Cross-Focused Leadership for Missouri

What can we learn from past LCMS Presidents?  We believe they have important lessons to teach all of us – which is why we worked so hard to distribute copies of “At Home in the House of My Fathers,” a collection of essays and speeches from the first five LCMS presidents, translated and edited by Rev. Matt Harrison, to hundreds of delegates at the regional “Blue Ribbon” gatherings earlier this year.  These essays show us how our forefathers dealt with many of the same challenges we face today, and how they successfully overcame them.  We would be wise to learn from their experience.

Now we have another timely historical resource that can inform us even more as we gather in convention to chart a course for the “Good Ship Missouri” in the years ahead.

Issues, Etc. has made available Todd Wilken’s recent interviews with Dr. Martin Noland, Dr. Lawrence Rast, Dr. John Wohlrabe, Dr. Paul Zimmerman and Dr. Ken Schurb on five LCMS presidents from different eras.  Each shows how a pastoral heart and a theological mind worked together by God’s grace in a synod president to meet the needs of the church in his respective day.  These models show us the same cross-focused leadership that we believe is needed today and always among us. 

So, enjoy the podcasts or read the transcripts of the following interviews:

• C.F.W. Walther with Dr. Martin Noland of Trinity Lutheran-Evansville, IN
• Friedrich Wyneken with Dr. Larry Rast of Concordia Theological Seminary-Ft. Wayne, IN
• Friedrich Pfotenhaur with Dr. John Wohlrabe of Concordia Lutheran-Geneseo, IL
• J.A.O. Preus Jr. with Dr. Paul Zimmerman, author of “A Seminary in Crisis”
• A.L. Barry with Dr. Ken Schurb of Zion Lutheran-Moberly, MO

It’s well worth a listen — a transcript is available here.

A few reactions from CFLM members:

Pastor Tom Chryst likes Dr. Martin Noland’s descrption of C.F.W. Walther’s “Theological Mind”:

            NOLAND: …he had a theological mind that applied itself to the issues of the day. Part of the character of a theological mind is the ability to see what the problems are. You don’t always know clearly what they are, but you can say, “Oh, there’s some problem over there and it’s got to be theological, because there’s a whole lot of people. If it’s only one or two people, it could be a personality issue. But if it’s a bunch of people, there’s got to be something on it that’s at root theological. So then the theological mind goes after that and says, “Okay, what’s going on here? Let’s try to find out why are you guys disagreeing. Why are you getting into each others knickers on this?” And then drawing from the resources that we have as our church body, first the Scriptures, and then the Book of Concord, and then Luther’s Works, and then Walther himself had great command of the Orthodox Lutheran theologians. And from those, and in most cases those answer most of the questions, drawing from there and saying, “Hey, brothers, this is where our Lutheran Church has stood on these issues and now let’s bring about some peace on this.”

Pastor Tony Sikora on Dr. Rast’s talk about Friedrich Wyneken:

WILKEN: You’re the historian. Take us back to the mid-nineteenth century. What was the character of the times, the challenges that were facing the fledgling Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at that time?

RAST: Yes, it was a new synod, and one of many at that point in time. In fact between the years 1840 and 1875 there were no less than fifty-eight distinct Lutheran synods formed here in the United States—no less than fifty-eight! Just incredible the number of Lutheran Synods that were popping up, no less the number of Lutheran congregations that were being formed and Lutheran pastors who were entering in to their ministries. So it was a very dynamic time, a very, very, very uncertain time in a lot of ways.

And one of the things that characterized that uncertainty was about just what it meant to be a Lutheran. There were some different voices that were offering different perspectives on that. Some said it was your ethnicity that was determinative. You know, whether you’re a German or a Fin or an English speaker, you kind of carve out your Lutheranism according to the language that you spoke. Others said, no, it was a matter of really holding to the spirit of Luther, rather than the doctrine of Luther. Theologians like Samuel Schmucker, who taught at Gettysburg, who was a leader in the General Synod, a large Lutheran synod on the United States scene, said that we don’t want to be beholden to older thinking. What we want to do is develop Lutheranism into a progressive movement that really has the courage to step beyond its founder, even if that means discarding some of the doctrinal points that he made. And then there was Wyneken in the Missouri Synod, who said, no, we want to be faithful to the Scriptures above all as rightly confessed by we Lutherans over time in our Lutheran Confessions. So we locate our Lutheran identity in the doctrinal position taught by the Scriptures and affirmed in the Lutheran Confessions, both in the sixteenth century by Luther and his colaborers as well as by us here in the mid-nineteenth century in the face of a lot of confusion and a lot of discord over what it is that the Bible actually teaches. So it was a dynamic time. It was an uncertain time, and Wyneken and his coworkers stepped forward and said, what defines us is our theology.

