WITNESSWITNESSaugust 2004 VOL. 123 NO. 7august 2004 VOL. 123 NO. 7

www.lcms.org/witness

T h e � u t h e r a n

Our Synod inConventionAlso: The Gospel

in Guinea

T h e � u t h e r a n

FeaturesFeatures

3 LifelineKristine K.Birus

4 Letters

14 National News

21 Searching ScriptureCarol Albrecht

24 Notices

26 People & Places/Family Counselor

27 Q&A/Shedding Some Light

28 From the PresidentGerald B.Kieschnick

WITNESST h e � u t h e r a n

A Magazine for the laypeople of the lutheran church — missouri synod

august 2004

Official periodical of The Lutheran Church—MissouriSynod through the Board for CommunicationServices, Dr. Martin G. Schramm, chairman; Rev. J.Thomas Lapacka, executive director.

Staff: Rev. David L. Mahsman, executive editor; Don Folkemer,managing editor; Joe Isenhower Jr., news editor; Paula SchlueterRoss, contributing editor; John Krus, senior designer; CorinneLatimer, marketing manager; Pam Burgdorf, coordinator;Marcy Hanewinkel, advertising sales; Carla Dubbelde, editori-al manager, district editions; Karen Higgins, editorial assistant;editorial office: 1333 S. Kirkwood Rd., St. Louis, MO 63122-7295;(314) 965-9917, Ext. 1228.

© 2004 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Reproductionof a single article or column for parish use only does not requirepermission of THE LUTHERAN WITNESS. Such reproductions,however, should credit THE LUTHERAN WITNESS as thesource. Cover images and “Shedding Some Light” cartoons arenot reproducible without permission. Also, photos credited tosources outside the LCMS are not to be copied.

Published 11 times per year by Concordia Publishing House,3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118-3968. Individual sub-scription $18.48 per year. Organized congregation subscriptionsand district editions offered at reduced rate if submitted throughlocal churches. Standard A postage paid at St. Louis, MO.

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August 2004 (ISSN: 0024-757X) Vol.123, No7

Cover photo by Kris Bueltman

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12 ONE MISSION—ABLAZE!...WORLDWIDEby Paula Schlueter Ross

Pre-convention events put the spotlight ontaking the Gospel to the world.

ONE MISSION—ABLAZE!... TO THE ENDSOF THE EARTHby Don Folkemer

As delegates set the Synod’s direction for the nextthree years,mission outreach is high on the list.

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You’re Somebody SpecialPage 3

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ONE MORE ROUNDThere’s something very special in thisevening of golf.2222

‘LITTLE BY LITTLE’by Roland Lovstad

A mission among Maninka in northernGuinea survives war,persecution andinterruptions to become a growingreflection of Pentecost.

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Letters

Nazis simply “drew conclusions”from Luther’s writings about theJews. While those words may seemdamning, how much credence canwe give a known distorter of thetruth, who was on trial for despica-ble crimes against humanity?

Once again, Luther is shown to bea much more complex man than heis usually portrayed. It seems that nomatter what we are looking for, wecan find a basis for it in Luther’swritings—only to discover a compli-cation from somewhere else in hislife. We as Lutherans should consid-er that we also may be failing toconsider the “full Luther” or hisimpact on history, good and bad.

Rev. Sean Parker

Humble, Texas

AS THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF THE CON-vention resolution referenced in thesidebar article to “Luther and theJews,” I commend Uwe Siemon-Netto. I have lectured long andoften on this topic within the pre-dominantly Jewish community thatI serve. I hasten to add a third“rationale” to those listed bySiemon-Netto for Luther’s authoringOn the Jews and Their Lies:Luther’s being declared an “outlaw,”with evidence that some Jewish“bounty hunters” saw an opening to“right the wrongs” inferred evenprior to those in that tract’s sevenhateful articles (pp. 268–272 inLuther’s Works: The Christian in

Society IV), which are far betterknown in Jewish circles than in ourown Lutheran ones.

Rev. R. John Perling

Beverly Hills, Calif.

THE ARTICLE ON MARTIN LUTHER AND

National Socialism by Uwe Siemon-Netto was exceptionally well docu-mented and researched (“Luther andthe Jews,” April ’04). Yes, Luther wasa sinner, but he has been savagedunfairly by those who do not look atthe entire historical record.

Roland Bainton, foremost biogra-pher of Luther, insisted that theReformer was not anti-semitic, butanti-Judaic, in the sense of Judaismrejecting the Gospel. No defense canbe made of Luther’s egregiousremarks and their subsequent dis-torted use, but neither should onecallously defame an entire person’slife as some have attempted to dowith Dr. Luther’s.

Dr. Albert E. Jabs

Columbia, S.C.

UWE SIEMON-NETTO’S CLAIM THAT

Luther cannot be considered theprogenitor of the Nazis was weakerthan it could have been. Indeed,hatred of Jews existed long beforeLuther, and Luther’s writings proba-bly were “forgotten until anti-Semitesdug them up in the 20th century.” ButSiemon-Netto apparently saw no needto examine what Nazis themselvessaid about Luther—which seems tome to be of primary interest.

Hitler’s only comment aboutLuther in Mein Kampf was merely tocall Luther a “great statesman” akinto Frederick the Great. Argumentsfrom silence are seldom, if ever,persuasive, but add to Hitler thedesperate plea of Julius Streicherduring the Nuremburg trials.Streicher, a prominent newspaper-man and propagandist, argued thatLuther should be on trial, for the

Luther’s record

Luther has been savaged unfairlyby those who do not look at the entirehistorical record.

Dr. Albert E. Jabs

Columbia, S.C.

It’s only fictionAS A FAN OF HISTORICAL MYSTERIES, I found “The Truth about The

DaVinci Code” (May ’04) to beinteresting. Unlike Brent McGuire,however, I do not consider any-thing I buy from the fiction sectionof my local bookstore to be any-thing but fiction. The historicalcontext is there only to give aframework to the story which willcontain a mixture of fact, fictionand conjecture in various propor-tions. This makes a good story andinvites the reader to do moreresearch to decipher any questionsthe reader may have.

Myron Molnau

Moscow, Idaho

We received several letters

expressing this view. On the other

hand, Dr. Paul Maier, a novelist

himself and professor of ancient

history at Western Michigan

University, Kalamazoo, who has

written on The DaVinci Code,

says that the reader of a novel

“anticipates—and justifiably—

that all information in the context

of the novel is actually true even

though the main characters may

be fictional.” He adds that with

The DaVinci Code, “the reader

assumes that the supplementary

contextual and background detail

involving Christianity is true

when it is not.”—Ed.

THANK YOU FOR THE INTERESTING

article on The DaVinci Code.Unfortunately, the photo on Page 7is not of the Emperor Constantine I,who convened the first Council ofNicea. It’s Constantine IX Mono-machos, who reigned from1042–1055 A.D.

