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.

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.

Dear Delegate,

God has richly blessed the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod over its history. But we have not always been good stewards of His blessings. Today we find ourselves in a precarious financial situation and you, as delegates to the convention, will be asked to address this. We at Cross-Focused Leadership for Missouri agree with our Synodical leaders that it’s time for a clear-eyed look at our financial situation, so that we might best consider how to move forward together as a Synod.

First, let us be clear that we are not placing blame for our current situation on any one individual, group, or program. The situation is complex. Even before the current economic downturn, our coffers have suffered due to declining membership, a lack of trust, various questionable decisions, and, we believe, a lack of strategic vision.  Our current leadership has tried many tactics – from new programs to drastic measures such as the sale of Synod assets – to fix the problem. The results have been mixed at best.

Here’s what has happened this past decade and what we think it’s time to do:

In 2001, congregations and districts sent Synodical headquarters $28 million to allot for general mission and ministry purposes. By this year, that number had shrunk to just $18 million. In the last few years, the Synod’s net worth has been reduced by millions of dollars. Two years ago, the Synod had a net worth of only $160,000. In early June, Synod executives were told that there were only eight days in operating cash remaining in Synodical coffers.

President Kieschnick, our Synodical President since 2001, attempted to fix the decline by launching a vigorous evangelism program called Ablaze!. Its fundraising arm is called Fan Into Flame. Unfortunately, these programs have not fared as well as hoped. Hoping to raise $100 million by the end of 2009, only $55.2 million has been pledged thus far, according to the LCMS Convention Workbook.

Of this total, only $27.4 million – less than half of the pledged funds – has been received. What’s more, it cost the Synod over $14.3 million to get that cash in hand. That might help explain why, according to the Convention Workbook, less than $7 million has been distributed to participating districts and congregations for their local efforts. Now, it certainly costs money to raise money, but spending so many millions on fundraising made many donors wonder if their monies would be more appreciated elsewhere.

As one seminary professor told the Reporter this month, “Synod’s financial crisis predates the economic recession. People are reluctant to give to Synodical coffers in part because so much is spent on consultants, professional fund-raisers, and overhead.”

Most troubling of all, the millions raised aren’t being used to send ordained missionaries across the world. Despite the massive fundraising effort, missionaries are still expected to raise almost all of their own funds. LCMS World Mission reports that they have only 35 pastors serving as foreign missionaries. And yet there are 60 World Mission staff members who function as overhead back at Synodical headquarters in St. Louis.

Here in the United States, the situation is also disconcerting. In 2001, when Synodical President Gerald Kieschnick took office, membership in our church was 2.54 million. By 2008, the last year for which statistics are available, membership had declined to 2.33 million.

A TALE OF TWO DEPARTMENTS

Some have suggested that restructuring would fix the problems that ail us. Whether or not that’s true, it’s worth comparing how the Synod’s two largest departments have been run over the last decade.

LCMS World Mission, which runs Ablaze!, has been deficit spending for years, most recently because of huge fundraising campaigns that use expensive consultants. The consultants, many of whom are not Lutheran, have cost millions upon millions of dollars, further exacerbating a deteriorating Synodical fiscal picture.

Thankfully, due to the expected generosity of a donor, World Mission hopes to end the year in the black. But such generosity can’t be counted on. Just a few weeks ago, World Mission was operating with a deficit of $1.5 million. According to the Synod’s May monthly operations report, World Mission had spent $2.8 million this fiscal year to raise $3.0 million. Last year, the World Mission deficit was $5.5 million.

The impact that this shortfall has on funding for one of Synod’s formative purposes – world missions – is troubling. For each $1 million deficit, what will be the shortfall in trained and qualified personnel for the important work of spreading the Gospel? What about eight? Ten? Surely that must be a concern. When missionaries must be recalled from the field for lack of support, we must ask what we need to change to make it possible for them to continue their work. Those who are called to be evangelists need to be supported, not tasked with raising funds for the work that should consume all their energies. There must be better ways for missionaries to foster connections with their supporters than serving as part-time development personnel.

