News from and about our Synod
Congregations Matter extends its congratulations to President Harrison on his victory in last week’s Synod presidential election. We join the church in praying for God’s richest blessings upon him as he carries out his important responsibilities over the next three years. He must work to collaborate with the WHOLE Synod to provide more transparent, fiscally responsible, and trustworthy leadership.
Read Pastor Timothy Klinkenberg’s letter to his congregation about the need for “Truth and Light” in our Synod. Maier and Klinkenberg’s nominations totaling 57.4% of all nominations show of support for a change in leadership far greater than Harrison’s support for re-election. Synod is saying: “It’s time for openness and truthfulness in our Synod leadership.”
On late Friday afternoon, February 8, 2019, Matthew C. Harrison publicly admitted interfering in Synod’s Presidential nomination process. What did Harrison do wrong? He tainted Synod’s nomination process by giving wrong advice to pastors about who could nominate him, and he did so at Synod expense.
President Harrison sent handwritten postcards on January 3rd and 4th from the President’s Office at Synod expense to the pastors of select congregations. Because he advised them to circumvent their Voter’s Assemblies if they could, are his nominations valid?
President Harrison, Secretary Sias and the LCMS Board of Directors (BOD) shamefully hid from Synod their true intentions regarding Selma. Newly shared documents and open records from Synod BOD minutes, convention records and the CCM opinions reveal their double-dealing. Selma never had a chance. Could this happen to a Concordia near you?
Harrison’s plan to centralize control of our local Concordias under one President and Board of Regents is a dangerous power-grab. Who gave Harrison and Sias the authority to do this?
In a move that surprised Concordia University Presidents, President Harrison and Secretary Sias will propose the elimination of all Concordia Boards of Regents at the Tampa Convention in 2019. However, President Tom Ries of Concordia, St. Paul, revealed that our Concordia University Presidents are unanimously opposed to Harrison’s plan.
Pastor Anthony Steinbronn, President of the New Jersey District, opposes the movement of our Synod toward a church Martin Luther opposed 500 years ago, where all authority is centered in one person and others are authorized to maintain control using the traditions of men rather than the Word of God…ALONE.
During the Florida-Georgia District Convention, the 160+ voting delegates delivered clear and direct messages to third-term LCMS President Harrison. Disappointed by Harrison’s scripted remarks and unpersuaded by deflective non-answers to specific questions, they overwhelmingly rejected his Presidential actions in vote after vote.
In Part One of the Congregations Matter article about United Listers, concerned LCMS members learned two things. First, the groups that form The United List are well-funded with hundreds of thousands of dollars in their war chests for political purposes. Second, United Listers control Synod. Laypeople and pastors alike can hardly believe this happens in the LCMS.
