Last summer, District President (DP) Larry Stoterau of the Pacific Southwest District wrote a powerful pastoral letter in opposition to the recent Ecclesiastical Supervision bylaw change. You can download a copy of it here.
Several District Presidents have addressed their concern with the centralization of control in the Synodical President’s office, especially as it relates to the recent changes in the area of ecclesiastical supervision. Pacific Southwest District President Larry Stoterau’s letter to his District clearly outlines their cause for concern.
IT IS TIME TO ACT
Southeastern DP Denninger wrote, too. You can read the Congregations Matter article and his letter here. Now Pacific Southwest DP Stoterau wrote of his concerns. Others have joined these three with their own letters.
What will you do?
We should all applaud their leadership in opposing this drastic change of direction for our Synod. It’s time for talk — lots of it — and action — lots of it — and keeping the perspective that in all of this, Jesus is still the Lord of the Church.
Congregations Matter© stands with these leaders and others who stand for the historic, constitutional and Confessional understanding of the LCMS. All of us need to remember the task of Synod is to support congregations in their local mission and ministry.
We believe it is time for our elected leaders to change the way that they are acting – or time for us to change our elected leaders.
If you would like to join the movement, here are some things to do:
- First, sign up for our email list and receive new posts from this site to become more informed on the issues.
- Next, make sure your congregation passes resolutions to district conventions and national conventions that support this effort. We must turn our LCMS leadership back to its historic role.
- Finally, elect local delegates to the District and National conventions who will vote for the primacy of congregations, not the primacy of the Synodical President and his administration.
And one more thing. You have the responsibility to nominate men and women to serve as our leaders in Synod. When it’s time to nominate a Synod President and others in 2019, let’s choose leadership that will support congregations, not use congregations to support them.
Congregations matter.
Click here to download DP Stoterau’s letter to the Southeastern District
Click here to download DP Denninger’s Letter to the Southeastern District
Click here to download Texas DP Hennings’ letter, the Chair of the Council of Presidents