But not every program is struggling. LCMS World Relief and Human Care is the Synod’s mercy arm headed by the Rev. Matthew Harrison. The department, which handles its own fundraising, has been in the black every year of Rev. Harrison’s tenure. The department has handled some $100 million in donor funds during that time. He says it’s simple – you just spend less money than you raise. In the face of economic uncertainties of the past year, World Relief and Human Care even reduced their budget to ensure they would remain in the black.

World Relief and Human Care has handled its finances so well, in fact, that the Synod borrows the funds raised by World Relief and Human Care to cover other programs. Sometimes the funds being borrowed, interest free, are as high as $14 million to $18 million.

President Kieschnick has argued that his restructuring plan needs to be passed, eliminating World Relief and Human Care and other program boards, in order to eliminate inefficiency. But Treasurer Tom Kuchta was quoted in the July 2009 Reporter saying restructuring proposals would be immaterial to the Synod’s bottom line.
The declining financial situation over the last decade even led to the sale of the Synod’s KFUO-FM. Without the first payments on the $26 million the Synod hopes to eventually get for that, budgets wouldn’t have been balanced this year. When LCMS members objected to the sale, the Synod assured them that the sale was made “to enable the LCMS to pursue new and exciting opportunities in the area of digital communications that can be used to accomplish our mission.” Except that the money realized this year went straight to covering financial shortfalls, not new digital communications efforts. And no funds have been set aside for digital communications.

Like so many of our other problems, the financial woes we face won’t be fixed by shuffling chairs on the deck.  At this convention, you will hear of the financial challenges we face as part of the arguments for restructuring the Synod.  But new structures won’t provide the vision and leadership we need, and many of them will set the Lord’s ministry back even further (putting a wide variety of our work from human care to early childhood education to black ministry at risk). Sure, some of the restructuring proposals have merit, but things like having our convention every four years instead of every three don’t really get the job done.

What should we do instead?  We believe we should follow the leadership of Rev. Matt Harrison. He and Rev. Herb Mueller are articulating a strategic vision that we believe will address our problems at their core.  They would change how we manage our programs and stop spending in excess of revenues.  They would rebuild the trust between congregations, districts, and Synod by funding what congregations care most about: Sending pastors to plant churches overseas, training pastors and church workers and mercy for the needy. Rev. Harrison notes that just $2 million a year to each seminary could bring 200 international students to our campuses each year.  And the reconciliation plan outlined in It’s Time will help restore unity among us – which is key to arresting membership decline.  This combination of management, vision, congregational priorities, and Synodical “inreach” will build on the solid foundation of God’s Word, and make our Synod strong again.

“There is no shortage to what the Lord can provide,” Rev. Harrison says, “The sooner we get back to the basics, (and stop doing some other things), the sooner we will realize it.”

We don’t need to transform the church.  We don’t need to make it up as we go along.  We have what we need in the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of the bread, and the prayers. (Acts 2:42) What “worked” for our grandfathers’ is sufficient for us always.  We don’t need to retool like some corporation whose product has become obsolete.  We just need to be the church again.  It’s time.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Cross-Focused Leadership for Missouri,

Phillip Magness
Lindsay Umayam
Pastor Tom Chryst
Stephen R. Johnson
Pastor Paul Cain
Pastor Paul Schlueter
Jenny Jordan
Pastor Tony Sikora
Pastor Clint Poppe

P.S. Some inaccurate information about the management of World Relief and Human Care was sent to delegates earlier this week. You can find the Board for Human Care’s response at http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=17177 (which leads to this PDF). For your convenience we have also attached the letter.

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

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.

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

Dear Delegate,

You will hear much talk about missions at the upcoming convention. This makes perfect sense: the LCMS has always been a missionary church, filled with great fervor for reaching out with the life-giving and life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. From the gathering of immigrants into congregations and establishing new congregations on the prairie to the sending of pastors to establish mission churches in Brazil, China, India, and Japan, we have always been a church body engaged in mission work at home and abroad. President Barry’s “Tell the Good News About Jesus” emphasis and President Kieschnick’s “Ablaze!” initiative have continued the mission focus of our beloved synod. For that we are very thankful.

