Kieschnick’s May 2010 Letter to Pastors

A Pastoral Letter to Pastors of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
From President Jerry Kieschnick
May 20, 2010

Dear Brothers in Christ,

As you know, the theme for this year’s Synod convention is “ONE People–Forgiven.” This is the third of the three facets in our Synod’s vision as endorsed by the 2004 convention: “ONE Mission, ONE Message, ONE People.” As ONE people, we are called together to carry out the ONE mission God has given to proclaim to all the ONE message that there is forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ alone.

One of my biggest concerns as Synod president is that when we foster disunity and refuse to forgive one another, our proclamation of the Gospel is hindered. The apostle Paul writes, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:3-6).

It sometimes seems that we have a long way to go in our Holy Spirit-driven quest to “stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). Yet, positive signs abound among us. One of the keys to standing “firm in one spirit” is the development of relationships between and among penitent sinners who confess and repent of sin and receive with thankful hearts the precious words of absolution: “Your sin is forgiven!” Those relationships are rooted firmly in the forgiveness won for us by God through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ – forgiveness then freely extended to and received from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

As noted in Part 1 of my report to the convention, printed in the Convention Workbook, the grace of God in Christ moves us to be in conversation with one another, celebrating our areas of agreement and oneness, and working on those matters where we have not yet achieved complete harmony. Our time together in convention will focus on our unity in Christ. We will have opportunity throughout the convention to speak and to hear words of confession, absolution, and forgiveness.

Please join me in praying for our Synod’s convention, that God would continue richly to bless us as ONE People–Forgiven.

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Prayers for the Convention

One of the special prayer opportunities for the Synod convention will be a national 24-hour, seven-day prayer vigil held during the week of the convention. The vigil will begin on Sunday, July 11, at 8 a.m., which is also when the convention delegates and attendees will gather for an hour of prayer before the official opening of the convention. The vigil will last until Saturday, July 17, at 11 a.m., when the convention is scheduled to adjourn.

During this special week of prayer, participants are invited to pray specifically for the proceedings of the Synod convention and for the work of the Synod as a whole. Daily information about specific convention activities will be available on the convention Web site, www.lcms.org/convention.

To sign up as a prayer vigil participant, go to the vigil Web site at http://www.lcms.org/prayervigil. Follow the sign-up instructions, which include selecting a specific hour to pray during the week. During the week of the convention, the names of those praying will be displayed daily at the convention and on the convention Web site.

It is the hope of the prayer vigil planners that every hour of that week will be filled with prayer. So, please share this information with the members of your congregation and invite them to participate. The dates to sign-up for the prayer vigil are April 30 to June 25.

Also, please include the following convention prayers for May-June in your personal and corporate prayers. Please pray:

• that the men and women serving on convention floor committees will be granted wisdom and discernment as they meet to consider reports and overtures that have been submitted for consideration and to prepare proposed resolutions for convention action;
• that the Today’s Business staff will be encouraged in their task of assisting the floor committees and in the preparation of the first issue of Today’s Business;
• that the compiling, editing, printing, and mailing of the first issue of Today’s Business will be accomplished in a timely manner;
• that the delegates will receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they review all of the convention materials and as they read the daily devotions on forgiveness in preparation for their service as convention delegates;
• that the convention worship, devotion, and Bible study essay leaders will be blessed in their ongoing preparations for leading the convention in these important elements of spiritual nurture and growth;
• and that the many details required for the convention to be conducted will be completed in a timely manner – for God to be in the details!

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV).

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Five critical considerations

In my report to the Council of Presidents last month, I shared “five critical considerations” facing the Synod as we prepare for this year’s convention. The five are:

1. Doctrinal agreement
2. Unity – Concord – Harmony
3. LCMS mission
4. Global confessional leadership
5. Financial realities

I’m using this month’s pastoral letter to say a little about each of these.

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1. Doctrinal agreement

This is a matter close to my heart, as it is to yours. As I have said many times, I thank God for the doctrinal agreement we have in our Synod on the vast majority of issues related to faith and practice. You may recall the rather lengthy, though certainly not exhaustive, list (click here to view list) that I have cited from time to time to illustrate that we in the LCMS simply are not arguing over or even debating the major doctrines of the Christian faith that are in contention today in many parts of the church militant. We in the Missouri Synod are undeniably blessed with God-given harmony and have so much more that unites us than those things that would divide us!

The official position of the Synod on a wide variety of issues is presented in the book sent this spring to every congregation and now in its second printing, This We Believe: Selected Topics of Faith and Practice in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. I do hope that you are finding this resource, available from Concordia Publishing House (www.cph.org), to be of assistance to you and helpful for Bible studies and discussions in your congregation.

Of course, I have also spoken on many occasions on matters about which we in the LCMS are not in complete agreement. These include issues related to the administration of Holy Communion, the service of women in the church, forms of worship, and inter-Christian relationships. We must continue to work under Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions to achieve solidarity also in these matters.

As those efforts are underway, I respectfully and evangelically encourage each of you to continue to take seriously the covenants of love to which our Synod has agreed regarding these matters.