Dr. Charles R. Hogg Jr.

Byron Township, Mich.

THE CAPTION UNDER THE TOP PICTURE

on Page 8 reads, “A fourth-centuryCoptic text ...,” but the text above

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

it is in Greek—in fact, the end ofLuke and the beginning of John’sGospel.

Dr. G.H. Liebenow

Cincinnati, Ohio

Readers of The Lutheran Witnessalso ought to be confident that what

is presented as fact is indeed true.

We apologize for the errors in these

photo captions.—Ed.

A loud ‘Amen’

I CAN ONLY SHOUT A LOUD “AMEN” TO THE

article by Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs on thedoctrine of the resurrection (“OurFaith, Our Funerals, Our Future,”April ’04). I, too, have heard mes-sages at funerals that, in effect, madethe resurrection of the dead on thelast day something of anafterthought, almost unnecessary,since the faithful departed have nowentered eternal bliss. This, of course,is true, but it’s not the whole story.

We still await the fullness of ourredemption, the redemption of ourbodies (check out Rom. 8:23), whenspirit and body will be united in lifeeternal. It is great comfort to knowthat our departed loved ones are withChrist (Phil. 1:23). Let us also affirmat funerals for the faithful departedthat we confess the apostolic faith,“the resurrection of the body, and thelife everlasting.”

Rev. Ron Clawson

Elk Grove, Calif.

A positive witnessJUST WANTED TO DROP YOU A NOTE TO

say how much I enjoyed reading theJune/July issue of The Lutheran

Witness. It was filled with articlesdevoted to witnessing Christ throughour Lutheran faith and remained verypositive and inspiring! What a posi-tive witness to members of thechurch and to the community of ourRisen Savior, Jesus Christ!

Rev. Deral E. Rollings

Gulf Shores, Ala.

AUGUST 2004

by Don Folkemer

Addressing the 62nd Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod shortly after delegates returned him to office for a second

three-year term, Synod President Gerald Kieschnick saidthat he believes his re-election “is not so much a vote forme personally as for the vision I’ve shared these pastthree years ....”

The president summarizes that vision as “OneMission, One Message, One People.” He has made a pointof emphasizing mission outreach and was quick toembrace LCMS World Mission’s Ablaze! initiative toreach 100 million unreached people worldwide with theGospel of Jesus Christ by 2017, the 500th anniversary ofthe Lutheran Reformation.

Indeed, the vision and the mission emphasis weremelded into the theme under which delegates to the 2004Synod convention met July 10–15 in St. Louis: “OneMission”—Ablaze! ... To the Ends of the Earth.”

Electing our leadersProbably nothing came before the delegates with

more anticipation and pre-convention publicity than theelection of the Synod president and five vice presidents.Much of the partisan mail that delegates received in themonths before the convention spoke to the elections.

The anticipation was ended in a matter of minutesSunday afternoon, July 11, when Kieschnick received653 votes—52.8 percent of those cast-on the first ballotfor president.

Also on the ballot were First Vice President DanielPreus, who received 391 votes; President Dean O.Wenthe of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne,

107; Dr. Kurt E. Marquart, associate professor of system-atic theology at the Fort Wayne seminary, 77; andOklahoma District President William R. Diekelman, 9.

The election for first vice president gave the job toDiekelman, 57, who also is pastor of Faith LutheranChurch, Owasso, Okla. On the second ballot for thatoffice, he received 641 votes to 588 for incumbent DanielPreus. A third nominee on that ballot, Second VicePresident Wallace Schulz, received 12 votes.

In later balloting, delegates elected the remainder ofthe Praesidium: for second vice president, Dr. Paul L.Maier, 74, currently fourth vice president; third vice pres-ident, Dr. Dean L. Nadasdy, pastor of Woodbury LutheranChurch, Woodbury, Minn.; fourth vice president, Dr.Robert L. King, the current second vice president; andfor fifth vice president, Dr. David D. Buegler of Avon,Ohio, executive director of the Cleveland Lutheran HighSchool Association.

Ablaze! and moreThe convention adopted

goals for Ablaze! and endorsedan effort to raise $100 million—beyond the regular LCMS WorldMission budget—over the nextsix years to support the initia-tive to share the Gospel with100 million people worldwide.

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

As delegates set the Synod’s direction for the next three years, mission outreach is high on the list.

ONE MISSION–

TO THE ENDSOF THE EARTH

The convention delegates electedOklahoma District President

William Diekelman to his firstterm as Synod first vice president.

He also is pastor of FaithLutheran Church, Owasso, Okla.

Synod President Dr. Gerald Kieschnickpresided over thefive-day long convention.

Delegates did debate the wisdom of launching amajor fund-raising campaign in light of the churchbody’s current financial shortfall. Speaking in favor ofthe resolution, however, one delegate stated, “Christgave His life; how can we put a price on this hope? Howcan we keep this hope to ourselves?”

Thirty to 40 percent of the funds raised would beused in North America, with the remainder for interna-tional mission work.

The goalsadopted goals forAblaze! call forthe start of 2,000congregations inNorth Americaby 2017. Theresolutionencourages everymember of LCMScongregations to“share the GoodNews of Jesuswhen the HolySpirit providesopportunity.”

Another reso-lution adopted by delegates promotes ethnic and urbanministry by asking congregations to “seize opportuni-ties” for outreach and to provide “spiritual, technicaland financial support” for inner-city churches andschools. It asks districts, circuits and “mission partner-ships” to seek strategies for reaching people of othercultures and generations.

Delegates also voted to “endorse and respond enthu-siastically” to Kieschnick’s “One Mission, One Message,One People” emphasis—encouraging a stronger zeal formission outreach, evangelical confession and efforts toachieve peace and concord in the Synod.

New partner churchReaching 100 million people worldwide with the

Gospel will not be accomplished by the Missouri Synodalone, mission leaders are quick to point out. LCMSpartner churches around the world are being enlistedinto the venture, and excitement for the initiative seemsto be spreading (see story about pre-convention missionevents, Page 12.)

As a result of convention action, there’s yet anotherpartner with which the Synod will work. Delegatesvoted overwhelmingly to formally declare altar andpulpit fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin Kenya (ELCK). The declaration recognizes agreementin doctrine and practice between the two church bodiesand permits the members of each to commune at the

other’s altars and for their pastors to exchange pulpits.“We have been happy and privileged to find the

troops of Christ, as portrayed in Psalm 110, arrayed overhere under His banner and according to the true faith,the pure doctrine,” ELCK Bishop Walter Obare told thedelegates after the vote. “This is the reason—thisalone—that we have approached you and extended outour hand to you, asking for cooperation and fellowship.”

Obare spoke at length about the challenges facing theChristian church in the world today. In the West, he said,the challenge often is secularism. In Africa, it is Islam.Opposition to either may lead to suffering.

“We must not fear suffering,” he said. “We know inthe Word of God that God’s Zion stands in the midst ofGod’s enemies.”

