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	June 3, 2005 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 44

	Theological Conference to study roles
	of pastor, laity in congregation

	"The Congregation's Ministry and Mission: Who's in Charge Here?"
will be the theme as representatives of the 35 LCMS districts gather for
a second Model Theological Conference Aug. 23-25 at the Marriott
Camelback Inn, Phoenix.

	Districts have been invited to send three to five
representatives, including the district president, a pastor, a
commissioned minister, and a layperson. The representatives will serve
as planning committees to organize similar conferences in their home
districts.

	The conference objective, according to Dr. Samuel Nafzger,
executive director of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations,
is "to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph.
4:3), to strengthen agreement in doctrine, and foster faithful and
responsible application of doctrine for the sake of the church's mission
to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world. The conference planning
committee includes five members of the CTCR and five members of the
Council of Presidents.

	"There will be no votes, no resolutions," said Nafzger. "We will
come together to talk and to listen to one another in a mix of
participants, guided by trained facilitators."

	He said participants will be assigned seating for small-group
discussion of plenary presentations and case studies that deal with the
application of Scripture to differing roles of pastor and laity. Each
day will begin and end with devotions, and communion, hosted by Christ
Lutheran Church in Phoenix, will be celebrated during worship at the end
of the second day. Opportunities for confession -- mutual and private --
will be available.

	The conference follows a first conference held in 2002, which
served as a model for district-sponsored conferences. Noting that these
conferences provided a process for "honest and fraternal discussion on
important and sensitive issues," a resolution from the 2004 LCMS
Convention urged the CTCR and COP to plan similar conferences during
this triennium.

	"By all accounts, we received extremely positive comments from
the first conference and similar comments from the district
conferences," said Nafzger. "This conference will intentionally have a
higher percentage of laypeople and women."

	Major essayists for the conference will be Rev. Ralph
Blomenberg, senior pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seymour, Ind.,
and Peter Hessler, Cleveland, Ohio, a member of Bethany Lutheran Church
in Parma, and a member of the CTCR. Their presentations will be followed
by small-group discussions by participants and a panel discussion. The
panel will include Dr. David Buegler, Avon, Ohio, fifth vice president
of the Synod and a member of the staff at Cleveland Lutheran High
School; Deaconess Sally Hiller, Alexandria, Va., mission and ministry
executive in the Southeastern District; Linda Reiser, Grand Island,
Neb., LWML president; and Dr. George Wollenburg, Billings, Mont.,
Montana District president.

	Dr. Andrew Bartelt, professor of exegetical theology at
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will lead Bible study based on 1 Peter
2:5 and other texts. Dr. Dean Wenthe, president of Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne, will serve as chaplain. Serving as facilitator
will be Ted Kober of Billings, Mont., president of Ambassadors of
Reconciliation.

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

	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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