wfn.org | LCMS Resolutions Praise, Criticize Benke Role at Yankee Stadium

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

Prayer Service

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services

LCMSNews -- No. 86
November 9, 2001

Resolutions praise, criticize
Benke role at stadium event

By David L. Mahsman
LCMS Atlantic District President David Benke's decision to take part in "A 
Prayer for America" at New York's Yankee Stadium Sept. 23 continues to draw 
both praise and criticism around the Synod.

"The response of people and pastors in the Synod to the Yankee Stadium 
event has been enormous," said Synod President Gerald Kieschnick.  "While 
some have registered disagreement with an LCMS pastor in that event, the 
overwhelming majority of responses have been supportive of such 
participation and have expressed appreciation for President Benke's 
involvement in that civic event."

Also, at least seven district pastors conferences, three dozen pastors from 
another, and a district board of directors, among others, have adopted 
resolutions on the issue.

The televised Yankee Stadium event, co-hosted by Oprah Winfrey and James 
Earl Jones, was described by The Associated Press as "a flag draped 
gathering of prayer for the victims of terrorism."  Participants included 
Christian and non-Christian clergy, political leaders and 
entertainers.  Benke was among those to say a prayer there.

Resolutions from pastors conferences in the Wyoming, South Dakota, Central 
Illinois and Southern Illinois districts address questions to the Synod's 
Praesidium about or ask for a review of Benke's participation and Synod 
President Gerald Kieschnick's support for his decision.  The Praesidium is 
the president and five vice presidents of the Synod.

The South Dakota resolution, adopted Oct. 10, says that Benke's 
participation at Yankee Stadium "gave an appearance of unionism and 
syncretism."  It asks for a review of the event and statements of support 
for Benke made by Kieschnick and the Council of Presidents "to see if they 
are in accordance with Holy Scripture and Article VI:2 [of the Synod's 
Constitution] which includes the renunciation of unionism and syncretism of 
every description'" among requirements for Synod membership.

The lengthiest of the resolutions was adopted Oct. 3 by the Wyoming 
District Pastors Conference, which asks 13 questions about the event.  It 
asks the Praesidium to answer the questions by Feb. 1, so that the answers 
can be considered at circuit conferences in advance of the district's 
spring pastors conference, and to make the answers available Synodwide.

The Central Illinois District resolution echos the Wyoming action, while a 
Southern Illinois District resolution asks a March 16 date for answers to 
its questions.  In another resolution, the Southern Illinois District 
pastors "promise their prayer support for the relief efforts to help and 
comfort the people who have been devastated by the events of Sept. 11," 
District President Herbert Mueller said.

Kieschnick said that the next regular meeting of the Praesidium is in 
January and that the resolutions from the pastors conferences will be 
presented at that time.

Rev. Russell Sommerfeld, first vice president of the Nebraska District, 
said that, "by a narrow margin," his district's pastors conference adopted 
a letter to Benke and Kieschnick rather than add their support to the 
Wyoming District resolution.  He said the letter thanks the two men for 
their immediate response to the tragedy of Sept. 11, while indicating that 
there are differences of opinion among district pastors over Benke's 
participation in the Yankee Stadium event.

The New Jersey District Pastors Conference, which met Oct. 29-31, voted to 
commend Benke and Kieschnick "for responding pastorally in an extraordinary 
circumstance."  Its resolution also resolves "to commend President Benke 
for giving testimony to Jesus Christ in his prayer at the Yankee Stadium 
event."

Benke's own pastors conference in the Atlantic District adopted a "verbal 
resolution of support" for Benke and Kieschnick.

"They did not write it out," Benke told Reporter.  "They do not want to 
engage in debate on the issue, because they have ministry of their own to 
do.  The primary issue for us is doing ministry."

