Guest Essay: We Stand Against Centralizing Power in the LCMS

Sadly, our Synod is moving toward a greater centralization of power.  Despite the LCMS being historically a Synod of congregations bound together by a common confession and walking in love, we are more and more ruled by an administration in the International Center bent on control. If we resign ourselves to a Synod with centralized control, we will never have freedom from fear as workers in the harvest, freedom from church-political agendas that limit the Gospel — and we will never be free to be the Church our Lord has called us to be, nor fulfill His commission for us as followers of Jesus.

The Local Church Out of Focus

Why “Congregations Matter”?

Congregations matter.  For several years we have been silent, letting our Synod drift into the trouble we see at every hand. We have been focusing on local matters and serving the Lord in the harvest field.  As we have worked, our Synod leadership has lost its focus.  Synod’s first responsibility is to serve congregations and assist them in their work for the Kingdom of God.  That’s not happening now. Silence Doesn’t Mean We Agree We have been silent — and our beloved Synod has drifted off course.  Our Synod’s elected leadership is not focused on their historic roles. Instead, more and more power and decision-making responsibility is in the hands of fewer and fewer — and there is less and less opportunity for other voices to be heard. Our current leadership will not listen to our elected District Presidents.  Our Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) is supporting our Synodical President in his