hide submenuA Pastoral Letter to
Pastors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
From President Jerry Kieschnick
October 22, 2009
Dear Brothers in Christ,
In the Town Church (Stadtkirche) of Wittenberg, Germany, there is a painting by Lucas Cranach the Younger titled "The Vineyard of the Lord." It is an interesting piece of Reformation-era commentary. Pictured is a hillside vineyard with a path running up the hill. On the left side of the path are bishops, cardinals, monks, nuns, and even the pope. On the right side are Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, and other reformers.
Those on the left side of the painting are pulling out and burning the vines, destroying the fences, and throwing rocks into the well. They are working in the Lord's vineyard to be sure, but they are making a mess of things. In fact, they are destroying it.
Luther and the other reformers, those on the right side of the painting, are shown doing just the opposite. They are raking up weeds, hoeing, planting, fertilizing, and watering the vines. Everything is in good repair, and the vines are growing and producing fruit.
The difference between the two sides is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Luther and the other reformers tended the Lord's vineyard by applying the Good News that our salvation is not something we must earn, but it is a free gift of God by His grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone. As we approach Reformation Day 2009, let us thank God for His gifts of grace and for passing on to us the privilege of continuing the work of the reformers as we tend the Lord's vineyard today!
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Wittenberg today
Speaking of Wittenberg, you probably know that The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and our German sister church, the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (known as the "SELK"), are partners in a project there. Initiated in 2007 by LCMS World Mission, LCMS World Relief and Human Care, Concordia Publishing House, and the SELK, we are now seeking to make ministry in Wittenberg a Synodwide effort and broaden its base of support.
Developments in recent months include election of a new chairman for the supervisory board of the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg (ILSW), the German non-profit corporation established to operate the project on behalf of the LCMS and SELK, and appointment of a new managing director. SELK Bishop Hans-Joerg Voigt, who had been serving as chairman, asked that an LCMS member of the ILSW board serve in the position. Dr. Samuel Nafzger, director of church relations in the LCMS Office of the President, was elected chairman. Rev. David Mahsman, an LCMS missionary, was appointed by the ILSW board to succeed Rev. Wilhelm Torgerson, who has retired, as the new managing director.
Mahsman is working on proposals for a sustainable ministry plan and for ways to help fund work in Wittenberg. The joint effort there began with the idea of planting a SELK congregation, operating a welcome center for visitors to the Luther sites, and providing a place for theological study.
"Nearly 500 years ago, of all the places in the world, God picked this place to raise up a man to restore the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Church and to the world," Mahsman writes. "From there, the Gospel came down through the years to us and has given us life in Jesus Christ. But only about 15 percent of the people of Wittenberg today even profess to know and believe God's saving message. Now we have an opportunity to help share the Gospel with those who live in and visit this place from which we have been so richly blessed."
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Cooperative work with the ELCA
The actions of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August regarding same-sex relationships have put further strain on the relationship between the ELCA and the LCMS. As I told the assembly the day after the last of their decisions on these matters had been made, "The current division between our churches threatens to become a chasm." This is no small matter for a number of reasons - not least of which is the fact that our two church bodies work cooperatively through agencies that provide human-care ministry to a significant number of people in this country and overseas.
When the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation (CLC) met Sept. 28-29 in Baltimore, most of our time was spent discussing the future of our cooperative work. The CLC was established after the ELCA was formed in 1988 as a way to maintain contact between the leadership of our two church bodies. The committee comprises the following members from the LCMS and our counterparts in the ELCA: the LCMS president and ELCA presiding bishop; the first vice president and vice president; the two secretaries; the chairmen of the Council of Presidents and the Conference of Bishops; the top church-relations staff members; and the two chief administrative officers.
As a follow-up to the CLC discussion, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson asked if I would put my thoughts regarding the impact of assembly decisions on inter-Lutheran relationships in a letter to him and the Conference of Bishops, which I did. In a letter dated Oct. 1, after reemphasizing the LCMS position and my observation that "this matter is fundamentally related to significant differences in how we [our two church bodies] understand the authority of Holy Scripture and the interpretation of God's revealed and infallible Word," I wrote in part:
"We in the LCMS have a genuine concern for the people whose lives are impacted, both temporally and eternally, by the cooperative ministry of the many inter-Lutheran agencies that currently exist. I'm certain you share that concern. For many years we have worked cooperatively with the ELCA and its predecessor church bodies through Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran Services in America, and numerous other agencies. It is our desire to be able to continue to provide Christ-centered ministry through such agencies, always doing so in faithfulness to the doctrinal positions of our church.
"Bishop Hanson and Conference of Bishops, I share this letter with you to confirm what I have already stated, namely, that this is a very serious matter, one that we cannot ignore. To the greatest extent possible, it would be a blessing to our ongoing cooperative relationships if the actions taken at the ELCA Assembly were not implemented, nor given influence, in the context of inter-Lutheran ministries involving the LCMS and the ELCA, so that these relationships would be neither damaged nor destroyed. Out of deep concern for the people who receive ministry from such organizations and for the continuation of those ministries, I share with you this letter and pray that it will be received in the spirit of fraternal, collegial dialogue with which it is sent."
