Walther's "Church and Ministry" used to sit and collect dust in
the CPH warehouse, selling about 25 copies a year. This means that professors
at both seminaries aren't telling their students to read it.
After Doctor George Wollenburg steered Resolution 7-17A through the
Convention and made Walther's "Church and Ministry" the official
position of Synod, CPH sold out approximately 200 copies in one day to the
delegates. Now the book is so hot, you can't buy one. I was told the order to
reprint the book has already gone out and it will take 6 weeks to restock CPH
shelves.
Resolution 7-17A was sent in by Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Clair
Shores, MI, as found in Convention Workbook p. 251, 7-39. Pastor William
Bischoff originally wrote it for the Walther Conference held in St. Louis.
"The National Free Conference on C. F. W. Walther" has become the
Synod's think tank on reviving congregational polity.
Walther's 350-page book sells for $22.00, when it's in stock.
I ran into the Executive Director of CPH, Doctor Carter, and asked him if
the book could have an index. He laughed.
Walther's "Church and Ministry" is hot because the Convention
just voted 73.1% to 26.9% that this book is the official position on Church
and Ministry for the entire Synod. This means all the leadership training,
Church Growth administration, staff led, board dominated, and clergy ruled
congregations are going to have to get back into line with Walther's
"Church and Ministry" and voter supremacy!
Wollenburg delivered the full authority of the priesthood of all believers
into the hands of the lay people, not a bad day's work for his last official
duties for the entire Synod.
All the delegates received a copy of "How to Start or Keep Your Own
Missouri Synod Lutheran Church" by Rev. Jack Cascione three weeks before
the Convention. The book is $5.00 plus $2.00 for handling and shipping from
CN. It is about 1/5th the size of Walther's book and organized for the lay
reader. It explains the application and intent of Walther's book. Many of the
delegates read part or all of it before the Convention. They were tuned-in to
the implications of the extended debate over who is the final earthly
authority in the congregation.
On at least four occasions, requests were made from the floor mikes by lay
people to delay other resolutions so they could vote on 7-17A. Others asked
when they could vote on "Cascione's resolution." As former District
President William Sohn told floor Committee 7, "Walther's 'Church and
Ministry' is the queen bee, everything else is a band aid."
The lay people heard pastors come to the microphone telling them why
Walther's "Church and Ministry" should no longer be the official
doctrine of the LCMS. They saw the revised resolutions in "Today's
Business." One very knowledgeable pastor even testified before Committee
7 that adopting Walther's "Church and Ministry" was against the
Gospel.
The lay people rejected all of this and overwhelmingly voted for 7-17A,
thus, keeping the LCMS, the LCMS. The longer the debate continued the more the
support 7-17A gained. Now they can't buy the book.
If you are looking for a quick fix on the subject that dominated the 2001
Convention and a book that tells lay people what Walther's "Church and
Ministry" is all about we recommend, "How to Start or Keep Your Own
Missouri Synod Lutheran Church."
It's time to light a fire in your congregation, the same fire that led to
the creation of the LCMS. As of the adoption of 7-17A the LCMS remains the
largest congregationally structured church body in the world. Lay people R Us.
The wonderful thing about Walther's "Church and Ministry" is that
it is all based on the Bible and every thesis begins with the appropriate
citations from Scripture.
Only the LCMS has it.
It is about freedom in Christ.