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	June 2, 2004 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 52

	Convention delegates to get
	115 resolutions for action

	Eight convention floor committees, meeting in St. Louis May 21
and over the weekend, prepared a total of 115 proposed resolutions for
consideration by this summer's triennial Synod convention.

	The proposed resolutions were prepared largely in response to a
total of 494 overtures from congregations, circuits, districts, boards,
commissions, faculties and other sources.

	The convention is July 10-15 in St. Louis and will meet under
the theme, "One Mission 'Ablaze!' ... To the Ends of the Earth."

	In his report at the opening of the weekend, Synod President
Gerald B. Kieschnick told those present, "It is both my counsel to you
and my prayer to God that every resolution you prepare for presentation
to the convention of our Synod will reflect this mission theme and will
enhance this mission accomplishment, to the glory of God and for the
salvation of many of the people of the world who do not now confess the
name of Jesus."

	The proposed resolutions will be printed in the first issue of
the daily convention guide, "Today's Business," which is to be mailed
this month to delegates and congregations. They also will be available
by June 4, on the Web, at www.lcms.org/convention
<http://www.lcms.org/convention>  (click on "Resolutions," then "Today's
Business").

	Here's a summary:

	MISSIONS

	Emphases on "reaching the lost" and involving all Synod members
in outreach are reflected in most of the 10 resolutions prepared by
Floor Committee 1 (Missions).

	A good number of those resolutions are related to "Ablaze!,"
LCMS World Mission's effort to share the Gospel with 100 million
"unreached and uncommitted" people worldwide by 2017, and to
recommendations of the Mission 21st Century Task Force, which spent more
than a year researching why the Synod has lost members and how those
losses can be reversed.

	The top two resolutions prepared by Committee 1 "affirm the
Mission 21st Century response to the Great Commission" and promote the
"mission outpost" attitude endorsed by the task force. Those resolutions
call upon the Synod to:

	* be "confessional and mission-minded in a world that continues
to change";

	* affirm the "priesthood of all believers";

	* expand outreach in "numerous cultures and among various people
groups"; and

	* prepare laypeople for outreach among various cultures.

	Resolutions that relate to the "Ablaze!" initiative ask the
Synod to:

	* "commit to the task of working together to share the Good News
of Jesus with 100 million people" by 2017;

	* support the "Ablaze!" fund-raising effort to raise $100
million by 2010; and

	* set a national goal to start 2,000 congregations by 2017.

	Other missions-related resolutions call for:

	* increasing outreach efforts in urban areas and among ethnic
groups;

	* organizing "mission teams" in LCMS circuits;

	* encouraging Synod members to take part in short-term mission
opportunities; and

	* encouraging "responsible contacts" with other Christian groups
for theological discussions and for cooperative endeavors that "further
our faithful witness to the love of Christ."

	DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

	If delegates adopt a resolution proposed by Floor Committee 2
(District and Congregational Services), "Lutheran Service Book" and its
Agenda being prepared by the LCMS Commission on Worship will become an
official service book and hymnal for the Synod.

	The 1998 convention encouraged the commission to start work on a
new hymnal and "Lutheran Service Book" -- scheduled to be published in
2006 -- is the result.

	Another Committee 2 resolution would have Scripture references
in the translation of "Luther's Small Catechism" approved by the 1986
convention appear in the English Standard Version (ESV), with few
exceptions. That catechism will be in the proposed "Lutheran Service
Book." The worship commission, which has adopted the ESV for Scriptural
passages throughout the hymnal, is recommending that the ESV be used for
the catechism in future editions of the hymnal.

	A separate resolution asks the convention to "affirm respect for
diversity in worship practices as we build greater understanding of our
theology of worship and foster further discussion of worship practices
that are consistent with that theology."

	A new task force is called for in another resolution, to decide
"appropriate nomenclature" for ethnic groups, determine their ministry
needs and make recommendations to the 2007 Synod convention.

	One resolution recalls "many memorable events and achievements
worth celebrating" in Black Lutheranism and asks the Board for Black
Ministry Services to start preparing for the 130th anniversary of Black
ministry in the Synod, in 2008.

	Commending LCMS District and Congregational Services -- Youth
Ministry for "many successful and spiritually uplifting Synod youth
gatherings," a resolution urges that more regional youth gatherings be
held as an alternative to the more costly national gatherings.