If you would like to read the entire letter, it is included in an online Reporter article at www.lcms.org?15828.
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Blue Ribbon Task Force report
The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance (BRTFSSG) held its final meeting in late September and has forwarded its report and recommendations to me. As this pastoral letter is being written, the task force report is being prepared for publication by the Synod's communications staff and should be posted online very soon. It also is being sent to CPH for publication and distribution to the Synod.
The next step in the process leading up to next year's Synod convention will be the nine regional gatherings of convention delegates to discuss the BRTFSSG proposals, to ask questions for clarity and understanding, and to make recommendations to the convention floor committee chairman and vice chairman. Also invited to the gatherings - they will be held in December, January, and February - are district presidents, district vice presidents, and five members of each district board of directors.
I truly appreciate all the work that went into the task force report and recommendations. The men and women who served on this task force for the past five years have my sincere thanks for their many hours of voluntary time spent on this project.
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Model theological conference on worship
The 2007 Synod convention resolved "that the Commission on Worship and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations organize a model theological conference ... in order to 'build greater understanding of our theology of worship and foster further discussion of worship practices that are consistent with that theology'" (2007 Resolution 2-01). Such a conference is now set for Jan. 11-13 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, Mo. It will meet around the theme, "Toward a Theology of Worship."
Rev. David Johnson and Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, the executives of the two commissions organizing the conference, say that since the subject is worship, "we thought it necessary to hold it in a church rather than a hotel. Concordia has both a beautiful, traditional sanctuary with pipe organ, conducive to a traditional worship, and a separate [worship] center, accommodating to either 'traditional' or 'contemporary' worship, with projection screens and ample space for musicians."
The conference is being funded by a generous grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and we thank them for it.
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Council of Presidents Theses on Worship
In addition to the conference noted above, another very helpful resource - "Theses on Worship" - was recently released by the Council of Presidents. Unanimously adopted at its regular meeting in September, this brief document provides support for the theses and sub-points directly from Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. It is available on the Web at http://worship.lcms.org/theses.
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Fan into Flame update
In my August letter, I reported that Fan into Flame had passed the $50 million milestone. Gifts and pledges to the Synodwide campaign to fund new mission work have now reached $52.5 million. Of that, more than $12 million has been raised in pledges and gifts so far this year alone. We certainly thank and praise God for moving our people to provide these resources so that many more may hear the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ!
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Congratulations to CPH
Concordia Publishing House celebrated its 140th anniversary last month. We thank God for the publishing arm of our Synod and the ministry it has carried out since its founding in 1869. I encourage you to avail yourselves of the opportunity to review the resources and materials that CPH offers and use them in your congregational ministry. You will find CPH online at www.cph.org.
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A case of mistaken identity?
It has come to my attention that a man who identifies himself as having been confirmed some time ago in Texas by the current LCMS president has been visiting LCMS congregations and pastors for several months. Apparently, he uses this alleged connection in seeking financial assistance.
While it may be possible that at some point in the past I met the man in question, I have no recollection of having done so, nor do I recall having confirmed a man who meets his description of an almost seven-foot-tall non-Anglo American. If anyone by this description should contact you, claiming to know me and/or to have been confirmed by me, please ask him to call me. Perhaps he has mistaken me for one of the other five pastors on the LCMS roster who share my surname. At the same time, if his need can be verified, feel free to provide appropriate assistance if you are so moved.
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Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG) was established in 1958 by LCMS missionaries, was formally registered in 1964 with the government of Ghana, and became an LCMS partner church in 1971. With congregations and preaching stations throughout the West African country, the ELCG reported a membership of 27,521 at the end of last year.
In addition to its congregations and preaching stations, the ELCG has daycare, primary schools, and junior secondary schools, as well as a seminary. It also has a media ministry and offers Bible correspondence courses; has programs for the blind and the deaf; and offers free eye testing and eyeglasses. Its social work also includes agricultural programs and a water project in rural areas of northern Ghana.
The ELCG, led by President Paul Kofi Fynn, is a partner with LCMS World Mission in Uganda and the Republic of Benin, where joint mission work began in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Together, we support leadership training to equip evangelists and pastors throughout East Africa and West Africa. The most recent ELCG missionary to serve in Uganda is Solomon Ayagri, who arrived in 2002 and planted more than 20 new churches before his return to Ghana this year.
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A parting word of encouragement
As we tend the vineyard of the Lord, we can be tempted to become discouraged at not being able to do enough to please the Owner of the vineyard or deserve the privilege He has given us to tend His vines. Just remember that the same Gospel that you apply to the vineyard applies also to you: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
May our Lord grant you much 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
