There is a major void in LCMS leadership in the Council of District Presidents. Why do the LCMS pastors keep electing the "politicians" as District Presidents instead of theologians? This is because the majority of LCMS pastors believe that the real problems of the Synod must be addressed with leadership and not theology. They say, "Why vote for a theologian, we want a man who can do something." The founder of the Synod new nothing of "leadership skills" but was an outstanding theologian.

It is little wonder that Dr. Norbert Oesch has such total support from the COP. The vast majority of the COP doesn't view theology as a means to an end, namely more Lutherans. I doubt that the accumulated theological books of the COP would fill six inches on a bookshelf. Among their writings would be such notable works as the "Penguin Principals" by the Eastern District President.

Increasing leadership skills can't be a solution to the fundamental problem in the LCMS, namely the lack of doctrinal agreement!

When Dr. Norbert Oesch spoke at the Michigan South and East Pastors' Conference for four hours, President Hoesman did not allow the pastors in attendance to speak unless we wanted to stand up and repent about the weakness in our pastoral practice.

During that meeting Oesch asked if we pastors would give up our hymnbooks in order to save a soul. If I could have replied, the answer would have been, "Absolutely not!"

If the congregations gave up their hymnbooks there wouldn't be any place to put the souls we were supposedly trying to save. There wouldn't be any LCMS because no one would know what they were doing. Should we give up the LCMS, the name Lutheran, Liturgy, Creeds, and our identity to save souls? Should we give up our Bibles to save souls?

Oesch, the Executive Leader of PLI, Pastoral Leadership Institute, is making an error in church marketing innovations of colossal proportions. Stores like Target and Kmart struggle for uniformity in their store layout in order to maintain customer loyalty. Giving up hymnbooks, liturgy, and tradition only helps convince the "guests" to keep church hopping.

Followers of PLI are remarkable for their love of ugly churches. They chose the contemporary "Early Falwell" warehouse look. Of course, there is a percentage of the population who loves the theater seat, massive cinderblock walls, stage/chancel and a band pit look.

Of course, if it is a crowd we want, churches with the pews/bleachers around basketball courts and hockey rinks are more effective than a good rock band. The fellowship of Christian Athletes may be the best hope for the Church Growth Movement.

There is no question that a majority of the LCMS membership is over 55. Is our answer, "We must appeal to the young?" Isn't the real answer that the average member of the LCMS, at least according to the surveys, doesn't know why they are Lutheran and doesn't know how the church should be structured? How are people over 55 going to convince young people about the advantages of the LCMS when most of the people over 55, don't understand their own church constitutions? No church body has a better doctrine of Church and Ministry than the LCMS but most lay people in the LCMS don't know what it is.

The LCMS needs the leadership of the Word of God. Human leadership is not going to save the Synod. As more LCMS members become less attached to their German heritage, there is also less reason from them to stay in the LCMS, unless they know why they are Lutherans. Leadership is not the solution.

"Leadership" themes remind us of the liberal German Lutheran Theologians of the 1880's. They helped convince the Germans that the greatness of Germany was not that Jew in sandals walking in the desert, but the Fatherland. Harnack's "What is Christianity" (published in Berlin in 1900) led Germans away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the worship of Germany and its leaders. (especially chapter XVI) Harnack unknowingly helped write the theology for Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

How far off the mark can LCMS church leaders get today? Nearly the entire faculty at St. Louis followed John Tietjen right off the campus in 1974. They weren't going to let that Norwegian, Synodical President, Jacob Preus, tell them anything.

I used to tell Rev. Waldemar Wehmeier, (Thd) back in 1969, in the halls of Lutheran High School North in St. Louis, while I was watching my class from the door, that when those farmers in Nebraska found out what the libs were doing, they would take off their heads. He said, "In ten years they will agree with us." Wehmeier was wrong then and PLI is just as wrong today. The LCMS needs theological agreement, not leadership.

We know that "leadership" is a spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts can't be taught. The church is called to teach God's Word, not spiritual gifts.

If people want to learn administration, they can earn an MBA or a Masters Degree in Administration. If congregations don't place excellent preaching and teaching as their first priority, "leadership" can never be an adequate substitute.

When they holler "growth" it, means the Synod is shrinking. When they holler "leadership," it means they are looking for something to fill the theological void.

In Michigan, after 152 years, the District President just discovered the District's core values. He proudly placed the Michigan District's spending budget in a large, three-dimensional color pie chart on the front cover of the Michigan Lutheran, with the title "Budgeted Expenses According to Core Values." We assume the Lord will say "Well done good and faithful servant" at the Last Judgment, because we discovered "our" core values.

Oesch will continue to receive accolades from a theologically vacuous COP because the majority of the LCMS view theologians, the study of theology, and the promotion of theology as counterculture and counter leadership and counter growth.

The COP still hasn't recovered from their meeting with the "Leadership Network." It was a marketing boondoggle. They focused on 5% of the congregations, while ignoring 95% of the base, which is nothing more than the leadership of self-extinction.

Personally, I doubt that anything will fill the void now, that the COP no longer views theology as the salvation of the Synod. Recruiting high school seniors to a life dedicated to leadership versus teaching theology to grade school children and parishioners is a little less than inspiring.

The focus on leadership means Saul instead of Samuel.

The time will come when C. F. W. Walther will be recognized as the great genius of American churchmanship, but perhaps not by the Missouri Synod. Within his lifetime, the Synod grew to 1200 congregations. Within 100 years it grew to 4000 congregations and by 125 years it grew to 6000 congregations. He did it with theology, theology, and more theology.

The current crop of leaders is not sold on theology and believes the layman needs leaders, not theology.