LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Sheet 59

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60 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

tion sent them by our television board regarding
inquiries for further information regarding the Lutheran
faith. This gives us tremendous opportunities for out-
reach. We have more pastors and congregations than
ever before in our history. Our people last year contri-
buted $300 million for the cause of the church, a 742%
increase over the previous year. This is a time when
great opportunities and talents are available to us.
We have reached the highest communicant membership
in our history, even though at the same time we have
to confess that our baptized membership has fallen off
slightly for the last three years. We must be about the
work of dealing with our backdoor losses and regaining
those who move away or lose interest in the church. We
must be about the Lord’s work in all aspects. Our Lord
Jesus Christ, who died for us, died for all of the four
billion people in the world, and it is absolutely impera-
tive that we in our age and generation make His Lord-
ship known to the widest possible audience.

In carrying out the mission of the church, we as a
Synod have chosen to work through the structures of the
Synod, beginning with the local congregation, moving
out to the circuit and the District and finally the general
Synod, with its boards, commissions, and committees.
Therefore I would like to make brief comments relative
to the proposals made by some of the floor committees as
these pertain to the great and wonderful work which our
Lord has committed to us in bringing His message of
forgiveness and eternal life to a world lost in sin and
darkness. We are here to review the work of the Synod
for the past biennium and plan for the next two years
and many years ahead.

This convention should give serious thought to the
proposals of Committee 1 on evangelism. The convention
of New Orleans asked that the Anaheim convention be
one in which evangelism received primary emphasis. We
have an excellent evangelism board and staff, and Com-
mittee 1 has produced some creative and innovative
proposals. It is my sincere hope that as we talk of pure
doctrine and peace and progress we do not take the
attitude of merely contending for pure doctrine but that
we are filled with a holy zeal to bring this holy and
precious teaching of God’s Word into every home in our
Synod, in our nation, and into every corner of the world.
Evangelism must not only be a strong emphasis for a
convention, but even more, it must be the ongoing em-
phasis of every congregation, every pastor and teacher,
and every layman in our Synod, so that no one can rest
or relax until every human being in the world knows our
blessed Lord Jesus Christ and confesses Him as Lord. It
is a commentary that 47% of our congregations last year
confirmed zero or one adult. It is also a bright spot to
note that the number of adult accessions increased consi-
derably last year, and we pray God that this trend will
continue. Our Council of Presidents must put this matter
on the agenda of every meeting. Each congregation
should set high goals and strive to reach them. We need
to remember the old adage that a home-visiting pastor
makes a churchgoing congregation.

With regard to the proposals of Committee 2 on
missions, I hope that you have all given these proposals

very careful study. As you know, we had some difficulties
in the relationship between the Board for Missions and
the staff which were carried into some of the sister
churches. I am happy to report that, due to the efforts of
all parties concerned and particularly to the efforts of
Doctor Linse and Pastor Louis Meyer of the Mission
Study Commission, a much better spirit prevails among
the sister churches and I believe also among the mission-
aries than was the case a year ago. The traumatic
experiences of 1974 are behind us. But special mention
should be made of the steadfastness of missionaries who
not only remained at their posts but also exerted a
pastoral and loving role, together with the national
leaders of the sister churches, and for this we certainly
should thank Almighty God. The wisdom and church-
manship shown by presidents of sister churches is an
inspiration to all who have been closely associated with
them. I am happy to report that not only have the sister
churches remained with us but in many instances ex-
perienced significant and important growth. India has
added about 3,000 members and New Guinea over 5,000.
I believe that we are well on the way to a solution to the
split in Hong Kong.

But even more important than the solution to prob-
lems has been the deepening understanding which we at
the synodical headquarters have gained regarding the
talents and leadership abilities of the national leaders of
the sister churches. President G. Thomas Edward of the
India Evangelical Lutheran Church visited the United
States, addressed the Board of Directors and several
pastoral conferences, and raised $50,000 during that one
month’s visit to our country. President Waesa of New
Guinea was with us to arrange for the transfer of land
leases in his country from The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod to the Wabag Lutheran Church. This is not
only important under the laws of Papua New Guinea,
but it is important as a symbol of the true sister church-
hood of the Wabag Lutheran Church. President Chiu of
Hong Kong visited St. Louis and spoke of the challenges
of carrying the Gospel to 20 million expatriate Chinese
throughout the world and of the plans the Hong Kong
mission is making for carrying out the work of the
church under a Communist form of government. Presi-
dent. McAmis of the Philippine Lutheran Church re-
ported a 7% gain in membership during the past year
and brought great joy to all who had an opportunity to
visit with him. The Reverend Paul Fynn, the first or-
dained Lutheran pastor in Ghana, West Africa, is in the
United States at this time, and I have invited him to be
with us at this convention. I wish all of you could hear of
his plans to bring Christ to both Ghana and all of West
Africa. Mr. Walter Schieber of the Central American
field is with us also, with a story of service and mission
to that great area of the world. Several missionaries
have been home on furlough and also have brought a
story of sacrificial service in the interest of the Lordship
of Jesus Christ. I have to report the tragic death of
Missionary Paul Schirmer, an Australian who was serv-
ing the India Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was
killed in an automobile accident a couple of weeks ago.

One of the great challenges before this convention is