	Also among the 14 resolutions drafted by Committee 2 are
resolutions:

	* reaffirming Lutheran educators and schools;

	* changing a Synod bylaw to require that pastors and
commissioned church workers on the Board for District and Congregational
Services be parish-based;

	* strengthening Lutheran doctrinal education;

	* supporting parish-pastoral ministry;

	* encouraging spiritual discipline in the church; and

	* establishing a task force to study styles of parish governance
which would report its findings to the 2007 Synod convention.

	THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

	Among the 15 resolutions Committee 3 (Theology and Church
Relations) has prepared for convention action are calls to:

	* declare altar and pulpit fellowship with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Kenya;

	* foster "peace, harmony and trust" within the Synod for the
sake of Christ's mission;

	* urge the continuation of Synodwide theological conferences
that were initiated by the "model" theological conference in Phoenix in
August 2002;

	* affirm marriage as the "lifelong union of one man and one
woman";

	* continue theological discussions with the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America; and

	* pursue ecumenical dialogues with other Christian church
bodies.

	Another resolution asks the Synod's Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR) to prepare a study on "biomedical issues related
to unborn human life, with particular emphasis on birth-control
methods."

	Others ask delegates to commend, study or adopt various CTCR
documents, including the recently released "Guidelines for Participation
in Civic Events" and other CTCR reports on human cloning, the "divine
call" and women's service in congregational and synodical offices.

	PROGRAM AND FINANCE

	"Stewardship Ablaze" is a unified stewardship-education
initiative being proposed in a resolution from Floor Committee 4 (for
Program and Finance). It calls for holding district
stewardship-education conferences and would be a collaborative effort of
LCMS District and Congregational Services and the Council of Presidents.

	Another resolution directs the Synod president to appoint a
"Funding the Mission" blue-ribbon task force to recommend to the 2007
Synod convention a model for increased levels of financial support for
national ministries.

	Two separate resolutions call for:

	* continuing financial support for the 10 LCMS colleges and
universities; and

	* continuing and increasing financial support for the two
seminaries.

	The Board for Pastoral Education being proposed to the
convention would conduct a study of funding models for the seminaries.

	Two other proposed resolutions mandate uniformity in the
articles of incorporation of all incorporated entities of the Synod and
stipulate that all 12 Synod higher-education institutions have the
necessary documents that make it clear their properties "shall be titled
in the name of each institution subject to reversionary interests to
their properties in favor of the Synod."

	It is recommended that a Synod bylaw be amended in a resolution
that gives the Board for Communication Services responsibility for the
LCMS Web site, currently under the Synod's General Services department.

	Separate proposed resolutions call for supporting Concordia
Historical Institute and Hispanic ministry in the Synod. The latter
resolution asks for recommitment to Hispanic ministry at all levels.

	Houston would be the site of the 2007 Synod convention if
another resolution is adopted.

	Two other resolutions Floor Committee 4 is proposing call for:

	* amending Synod bylaws regarding the duties of the Synod's
Chief Administrative Officer; and

	* stipulating that the Synod's Board of Directors never accept
contributions that cannot be fully disclosed in its minutes.

	The second resolution asks the convention to "rejoice in the
generosity of the Marvin M. Schwan Charitable Foundation," which has
given $64 million since 1998 to support Synod entities.

	HIGHER EDUCATION

	Of 66 overtures submitted on higher education, Committee 5 has
developed 25 resolutions for convention action. Topping the list is a
resolution that would require the education of all professional church
workers to include courses in evangelism, outreach strategies
(especially for use by congregations and in urban areas) and
contemporary U.S. culture.

	Other overtures call for:

	* creating separate governing boards for LCMS seminaries and
colleges/universities;

	* increasing the number of Synod-certified teachers;

	* including directors of family-life education on the "ministers
of religion-commissioned" roster;

	* researching how the Council of Presidents can be involved in
the certification of pastors;

	* developing a "core curriculum" for district lay-training
programs;

	* requiring seminary professors to have at least five years of
parish experience; and

	* supporting continuing education for all church workers.

	Several other resolutions propose changes in the structures of
the schools' boards of regents and in the Concordia University System
Council of Members, and suggest various bylaw changes relating to higher
education.

