LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1979, Page 47

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MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION 47

the continued provision of materials and programs to
assist in recruitment, and it challenged congregations
and Districts to increase their financial support to under-
write the synodical share of training expense for church
workers. Since the concerns expressed in Overture 6-31
(CW 191) are covered by the Bylaws of the Synod, the
delegates adopted Res. 6-22 (TB 135), declining the
request for uniform evaluation of all theological profes-
sors. As their final resolution, the Floor Committee on
Higher Education presented an unprinted resolution
which stated:

WHEREAS, Dr. Arthur Ahlschwede has spent his active
and public life in the teaching ministry of The Lutheran
Church— Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, He has served the Synod for 23 years as an
executive secretary for the Board for Higher Education;
and

WHEREAS, He will be retiring from this position at the
close of 1979; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention thank God for
all of the blessings God has given to Dr. Ahlschwede and
through his leadership to The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod these many years; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention wish him the
Lord’s continued rich blessing in the years ahead.

Following this Dr. Erhardt P. Weber, president of
Concordia College, Portland, Oreg., read a citation
which recognized the dedicated and faithful work of Dr.
Arthur Ahlschwede, Executive Secretary of the Board
for Higher Education. Dr. Ahlschwede responded briefly
with thanks, and the rising ovation which was given
him was declared to be a passage of the resolution. In
response to a question from the floor, asking why Res.
6-16 (7B 132) had been withdrawn from consideration,
the chairman of the floor committee stated that this
had been done because the present wording of Bylaw
4.51 is adequate and no change in wording is necessary.

Bible Study

Dr. Hoffmann, Bible study leader for the convention,
again led the delegates ina study of sections of the Book
of Acts. At the conclusion of the study session the
delegates expressed their appreciation for Dr. Hoff.
mann and his excellent leadership by their applause.
President Preus also expressed his appreciation to Dr.
Hoffmann for providing the inspirational study.

Guests

President Preus introduced Rev. Ervin Dobberstein,
president of the Evangelical Lutheran Federation. He
brought greetings from that church body and from
Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Tacoma,
Wash. President Dobberstein expressed his desire to
work closely with The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in the work which God has placed before all of us.
Dr. James Crumley, president of the Lutheran Church
in America, the largest and oldest Lutheran denomina-
tion in the United States, was introduced to the conven-
tion. In his remarks he pointed out that he had not seen
much news about the convention but that this was not
surprising because when we are busy about the Lord’s

business the actions are often not recognized by the
news media. He brought sreetings from the Lutheran
Church in America and spoke of his family ties with The
Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, which included
membership as a child in a church served by Dr.
William Arndt. He pointed out that there are two basic
concerns which the Lutheran Church in America and
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod share. The first
is that ofa primary theology based on the revelation of
the Scriptures. The Lutheran Church in America wants
to be counted in the company of confessors and has
adopted as a theme for its biennium, “Confessing Christ
Today.” The second concern to which he referred is that
the style in which the church must operate is pastoral in
nature. This is true of both the Lutheran Church in
America and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
He concluded his remarks by asking that God would
bless the convention of The Lutheran Church— Missouri
Synod and the work to which it has committed itself.

Announcements

President Preus announced that from a slate of
approximately 50 people, the Board of Directors had
chosen Dr. Gerhardt Hyatt, president of Concordia
College, St. Paul, Minn., to lead the Synod in its $40-
million fund effort. Addressing the delegates, Dr. Hyatt
stated that he was humbled because of his awareness of
the assignment but also greatly encouraged because of
the attitude of the delegates. He stated that if this
reflects the attitudes of the congregations, he had no
fear that the funding effort would be successful. Dr.
Hyatt stated that he felt we needed a higher self.
perception as a church. It is our Synod and we are proud
of it. He concluded by saying that we will not be raising
funds for the Synod but for the Lord and will not be
talking about the size of the offering but about the depth
of the love of our Savior, who did not shun thecross, and
asked the delegates to join him in this venture of faith.

Missions

Chairman Happel of the Floor Committee on Mis-
sions introduced Res, 1-21 (TB 55—56), which called for
the fostering of the development of mission em phases in
synodical schools through the offering of necessary
mission courses in the curriculum of each synodical
terminal school in cooperation with the Board for
Missions. This resolution was adopted as presented.
Prior to the introduction of the next resolution the
delegates were addressed by Missionary Allen Konrad,
who has begun missionary work in Liberia. He de-
scribed the progress which is being made there in this
first mission outreach of the Synod since 1964. Resolu-
tion 1-22(TB 56) was adopted, amending Bylaw 1.61d to
provide for adequate missionary representatives at
synodical conventions. President Preus next introduced
Dr. Won Sang Ji and Missionary Hilbert Riemer from
Korea. Dr. Ji’s remarks, interpreted by Missionary
Riemer, pointed out that thereisa non-Christian major-
ity of 85 percent in South Korea. In addition there are 16
million people in North Korea who need to hear the