Rev Paul Cain on Dr Schurb’s talk about A.L. Barry:

I remember “both/and” as important to A. L. Barry. No false choices! Therefore, I loved this part from Dr. Schurb on President Barry:

Faithfulness and outreach. That was the violin string that Al Barry admitted that he played all the time, and he had many different ways of saying it. He talked about doctrine and evangelism, always in the same breath.
Maybe his most evocative way of saying it was, “Keep the message straight, Missouri, and get the message out, Missouri.” And that really was a summation of his career in service to the church and especially his years as synodical president.

He championed what he called a “five-fold vision statement,” which the Synod actually adopted, in fact. And nobody was more pleased with this than Al Barry. They changed it slightly when they adopted it—made it stronger. He wanted to be strong in the Word. That was point number one. Point number two was people-centered and people-sensitive, but the Synod changed that to Christ-centered and people-sensitive. And President Barry thought that was great. It actually made a more strong statement: Christ-centered and people-sensitive. Reaching out boldly with the Gospel—there’s that strong emphasis on outreach and mission. Faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and a church body marked by peace and unity. And just about everything he did really was done with that thought in mind.

 Join us in the conversation .. pick out a part of the interviews that really speak to you or affect how you view these presidents, and post it as a comment below.

This question came in from a reader. We welcome questions like these to keep the conversation going.

How would a Harrison presidency look different than Keischnick’s? What happens in St. Louis and even in Ann Arbor (my district) has little or nothing to do with the work that I have to do in my congregation and community. I am our pastoral delegate for our circuit and I have read much of the material from both sides of this issue and neither side has made a compelling argument for either Keischnick or Harrison.

I will ask you plainly – Why should I vote and support Harrison?

Thank you.

In the Service of Jesus,

Rev. John A. Bookshaw
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Thanks for asking. The fact that you are asking this question is but another reason “It’s Time” for a change. It seems you don’t feel synod is relevant to the Lord’s ministry in your congregation and community. Such has become an increasingly common attitude this decade. We understand. We believe this question won’t go away unless the synod changes course. And we definitely don’t think you’ll be asking this question should the next nine years see a Harrison presidency.

We believe there to be a compelling case for Pastor Harrison, and have tried our best to outline it on this site. Please read the articles we have provided, including the endorsements for a wide-cross section of the church we have included on our home page. We think the case we outline here on this site is convincing. For us, and for a strong majority of the delegates we continue to talk to, the choice is clear. Rev. Matt Harrison has the vision and leadership needed to restore health to our synod. The fruits of his administration would take time to be “seen” in your local congregation, but, as our congregations rely on walking together for all sorts of things from worker support to missions, they would be definitely noticed over time.

May the Lord bless your continued deliberations on the important decisions we will make as a church family in Houston.

Synodical politics is a serious business. And it should be. When there are over 6,000 congregations to lead and over 2,000,000 baptized souls to care for, not to mention a fallen world of hurting souls desperately in need of Christ’s Gospel comfort and forgiveness, seriousness is in order. Rev. Matt Harrison understands that, which is why he several years ago wrote a paper entitled “It’s Time: LCMS Unity and Mission.” “It’s Time” is Rev. Harrison’s vision of “The Real Problem We Face and How to Solve It.” If you care about the future of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod but haven’t yet read “It’s Time,” what are you waiting for? It’s time. You will discover in Rev. Harrison’s words a serious man who grasps the seriousness of the issues we face and who is seriously ready to get to work on them. A couple of presidential elections ago in the United States, we heard a lot of about the importance of “gravitas” in a leader. To stand in the same room with Pastor Harrison is to know and experience what is meant by the word “gravitas.”

