption we can be assured of im-
mediate and also continuing results. In this way we will not
only avoid spasmodic and costly campaigns but we will tend
to strengthen our existing programs and machinery.

Additional Personnel

January of 1972,

Dr. Walter Stuenkel was asked to give assistance for a
period of 6 months. The Board of Control of Concordia Col-
lege, Milwaukee, Wis., graciously gave Dr, Stuenkel a part-
time leave so that he might come to St. Louis and give as-
sistance in the 125th anniversary observance office on a part-
time basis, while he continued to carry forward his work as
president of the college.

In August of 1972 Dr. Martin J. Neeb, who had just re-
tired from the presidency of Concordia Senior College, Fort
Wayne, Ind., was asked to step into the offiee left vaeant
by Dr. Walter Stuenkel’s returning to full-time service at
our Milwaukee Concordia. Both men have rendered tre-
mendous service to the office of the 125th anniversary ob-
servance of the Synod's organization.

Establishing the Program

Dr. Stuenkel and Dr. Harms met with the staff of the
various boards, commissions, and agencies of the Synod to
determine what they might want to put into the 125th anni-
versary observance as their contribution to greater services
and activity in the Synod; what their 8reater service might
cost; and how much they hoped to receive from a Thank-
offering. A series of meetings was held, also, with the ex-
ecutive secretaries of the various boards, commissions, and
agencies to establish what the minimum cost of their ex-
panded program and continued service would be. These
conferences produced data and other information on which
the Board of Directors might intelligently establish mini-
mum and maximum goals for a Synodwide Thankoffering.

Beginning with Dr. Neeb’s arrival, the aim of the anni-
versary office to involve Synod’s colleges and seminaries in
the observance of the anniversary and to explore possible
function and support for a special type of team ministry
looking toward missionary expansion began to take form.

Communication with Districts

In 1972 Dr. Walter Stuenkel and Dr. Oliver R. Harms
visited every synodical District convention in North Amer-
ica, except two, on behalf of the 125th anniversary obser-
vance encouraging full Participation by each congregation
and all its members. The presentations were received with
enthusiasm. The two conventions not covered by Drs, Stuen-
kel and Harms, received the 125th anniversary program
through an essayist, Dr. A. R. Suelflow, in the one case, and
by the Rev. Victor Rickman in the other.

The General Program

When the anniversary observance committee sought a
suitable theme for the anniversary observance year, it turned
to Psalm 31, v. 7, where the psalmist said “I am glad to

rejoice in Thy mercy” and established “Rejoicing in Mercy”
as the theme of the observance,

The Lenten season in 1972 was designated as a Spiritual
preparation period for the observance of the anniversary.
Special Lenten service outlines prepared by Dr. Richard R.
Caemmerer were designed to lead the members of the Synod
to a truly great rejoicing in the victorious Easter message
and then on into the anniversary year. The time-span of the
anniversary observance was set at April 30, 1972, as the
beginning of the observance, and May 20, 1973, as the end
of the anniversary year, with the understanding that a great
Service of “rejoicing in mercy” be held at the New Orleans
convention in 1973.

The Committee Suggested to all congregations of the
Synod that they select “Messengers of Rejoicing” between
Easter and April 30 and that they commission these “Mes-
sengers of Rejoicing” at a special service on April 30 as
part of the beginning of the anniversary observance.

The “Messengers of Rejoicing” were commissioned to
carry out a program of evangelistic outreach in order to un-
dergird the President's Proposal to seek 125,000 converts
during the anniversary vear, a proposal enthusiastically en-
dorsed by the 1971 Milwaukee convention. Many congrega-
tions commissioned “Messengers of Rejoicing” on April 30th
and some chose to commission the entire congregation.

With regard to organized activities in evangelism in con-

many Christian denominations in the United States to reach
every home with the message of the Gospel. The commit-
tee realized that a detailed organization in the area of mis-
sionary outreach in the early part of 1973 would be operating
simultaneously with whatever form Key 73 and the Synod’s
participation in it might take. The emphasis of the com-
mittee therefore was that congregations through their “Mes-
sengers of Rejoicing” pick up the Key 73 impetus at Epiph-
any when that movement was launched, and continue with
the functions of the appointed ‘Messengers of Rejoicing” to
do in a more extensive and intensive way the kind of work
congregations should be doing all the time.

The special festival day suggested in the committee’s pro-
gram was April 30, the date nearest the organization of the
Synod (April 26, 1847). On that day all synodical congre-
gations were asked to have special services observing this
125th anniversary date.

The second date the committee suggested as a special
festival day was July 2, recognizing the importance of the
moral fiber of the nation for its welfare. In addition it was
felt to be appropriate that the Synod give thanks for the
benign government of the United States which made it pos-
sible for the Synod to carry out its work according to its own

occasion stressed the community outreach and “open house”
type of approach.

Major emphases and materials were provided also for
Reformation Sunday with its emphasis on the Gospel of
reconciliation and the importance of the Reformation in the
life of the church.

Thanksgiving Day provided a final opportunity in 1972
for urging the congregations of the Synod again to give rec-
ognition to the bountiful Spiritual blessings of God as well
as the material, since the founding of both the nation and
of the Synod.

Cantate Sunday, 1973

The official closing of the anniversary “Year” was sched-
uled for May 20, 1973, and included major services of thanks-
giving both by congregations and by larger groups.

Under this plan congregations and other synodical units

Cantate Sunday in ’72 until Cantate Sunday in ’73,

A survey conducted by the anniversary committee indi-
cates that the vast majority of congregations did observe
the special services; emphasized missionary outreach and
special community services; and — are continuing Participa-
tion in the Thankoffering as this report is written.