Lutheran Church Missouri Synod First Vice President Daniel Preus was the
guest speaker at the Association of Confessional Lutherans (ACL) meeting in
Chicago on Friday, April 5, 2002. Some were clapping and some weren't clapping
so hard. The entire speech was video taped.
This was a different Preus than the self-effacing fellow on the videos sent
to delegates before the 2001 LCMS Convention. Yes, Preus was a loyal
conservative second fiddle candidate behind Fort Wayne President Dean Wenthe.
The so-called "conservatives" had positioned the stronger, more
direct Preus, behind a candidate who had difficulty expressing himself without
apologizing for or qualifying nearly every position he took.
Preus' coattails weren't long enough to carry Wenthe.
The adoption of Resolution 7-17a, which reaffirmed Walther's "Church
and Ministry" as the official position of the LCMS by 73% to 27%, proved
that the Convention was in no mood to elect Dean Wenthe, the darling of the
hyper-euro-Lutheran Bishops.
Preus started his speech with warmth and openness and then slowly but
methodically moved to a slash-and-burn crescendo. Preus spoke on Lutheran
identity and drew a number of lines in the sand.
Preus explained that the Lutheran Church is the most correct expression of
the Christian faith. Other Christians have salvation, but the most correct
definition of a Christian in this world, after the Reformation, is a
"Lutheran."
Preus described much of so-called "contemporary worship" as being
little more than market-driven entertainment, promoted by CEO's. Up to this
point, he was preaching to the ACL choir.
Preus then began to condemn the inappropriate language used by high-church
Lutherans, such as the word "Mass" instead of "worship
service" and "Father" instead of "pastor." He warned
his listeners not to get too close to the Catholic Church. The
hyper-euro-Lutherans were not pleased.
Revered Father Erik Stefanski of Cat41, the foremost opponents of Walther's
voter supremacy and voters' assemblies, announced a few months ago that they
had finally found a "flag bearer" in Preus. You had better think
again, Father Stefanski.
During his speech, Preus must have invoked the name of C. F. W. Walther and
his famous 1844 article titled, "Concerning The Name Lutheran" at
least a dozen times.
The question remains as to whether Preus can at the same time afford to
alienate those who follow the rubrics of American business in their worship
services and those who have made ordination and clergy hierarchy the fourth
means of grace.
Can Preus still find 51% at the next Convention?
In 1995, the LCMS Convention voted 67% to 33% for the name,
"Lutheran." One third of the Synod voted against it. Doctor August
Suelflow, an observer, was astounded and commented that at the height of
liberal power in 1967, the name "Lutheran' would have carried 95% of the
vote.
In the 2001 Convention, neither Affirm, the hyper-euro's, nor either
seminary faculty supported Walther's "Church and Ministry" as the
official position of the LCMS. In fact, Affirm had engineered Wenthe as their
choice for Synodical President instead of Preus.
However, 73% of the Convention was riveted by Montana District President
George Wollenburg's claim that Walther's "Church and Ministry" was
Synod's Magna Charta.
The spread between Wenthe's loss and the passage of Resolution 7-17a was
24%. Preus has clearly chosen to carry the banner of Walther's Synod where he
may attract more laity than clergy.
President Kieschnick was quoted in the Saturday, March 30, Phoenix
"Tribune," where he stated, "The biggest challenge for the
denomination, he said, is finding 'consensus on what really is the reason for
our existence. '"
"He said the debate seems centered on two issues: 'Mission, reaching
out to lost people for Christ' or 'hanging onto the truth that preserves it
for generations to come.'"
Instead of "either/or" Preus is clearly saying, "We have to
be Lutherans so that we can have mission outreach and not disappear in the
abyss of American pop-culture Christianity.
"Ford," "Coca-Cola," and "Disney" all know
the value of "identity." If the Synod is going to survive, and do
mission work, it must preserve its own Lutheran identity.
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