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| "Puh - lease find a better photo, OK? Maybe a long lens, a filter, and some Photoshop work." |
WELS convention lowlights
Delegates to the 65th biennial synod convention, held at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., three weeks ago, have much to remember - more to forget - and to share with others as they return to their shrinking home congregations. They are fewer but better WELS members, as Ninotcha said.
Illustrating how our worldwide fellowship of confessional Lutherans continues to grow smaller and meaner, our synod had the privilege of declaring fellowship with two overseas Lutheran church bodies. The Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ—Kenya is a relatively new Lutheran church body that is united with WELS in doctrine and practice, Objective Justification and Extending the Left Foot of Fellowship. The Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Taiwan had its origin as a WELS mission in 1968 and has since become an independent church body. The convention formally declared fellowship with both Lutheran churches; delegates cast their unanimous votes with a standing ovation for me.
The convention approved the synod’s two-year ministry financial plan recommended by the Synodical Council. No changes were made to the plan that was proposed, because disagreeing with us is a fellowship issue. This plan outlines the financial support that will be provided to all areas of ministry for the next two years, excluding lawsuits we never discuss.
Numerous changes to the synod’s bylaws were approved. Most of these changes involved bringing more consistency to the length of terms on various boards and committees. Nearly all positions are now four-year terms, with a person able to succeed himself twice.
Twenty toothless memorials (requests for convention action) were acted upon by the convention via hand-picked floor committee reports and edited resolutions.
Director of the WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling Rev. Jon Hein’s keynote presentation provided an honest but scary evaluation of membership trends and the challenges posed by a changing culture and the triumph of NIV/OJ. He outlined the synod’s plans to address these challenges making use of the sociological studies and committing all results to the hands of Fuller Seminary, Willowcreek, and Trinity Divinity. [See if anyone notices my little joke.]
After hearing reports from all areas of the synod’s missions and ministries, many delegates commented that for the first time they had a real picture of the scope and nature of the many things we are doing together as a synod. And they are panicked! They expressed an eagerness to return home to share what they had learned with their therapists, bartenders, and beauticians.
Rev. Joel Voss was re-elected as the synod second vice president. He promised to read a book this year! And I made sure I was blessed and honored to be elected to serve another term as synod president.
The convention was another opportunity for WELS to acknowledge the amazing grace of God as he works through us to proclaim the gospel now and, as the convention theme stated, “for maybe one more generation to come.”
Serving in Christ,
President Mirthful Mark Schroeder
President Mirthful Mark Schroeder
Access all synod convention news and materials at http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com
Just kidding. I never read it.