	HUMAN CARE

	Noting that there are only 10 human-care overtures in the 2004
"Convention Workbook," Committee 6 (Human Care) proposes 12 resolutions.

	Its first-priority proposal asks the Synod convention to "call
for repentance for any misplaced priorities" and to commend study of
LCMS World Relief and Human Care's document "Theology for Mercy."

	That proposed resolution also encourages congregations to be
involved in appropriate "cooperation in externals" with others who
address human need and challenges every congregation to conduct at least
one "work of care" in its community.

	Another resolution acknowledges the need for choices to make the
health-care plan for church workers flexible, asks the Board of Managers
of the Synod's Worker Benefit Plans to make "reasonable health-care
coverage a high priority," and calls on parish boards to adopt
compensation policies that reflect the high priority Scripture places on
church workers.

	The floor committee proposes other resolutions:

	* asking individuals and groups to identify and make
contributions to help "Veterans of the Cross" -- retired church workers
under the old Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers;

	* commending and asking support for Lutherans For Life;

	* encouraging congregations to adopt "suitable guidelines" for
safe environments for the interaction of church workers and children;

	* urging the church to petition government offices to continue
funding refugee-resettlement efforts and asking congregations to seek
information and help for resettling at least one refugee family "as soon
as possible";

	* promoting health-and-healing ministries at all levels of the
church;

	* encouraging congregations to start and to support
pregnancy-care centers;

	* calling on the Board for Human Care Ministries to review
birth-control products; and

	* supporting quilting ministry, which provides hundreds of
thousands of quilts each year for Lutheran World Relief to distribute
among those in need.

	STRUCTURE, PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION

	With 121 overtures to sort through, Committee 7, for Structure,
Planning and Administration, may have had the toughest floor-committee
assignment of all.

	Most of the 20 resolutions prepared by the committee involve
bylaw or structure changes or "reaffirmations" of existing bylaws or
administrative structures. A number of the resolutions are aimed at
clarifying the responsibilities of the Synod's Board of Directors and
other officers, and reaffirming the role of the Commission on
Constitutional Matters.

	Committee 7 resolutions that ask for bylaw changes address
topics such as:

	* elections of Board of Directors members;

	* Board and officer responsibilities;

	* adoption of the revised Synod Handbook;

	* indemnification of directors and officers;

	* district membership of recognized service organization
employees;

	* selection of convention floor committees;

	* equalizing tenures on the Board for Black Ministry Services;

	* removal of boards of regents members;

	* appointments by the Board of Directors;

	* filling board and commission vacancies; and

	* reinstatements.

	Resolutions that pertain to the Commission on Constitutional
Matters (CCM) reaffirm the function of the CCM and the selection of its
members, and ask that the CCM publish all of its opinions.

	Other resolutions:

	* address concerns regarding the "advisory nature" of the Synod;

	* authorize the appointment of a special blue-ribbon committee
to study and make recommendations regarding delegate representation at
future conventions;

	* clarify "interim appointments" and review the appointment
process;

	* ask Synod members to continue to "use the Holy Scriptures in
our dealings with one another" and "follow the Constitution and Bylaws
of the Synod"; and

	* ask all Synod officers, officials and employees to "reaffirm
and recommit themselves to the rules of confidentiality and due
process."

	ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

	Floor Committee 8 is recommending only five resolutions. But its
top-ranked proposal, "To Amend Bylaws on Ecclesiastical Supervision and
Dispute Resolution," at 26 pages in draft form, is the lengthiest
offered by any floor committee.

	The resolution recommends additions and clarifications to the
bylaws regarding ecclesiastical supervision and the procedures for
considering the expulsion of a congregation or individual (including
Synod officers) from LCMS membership.

	The committee said that before forming the resolution, it
considered "all related overtures," the report of a Blue Ribbon Task
Force on Ecclesiastical Supervision and Dispute Resolution appointed
last year by Synod President Gerald Kieschnick, and input from members
of the Synod Board of Directors.

	Another proposed resolution affirms "the work and opinions" of
the Commission on Constitutional Matters in the last three years
regarding ecclesiastical supervision.

	Other resolutions:

	* thank God "for providing resources and guidance" during such
tragedies as occurred on Sept. 11, 2001; and

	* ask the convention "to reaffirm the need for charity in our
life together."

	***************************************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

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