Obare encouraged mission work in Africa and com-mended Ablaze!

Mission 21st CenturyDelegates also voted to affirm a resolution to expand

the Synod’s mission efforts worldwide by encouraging:• “confessional and mission-minded” outreach in a

“world that continues to change”;

• affirmation of “the historical Lutheran understandingof the priesthood of all believers”;

• congregations and schools to see themselves as“mission outpost[s] to all the unchurched”;

• expansion of the Synod’s work “in numerous cul-tures and among various people groups,” and callingupon the church body to “witness in various lan-guages and to engage the unchurched society with aclear confession of Jesus”; and

• the preparation of workers, so that they might “learnthe cultures and languages” around them in order to

All photos by Kris Bueltman AUGUST 2004

More than 1,200 voting delegates at the Synod’s nationalconvention voted to elect officers and boards, and tomake major policy decisions.

After the resolution to endorse and to setgoals for Ablaze! passed, Dr. Robert Roegner,

executive director of LCMS World Mission,told the convention, “The Holy Spirit will lead

this church” in achieving the goals.

“equip all the saints ... for mission and discipleship.”

The resolution was one of several submitted by theMission 21st Century Task Force, which was appointedby President Kieschnick to find out why the Synod’smembership is declining, suggest ways for reversing thattrend, and develop proposed resolutions for the conven-tion that “capture the mission heart of the delegates andcan effect change.”

Seeking peace“It’s no secret that we in the Missouri Synod have

experienced a period of disagreement for these pastthree years,” including among some in leadership,President Kieschnick told the convention. He said heprays “that would not continue.”

The focal point for much of that disagreement beganwith a post-9/11 event at New York’s Yankee Stadium.The event was titled “A Prayer for America,” and partici-pants included Christian and non-Christian clergy.

There, on Sept. 23, 2001, Atlantic District PresidentDavid Benke was among those to offer prayers.

A number of LCMS pastors and congregations for-mally charged Benke with unscriptural worship withnon-Christians, sin against the First and SecondCommandments, public defense of false doctrine andviolation of the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws. ThirdVice President Wallace Schulz suspended Benke inresponse to the charges. But a dispute-resolution panellater lifted Benke’s suspension.

At the convention, delegates commended the Councilof Presidents (COP)—the Synod’s president, vice presi-dents and district presidents—for their commitment andleadership in seeking peace in the Synod, saying that thecouncil “has committed itself to working for peace in theSynod for the sake of Christ’s mission to the world.”

The delegates also noted that the Mission 21stCentury Task Force “has identified both inadequateattention to doctrine and the Synod’s difficulties in deal-ing with internal controversies as hindering the fulfill-ment of the Great Commission.”

Delegates asked Synod members to commit them-selves anew to the Synod’s stated mission, to “makeknown the love of Christ by word and deed within ourchurches, communities and the world.” In the sameresolution, they also asked the COP, along with the fac-ulties of the Synod’s two seminaries, to develop materi-als that “will foster such peace, harmony, and trust thattogether we may more effectively and faithfully fulfillthe mission the Lord has entrusted to us.”

Guidelines for civic eventsIn a new report, the Synod’s Commission on

Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) addressesissues related to participation of LCMS pastors andothers in civic events. “Guidelines for Participation inCivic Events,” the product of an assignment fromPresident Kieschnick, was completed and adopted inApril by the commission.

The convention voted 757–446 to commend the report“for study to help pastors, teachers, and church workers”make decisions that:• “faithfully reflect our unqualified commitment to the

absolute truth of the Holy Scriptures as the Word ofGod”;

• “seek to take advantage of every legitimate opportu-nity to proclaim clearly in the public realm that ‘onlyin and through Jesus do we have the definitive reve-lation of the true and only God,’ that God ‘is knownas Father and Savior only through Spirit-wroughtfaith in Jesus Christ,’ and that ‘only the Triune God—

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is the objectof our worship and the hope of our salva-tion’” [quoting from the report itself];• “honor and uphold the free and willingcommitments we have made with oneanother by virtue of our membership in theSynod”;• “demonstrate concern and sensitivity forhow participation (or non-participation) incivic events may be perceived by thoseinside and outside of the LCMS”; and

• “recognize that ‘clarity in doctrine andpractice and charity in our dealings withone another are both essential to thechurch’s life and witness.’”

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

Rev. Stephen J. Niermann of St. John LutheranChurch, Napoleon, Ohio, addresses an issue before the convention.

Although Kieschnick asked the CTCR forguidelines only two months after DistrictPresident Benke took part in “A Prayer forAmerica,” Chairman Arleigh Lutz of the floorcommittee on theology and church relationsmade clear to the convention that the guide-lines look forward, not backward.

“This document deals with from now to thefuture,” Lutz said. “It does not deal with thepast.”

The Board and the BylawsAnother center of controversy has been

actions taken last November by the Synod’sBoard of Directors to claim that eight opinionsrendered by the Commission on Constitutional Matters(CCM)—most of them define limits to the Board’sauthority—are “of no effect.” By a 113 vote margin, theconvention adopted changes to the Synod’s Articles ofIncorporation and Bylaws to limit the “managementauthority and duties” of the Board and to clarify the roleof the CCM.

With this action, the convention overruled the Board.The resolution adopted by the delegates in so manywords says, in fact, that it is the board’s actions that are“of no effect.”

Nearly two hours of debate preceded the vote, oftenwith three or four delegates waiting at each of the 12floor microphones to address the issue. Somequestioned whether the CCM—an appointed commis-sion—should have authority over the Board of Directors,whose members are elected by the convention. Othersfavored the resolution and said they felt the Board hadindeed “exceeded its authority.” One delegate quoted his

dying father’s request to the convention to just “stop thestupid fighting.”

Leonard Pranschke, the Synod’s legal counsel, tolddelegates that there are two models of how the Synodshould operate. One gives the Board of Directors finalauthority over all decisions, including those made byindividual corporate Synod boards and commissions.The other model allows individual boards to make theirown decisions and to work autonomously. The lattermodel, presented in this resolution, provides for anarbiter, or referee, to decide questions of which board or

officer of the Synod is to have decision-makingauthority. That role is served by the CCM.

“You must pick the model you want,”Pranschke told delegates.

Biblical marriageIn spite of disputes within the Synod, the

convention demonstrated remarkable unanimi-ty on some matters that are hot-button issuesin many other church bodies. Biblical mar-riage is an example.

By a nearly unanimous vote (1,163 to 22),the delgates affirmed, “on the basis ofScripture, marriage as the lifelong union of oneman and one woman.” The resolution urgesmembers of the Synod “to give a public witnessfrom Scripture against the social acceptanceand legal recognition of homosexual‘marriage.’”

Noting that there are calls in America forlegal recognition of same-sex unions as “marriages,” theconvention said, “For our Synod to be silent ... could beviewed as acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle.”