Yet, as we discuss missions and being “missional” we must remember that the purpose of Lutheran mission is to preach the Gospel, administer the sacraments, and – through these means – to establish Lutheran congregations.

Unfortunately, this is something which we have not been doing well.

In the heyday of mission activity in 1970, the LCMS had about 350 full-time missionary families serving overseas. In 1980, we had around 150. In 1990, the number had increased to 160. In 2000, we had 105. Today, in 2010, we have only 70 full-time missionary families serving overseas. Less than half of these are pastors. We have only two missionary pastors serving in all of South America.

We maintain less than one tenth the number of seminary-trained missionaries to preach the Gospel and baptize the nations (Matt 28:19) than we did four decades At a time when the
world is throwing
open its doors to us
we should be sending
out more pastoral
missionaries rather
than bringing them
home.
ago. And, tragically, the few missionaries that are deployed are often not specifically and intentionally working to begin new congregations, but invested instead in tasks others could do.

On the international scene, many watch with dismay as our missionary force shrinks. Instead of sending out new missionaries, we are bringing them home. Instead of placing our youngest and most energetic pastors – recent seminarians – into mission opportunities, we leave these great resources unused for the mission of Christ.  Many pastors await calls. They are saying “Here am I. Send me!” Yet we are not sending them.

We can do better than this!

The Ablaze! initiative marked a shift in the LCMS international mission strategy. It is a change that has been poorly communicated and poorly understood. Here’s what has happened: our Synodical mission program has changed from “doing” mission work to “enabling” it. Rather than sending missionaries to preach the Gospel and plant churches, the international focus is on “capacity-building.” That means our LCMS resources are dedicated primarily to helping partner churches and others increase their ability to reach out with the Gospel in their own context. “Building capacity” may mean placing a seminary professor in Korea, financing an evangelization plan in Argentina, or setting up outreach centers in rural Africa. Obviously this work is necessary. As one of the wealthiest Lutheran Church bodies in the world we should be helping others carry out their ministry. But it’s not the same as sending missionaries. And it’s not the same as planting churches. The current approach is misguided and unbalanced.

It’s time to change this.

Certainly, today’s world is very different from how things were in 1970. In many ways, it is a world more hostile to Jesus Christ and His Good News of salvation. Yet, at the same time, there are more opportunities than ever to proclaim Jesus to the nations. Throughout the world, a harvest is ripening. At a time when the world is throwing open its doors to us we should be sending out more pastoral missionaries rather than bringing them home. Works of mercy and human care are truly important, just as are capacity-building offerings to poorer sister synods, but no soul has entered heaven because his mortal body was fed and clothed. Rather, Christ preached into his ears and his sins washed in baptism has granted him eternal rest with Christ!

Jesus’ words at the end of the Gospel of Matthew assume that Christians will be going to make disciples of all nations through teaching and baptizing (Mt. 28:18-20).  We need to establish churches throughout the world. Sending money may be helpful in some situations, but it is not the same as sending people!

It’s time for the “Good Ship Missouri” to have an admiral who has spent some time at sea. The Rev. Matthew Harrison began his churchly service as a missionary. He was a missionary pastor in rural and urban settings and that missionary-pastor heart remains central to his life and work. He has put forth dynamic ideas such as bringing in 100 seminarians from around the world to each of our two seminaries, that they may return home to be the pastoral missionaries the nations so dearly need. It’s time to consider Rev Matt Harrison for president. We need to restore our focus on missions that preach the Word  and administer the sacraments, on missions born out of the heart of the Great Commission. This convention can help make that happen.

We know that we are asking the synod to do something uncomfortable: change leaders.  This is not a change we should make lightly.  But this new direction in missions over the past decade has not served the Gospel well. We do not think this is acceptable, and, given the current administration’s commitment to an incomplete and unbalanced approach, a change in leadership is needed. Many others agree with us, and we invite you to read their testimonies on our website (crossfocusedleadership.org).  Let’s follow Rev. Harrison’s lead and “rock the world” with global Lutheranism – just like we did in our grandfathers’ day.

It’s Time!

Your friends at Cross-Focused Leadership for Missouri

Phillip Magness
Lindsay Umayam
Pastor Tom Chryst
Stephen R. Johnson
Pastor Paul Cain
Pastor Paul Schlueter
Jenny Jordan
Pastor Tony Sikora
Pastor Clint Poppe

We hope you are enjoying the “Little Book on Joy” we sent you. We hope this gift will be a blessing to you, as it has been to many of us. As Jesus First wrote recently in one of their newsletters to the synod, Rev. Harrison is “an accomplished writer, Bible study leader, and preacher,” as well as “a merciful pastor and church leader.” While they disagree with us as to whom the best candidate for synod president may be, they certainly agree with us and with many that Rev. Harrison is a blessing to the church. Regardless of how you may be inclined to vote, we trust you understand that politics in the church is – and should be – different than politics in the world, and so it is possible for us to rejoice in and share the gifts and talents of all the candidates who have been nominated.

That’s something else on which we agree with Jesus First and others who support President Kieshnick for a fourth term: that to support one candidate is not to diminish another. Too often the worldly politics of campaigning against people creeps into the church. This leads to unfortunate and even sinful personal attacks, which should have no place among Christians. Instead, our mutual conversation should build up the church, and in that spirit we offer some more things for you to read, should you wish to learn more about what we mean by leadership from a “cross-focused” perspective.

• What Others Are Saying provides ten “testimonials” from a wide variety of people who have known Rev. Harrison over the years – from government officials to an emeritus district president.
• Matt Harrison Can NOT Unify the Synod gets to the heart of church unity. Church leaders really don’t get it done, and yet we need men like Harrison to get us there. Here’s why.
• Harrison the Pastor helps you get to know Rev. Harrison beyond his administrative record and various achievements on his résumé. Read this to get a view into the heart of the man many are saying will be our next synodical president.

Speaking of the prospect of a new synodical president, we would like to acknowledge that we are asking you to do something uncomfortable: to switch leaders in the church. Even though the office of synod president is an elected position, one does not make such a change lightly. Whatever the merits of length-in-office or term limits might be, we believe we need new leadership now. Matt Harrison showed that he has the right approach when he pointed out over a year ago that structural changes are not going to solve our real problems. Sure, some of the proposals of the “Blue Ribbon Committee” are good ones. Neither CFLM nor Matt Harrison oppose all of them. But they are emblematic of what ails us: a focus on policies and procedure rather than cross and comfort. It is only the latter focus that will unify and motivate us. Three more years of the same direction, the same approach, and the same leadership style are not going to solve our problems. If anything, they will get worse.

The true power of Synod is the power of the Word of God. Real solutions come through the Gospel doing its thing among us. Our official gatherings should be immersed in the Word of God, just like in our grandfathers’ day, so that delegates are actually strengthened in their faith and built up in the joy of the Lord. Sure, we’ve got some legislating to do, but let’s not let this business turn us into legislators with the burdens of the Law. Instead of focusing on things like the number of terms someone ought to serve, the length of terms, eliminating boards for everything from Human Care to Black Ministry – or even changing the name of our synod – let’s keep our focus on the Gospel and do what is best for our synod: return missionaries to the field, rejuvenate our seminaries, support our pastors, and serve our congregations.

That is our prayer for this convention, that we will move beyond process to substance, and that we will elect leaders who will guide us with “cross-focused” vision and encouragement.

In Christ,

Your friends at Cross Focused Leadership for Missouri
http://CrossFocusedLeadership.org

Phillip Magness
Stephen R. Johnson
Jenny Jordan
Lindsay Umayam
Pastor Paul Cain
Pastor Tony Sikora
Pastor Tom Chryst
Pastor Paul Schlueter
Pastor Clint Poppe

P.S. If you know of other delegates who would like to receive these emails, but are not receiving them, please ask them to let us know (http://crossfocusedleadership.org/subscribe) so we can add them to our list.

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.

This summer will mark five years since Hurricane Katrina unleashed her destruction on the Gulf Coast. It will also mark five years since I began working with LCMS World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC), starting just two days after Katrina made landfall. As I listened to reports about the strength of the storm approaching New Orleans, I wondered what role, if any, my new employer would be playing in disaster response.

When I came into work that first day, I had not yet met Rev. Matt Harrison, Executive Director of WR-HC. During the course of the day, we eventually met, and I was greeted with, “Do you have a helicopter?” My deaconess training hadn’t prepared me for that! Though I couldn’t get Matt’s helicopter, it didn’t deter him from pulling me aside a few days later to talk about how we were going to organize the LCMS to help the more than 75 congregations that had been affected by Katrina.

Through staff cooperation and agreement from the Council of Presidents, Partnerships in Renewal was created to connect each district with two or three (or in some cases more) congregations and schools affected by Katrina (and later expanded to include Hurricanes Rita and Wilma). I was humbled that Matt would put a new, 27-year-old deaconess in charge of this part of our disaster response effort, and that he trusted me to see to it that this plan with districts and congregations was put into motion and carried out.

Disaster response was completely foreign to me, having spent four years in a suburban congregation in Wisconsin that simply had not dealt with disasters. And there were some folks I contacted who, because of frustration or other reasons, saw fit to take those frustrations out on me and “welcome” me to my new role in a variety of ways, most of which left me doubting my ability to do this job and Matt’s judgment in putting me to it. After getting wind of these incidents, however, Matt took time to encourage me, affirming my role and responsibilities with Katrina and within the department.

Through his kind words and affirmation, especially during those first weeks and months, I saw how much he valued every member of our staff and how he was able to rejoice at the gifts that each person brought to the mix. During each stage of response to Katrina, Matt’s focus continued to remain on how we could bring maximum help and capacity to congregations, church workers, and members who were suffering—knowing that having received good care, these dear folks would continue to serve faithfully in their communities and bring Christ’s mercy to those in their care.

Just a few months after Katrina, Matt wrote an article about deaconesses and how God says “no” in one place but “yes” in so many others. For me it was a clarifying manifestation of Matt’s dedication to and vision for the service of women in the church. He wrote:

What does a deaconess do? She serves. She does what needs to be done. She shows the compassion, the mercy, the love, the instruction of Christ. Where Christ says “No” to women’s service at one place, He and his church say a round, hearty and full bodied “Yes! and More!” in a thousand places delimited only by needs and gifts. Let’s finally get on with saying Yes! We at LCMS World Relief and Human Care pledge to do whatever it takes to continue to open doors and dream about possibilities and rejoice when possibilities become realities—realities to go! To proclaim the Good News! To have compassion! And to touch the untouchable (MercyWorks, Spring 2006, page 5).

The way that “yes” was said to me in the disaster response of WR-HC is but one small example of how “yes” is said to women in our department. In the five years that have now passed since Katrina, the capacity of our department to go, to serve, to proclaim, to have compassion, and to touch has increased dramatically. The confidence and trust Matt places in our staff has allowed for an explosion of ideas and capacity. Just look at what Maggie Karner and Jacob Fiene have done with Emergency Mercy Medical Teams in Haiti and with Mercy Medical Teams all over the world! Emergency Mercy Medical Teams were organized for the first time ever and sent to Haiti after the January 12 earthquake. The first team was there within a week, and four subsequent teams were sent, with a total of 63 medical professionals treating over 4,000 patients. Or the incredible projects Marie Kienker has undertaken with Lutheran Housing Support! Or Barb Below’s outstanding work with Recognized Service Organizations and our partners in the Dominican Republic! Or Grace Rao initiating deaconess training all over the world!

Matt likes to tell the WR-HC staff that we “have been baptized for this moment”—that as children of God, we are put into our different God-given vocations to bring Christ’s mercy to very specific people in very specific places. We are not “paper-pushers,” thinking and talking abstractly about a Jesus who is only as big as our desire to talk about him to others. We are “mercy-bringers,” meeting people where they are, hurting and broken, with Christ’s mercy in the form of very tangible help and presence. That is what we are given to do, and it has been a great honor for me to participate in that work for the last five years under Matt’s faithful leadership.