"They're worn out, those folks," Benke said of pastors and other caregivers 
who are dealing with the aftermath of Sept. 11.  "Ground Zero' is not just 
at the south end of Manhattan.  Ground Zero is a 60-mile circle around 
it."  He said that dealing with relief efforts and providing for "respite" 
for those caregivers has proven to be "more than a full-time job" for him.

The Florida-Georgia District Pastors Conference did not refer to Yankee 
Stadium, but it did vote Oct. 10 to commend Benke and Kieschnick "for their 
Gospel-centered Christian leadership in these unparalleled times."

Meanwhile, 38 Oregon pastors in the Northwest District sent a letter of 
commendation and support to Kieschnick.  Regarding Benke's role at Yankee 
Stadium, the letter-writers say they are "pleased to hear of his 
evangelical witness."  They go on to "commend our brother, President Benke, 
and we believe that you and he used good pastoral judgment in a situation 
that we can barely begin to comprehend."

The Northwest District Board of Directors sent its own letter to Kieschnick 
and Benke.

"God could not have opened a wider door of opportunity for us to speak His 
word of comfort to people dispirited and fearful over the September 11 
cataclysmic events," says the board's letter.  "To have by-passed those 
opportunities would only have confirmed the skeptics who view the church as 
being sterile, irrelevant, and uncaring.  The witness you gave honors our 
Lords own words, Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also 
acknowledge him before my Father in heaven' ...."

"I'm hoping and praying that through all this conversation, dialogue and 
disagreement we don't lose sight of the mission of the church and allow 
Satan to divert us from that mission to teach, baptize and disciple the 
nations of the world," Kieschnick said.

At the same time, the president said, "I strongly encourage pastors 
conferences, and any other kind of gathering, to discuss what is 
syncretism,' what is unionism' and what Article VI of the Constitution 
means when it talks of renunciation of unionism and syncretism.

"Article VI references not participating in the services and sacramental 
rites of heterodox congregations or of congregations of mixed confession,'" 
Kieschnick added.  "I have a clear picture in my mind of what a 
congregation looks like, and it's not Yankee Stadium."

Kieschnick said that he plans to ask the Commission on Theology and Church 
Relations (CTCR) "to plan, develop and conduct a series of theological 
convocations, in consultation with the district presidents, in the months 
and years ahead, on matters of theology and practice that face the Synod in 
these early days of the 21st century."

He said that "one of the handy issues" with which to begin such 
convocations would be the meaning of "unionism" and "syncretism."  He said 
he also plans to ask the CTCR to further define "civic events" and to 
assist the Synod with guidelines for the participation of pastors in such 
events.

Kieschnick reiterated that his decision to support Benke's decision to take 
part in the Yankee Stadium event was informed by "The Lutheran 
Understanding of Church Fellowship: A Report on Synodical Discussions," 
prepared by the CTCR and former Synod President A.L. Barry.  The report was 
commended to the Synod for use and guidance by this year's Synod convention.

Specifically, Kieschnick said, it is the section of the report on "civic 
events" that applies to what happened at Yankee Stadium, which he said was 
such an event.

The report says that if a pastor's Christian witness is not restricted, he 
"may for valid and good reason participate in civic affairs such as an 
inauguration, a graduation, or a right-to-life activity" by praying, 
speaking or reading Scripture.  "Pastors may have honest differences of 
opinion about whether or to what extent it is appropriate or helpful to 
participate in these or similar civic events," it says.  "In these cases 
charity must prevail."

The "real tragedy" of what happened in New York and outside of Washington, 
D.C., on Sept. 11, Kieschnick said, "is that in all likelihood, many of 
those people who died in that atrocity are not in heaven today -- they're 
in hell -- because they did not know or accept Jesus Christ as Savior."  He 
cited the importance of 1 Cor. 9:22 for the mission of the church: "I have 
become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."

"That doesn't mean we compromise any part of Scripture or the Confessions," 
Kieschnick said.  "It means that every chance we get, we will give a public 
witness to Jesus Christ."

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