The resolution notes that homosexual behavior isprohibited in the Old and New Testaments “as contraryto the Creator’s design.” Without debate, the delegatesincluded an amendment that adds, “God gave marriageas a picture of the relationship between Christ and His

At the opening worship service on Sunday, July 11, the dele-gates and visitors contributed $222,959.26 toward the “OneMission Ablaze! National Offering.”

By the close of the convention, the total given was $579,253. Aweek later, the total had grown to $624,040.

The funds will be divided equally among LCMS World Mission,LCMS World Relief/Human Care and the Board for HigherEducation’s “For the Sake of the Church” initiative.

To contribute to this special offering, send your check, payableto “One Mission Ablaze!,” to The Lutheran Church—MissouriSynod, P.O. Box 790231, St. Louis, MO 63179-9723. For more infor-mation, visit http://catalog.lcms.org on the Web.

CONVENTION-GOERS GIVE $222,959

AUGUST 2004

Synod President Dr. Gerald Kieschnickconfers with Leonard Young, the parlia-

mentarian for the convention, as “pointsof order” and amendments complicate

resolutions and procedures.

bride, the Church (Eph. 5:32).”The convention urged Synod members to “deal with

sexual sins with the same love and concern as all othersins, calling for repentance and offering forgiveness in theGood News of Jesus Christ when there is repentance.”

Talking with ELCAOne church body that is wrestling with issues related

to human sexuality is the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin America (ELCA).

In a resolution addressingLCMS-ELCA relationships,the convention encouraged“substantive conversations”with the ELCA. At the sametime, it recognized the seri-ousness of concernsexpressed by the Synod’sPraesidium over the ELCA’secumenical agreements andits current deliberationsregarding same-sex unionsand the ordination of prac-ticing homosexuals.

The resolution encour-ages President Kieschnickand the joint Committee onLutheran Cooperation tohave conversations with

ELCA “in a continuing effort to bear witness to thetruth of the Scriptures and the Confessions in the hopethat agreement can be reached in those areas where wedisagree.”

Much of the Praesidium’s report focused on the mili-tary chaplaincy where the two church bodies haveagreed that their chaplains may provide Word andSacrament ministry to all Lutheran military personnel.

An effort from the floor to end all joint work with theELCA that involves Word and Sacrament ministry wasdefeated.

Later, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson broughtgreetings to the convention. He told the gathering thathe is “profoundly grateful” for its decision to continuediscussions with his church body.

New hymnalThe draft of a proposed new hymnal received clear

approval from the convention as “an official servicebook and hymnal” for the Synod, with a 1,014–130 vote.

The 1998 convention adopted a resolution to encour-age work to begin the a new hymnal. The 2001 conven-tion called for its contents to be brought to the 2004convention for final acceptance.

Dr. Paul Grime, project director and executive direc-

tor of the Commission onWorship, told delegates thatafter extensive input fromthe field, multiple doctrinalreviews, an opinion fromthe CTCR and field testing,the 280-page proposal forthe hymnal was sent to allof the conventiondelegates.

After delegates applaud-ed the hymnal’s acceptance,they gave a standing ova-tion to Grime and the mem-bers of the commission andits sub-committees thathave been working on it.

Concordia PublishingHouse will publish the newhymnal for distribution bymid 2006. The resolution encourages “congregations andother entities of Synod” to participate in an introductoryprocess for the new Lutheran Service Book.

Women in congregational officesAs a result of convention action, LCMS congregations

now may permit women to hold any congregationaloffice that does not involve the exercise of distinctivefunctions of the office of pastor.

After more than 40 minutes of debate, delegatesvoted 576–520 to affirm the conclusions of a 1994 reportof the Commission on Theology and Church Relations,“The Service of Women in Congregational and SynodicalOffices.” The convention commended the CTCR for itswork and resolved:• to “affirm that women on the basis of the clear teach-

ing of Scripture may not serve in the office of pastornor exercise any of it distinctive functions, and thatwomen may serve in humanly established offices inthe church as long as the functions of these offices donot make them eligible to carry out ‘official functions[that] would involve public accountability for thefunction of the pastoral office’”;

• to “urge the members of the Synod, in making deci-sions regarding which offices women may hold, tobear in mind the CTCR’s counsel that congregationsorganize ‘themselves in ways that complement andreinforce the family, for the church is the “householdof God” (1 Tim. 3:15)’”;

• to “encourage men not to neglect their leadershipresponsibilities in their congregations”; and

• that when considering changes in the service ofwomen, congregations consult with neighboring

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

ELCA Presiding Bishop MarkHanson brought greetings tothe convention.

Dr. Paul Grime, project director forthe new hymnal and executivedirector of the Commission onWorship, responds to the dele-gates applauding their acceptanceof the new Lutheran Service Book.

LCMS congregations, “recognizing that in matters ofChristian liberty, Christians are called, above all, todo what edifies the church, respecting theconsciences of others.”

Before the vote was taken, CTCR Executive DirectorSamuel H. Nafzger told the convention that with adop-tion of the resolution, the conclusions of the CTCR’sreport “now become the position of the Synod, and con-gregations may have women hold these offices.”

In response to a question from one of the Synod’sdistricts, the CTCR earlier this year said, “There is no‘Thus saith the Lord’ regarding positions such as execu-tive director/president and assistant director/vice presi-dent. These are offices established by the church inChristian freedom. Scripture does not prohibit womenwho possess the requisite gifts from holding thesehumanly established offices, assuming that the occu-pants of these offices do not ‘perform those functionsthat are distinctive to the public exercise of the ministryof Word and sacraments’ ... or carry out ‘official func-tions [that] would involve public accountability for thefunction of the pastoral office. ...’”

Funding and stewardshipFunding the Synod’s national and international work

has been a problem for many years. In recent years,declining revenue has forced a reduction in the numberof missionaries overseas and church workers at theSynod’s International Center.

The historical funding system of free-will support—from the people to their congregations, then to districts,then finally to national and international work—hasincreasingly generated funds “designated” to specificmissions, leaving a smaller part of the Synod budget forthe Board of Directors to use to meet actual fundingneeds.

This convention started a process to address theproblem by empowering the president to appoint a blueribbon task force to bring recommendations to the 2007convention. They also directed the districts and thenational Synod to communicate and collaborate “toensure the ways and means of maintaining or increasingcurrent levels of financial support under our presentfunding system.”

In a separate action, delegates called for promotion of“Stewardship Ablaze,” a unified stewardship educationinitiative, beginning in 2006. It is intended to “raiseawareness of faithful stewardship” in all LCMS congre-gations, according to the resolution adopted by the con-vention.

Florida-Georgia District President Gerhard C. MichaelJr. told the convention that the resolution was aboutBiblical stewardship. “It’s not all about money, but stew-ardship includes money,” Michael said. “The heart of it

all is Jesus Christ. Freely we have received, and freelywe should give.”