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2. Unity – Concord – Harmony

“We are convinced that until we find a way to speak and to listen to one another in love, little hope exists for moving toward greater concord in doctrine and practice. Luther’s insight is compelling: ‘Where there is no love, there doctrine cannot remain pure’ (LW 24, 244).” This is one of five “initial conclusions” reached by the 12-member Task Force for Synodical Harmony appointed by the Council of Presidents and LCMS Board of Directors in response to Res. 4-01A adopted by the 2007 Synod convention.

The task force members developed definitions for the concepts of unity, concord and harmony in their initial report, which you will find in the Convention Workbook (R4-04-01, pp. 74-76), before identifying several factors as contributing to disharmony in our Synod. They include inability to deal with diversity, lack of civility and accountability, a politicized culture, and distrust. And the observation was made that “disharmony in the LCMS is primarily a clergy problem” and that there is “poor communication across ‘party lines.’”

These factors are of great concern. They diminish the health of our Synod and distract attention from the mission God has given us to accomplish. Evangelically and respectfully, I encourage you to read the report and urge your patient, pastoral, and persistent attention to and care for individuals with whom you have a relationship – members of your congregation or others, including brother pastors – who violate Eighth Commandment injunctions to speak the truth in a way that puts the best construction on everything.

The task force says it intends to develop strategies to address those factors that contribute to disharmony among us. In its initial report to the Synod, the task force concludes, “Surely our unity in Jesus Christ and our concord in doctrine are treasures to be cherished and preserved. And surely God’s mission on earth unites us in a common cause with eternal consequences. May the harmony we share as we walk together increasingly enhance our unity and concord for the sake of God’s mission.”

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3. LCMS mission

“In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and the world.” That, as you know, is the mission statement adopted for our Synod by the 1998 convention. It is also behind the 2004 convention resolutions that encourage us to share the Gospel with 50 million people in the United States and another 50 million internationally, to plant 2,000 new congregations in the United States, and to revitalize 2,000 existing congregations. The goal is to accomplish this, under God’s blessing, by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. A few weeks ago, I heard a report from LCMS World Mission staff that more than 600 new missions have been started so far and that 363 existing congregations are part of the revitalization process developed through LCMS World Mission. The ONE mission that Christ gave His Church remains a high priority for the LCMS.

As you are aware, one of the mission-focused initiatives of our Synod is called Ablaze! This movement, approved by the 2004 Synod convention, was actually initiated by the Board for Mission Services in 1999.

In my report in the Synod Convention Workbook, I shared these words:

“My observations are that the efforts of those congregations, individuals, and districts who are participating in these [Ablaze!] initiatives have been greatly blessed in the process. For various reasons, a number of congregations and individuals have chosen not to participate in either Ablaze! or Fan into Flame. Some have cited theological objections, others more practical matters, as their reasons for non-participation. I have listened to these concerns and have deep respect for those who have expressed them.

“One fairly common practical objection is to the suggestion that LCMS and our partner church folks should go to the Ablaze! Web site and record the Gospel witness given. Over 10 million people have already actually done so! However, since the movement’s inception, I have expressed my own feeling that this process is cumbersome and that most evangelical, confessional, Lutheran people who share the Gospel with someone else are not generally in the habit of telling about it. On the other hand, there are some very moving and exciting stories submitted by ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences in verbalizing their faith!

“With all this in mind, I have asked the executive director of the Board for Mission Services to address the concerns of those who are not involved in Ablaze! or Fan into Flame in an effort to invite sincerely and encourage evangelically broader participation in these efforts.

“In the meantime, the goals of Ablaze! remain on target for the future mission of the LCMS. Sharing the Gospel, planting new churches, and revitalizing existing congregations to be mission outposts are foundational for our mission to the world.”

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4. Global confessional leadership

During the nine years I have served as the Synod’s president, I have been surprised – pleasantly so – by the amount of time, energy, and attention demanded by church-relations matters. Much of this has involved communicating with potential partner churches about issues of doctrine and practice and with partner churches about assistance with mission plants, missionary support, theological education, and the like.

Most of these church bodies are much smaller than the LCMS. But in recent months, we have had contacts with Lutheran church bodies that are much larger than the LCMS – the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, each of which has more than 5 million members.

While I can’t predict what future relationships we might have with such church bodies, I find it encouraging that leaders in these growing churches are coming to us for help with pastoral training and theological education. For example, a diocesan bishop from the Tanzanian church asked us last month to help bring their pastors to LCMS seminaries for theological support on matters – such as the role of women, ecumenical relationships, and human-sexuality issues – that are posing a challenge to his church body.

In addition, I have received contacts from the newly developing Anglican Church of North America and similar groups from within the ELCA, all of which are searching for a confessional, conservative theological foundation at a time when the larger church bodies with which they have been associated have abandoned historic Christian doctrines.

