Via lcms.org, here is Jerry Kieschnick’s pastoral letter to pastors of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod for January.
January 27, 2010
Dear Brothers in Christ,
Americans are giving generously for relief effort in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. Donations have exceeded the amounts given immediately following the 2004 Asian tsunamis and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. In the first 10 days after the Haiti earthquake struck, more than $380 million was contributed to 35 U.S. non-profit groups, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Among the 35 is Lutheran World Relief, Baltimore, which reported $1.6 million in contributions for Haiti relief as of this past Friday. As of two days ago, contributions to LCMS World Relief passed the $1 million mark!
By comparison, major U.S. relief groups raised $163 million in the nine days after the tsunamis struck and $239 million in the 10 days after 9/11, the Chronicle reports. Only gifts for relief efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some $580 million in the first eight days, have exceeded the pace of those given for Haiti.
It is gratifying to see such an outpouring of care and concern for the victims of this terrible natural disaster. Many of your congregations and members have given to this effort, and many of you have given as well. Thank you!
Already, though, there are reports in the press that relief officials fear the onset of “donor fatigue” because of the fast pace of contributions to date and the much slower pace of relief efforts, not to mention the long-term effort needed to rebuild this country. When I hear such reports, I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s words, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9-10). I also thank God that He does not weary of doing good for us in Jesus Christ.
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The ‘household of faith’ in Haiti
The apostle Paul encourages us to do good “especially to those who are of the household of faith.” The household of faith in Haiti includes brothers and sisters in our partner church there, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti. My pastoral letter for December included an article about the ELCH. I noted that when the 2001 Synod convention voted to formalize altar and pulpit fellowship with the ELCH, it did so unanimously, which I think says something about the especially warm regard with which our people hold the Haitian church.
On Jan. 18, I wrote to ELCH President Marky Kessa on behalf of our Synod. Permit me to share some of my letter to President Kessa with you:
“Many times every day since last week’s horrendous earthquake in Haiti, you and the people of your church and country have been upheld in my prayers and the prayers of the pastors and congregations of your brothers and sisters in Christ, the people of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. We are truly thankful to God that you and your family are alive and safe. We pray the same is true of all the pastors and people of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti. And we pray for God’s abundant mercy upon the people in Haiti who are suffering from grief, injury, fear, hunger, thirst, depression, helplessness, hopelessness, or despair following this horrific disaster. These prayers ascend from your fellow servants to the throne of our triune God, who was, who is, and who is to come, the only true God who has revealed Himself through Holy Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“This letter is being sent via email to you, with no assurance whatsoever that conditions in Haiti will allow it to be received electronically. Therefore, it is also being transmitted to Dr. Jorge Groh, regional director of LCMS World Mission, for personal delivery to you, and to other leaders in our Synod as an encouragement for them to continue to provide prayer and financial support for you and the people of your church and country. At this moment, Dr. Groh is scheduled to accompany other representatives from the LCMS on a brief visit to Haiti later this week. I pray that you will receive this delegation from the LCMS with thanksgiving to God, that the resources and assistance they bring will fill your heart with hope and joy, and that many people in Haiti will be blessed by the heartfelt care and concern that will be demonstrated by our LCMS delegation.
“On numerous occasions since the earthquake occurred, I have communicated to the people and congregations of the LCMS my personal and presidential encouragement that they be generous in their support of the work being accomplished by the Board for Human Care Ministries (LCMS World Relief and Human Care) and by the Board for Mission Services (LCMS World Mission), both headquartered at the International Center of the LCMS in St. Louis, and by Lutheran World Relief, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Gifts from the people of the LCMS to these agencies, with matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, make it possible for the tangible expressions of love, care, and concern that you and your people will receive, not only from this week’s delegation, but also for many weeks and months to come. The ongoing support that we hope and pray will be possible for us to bring to you will be vital for the reestablishment of health and healing, both of body and of soul, following the losses experienced by the people of Haiti.
“As you provide leadership in the recovery and restoration of your people in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead, I pray that our great and gracious God will fill your heart and life with a special sense of the peace of God that passes all understanding. And I pray that this peace, which comes only by God’s grace, will keep your heart and mind through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
After writing that letter, subsequent plans developed that would have flown me to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and from there over land to the Haitian border to meet with President Kessa of our partner church body. The plan was for me to accompany leaders and members of the staff of LCMS World Relief and Human Care and LCMS World Mission.
After those plans were almost solidified, I received word from Dr. Jorge Groh, regional director for LCMS World Mission, advising me to delay this trip until the chaotic conditions currently being experienced in Haiti have subsided. Following prayerful and careful consideration and conversation, I decided to follow that advice to postpone my trip. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, please continue to check the LCMS Web site for updates on our LCMS response to this disaster. And continue to pray for the well being of the people of Haiti who have great needs of body and soul.
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The Synod convention: Why bother?
This summer’s Synod convention will meet July 10-17 in Houston under the theme, “ONE People–Forgiven.” From time to time I hear brother pastors asking why they should bother with conventions or otherwise expressing a lack of interest in what takes place there. I encourage anyone who thinks along those lines to reconsider his view of Synod conventions.