Teacher-education resolutionsThe convention indicated that it would like to see

teachers in LCMS schools be better trained in Lutherantheology.

Delegates encouraged congregations to require non-Synod-certified grade-school teachers who are membersof LCMS congregations and have a bachelor’s degree togo through the Synod’s Teacher Colloquy Program.

A related resolution addressed the education of non-LCMS teachers, who are not eligible for teacher collo-quy. The floor committee on higher education, whichintroduced the resolutions, noted that many congrega-tions “engage teachers virtually untrained in Lutherantheology for their school classrooms.” It said that forcongregations “intent upon offering a Lutheran educa-tion ... the matter is highly significant.”

By vote of 1,031–160, the convention adopted theresolution, which calls for non-Missouri Synod teachersto participate in a short series of professional-develop-ment seminars. The seminars would concentrate ondoctrine and practices of the LCMS.

CreationIn the final action before the close of the convention,

delegates commended “preaching and teaching creation.”“The Scriptures teach that God is the creator of all

that exists and is therefore the author and giver of life,”the resolution states. “The hypotheses of macro, organicand Darwinian evolution, including theistic evolution, orany other model denying special, immediate and miracu-lous creation undercut this support for the honoring oflife as a gift of God,” it continues.

The convention resolved that all Synod schools—from preschools to universities and seminaries—“con-tinue to teach creation from the Biblical perspective.

For more informationA single article can only begin to report on the con-

vention. Much more information is available online.For a complete listing of and access to news stories

prepared by the Synod’s news team during the conven-tion, go to www.lcms.org/convention and click on“News” in the menuat the left side ofthe page. Otherlinks from that pagewill provide evenmore conventioninformation.

AUGUST 2004

Don Folkemer ismanaging editorof The LutheranWitness.

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

by Paula Schlueter Ross

LCMS World Mission tookadvantage of this year’s Synodconvention to host several pre-convention events to mark thesuccess of one bold initiative andthe ambitious start of another.

Hundreds of current and for-mer missionaries, some twodozen leaders of LCMS overseaspartner churches and hundredsmore Lutherans interested incross-cultural ministries in theUnited States met with theSynod’s national mission leadersin St. Louis to praise God andlearn from one another.

Two events introduced andpromoted Ablaze!, LCMS WorldMission’s initiative to share theGospel with 100 million peopleworldwide by 2017, the 500thanniversary of the Reformation.

The first event, “One MissionAblaze—Lighting the FlameSummit ... Around the World,”June 28–July 2, brought togetherdozens of “career” missionariesand their families for spiritualnurture, study and fellowship. A

second gathering, July 9–11,involved hundreds of formermissionaries.

Rev. John Mehl, the missionboard’s regional director forEurasia, said the meetings werewell received. Many of the cur-rent missionaries—even someserving the same regions—hadnever met, he said, and the dis-cussions were helpful in creat-ing a cohesiveness among them.

“If anything, we’ve beenfocused so sharply on the workthat we do [individually] that wehave failed to see that we’re onemission,” Mehl said.

The second event was theAblaze! International Summit, aJuly 7–9 meeting of 28 presi-dents and bishops—or theirrepresentatives—of overseaspartner churches with theSynod’s national mission lead-ers. That event also focused onworldwide outreach and includ-ed studies of “what works” andstrategic planning for futureendeavors.

Archbishop Janis Vanags,who heads the Evangelical

ONE MISSION–

WORLDWIDEPre-convention events put the spotlight on taking the Gospel to the world.

Dr. Robert Scudieri, associate executive directorfor LCMS World Mission, called the more than1,000 cross-cultural ministries started under the“Pentecost 2000” initiative “a gift from God.”

AUGUST 2004

Lutheran Church of Latvia, said thegathering of international Lutheranleaders was “a very decisive andconcrete step” toward workingmore closely together in Gospeloutreach worldwide.

For 50 years under Communistrule, the Lutheran church in Latvia“struggled only to survive,” losingabout 80 percent of its clergy,Vanags said. “I think it’s very impor-tant we see mission as the responseto different problems in today’sworld, and mission as a way tostrive for healing in the world.”

Two larger events were held tocelebrate “Pentecost 2000/Pentecost2000+,” or “P2K,” the missionboard’s initiative to start 1,000cross-cultural ministries in theUnited States that came to aclose at the Synod convention,and to officially launch Ablaze!,the 13-year Gospel-sharing campaign that runs throughReformation Day (Oct. 31), 2017.

“One People—Many Faces,”July 9–10, celebrated the successof P2K, which led to the start of1,011 new ministries, and includ-ed videotaped and livetestimonies from Lutheransinvolved in African immigrant,Asian, Muslim and other non-white ministries. Originallyintended as a two-year program,P2K was extended for threeyears as “Pentecost 2000+.” The1,000-ministry goal was reached thisyear.

“The Lutheran Church—MissouriSynod has changed; we look morelike the faces of heaven,” said Dr.Robert Scudieri, associate executivedirector for LCMS World Mission’snational mission team and a P2Kleader. Scudieri called each cross-cultural ministry “a gift from God,”and credited God with P2K’s suc-cess. God also will bless Ablaze!, hesaid.

“It’s not how faithful we havebeen to God, but how faithful Godhas been to us,” he said.

Taking part in “Mission Cele-bration” July 10 were the leaders ofpartner church bodies in 25 coun-tries, who assembled on stage,forming a backdrop for Dr. RobertRoegner’s invitation to an audienceof several thousand to make a per-sonal commitment to the Ablaze!

initiative.“Now is the time to be in mis-

sion,” said Roegner, executive direc-tor of LCMS World Mission. Fourbillion people don’t know Christ astheir Savior, Roegner said. And,while the Ablaze! goal of witnessingto 100 million people by 2017 hasbeen called “impossible” by some, itis, he said, “only a small portion ofthe people who need to hear theGospel.”

“How will we reach them? Hereis the answer,” Roegner said, gestur-ing to the partner-church leaders.

“Thousands of people are eager”to hear God’s Word, said Dr. AllanYung, president of The LutheranChurch—Hong Kong Synod. OneChinese pastor he knows, Yungsaid, “baptized 1,300 people in oneSunday.”

Bishop David Tswaedi, presidentof the Lutheran Church in SouthernAfrica, pledged the support ofLutherans on six continents toreaching the Ablaze! goal. “Onehand cannot wash itself,” he said,

referencing an African adage. “Weas Lutherans—together ... together... together—will bring the Gospelthat saves humanity to the people.”

“God never failed anybody,”Tswaedi said, “and will not failLutherans.”

A few hours later, sitting on thegrass at Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, during its “SemFest” interna-tional food sampling event, Rev.Yared Halche, an Ethiopian whoserves African immigrant ministrieson the West Coast, said he was“touched” by the testimonies ofLutherans from various ethnicgroups who spoke during thePentecost 2000+ and MissionCelebration gatherings.

