The entire report can be found at:
http://www.lcms.org/president/statements/christcommission.asp
See the companion article on this
topic, What's Wrong...
The Synod has waited 5 ½ years for the 1995 report of the Church Growth
Study Committee commissioned by the 1995 Synodical Convention and published
January, 2001.
In its report, the Committee seeks to define "Church Growth" and
aims to address some of its effect on the public confession and worship life
of the LC-MS over the past ten years.
The report sparkles with clarity in defining and enumerating the egregious
distortions in doctrine and practice promoted by the Church Growth Movement.
The Committee must be commended for its outstanding theological analysis.
The Committee was comprised of an excellent list of LC-MS pastors, scholars
and officials: Drs. Robert Kuhn, Charles Manske, Dale Meyer, Gene Edward
Veith, Richard Warneck, Professor Kurt Marquart, Pastors Phill Andresen, Jack
Baumgarn, John Domsch, Harold Senkbeil and Kenneth Wietting. These men
understand Lutheran theology and their expertise is indeed a blessing to our
church. We thank God for their bold public confession.
They write: "The problems with the Church Growth Movement have to do
with the assumption that God's Word is not sufficient, that it needs to be
supplemented with 'contemporary social and behavioral sciences.' In practice,
this means changing the church - its worship, its self-understanding, and its
confession - so that it conforms to contemporary American culture."
The Committee divided up their report into two parts, theological and
cultural issues. They listed six categories under theological issues
including:
- The saving presence of God the Holy Trinity through the means of grace
(Word and Sacrament) is the heart and center of the church's life, worship
and growth.
- The mission of the church is God's mission.
- Pastors are shepherds of Christ's sheep called to feed them with His
Word and Sacraments and thus to lead them in the mission of the church.
- Worship is the center of the church's life both in this world and in the
next.
- The Lutheran church has a distinct confessional identity.
- The "theology of the cross" defines the mission and ministry
of the church.
They give thorough, thoughtful and concise analysis of the Church Growth
Movement's multi-faceted attack on the doctrine, practice and life of the
congregation. They address the issues with Scripture and the Lutheran
Confessions. We recommend this report to every pastor and layperson in the
Synod.
The Committee's depth of theological insight is brilliant. Particularly
gratifying was the Committee's endorsement of the name "Lutheran" on
all LC-MS congregations. Keeping the name "Lutheran" was an Overture
submitted by Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan and
adopted by the Convention in 1995.
It was also gratifying to see the Committee endorse the use of the three
Ecumenical Creeds, and only the three Ecumenical Creeds in all LC-MS worship
services. Again, this was an Overture submitted by Redeemer Lutheran Church in
St. Clair Shores, Michigan and adopted by the Convention in 1998. This was
also the primary concern of a book entitled "Reclaiming
the Gospel in the LC-MS," by Rev. Jack Cascione and sent to every
delegate of the 1998 LC-MS Convention.