The Synod was organized to enable congregations, pastors, and other church workers with a common commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions to “walk together” and work together. These are challenging times for Christians and Christian churches. Witness how societal opinions and perspectives have led some church bodies away from historic Christian teachings, or how the war on terror and other conflicts have religious components. Walking and working together certainly is no less important today than in 1847 when our Synod was founded.
These also are days of opportunity and responsibility for our Synod. More and more we are being invited to a position of leadership in the world. In a recent meeting of the LCMS President’s Church Relations Cabinet, for example, we heard reports from the LCMS World Mission regional directors for Asia and Africa. They told us about the openness of not only long established but also newly emerging Lutheran churches around the world to hearing from the LCMS about what it means to be an authentic, confessional, evangelical Lutheran church. My response was that God is opening doors and calling us to walk through them!
These realities and the privilege God gives us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ call for collaboration and decisions on the part of all those who are leaders in this church body – and that includes you. The Synod needs and cherishes input from the hearts and minds of our pastors and other congregational leaders. This is why we have the convention process. Your voice and input are taken seriously.
Decisions made at the Synod convention contribute to the godly influence and Gospel outreach of our church body in ways that can impact the eternal destinies of people around the world. You have the opportunity to participate in that. Please do!
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Convention deadlines and details
Here are a couple of deadlines that remain for the Synod convention. I evangelically encourage you and your congregation to participate fully in these rights, privileges, and responsibilities of membership in our beloved Synod:
Reports and overtures deadline: March 6 (18 weeks prior to convention)
Nominations of President, First Vice President, and other Vice Presidents in line of succession deadline: Must be received by March 10
And here are some details as they are now known regarding the schedule:
Floor committee meetings:
Initial meetings (in St. Louis): May 21-24
Pre-Convention meetings (in Houston): July 8 and 9
Convention open hearings (in Houston):
Floor Committee 8, July 9, 1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
All floor committees, July 10, 9:00 a.m. – noon
Opening convention celebration and business sessions:
Saturday, July 11, 4-5:30 p.m., Divine Worship with Holy
Communion (Convention Center)
Business sessions: Sunday, July 10 (beginning with prayer
service at 8:00 a.m.) through Saturday, July 17 (closing
devotion at 11:00 a.m.)
Evening events:
No evening business sessions are scheduled
TBA – Alumni gatherings, chaplains banquet, others
Thursday, July 15, 7:30 p.m., President’s reception
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Convention overtures
The LCMS Bylaws say this about a Synod convention: “The national convention of the Synod shall afford an opportunity for worship, nurture, inspiration, fellowship, and the communication of vital information. It is the principal legislative assembly, which amends the Constitution and Bylaws, considers and takes action on reports and overtures, and handles appropriate appeals.”
In addition, Synod Bylaw 3.1.6 says that the “principal business of a convention of the Synod shall be the consideration of reports and overtures. Reports and overtures must be submitted in triplicate to the President of the Synod not later than 18 weeks prior to the opening date of the convention.”
Here is some more bylaw guidance regarding overtures (proposed resolutions):
3.1.6.a No report or overture received subsequent to that date [18 weeks prior to the opening of the convention - March 6 this year] shall be accepted for convention consideration unless a committee consisting of the President, the First Vice-President, and the Secretary adjudge it to be a matter of overriding importance and urgency which is not adequately covered by documents already before the convention.
3.1.6.b Overtures and recommendations involving capital outlay or current expenditures shall be accompanied, to the extent feasible, by cost projections and the basis thereof.
3.1.6.2. Overtures to a convention of the Synod may be submitted only by a member congregation of the Synod; a convention or board of directors of a district, an official district conference of ordained and/or commissioned ministers; the faculty of an educational institution of the Synod; the Board of Directors of the Synod; a board or commission of the Synod listed in Bylaws 3.2.2, 3.2.2.1, 3.2.3, and 3.2.3.1; a committee established by a prior convention; or a forum of a Circuit.
3.1.6.2.a Overtures are recommendations in the form of proposed resolutions requesting action on the part of the convention.
3.1.6.2.b Overtures with reference to a case in which a member has been suspended and which is at present in the process of dispute resolution, as well as overtures which, upon advice of legal counsel, may subject the Synod or the corporate officers of the Synod to civil action for libel or slander, or which contain libel or slander, shall not be accepted for convention consideration.
3.1.6.2.c The President of the Synod shall determine if any overture contains information which is materially in error, or contains any apparent misrepresentation of truth or of character. He shall not approve inclusion of any such overture in the Convention Workbook and shall refer any such overture to the district president who has ecclesiastical supervision over the entity submitting the overture for action. If any published overture or resolution is found to be materially in error or contains any misrepresentation of truth or of character, it shall be withdrawn from convention consideration and referred by the President of the Synod to the appropriate district president for action.