“I consider this a foretaste ofheaven,” he said, in reference tothe diversity of skin color andnative costumes evident atthose events and at theSemFest.

Halche brought 25 Africanimmigrants to St. Louis to takepart in the P2K and missionscelebrations. They wanted tocome, he said, to “express theirjoy” for the P2K emphasis andfor Ablaze!

Halche said he appreciatedthe Synod’s openness and will-ingness to work side-by-sidewith non-white Lutheran lead-ers. “It’s no more ‘them andus,’—it’s now ‘we,’ ” he said.

He considers the Ablaze!

goal of reaching 100 million peoplean ambitious, but worthy, goal. He isconfident, he said, that it will bereached—and maybe evensurpassed—because “God worksthrough our plan, and God is biggerthan our plan.”

Paula Schlueter Rossis a contributingeditor for TheLutheran Witness.

Bishop David Twsaedi of the Lutheran Church inSouthern Africa was one of several leaders ofpartner church bodies in 25 countries to addressthe pre-convention Mission Celebration.

All photos by Kris Bueltman

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

Missionary Tim Norton quotes this West Africanproverb as he describes the challenge ofChristian mission among the Maninka people in

northern Guinea, a West African country about the sizeof Oregon. “The meaning being that with perseverance,what seems to be an insurmountable task eventually—by even imperceptible increments—gets finished.”

For two missionary families that made new homes inSiguiri, Guinea, earlier this year, the process has beenone of small increments and global partnerships. Itgrows from missionary zeal among Christian refugees,new believers and a partnership among LCMS WorldMission, Guinean Lutherans and the Kansas District.

Tim and Heidi Norton and their son, Philip, moved toGuinea in January with a goal to introduce the Gospel ofJesus Christ to 250,000 people in the Siguiri region, thento 4 million Maninka who live in West Africa, and theneven further to 22 million Africans who share elementsof language and culture.

Jonathan and Sharon Oetting and their childrenRachel, Joel and Anna, joined the Nortons in March.

Missionary zeal in refugee campsThis building “little by little” process has many stories

—more than can be told completely here. It began adecade ago when civil wars in the neighboring countriesof Liberia and Sierra Leone—and later in the Ivory Coastforced LCMS missionaries to leave.

Some of the people they had reached escaped torefugee camps in southern Guinea, near Gueckedou,close to the border with Liberia. They brought theirChristian faith and a missionary zeal. Even though dis-placed, they evangelized Guineans and, when they wereable to return to their own countries, they left behind anew indigenous Guinean Lutheran church.

LCMS missionary Rev. Tim Heiney, assigned by LCMSWorld Mission to Guinea, suggested outreach to theManinka, solidly Muslim and a minority in the region.When the Oettings arrived in 1998, they began learning

Maninka lan-guage and cul-ture.

“It doesn’thappen oftenthat a groupwill give uptheir mission-ary to anothergroup,” saidOetting in a July interview. “From thevery beginning, that missionary zeal needs to be planted,and it was borne out with the church in Guinea.”

Even as it gave up its missionaries, the GuineanLutheran church, primarily Kisi people in southernGuinea, continues to grow. It now counts more than 130congregations and has begun to establish Christianschools.

Turned on its headIn September 2000, civil strife spread into Guinea

across the border from Liberia and the U.S. Embassyinstructed the Oettings to leave. They moved north toKankan and after three weeks took leave in the UnitedStates. While on leave they learned that their homes hadbeen looted. They lost everything.

“The strategy to reach minority people in Gueckedou... it was all turned on its head,” Oetting said.

In the United States, they experienced physical, spiri-tual and psychological healing, according to Oetting.After nine months, he decided to “return out of obedi-ence,” although it was hard to go back. In consultationwith Rev. Ken Greinke, LCMS World Mission regionaldirector for Africa, he returned to Kankan and identifieda new plan reach to the Muslim Maninka. In May 2003,the decision was made to move north.

The Heiney family chose to remain in the UnitedStates, although Tim Heiney’s missionary work contin-ues. He has been called to serve half-time at Lord of Life

‘LITTLE BY LITTLE’The Gospel starts to take root among

Muslims in Guinea,West Africa.by Roland Lovstad

Lutheran Church in Leawood,Kan., and half-time as the KansasDistrict’s missionary to Guinea.

First baptismsFor the missionary team, May 23

this year was a day of good news whentwo men were baptized in Siguiri.Oetting reported in his June e-mailnewsletter, “Tim Norton conducted thebaptism of the two men before the otherworshipers who came from places asdiverse as Mali, Ghana and Liberia, as wellas Guinea. The [worship] services of thisfellowship, which calls itself ‘Growing inGrace,’ are conducted in Maninka, French and English.It truly has a Pentecost feeling. This fellowship has beenworshiping together before the Lutheran Mission arrived

on the scene, but it haswelcomed our presenceand requested Bible teach-ing that Tim provides on aweekly basis.”

Since moving toSiguiri, Tim Norton, whofirst came to Guinea in2001, has been using a“storying” method ofteaching. “Here,

Muslims will nametheir children Mosesor Abraham, but theydon’t know the sto-ries of these men.They’re anxious tolearn about them,”said Norton. “Wesay we’re here toteach you about

God’s Word.” In Siguiri, a Maninka

man—one of those who were baptized inMay—heard the Bible stories. Although he had

been introduced to Christianity 10 years earlier, the sto-ries intrigued him and he asked Norton, “Why not teachin my area?”

Before any teaching is done, however, the first step isto meet with the headman of the village. In January, thedugu tigi, or headman, granted permission to teach.

The Word spreads People from other villages heard the stories, and, by

May, Norton had been invited to teach in five villages. For Muslims, God’s word includes the Torah, the

Psalms and the Gospel (the Koranic names of the booksare Taurat, Zabur and Injil). But few can read. SoNorton begins at Genesis, presenting the Bible inchronological format, using visual aids. He encourages

literacy, using an indigenous script called “N’ko.”Pulling a verse out of each story, he encourages memo-rization and writing the verse on a chalkboard.

The stories give opportunities to talk about God’spromises and how they are achieved in Jesus, Nortonsaid. He recently finished the chronological process inthe first village where some 35 people, including menand women of various ages were involved.

“What it has done is kept the communication open,”he commented. “The hardest thing is not convertingMuslims, but getting an audience.”

As he works on building his language capabilities,Oetting is teaching personal Bible studies and servingadministrative functions.

Praying for a movement“For more than 60 years, work among the Maninka

has met with very little success,” Oetting said. “We arepraying for a people movement among the Maninka, thatthese 2 million would receive Christ. They are a keygroup to reach the other Muslim people groups in WestAfrica. They are related to other language—peoplegroups—a way to eventually reach 22 million people.”

AUGUST 2004

“Despite the difficu

lty or

unpleasantness, we still h

ave

the commitment to share the

greatest gift—salvatio

n—with

Muslim people.It’s a di

fficult

and risky place to

live, work-

ing among resistant people

.”