Yet for all his seriousness, Rev. Harrison is also a Lutheran’s Lutheran. In addition to his reputation for preaching, teaching, and dispensing God’s mercy to His children in need, Pastor Harrison is widely known (and loved) as one who understands what it means to embrace the joy of daily living and live life to the full while not taking himself too seriously. No wonder he wrote a book about it. In A Little Book on Joy: The Secret of Living a Good News Life in a Bad News World (Lutheran Legacy, 2009), Rev. Harrison writes, “Good humor is for the Christian a healthy indication that we know the Gospel and that this life is serious business, but not so serious that we can’t laugh at ourselves and others.” Obviously he understands the value of humor: he plays the banjo and sports a moustache while admitting, tongue in cheek, that “as a synodical bureaucrat, I am after all deeply and profoundly shallow.” We’re not so sure of that. But there is no disputing that he is deeply and profoundly adventurous and maybe a little crazy. Did you happen to catch the video of him riding a zip line at Merimac Caverns in St. Louis?

In his Little Book on Joy, Rev. Harrison relates the time when, during his work among the Cree in Canada, he accidentally left his wife standing in the snow while he went on his merry snow-mobiling way. He drove nearly half a mile before he noticed she was missing from the back of his Ski-doo (he had thought she was sitting right behind him). Thankfully, his wife Kathy is the forgiving sort. She is also undoubtedly a woman of good humor. As presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan has said, “Humor is the shock absorber of life.” Certainly a good sense of humor helps absorb the shock of being left behind in the snow while your husband takes off down the trail.

In chapter 9 of his book, “The Joy of Family,” Pastor Harrison writes:

“It’s precisely in the family, because of sheer proximity, that we sin against others the most, that we make the most visible mistakes. If we take ourselves too seriously, our lives can be most unbearable. The Gospel of free forgiveness in Christ frees us to expect mistakes, forgive them, and to find the humor in them after the fact.”

Here he’s speaking of our blood-related family, but isn’t this also true of our church family, not only in our congregations but in our church body as a whole? It’s one thing to show generosity to poor, weak orphans in Haiti or needy strangers whose sins we do not know personally. It’s quite another to unconditionally love those whose closeness puts them in a position of being constantly able to inconvenience and cause us trouble! And yet, just as we count on our nuclear family to bear with us, brushing aside our failures and foibles with some good-natured ribbing, we count on our church family to do the same, continuing by God’s grace to take joy in one another and find the humor in our shared journey even as we sometimes have difficulty walking together as a synod.

As we head into the final two weeks before our national synodical convention, we are glad to speak up as two lay women of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod who are overjoyed at the prospect of an LCMS president named Rev. Matthew C. Harrison. Such a thing would be good news indeed, and that’s no secret. Let’s spread the word.

Jenny Jordan and Cheryl Magness

Lutheran theology teaches God’s merciful action in our world through two distinct kingdoms. In the right-hand kingdom, God operates via the Gospel. In the left-hand kingdom, through the Law. The right-hand kingdom is about churchly things, the left-hand kingdom has to do with more secular things.

Much has been said about Rev. Matt Harrison’s pastoral heart, his solid grounding in Lutheran theology, his understanding of our history and his vision for an LCMS future that finds healing in unity around God’s Word. As we Lutherans might say, “That’s right-hand kingdom stuff”. And perhaps these qualities are most important in a president.

But “on the other hand”, that is, in the “left-hand kingdom”, Rev. Harrison brings great gifts and skills to the table. His success as an administrator will also be an asset to the LCMS if, God willing, Rev. Harrison is elected to serve as President. During his time in LCMS-World Relief and Human Care, as well as his previous work with urban housing in Ft. Wayne, Rev. Harrison has shown the ability to “get the job done”. But how?

ALL HANDS ON DECK

Rev. Harrison is a visionary leader who inspires those around him to do great things. He’s not a micro-manager, but surrounds himself with competent people and gives them room and space to use their talents and abilities to the fullest. It takes more than putting on the appearance of being a charming individual, to do great things. One must also be able to win the hearts and passion of those he serves, so that all can serve together.

HELP FROM HELPING HANDS

Rev. Harrison is a leader who honestly recognizes his weaknesses as a leader. This honest recognition of his gifts and weaknesses, has allowed him to assemble an excellent staff that enhances his strengths while accomplishing great work. Harrison has no problem surrounding himself with people who are more gifted than he is. His staff is comprised of competent, compassionate professionals who know how to get the job done. (This is also another reason we hope Resolution 8-08 doesn’t pass and dissolve WR-HC and lose this great staff!)

A STEADY HAND

Look at what has been accomplished over the last decade in WR-HC, administering over $100 million. This department has been transformed from a “pass-through organization” that primarily gave funds to other organizations (LWR, LDR, LSA, LIRS) to “do stuff”, to developing capacity to help other Lutherans and their neighbors throughout the world to “do stuff”.

