wfn.org | [LCMSNews] Statement reconciles concerns

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>9.26.2008		
>	LCMS News	 	
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>THE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod  	 	
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	September 26, 2008 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 52

Statement reconciles circuit delegate exceptions concerns

>By Roland Lovstad

Expressing hopes for "a growing spirit of reconciliation, peace, and
harmony in our beloved Synod," four LCMS pastors, five district
presidents, and President Gerald B. Kieschnick have issued a joint
statement regarding questions about exceptions that allowed certain
circuits to elect delegates to the 2007 LCMS convention.

The discussions and resulting statement, dated Sept. 4, follow concern
over circuit delegate exceptions for the 2007 convention and what may
have been seen as an attempt to gain political advantage.

Under Synod bylaws, an electoral circuit consists of one or two adjacent
visitation circuits with their convention delegates -- a pastor and a
layman -- representing from seven to 20 member congregations with an
aggregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000.
Exceptions to those requirements may be made only by the Synod president
upon the request of a district board of directors.

"It is the prayer of all the undersigned that this Joint Statement to
the Council of Presidents [COP] from the Committee of Five, the
Committee of Four, and the President of the Synod will result in
creation of a system of representation to the national conventions of
our Synod that will be more fair, objective, and equitable than the
current system and that eliminates the process for granting circuit
delegate exceptions," said the statement, distributed Sept. 15 to the
COP meeting in St. Louis.

The COP assigned the "Committee of Five" to address a report prepared by
Dr. Frederic W. Baue, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, Fairview
Heights, Ill. Baue's report, issued prior to the 2007 convention,
alleged that districts had done little to address what he and others
believed were excessive circuit exceptions. His report also questioned
whether Kieschnick and certain districts collaborated to obtain extra
voting delegates.

Also subscribing to Baue's report were three Minnesota pastors: Rev.
Steven C. Briel of Maple Grove, Rev. Thomas J. Queck of Annandale, and
Rev. Dean M. Bell of Hendrum. The men, referred to as the "Committee of
Four," were plaintiffs in an earlier lawsuit dealing with circuit
exceptions and helped negotiate an agreement in that lawsuit.

Instructed to better understand the concerns and to address offense
taken by the COP, the "Committee of Five" included five district
presidents. Rev. Herbert Mueller Jr., Southern Illinois; Dr. Lane Seitz,
Minnesota South; and Rev. Donald Fondow, Minnesota North, are
ecclesiastical supervisors of the concerned pastors. Dr. David Benke,
Atlantic, represented districts that had requested circuit exceptions.
The committee was chaired by Rev. Dale Sattgast, South Dakota, who
represented districts that did not request circuit exceptions.

Following Baue's report and before the 2007 convention, Kieschnick
appointed a special committee to review the circuit exceptions. In a May
14, 2007, report, the committee said it found no evidence of
collaboration between the president and the districts regarding seating
of delegates. The special committee also reported that "a comprehensive
study of concerns associated with the Synod's delegate representation
process is needed."

That review committee consisted of the chairman and vice chairman of the
Council of Presidents, the chairman and vice chairman of the LCMS Board
of Directors, the Synod secretary, the Synod vice
president-finance/treasurer, and the chairman of the LCMS Commission on
Constitutional Matters.

In the joint statement, Baue admits his conclusions were "based upon
inaccurate and insufficient information and regrets the offense he has
caused." Bell, Briel, and Queck acknowledge that two statements in
Baue's report were "inaccurate," "prejudicial," and "caused offense." In
meetings with the Committee of Five and with Kieschnick, the men have
apologized and asked for forgiveness. "They have also apologized for
calling into question in their letter President Kieschnick's integrity
and the conduct of his office regarding this matter," the statement
said.

The Committee of Five and Kieschnick have accepted their apologies and
expressed to them the Lord's forgiveness.

In addition, the statement says, "President Kieschnick affirms the
concern of the Committee of Four that in this process the integrity of
the Synod and its convention be maintained. He regrets and sincerely
desires to avoid any appearance to the contrary."

The two "committees" and the president state their recognition that the
increase in circuit exceptions could be reason to question the propriety
and wisdom of the general practice of granting circuit exceptions. "The
President of the Synod acknowledges that had this problem been
effectively addressed sooner, much offense could have been avoided," the
statement said.

It also said the selection of convention delegates needs to be addressed
through bylaw changes, and notes the work of the Blue Ribbon Task Force
on Synod Structure and Governance. Until the process is amended by a
convention, the statement offers a detailed procedure for documenting
requests and considering circuit delegate exceptions.

The Committee of Five and the Committee of Four held four meetings. The
first two were May 18 and July 2, 2007. Kieschnick attended the two
meetings on April 29 and Sept. 4 of this year. "All meetings were
cordial and evangelical, and included frank discussions and exchanges of
views," the statement said. "All who were present participated in good
faith."

The joint statement will be mailed to all voting delegates to the 2007
Synod convention. The full text of the document, along with the report
of the Convention Delegate Review Committee, is on the Reporter Online
Web site ( click here  <http://www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=14167
).

Roland Lovstad is a freelance writer and a member of Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Perryville, Mo.

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

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