It’s difficult to explain in writing how excited I am about these possibilities! I shared that excitement verbally at this month’s Minnesota North and South District pastors conference, and wish I could do so in every corner of our Synod! It is a blessing from God that we are being asked by these fellow Christians to help provide them with theological and doctrinal stability. We do so with great humility at having received these blessings from God and with the awesome burden of sharing them with the world, which is also a huge privilege. I’m reminded of Paul’s vision in Acts 16: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” How can we do anything but respond!

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5. Financial realities

As I reported in last month’s letter to you, Chairman Don Muchow of the Synod’s Board of Directors and I have had telephone conversations with the presidents and chairmen of the boards of directors of our districts. At the time this letter is being written, those calls are almost completed, with only a few more to go. These calls have included prayer and discussion of such topics as appreciation for faithful ministry and financial support, fiscal matters relating both to district and national Synod, and pastoral care and concern for challenges being experienced at district and national level.

We also are concerned about the challenges, struggles, and stresses that congregations are facing in the current economy. Some have had to cut staff, which has affected teachers, DCEs, and even pastors, especially assistant and associate pastors. In all such cases, it is imperative for congregations to proceed cautiously, responsibly, sensitively, and thoughtfully as they make difficult and life-changing decisions about those whom they have called to positions of ministry.

During the Great Depression, Synod President Friedrich Pfotenhauer told the 1932 Synod convention: “It is true that the present economic conditions throughout the world induce us, if we do not keep our vision clear, to curtail our church activities. No doubt money is more scarce than in previous years. All the more must we keep before us the lesson of history: first, that, the more evil the days, the greater our prospect of success in our Christian work; and secondly, that, when children of God are eager to promote their Savior’s glory, the Lord supplies the necessary means and blesses them.”

President Pfotenhauer’s words remind us that leadership in overwhelming times calls for clear vision. When we keep our eye on the goal and we keep our people focused on that goal, trusting that the Lord will provide, we will not be swayed from that which the Lord would have us do. As we “keep the vision clear,” we will not fear or be afraid of what we cannot do. Rather, we will look forward with expectation to what God will do.

The Scriptures teach us: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6). In times such as these, it is essential to foster an environment of “trust in the Lord” whereby “the children of God are eager to promote their Savior’s glory.”

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Japan Lutheran Church

The Japan Lutheran Church (often abbreviated by its Japanese acronym, NRK) originated two years after the end of World War II with the installation of Rev. William Danker as LCMS missionary in Tokyo, Japan. Early mission efforts were developed through Lutheran Hour broadcasts, which began in 1951 – some of the first civilian radio broadcasts following the war. The NRK became an autonomous partner church of the LCMS in 1968, and by 1976 was both self-supporting and self-governing.

Today, the church body has 34 congregations and one preaching station. Membership stands today at 2,723 souls, with 878 active members. The NRK’s congregations and schools are served by 23 pastors, one deaconess, one deacon, and two ordained LCMS missionaries (serving at Japan Lutheran College and Holy Hope School). Though disagreements have come to light in recent years between the NRK and LCMS over the role of women in the ongoing mission of the church, both sides are fully engaged, as partner churches should be, in working alongside one another while addressing these issues with integrity.

The primary means for NRK Gospel witness in the wider community is through education:

• The NRK jointly manages Japan Lutheran College and Japan Lutheran Theological Seminary in association with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (JELC). The college offers a Ph.D. program in social work, a master’s degree program in clinical psychology, and undergraduate programs in social work, clinical psychology, and Christian studies. The Christian studies program not only develops teachers who will teach Bible and religion classes in parochial mission schools but also provides in-depth pre-seminary instruction. The college also maintains research materials for its Luther Studies Center, which publishes regular newsletters and sponsors study groups.
• The NRK independently maintains a number of schools around the country. It administers one secondary school (Holy Hope School in Hanno), one combined primary and secondary school (Urawa Lutheran School), nine kindergartens, and four pre-schools. English-conversation classes, administered through NRK congregations for the purpose of outreach into their local communities, have been led by LCMS missionaries for more than 40 years, and today, five LCMS GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach) missionaries take part in this type of outreach.

In addition to a new focus among Tokyo-area churches on outreach to young adults, churches in the Fukushima prefecture will be launching a new outreach initiative this summer. Although Christians currently make up less than one percent of the total population of the country, God continues to shine the light of Jesus Christ in Japan through the people and institutions of the NRK.

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A parting word of encouragement

Some of us have heard claims that this year’s Synod convention is going to see turmoil and conflict. My own sense, especially after taking part in nine regional gatherings of convention delegates and other leaders this winter, is that this will not be the case. The delegates chosen to represent their circuit congregations love the Lord Jesus and our Synod. Guided by the Spirit of God, they will make the very best decisions possible.

I do not believe that we will see anything like the conflicted assembly about which Luke reports in Acts 19:32, “Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together!” Rather, I truly believe our convention will be more accurately described by Paul’s words in Romans 15: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (vv.5-6).

This is my prayer for the convention and my prayer for you as well. May God bless you and grant you great joy in your ministry!

Jerry Kieschnick

Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
e-mail: president@lcms.org
Web page: www.lcms.org/president

“Transforming lives through Christ’s love … in time … for eternity …” John 3:16-17