Jonathan Oetting

Rev. Tim Heiney, Kansas District

President Keith Kohlmeier and Chuck

Merriman with two Guinean boys on

their travels this past spring.

Photos Courtesy of Kansas District

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

Relationships, he said, are vital.He told of one Maninka family thathe knew three years before andrenewed their friendship in Siguiri.“You have to have that acceptancebefore you can share the Gospelin this setting.”

Noting that theMuslims are resistant toChristianity, Oetting adds thatGuinea is a country where relation-ships are not polarized. “We have anentry, a moment when we canshare. They are receptive.” He saidthe resistance could be attributed toculture, and persecution can bemanifested to new believers.

“We have to remember we areworking in a sensitive situation,” headds. “People notice when a mandoes not go to the mosque or partic-ipate in prayer five times a day. It’s a

AN INVITATION TO GET INVOLVEDIN MISSION WORK

Mission work in Guinea, West Africa, provides one kind of model forLCMS World Mission’s vision of Ablaze! The Kansas District haspartnered with LCMS World Mission since 1997 to provide oppor-

tunities for its congregations and members to become involved in missionwork “to the ends of the earth.”

Beginning with just four Together In Mission (TIM) congregations (thatadopt missionary families for prayer and for spiritual, emotion-al, physical and financial support), the number of TIM congre-gations that support the work in Guinea has grown to 80.

Marvin Kohlmeier, called by the Kansas District seven yearsago to be its full-time mission development counselor, says,“Anytime congregational members have a personal relationshipwith a missionary family, the Seven Mission Responses [Learn,Pray, Give, Tell, Send, Go, Celebrate] become the vehicle for a life-changing experience. They realize that even if they can’t go [to theends of the earth], they can send, pray, give, celebrate ... and so on.”

Jane Limback, a sixth-grade teacher at Hope Lutheran School inShawnee, Kan., says her mission involvement with the people ofGuinea through the Synod-Kansas District partnership “has been areal blessing.

“The children have done several projects for Guinea,” she reports.“Last year, the sixth graders and their parents made clay bricks usingdirt, water and milk cartons and then built a model of an Africanchurch building. Then we poured water over it to show the childrenwhat happens when its rains on a [mud brick] church building without aproper roof. As a result the children collected enough in gifts to buy anentire metal roof for a congregation.”

The opportunity to be personally involved in mission “makes youmore aware of international things, and in this case, more aware aboutour brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa,” says Limback. “And you real-ize your world is a lot bigger than you thought it was.”

Ablaze! began as a vision of LCMS World Mission to involve every mem-ber of the LCMS, its partner church bodies and partner mission agencies inone focused and concentrated effort to share the Good News of JesusChrist with those who do not yet know him. The Synod’s mission agencybelieves this effort will strengthen our own Synod, mission organizationsand congregations through mission involvement.

Additionally, all our Lutheran resources would be strategically coordi-nated, so that more can be accomplished in mission to the glory and honorof God. LCMS World Mission wants to give this vision away—to ignite aspark that would become a mission movement of individuals, groups, con-gregations, etc., all committed to the goal of reaching 100 millionunreached and uncommitted people with the Gospel by 2017—the 500thanniversary of the Reformation.

For LCMS World Mission, Ablaze! is not a program or a campaign ... it’san invitation.

For more information about Ablaze! call LCMS world Mission at (800)433-3954, or visit www.lcmsworldmission.org. For more information aboutthe Kansas District partnership to support work in Guinea, seewww.kslcms.org. To learn more about becoming a Together In Missioncongregation through LCMS World Mission, call (800) 248-1930, Ext. 1651.

—Jenny L. Koenig

Director, Communication Services

LCMS World Mission

Elena Merriman makes a new friend on her

trip to the Kissidougou region of Guinea

with the Kansas District delegation.

AUGUST 2004

situation where ‘my father was Muslim and so am I.’Whole villages are Muslims.

“It will take perseverance, hard work, sweat and tearsto reach them through the power of the Holy Spirit withthe greatest gift we can share—out of love—JesusChrist,” Oetting said.

Partnership brings growth inKansas

Halfway around the globe,Kansas District congrega-tions maintain an activeinterest in the Guinea mis-sion, including the work ofthe Oettings and theNortons, as well as theGuinean Lutheran churchin the south. The districtsupports the work.

“It is not just rawdollars,” said Rev. KeithKohlmeier, the districtpresident. “It is inter-

action with mission. Everything we do is in partnershipwith LCMS World Mission.”

Led by Tim Heiney, Kohlmeier and six other Kansansvisited Guinea last March.

“It was like stepping back into Pentecost; it was justmarvelous to see what God is doing in that place,”Kohlmeier said of visits among congregations in south-ern Guinea. “The church is growing so fast only God cankeep up with it.”

He said people would wait for two days in the market-places and villages because they heard the Kansans were

visiting. “To see people stand up and professtheir faith and, at the same time,asking to know even more aboutthis Jesus. They were pleading forevangelists to teach them more.”

He said the Kansas districtintends to provide more on-sitevisits and volunteer opportunitiesfor members of Kansas congrega-tions.

“Our mission giving has increasedexponentially since this partnership,”Kohlmeier said. “Our sense of mission

“These are beautiful children.I see starving children lookinglike skeletons, victims who areon their last breath and stillthey haven’t head about Jesus.God has called me to be faith-ful. He is responsible for theirhealing and their salvation.I want to bring God’s healingto people here in Africa.”

Dr. Kristen Schmaltz

Rev. Keith Kohlmeier, president of the KansasDistrict, greets students at an LCMS-sponsoredschool in Guinea.

towardour own communitiesalso has grown. The people of localcongregations are getting their feet on the ground andtheir hands involved in mission locally.”

The Kansas District supports the mission in threeways: from its budget; through the Together in Missionprogram, in which congregations and individuals makegifts beyond their regular giving; and with a missiondeveloper, Marvin Kohlmeier, who develops supportfor specific projects. (Marvin Kohlmeier, for example,identified and enlisted congregations to support theservice of Audrey Roglitz, who, at well beyond retire-ment age, is serving as volunteer teacher for the chil-dren in the Oetting family.)

The district also supports Dr. Kristin Schmaltz, aphysician who serves in Kissidougou, providing heathcare and nutrition instruction and pediatric services.Parish nurses in Kansas gather “Action Packs” withbooties, blankets and toys that Schmaltz uses inrefugee camps and Guinean villages.

President Kohlmeier added that the Children’sChristian Concern Society, a Recognized ServiceOrganization housed in the district offices, is workingwith the Guinean church to establish some 60 schoolsin southern Guinea.

“It’s the very definition of ‘synod,’ PresidentKohlmeier said. “We have identified a common plan todo the mission. In almost every Kansas congregationyou see the same pictures of missionaries and hearthose same names raised in prayer.”