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Convention prayers
As we move toward the convention, your prayers on behalf of the convention and the convention process will be deeply appreciated. Every month leading up to the convention, my pastoral letter will include some specific convention-related prayer requests. I would very much appreciate it if you would include these special prayer needs in your personal and congregational prayers. This month’s prayer requests include asking the Lord to:
guide and bless the floor committee appointment process;
bless the nomination process for Synod President and Vice Presidents, as well as the work of the Nominating Committee for all other offices and positions of service;
grant safe travel and meaningful conversation for the participants of the Synod Structure and Governance Regional Gatherings;
grant wisdom to the convention worship, devotion, and Bible study essay leaders as they are preparing for their service at the convention; and
provide cheerful volunteers for service at the convention in Houston this summer.
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Delegate meetings on structure proposals
Among important matters to be considered by the Synod convention this year are the proposals developed by the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance. Together with other district and Synod leaders, every 2010 convention delegate has been invited to attend one of nine regional gatherings being held around the Synod to prepare for convention action on the proposals. Two gatherings were held in December, four are this month, and three are set for February.
The intent of the gatherings is to enable those who will make the decisions this summer to become familiar with how the Synod currently is structured and governed; to understand the blessings and challenges offered by the current structure; to gain more clarity on the task force recommendations; and to provide feedback for the floor committee’s consideration and guidance. Please pray for the delegates and these gatherings as they work through matters of importance for mission and ministry among us.
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Concordia Sunday
April 18 has been designated “Concordia Sunday,” a special opportunity to celebrate our LCMS colleges and universities. Our schools prepare individuals for many vocations and careers in life – pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, deaconesses, lay ministers, directors of family life ministry, directors of parish music, pre-professional careers, and Christian education for lay leaders. The Concordia campuses help their students develop and mature in a Christian environment where Jesus Christ is the central focus of their education.
A mailing about Concordia Sunday already has been sent by the Board for University Education to all LCMS congregations, many of which have celebrated Concordia Sunday in past years. The celebration highlights the importance of a Christian education in a Lutheran context as an encouragement for youth to consider serving in positions that benefit both the LCMS and society. This is also an opportunity for our congregations to pray for the continued blessing of God on this ministry that proclaims Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life.
Free materials for celebrating Concordia Sunday are available from the Board for University Education. You can contact the BUE by mail at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis; by phone at (314) 996-1252 or toll-free at (800) 248-1930, Ext. 252; by fax at (314) 996-1120; or by e-mail at bue.info@lcms.org. Information about our colleges and universities also is available online at www.lcms.org/universities.
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The Lutheran Church–Hong Kong Synod
Four LCMS missionaries, forced to leave China by the communists in November 1949, stopped in Hong Kong on their way home. They had intended to return to the United States, but when they saw so many refugees in Hong Kong, they decided to stay. They founded the LCMS Hong Kong Mission Conference, which laid the foundation on which The Lutheran Church–Hong Kong Synod (LCHKS) stands today.
“In the beginning, the missionaries set up shelters for worship in Tiu Keng Leng,” says a brief history on the LCHKS Web site (www.lutheran.org.hk). “They also started a Bible School in order to train people for God’s service. Then they rented a place in Kowloon and established the first synodical congregation … Through evangelizing on the street, visiting patients in hospitals, and organizing Bible classes, the church grew rapidly and more congregations were set up.”
Much has happened since then. A seminary was established and conducted its first class in 1963. In 1976, the LCMS Hong Kong Mission Conference was reorganized as The Lutheran Church–Hong Kong Synod and recognized as a partner church by the Missouri Synod. LCHKS President Allan Yung reports that today, the Hong Kong Synod has 33 congregations and 10 mission stations with 8,500 members throughout Hong Kong, Kowloon, the New Territories, and Macau. The synod also operates six secondary schools, four evening secondary schools, six primary schools, two special schools, and 16 kindergartens. More than 1,000 teachers and administrators instruct and manage the schools with an overall enrollment of more than 18,000 students.
Social ministry carried out by the Hong Kong Synod also is impressive. Its Lutheran Social Services operates 10 day nurseries; six children and youth centers; four community development teams; two drug-abuse centers; a center for deaf and physically disabled persons; three day activity centers and a hostel for mentally handicapped people; a center for blind people; seven social centers, a day-care center, and four homes for the elderly; two school social-work programs serving 25 schools; two family-life education units; and a foster-care unit. The synod’s Martha Boss Community Center, which opened in 1986, serves more than 100,000 people in the Kowloon City District.
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A parting word of encouragement
In my weekly “Perspectives” e-mail for Jan. 21, I included this prayer, paraphrased slightly from LSB’s Pastoral Care Companion:
“Almighty God, merciful Father, your thoughts are not our thoughts, and your ways are not our ways. In your wisdom you have permitted a disastrous earthquake to befall the people and country of Haiti. Keep the survivors from despair and do not let their faith fail them, but sustain and comfort them. Direct all efforts to attend the injured, console the bereaved, and protect the helpless. Deliver any who are still in danger, and bring hope and healing, that they may find relief and restoration; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
We can pray a similar prayer when we face crises and disasters in our own lives. And we can be assured that our heavenly Father hears and answers us for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24).
May your joy be full as you serve God and His people!
Jerry Kieschnick
Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
e-mail: president@lcms.org
Web page: www.lcms.org/president
Thursday with Iwand 