Furthermore, while LCMS Inc. has been spending beyond its means, LCMS WR-HC has been careful not to “spend more than it has” under Rev. Harrison’s steady leadership. Remember, the Office of LCMS President is responsible for administering at most $2 million per year. But if Resolution 8-08 passes, we estimate the President’s Office will oversee $50 million plus! We need Rev. Harrison’s experience and leadership in stewarding these important funds for God’s work!

GETTING HIS HANDS DIRTY

Maybe you’ve seen Rev. Harrison in that khaki field vest he likes to wear – out bringing the LCMS arm of mercy to people in need around the world. Rev. Harrison was one of the first LCMS representatives in Haiti following the earthquake. He was on the ground following Katrina. A good leader isn’t above stooping down to serve, as we have seen Rev. Harrison do time and again.

It’s time to work, and Rev. Harrison has the right-hand and also the left-hand gifts we need to lead the LCMS to a bright future.

This question came in from a reader. We welcome questions like these to keep the conversation going.

Greetings!
I’m a delegate to Houston (my second convention) and I’m finding it, yet again, a distasteful process what with the constant barrage of “political propaganda.” Why????

After my first convention – I don’t remember the year, but it was in St. Louis and at the convention we voted/decided to have all future conventions in St. Louis – I vowed to never go again. Yet, here I am, a delegate! The reason…because I’m a Licensed Deacon serving my congregation as their full-time minister of the Gospel. There are 6 LD’s in my circuit and so the LD issue is very close to us and so they chose me as a delegate to help ensure that the program stays intact. However, I feel less than adequate to the task. The approach of those opposed to the program is to “attack” and avoid any meaningful dialogue with those being faithfully served by the program, but I digress.

The purpose of this communiqué is to find out your feelings regarding this valuable program. All I’m “hearing” about is the Blue Ribbon thing and let me tell you, all the information being disseminated is less than helpful. Anyway, just what are your thoughts concerning the LD program? Personally, I would like to see it tabled until there can be a “sit-down” with those opposed and those actually being positively served and some LDs…Your thoughts?

Thank you for your time.

Blessings,
Brian B.

Dear Brian,

Blessing in Christ!

As a former Lay Minister I volunteered to respond to your recent question.

Yes indeed there can be many negative aspects to the business of a church convention. That is why we at CFLM have worked so hard to present a positive message to the church. We have striven to contribute positively to the conversation in our beloved synod and to help delegates like yourself to be better prepared for the task that is before you.

Rev. Matthew Harrison has outlined his proposal to help heal some of the sad divisions in our church body in a document titled “It’s Time.”

If you have not seen it please let me know and I will make sure that you get a hard copy. His proposal is to bring people from all sides of an issue together, not to attack or condemn, but to have God’s Word speak to the issues and bring about healing and reconciliation.

The various licensed deacon programs throughout our synod are certainly a topic that needs to be discussed in greater detail. There have been many attempts to bring people together on this issue, but many different programs still exist, with varying levels of training and support. We have a licensed deacon program here in the Nebraska District that has generated more heat than light! I served on a district task force to help resolve some of the concerns, but sadly our district president disbanded the task force before it could reach consensus.

As a Lay Minister many years ago, I found myself serving a congregation all by myself. I knew that my training was lacking, but I was all that was available. I am thankful that God used me, with all of my limitations, to serve a congregation in need. Later I continued my training at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and I have been serving as pastor here in Lincoln, Nebraska for just over 13 years. In the congregation I serve I have four members who are ordained and certified to serve, but do not have a current call. Recently at our two seminaries 30 men who had prepared for service as pastor did not have calls available on seminary Call Day.

There are many issues that need to be put on the table in this very important discussion. It will take a skilled leader to bring all sides together and have meaningful dialogue and discussion. We at CFLM believe that Rev. Matthew Harrison is the right man for such a time as this.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important topic!

In Christ,

Rev. Clint K. Poppe
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Lincoln, Nebraska

We reached out to some of the voices of support for Rev. Matthew Harrison we’ve been hearing, and asked them to offer their personal perspectives with our readers. Some inspiring testimonies were sent in. Click on any of the photographs below to read what people who know Rev. Harrison have to say about him.

And for something a little different – a video from our friend Rev. Jonathan Fisk in the Philadelphia area. We’ve noticed his fun Video series on YouTube and asked him to chime in on the LCMS convention. This is his regular weekly V-Log, but his comments on Matt Harrison start right around the 4:05 mark.