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

Roland Lovstad is afreelance writer and amember of ImmanuelLutheran Church,Perryville, Mo.

Dr. Kristen Schmaltz recalls her grandmother told herbefore she left for Africa, “You share Jesus withthem; you know Him.” She says Muslim doctor col-leagues are giving her opportunities to shareChristian care along with her medical knowledge.

“These are beautiful children. I want them to knowthat He is a loving God,” said Dr. Kristin Schmaltz,

who for two-and-a-half yearshas served as a medicalmissionary in the forestregion of Guinea nearKissidougou.

A pediatrician by train-ing, she works with thenutrition and pediatricunits of the local hospi-tal and teaches nutritionin villages and refugeecamps. She says she isalso proud of theKountaya Health Care

Team, which she helpedtrain, that provides medical response

and health-care information among refugees.Schmaltz thanked the parish nurses in Kansas who

gather hats, blankets and booties in “action packs.”She needs these, she said, “for malnourished children.There is not enough fat on their bodies, and they dieof hypothermia without these things.” Toys and color-ing books, also in the packs, provide stimulation to“get them started in their life again.”

Her heart especially goes out for the children: “I’velaid hands on them; I’ve baptized them; I’ve prayed forthem.”

—R.C.L.

MEDICAL MISSIONARYIN THE FOREST

“Thanks for the support thatallows us to do this. Thereare many such opportunitiesaround the world, includingback at home. Pray to beopen to these opportunities.”

Tim Norton

AUGUST 2004

Our society today seems tobe geared toward the young.Clothes, entertainment,

arts and culture are all greatly influ-enced by what the younger genera-tion finds interesting. At the sametime, the number of older people inour country is rapidly increasing.But they often feel left out, forgot-ten in this youth-oriented society.

Where do they fit in? What plansdoes God have for them? And howare younger people to view andtreat their elders?

What does God want all of us toremember about our life on earth?Look at Ps. 90:10 for an insightbefore writing your answer._______________________________

_______________________________

What is the lesson for us in verse12?_______________________________

_______________________________

Old age often brings health prob-lems and a loss of ability to dothings that gave joy in youngerdays. It’s sometimes tempting forthe elderly to ask why God hasallowed them to stay so long onthis earth, and to question whatusefulness there is left in their lesscapable bodies and minds. Whatdoes God have to say about this inthese Psalms?

Ps. 92:14–15 ____________________

_______________________________

Ps. 148:7–12 ____________________

_______________________________

Why are the elderly especiallywell-suited to proclaim God’s praises?_______________________________

_______________________________

What are some of the blessingsGod gives the elderly?

SearchingSCRIPTURE

Job 12:12 ________________________________

Prov. 17:6 ________________________________

Now read Job 32:7–8. What mustthe elderly have in order to be fullywise, and why do you believe this isimportant?________________________________

________________________________

God has a special concern forseniors. How does He want them tobe treated? Read Lev. 19:32 andProv. 23:22.________________________________

________________________________

Senior citizens have real concernsabout their remaining years. Theymay be worried about their health,about finances, about their future.How does David address these con-cerns in Ps. 37:25?________________________________

________________________________

Carol Albrecht is a member ofCentennial Lutheran Church,Superior, Neb.

IN LATER LIFEby Carol Albrecht

In the same light, what encourag-ing words does God give to olderpeople in Is. 46:4?_______________________________

_______________________________

God has important work for theolder generation, and a great lovefor His people as their time on earthgrows short. The psalmist’s prayeras he contemplated his later yearsin Ps. 71:18 speaks not only ofGod’s love but also gives meaningto the lives of older people: “Evenwhen I am old and gray, do notforsake me, O God, till I declareyour power to the next generation,your might to all who are to come.”

Getty Images

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

from thePRESIDENT

sidered me faithful, appointing meto his service” (1 Tim. 1:12).

It is my belief that your vote ingiving me the opportunity, chal-lenge and burden of continuing toserve as the president of ourbeloved Synod is not so much avote for me personally but for thevision I’ve shared these past threeyears and for the entirety of my 34years of public ministry. The visionI hold so near and dear is not sim-ply a six-word cliché: One

Mission, One Message, One

People. It is a deeply held convic-tion that God’s blessing has beengiven to our church for a reason.We have been blessed to be ablessing! We dare not take thatblessing for granted.

One final word of thanks andappreciation to my dear wife,Terry, who has stood faithfully bymy side for 38 years, many ofwhich have been accompanied bystress and pressure of many kinds.

In that regard, few, if any, ofthose years have exceededthe past three. She bears inher heart a deep respect andabiding love for the churchand for the women of thechurch, especially the wivesof pastors and other profes-sional church workers, ...particularly the wives of theCouncil of Presidents and

pastors of our Synod.Thanks also to the members of

our immediate and extended familyfor their sacrifices these past threeyears in seeing once-frequentlypresent parents and grandparentsbecome largely absent from familyevents and holiday gatherings. Theyall live in Texas ... and are near anddear to us. We love you, miss youand hold you in our hearts andprayers always.

As I write this article, the 62nd Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri

Synod has just concluded. Muchprayer, extensive deliberation andmany decisions marked this gather-ing of representatives from acrossour church body. Delegates adoptedresolutions, amended synodicalgoverning documents and electedofficers and other leaders. As isoften the case, numerous resolu-tions could not be considered dueto the expiration of conventiontime.

On behalf of the Synod, I offer asincere word of thanks and appreci-ation to those who served faithfullyduring the past three years and nowleave their positions in the hands ofthose who will succeed them. It is aprivilege and responsibility to serveas an officer or member of a boardor commission of the Synod,whether that period of service isbrief or extensive.

Upon my re-election as presidentof the Synod, I addressed the con-vention briefly. I included words tothis effect:

Thank you, dear friends in Christ,for this expression of trust and

confidence. I am deeply humbled byyour vote. Allow me to share withyou a word from the Apostle Paul: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, whohas given me strength, that he con-

A WORD OF THANKS

A final word from the apostlePaul: “I thank my God every time Iremember you. In all my prayers forall of you, I always pray with joybecause of your partnership in thegospel from the first day until now,being confident of this, that he whobegan a good work in you will carryit on to completion until the day ofChrist Jesus” (Phil. 1:3–6).

Thank you and God bless eachand every one of you, dear brothersand sisters in Christ!

All those elected at this impor-tant gathering and all who serve inmission and ministry in the entireSynod, working together under thegrace of God and the power of HisHoly Spirit, can make a difference in the lives of many people. Pleasepray with me that the theme of ourconvention will become reality inthe congregations of our greatSynod: One Mission—Ablaze!

Jerry Kieschnick

Lives Transformed through Christ,in Time ... for Eternity!John 3:16 –17

e-mail: president@lcms.org

Web page: www.lcms.org/president

P lease pray with me thatthe theme of our convention

will become reality in the congregations of our great Synod:One Mission–Ablaze!