LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1979, Page 5

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Those Three Little Dots...

How many members of the Synod can still recall the
theme of the 1971 New York convention? Or the logo
developed by Marxhausen for the 1969 Denver conven-
tion? Or the theme of the gathering in Cleveland in
1962?

Convention themes and logos seem destined soon to
be forgotten. But itis safe to assume that the 1979 theme
“God Opens Doors...” with its three little dots and its
dynamic logo will long be remembered by those who
were in attendance.

Having sat on the rostrum now for 10 consecutive
conventions, we are tempted to call this one a great
convention. It was at least the best in many years.

It was a positive, forward-looking, intelligent, and
happy convention.

This was due in no small measure to the mission
theme, to the presence of representatives of our overseas
partner churches and many of our overseas mission-
aries, to the inspiring mission rally at Kiel Auditorium
attended by some 6,000 persons, to the Mission Fair
with its many booths manned by St. Louis area congre-
gations, to the daily Bible study on the Book of Acts, to
the short addresses from our overseas and minority
brothers and sisters, and to the opening service, which
set the tone for the entire week.

Perhaps one of the most lasting memories will be
that of our overseas brothers and sisters gathered
together on the rostrum, with the President of the Synod
suddenly being asked to offer an extemporaneous
prayer. In the hushed stillness one thought of the
unseen cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) who had gone
before—prophets, apostles, martyrs, fathers, moth-
ers. We were “following in their train.”

To be sure, there were other features. We heard from
the former President of our Synod, Dr. Oliver R. Harms,
encouraging us to pass through God’s open doors.

The convention was honored by the senior senator
from Missouri, Thomas Eagleton, and pondered his
concern over governmental encroachments in the volun-
tary sector of our American life, including the work of
the churches.

The delegates witnessed the presentation of awards
to men and women who had excelled in service to the
deaf, to the mentally retarded, to the educational institu-
tions of our church, and in other ways.

* * *

Yes, it was also by necessity a legislative assembly.
Many elections were held and many resolutions passed.
The difficult decision regarding fellowship with the
ALC was delayed for another biennium; a new hymnal
was approved; participation in the Lutheran Council in
the U.S.A. was continued; a master plan (or set of basic
principles) was adopted for the colleges and seminaries;
a constitutional amendment (which must now be sub-
mitted to the congregations) elaborating on the objec-
tives of the Synod (Article ITI) was approved; some of

the recommendations of the Task Force on Constitu-
tion, Bylaws, and Structure were adopted, some de
clined, and a smaller continuation task force created.

We are listing for handy reference the resolutions
which seem to be of more general interest (see also the
index at the back of the book):

Res. 102A Brazil
Res. 1-03A ff. Mission Challenges
Res. 109 Great Commission Convocation
Res. 2-03 Objectives (Article III)
Res. 205A Article VII
Res. 2-07 Auxiliaries
Res. 301 New Hymnal
Res. 302A Abortion
Res. 3-03 ALC Fellowship
Res. 3-05 Canada
Res. 3-07 LCUSA
Res. 3-08 SELC Merger
Res. 3-10 Charismatic Movement
Res. 401A Separate Church Extension Fund
Res. 4-07 Headquarters (also 4-08)
Res. 4-09 Black Ministry
Res. 4-14 Faculty Salaries (also 12-13)
Res. 5-07 Vice-Presidential Vacancies
Res. 508 Dallas 5-01 (Dual Membership)
Res. 5-11 Uncertified Pastoral Delegates
Res. 5-13 Teacher Status
Res. 601A Model for Higher Education
Res. 604A Saskatoon
Res. 605 Deaconess Program
Res. ‘7-05 Pan-Lutheran Catechism
Res. 808 Pastoral Counselors
Res. 1201A Fundraising Effort
Res. 12-04 Master Plan
Res. 12-06 Budgets and Work Program
x * *

Once again a few technical explanations are in
order.

Some resolutions have an “A” attached to their
identifying number. This indicates that the resolution
originally prepared by the floor committee over the
Memorial Day weekend had been revised by the commit-
tee, usually in answer to reactions received prior to the
convention.

The number in parentheses below each resolution
indicates the session in which final action was taken. In
many instances it might be well to consult the minutes
of that session for additional information. The paren-
thetical comments in small type below some resolutions
provide still additional information from the notebooks
of both secretaries.

CWrefers to the Convention Workbook, the 336-page
book of reports and overtures to the convention. TB
stands for Today’s Business, the daily publication
bringing the text of the proposed resolutions prepared
by the floor committees. The first issue of Today’s
Business (Sections A and B) was sent to all congrega-
tions and delegates prior to the convention and con-
tained practically all resolutions. The daily issues dis-
tributed at the convention proper brought the revised
versions to the attention of the delegates.

The following should also be noted for the record: