Posted on 07/11/2004 9:10:36 AM PDT by old-ager
An election Sunday at the 62nd convention of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod at America's Center in downtown St. Louis will decide whether the embattled president of the church will remain in office for another three years.
At his installation in September 2001, Gerald B. Kieschnick said he would try to temper internal disputes that some say have thwarted the real work of the church for decades.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
All Bible believing Christians (is there any other kind?) have a stake in this. PLEASE PRAY for the Mo. Synod
As a Missouri-Synod Lutheran in New Jersey, I have to strongly disagree with your premise that the District president who spoke believes that "allah and the Triune God are the same" The president of the Atlantic District Synod prayed at the Yankee Stadium after 9/11 but clearly prayed in the Name of Jesus Christ. I watched the entire service...This was a prayer service for the VICTIMS of 9/11 and Lutherans were in the audience. He was a fabulous witness because he did not mince words...he prayed just as he would have done in the pulpit, clearly pointing the way to Christ as the only Comforter! As Lutheran MS Christians on the East coast, we are in a great minority and I remember feeling proud that the word of God was proclaimed so boldly. And now he is being persecuted for it!
Our synod faces the same problems as the Pharisees who separated themselves from sinners and relied on "church law", rather than ministering to ALL as Christ did. Though I heartily agree that our pastors should not speak at functions that "censor" their remarks (i.e. Graduations where the name of Christ cannot be used in the benediction,etc.) this was NOT the case here. Yes..pray for the church that they remember Christ's example.
"The 2.6 million-member Missouri Synod is the most conservative branch of the Lutheran church. "
I had always thought that the Wisconsin Synod was more conservative than the Missouri.
Some on that side have stated that they believe that Christians and Muslims "worship" the "same" "God". Benke has backed down somewhat on that very unfortunate position.
Anyway, Dr. Kieschnick has now been re-elected, due to a split in the conservative votes (which if united would have easily beaten him) and I will pray the best for him and the synod.
The conservatives lost today. Pres. Kieschnick was re-elected on the first ballot with 52.8% of the vote. Every Vice-President is a liberal now. The Board of Directors will be next. The old confessional Missouri Synod is dead. Too bad, since it has nourished the faith of five generations of my family. Time to bury it and begin anew. Churches get dry rot and die when they become infected with worldliness, butJesus lives!
Out side of my religious reference ping.
> due to a split in the conservative votes (which if united would have easily beaten him)
Self-correction here. The conservative votes did not add up to a majority. The women in the synod have spoken!
And they will soon have their women pastors so the Mo. Synod can be like every other apostate church.
I have to say that the members I know in the Jersey district are quite conservative. (Obviously, as a member of FR, I'm conservative as well!) I think that when one looks at the actual words said at the service, no one could possibly state that Benke now or EVER equated Christian and Muslim beliefs. I just hate to see such division within our church when people make judgements about an event that they have not actually seen, but have only HEARD about from others. The major media love to pounce on divisions in our church because we ARE Bible believing and hold to the confessions.
Pray for us on the East coast...it's difficult to witness to so many who are anti-Christian. That's why it was so important to stand up for Christ in such a public way without giving up our principle of invoking the name of Christ and giving Him the glory.
The vapid prayer offered by Pres. Benke wasn't a witness to the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. He did not state the faith. And no wonder...after the controversy erupted, he said that Muslims also believe in the true God. The loud sound you heard was Martin Luther turning over in his grave. No, the entire east coast of the church is liberal to the core. Conservatives will need to pray about their decision to stay and hope that the abysmally instructed members of the church can be educated to Lutheran doctrine, or to leave and be united with true Lutherans who know the difference between witness and idolatry.
I think you are right that the media are "pouncing" on this squirmish in the LCMS because the LCMS stands for so much that many members of the media abhor. I am a Roman Catholic who is a big fan of the LCMS. Good luck, all you Missouri Synod Lutherans! Orthodox Catholics and LCMS Lutherans may be divided over the fine points of justification doctrine, but we are on the same side in the cultural war that is raging; more importantly, all of our eyes are on eternity.
Your statement "the entire east coast church is liberal to the core" and your inference that only those in the heartland have been properly instructed in the faith are gross generalizations. I'm originally from Ohio and find myself on the East coast among faithful LCMS members. 9/11 hit very hard here, and I still think it was important to witness to others as Christ did. When He visited the tax collector, the Pharisees accused Him of associating with sinners, yet He continued to do so. He says we are to be "salt" of the earth, but if we don't reach out to others, we cannot be so. What I saw at that service was NOT idolatry!
I believe Martin Luther would have us follow Christ's model of "loving one another" even when we disagree. Can we not agree to pray for the church in the coming year to heal any divisions? In this culturally divided world, can we not agree to unite in standing up for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for the unborn and for the true Word of God?
> can we not agree to unite
Are we united on these issues:
- Communing with those who do not know what communion is?
- Allowing women to teach or exercise authority over men in the church?
?
Yes, we ARE united on these issues. I agree that communion should be open only to those who understand and agree with LCMS teaching on communion AND I don't want to see women as pastors (our pastor and members of our congregation are firm believers in this as well)
The Bible supports these points; I just don't think that the 9/11 issue should be as divisive as it has been for the reasons stated earlier.
Buckeye,
You are responding evenly without reviling me. I appreciate that. I can tell you are not a liberal.
I do urge you to track what else is happening at the convention this week. So far it looks like resolutions are being passed to further concentrate power with the president and district presidents. How can this be good?
Old-ager,
You make a good point. Neither my husband nor I are involved in the convention, but I will do as you suggest and review what is happening. I pray that the church maintains Christ's mission above all else, despite the human desire to acquire power, (as I am sure you hope as well) God's blessings.
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