wfn.org | Kieschnick delivers formal acceptance as new president of Missouri Synod

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services
1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295

61st Regular Convention St. Louis, Mo. July 14-20, 2001

July 18, 2001 #29

Contact: Bruce Kueck (314) 342-5715

Kieschnick delivers formal acceptance as new president of Missouri Synod

ST. LOUIS Fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ was first in a 
list of six "matters of importance" facing The Lutheran Church Missouri 
Synod outlined Wednesday, July 18, by the 2.6 million-member church body s 
president-elect.

The Rev. Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, who in September will become the 12th 
man to lead the Missouri Synod, delivered his formal acceptance speech 
Wednesday morning to the Synod s 61st Regular Convention at the America s 
Center in downtown St. Louis. He was elected Sunday.

"Today is the day to begin to refocus our efforts on the mission that 
Christ has given to His church on earth, and to do so with renewed vigor, 
energy and passion," Kieschnick said of the Great Commission, in which 
Jesus told His followers to make disciples of all nations.

Other important matters that Kieschnick said face the Synod in the years 
ahead are:
Recruiting and training pastors, teachers and other church workers.
The "priesthood of all believers." "Our people have the intelligence, the 
education, the financial resources, the dedication, the love for the Lord 
and for His church necessary to move this church forward in unprecedented 
fashion," he said.
Relationships among the Synod, its 35 districts and its 6,100-plus 
congregations. Kieshnick was interrupted by applause when he said, "The 
right question is not, What can congregations do for the district and 
Synod? The right question is, What can the district and Synod do to support 
and enhance the mission and ministry of each congregation? "
A stronger focus on God s grace. Saying that the Missouri Synod in some 
quarters has a reputation as "a heavily Law-oriented church body," 
Kieschnick continued: "We must refocus our primary emphasis as an 
evangelical, Gospel-focused church, one that values highly the grace of 
God&."
Solidarity in the Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Kieschnick said that the Synod deserves "to know my beliefs," so he 
outlined many of them from full acceptance of the Scriptures and Lutheran 
Confessions, to the inerrancy of the Bible, to very specific matters such 
as creation of the world in six 24-hour days and the historicity of the flood.

He also said he believes in the importance of the Ten Commandments, "one of 
which, the Eighth, is in frequent violation among us." The Eighth 
Commandment prohibits "false witness" against others.

Kieschnick said that the Eighth Commandment, "along with Matthew 18, should 
form the basis of our dealings with one another." Then, delegates rose in 
sustained ovation after Kieschnick completed his comments on that 
commandment: "I believe it is way past time for the less-than-charitable 
and sometimes even harsh, inaccurate and untruthful voices among us to 
cease and to desist. I pledge to do everything within the power of my 
office to bring such activities to an end."

Kieschnick added words about the kind of man he seeks to be: "Basically 
stated, I earnestly desire to be a man of God, of prayer, of strength, of 
courage, of wisdom, of sensitivity, of fairness and of love. I need and 
covet your support, your encouragement, your constructive words of advice 
and counsel and, above all, your prayers."

*****************************************************
LCMSNews is published by the News and Information Division, Board for 
Communication Services, of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  Free 
subscriptions to this service are available by sending an electronic mail 
message to mailserv@crf.cuis.edu, containing only the words SUBSCRIBE 
LCMSNEWS in the body of the message.  To unsubscribe, send only 
the  message UNSUBSCRIBE LCMSNEWS to the same mailserv address.  For more 
information, contact Joe Isenhower Jr. via e-mail at 
joe.isenhower@lcms.org, or by phone at (314) 996-1231.
*****************************************************