TUESDAY MORNING

Pastor Fred Casmer called to order the 2006 Arizona-California Pastors Conference on October 17, 2006, at 10:03am. 

Pastor Mike Carr led the opening devotion.  He proclaimed that Daniel 7:13-14 leads us from nightmares of a disintegrating world to the dreamscape of divine authority in the resurrection.

Following the opening devotion, the conference agenda, the 2005 conference minutes, the Open Forum talking points, and the form for essay suggestions and essay assignment preferences were distributed.

A motion was made and seconded to adopt the agenda.  The motion carried.

A motion was made and seconded to approve the 2005 conference minutes.  The motion carried.

The secretary has copies on file.

Pastor Lynn Wiedmann presented his essay, an exegesis of 1 Corinthians 10:14-17, with reference to verses 18-22, and an exegesis of 1 Corinthians 11:26-31, with reference to verses 32-34, entitled, "It is the LORD'S Supper," not that of demons, nor ours, but the LORD'S.  The secretary has a copy on file.

In the discussion that followed the essay, the following points were made: 

• An emphasis on the real presence is absent from the visible church in general and may become the greatest issue of coming decades.

• "We have not," page 4, fourth full paragraph, second last line, refers to the opinion that, as Christians, we do not realize the degree of degradation in our society, especially in the area of sexual morality.

• Celebrating the Lord's Supper every Sunday is not commanded by Scripture nor should doing so become canon law, as others may treasure the other means of grace, Baptism, even more, but in contemplating the meaning of the Greek, "keep on doing to remember," there is an argument for making the Lord's Supper available often.

• The Greek does not use the phrase we translate as, "fallen asleep," only to refer to the death of a Christian, however the essayist is convinced that the reference in 1 Corinthians 11 is to physical death rather than spiritual, and that physical death may serve as a means of avoiding condemnation with the world.  The KJV translation, "damnation," is too strong.

The author was commended for the manner in which he kept the larger context of the chapters in view as he exegetically explored the specific text assigned to him.  The author agreed that both the lateral and vertical relationships may be found in 1 Corinthians 10, but feels that the text is weighted more to the lateral relationship in the Lord's Supper.

In dealing with other Lutheran bodies, all of chapter ten is best for, "Anytime I go to the wrong altar for anything, I am being worldly" in my application of Scripture to my involvement with heterodox church bodies.

A motion was made and seconded to thank the essayist.  The motion carried     

 

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

Pastor Scott Stone began the afternoon session with a devotion based on Hosea 1:2-11.  He emphasized God's grace towards his people of the Old Testament era as it was illustrated by Hosea's marriage to a prostitute.  He noted that the degree of God's grace has not diminished over time.  He still calls his people to forsake their adulterous spiritual life and "marry" themselves to their faithful God and the proclamation of His word.

Pastor Eric Ziecker presented his essay, "A Review of the Past and Present Practice of Close(d) Communion."   The secretary has a copy on file.  In the discussion that followed the essay, the following points were made:

• The practice of the dismissal of guests prior to the celebration of communion (closing the door after they have departed) might engender a sense of false pride and secrecy unbecoming of the sacrament as a confession of faith.

• Initially, it hurts us if those we refuse to commune take offense and display anger toward us, but doing so may sharpen one's own practice and could sharpen the practice of the church in general.

• We must be cautious in deeming all who are not of our fellowship as "unworthy" communicants, especially other Lutherans, as they approach their own altars for the Lord's Supper.  In addition, we must be careful to address the notion among some WELS members that they are "worthy" simply because they are members of the WELS.  It is not about worthy communicants, but about those who commune in a worthy manner.  In these matters, the LORD'S judgment prevails.

A motion was made and seconded to extend the time allotted for discussion.  The motion carried.

• It is to our loss that the once common practice of announcing for communion by a personal visit with the pastor, or, at least, a personal phone call to the pastor is no longer common among us, as it gave the pastor a chance to review a given member's or guest's confessional position and to do that in a more relaxed setting than five minutes before the service on Sunday mornings.

• Many enjoyed the evangelical spirit of the paper and the historical timeline it followed in following the practice of closed communion from the first century to the present time.

• Closed communion is not only about celebrating a common confession, it also insures that we hold up to our members as trustworthy counselors and comforters those who share a common understanding  and application of the Holy Scriptures.

A motion was made and seconded to thank the essayist.  The motion carried.

Pastor Dan Wagenknecht presented The Arizona-California District Mission Board report.  The secretary has a copy on file. 

Pastor Johnold Strey presented The Report of the District Worship Committee.  The secretary has a copy on file.  In the discussion that followed the report, the following points were made:

• In order to facilitate easy inclusion in worship service inserts/booklets, all worship related material, especially songs, hymns, spiritual songs, should be made available in electronic formats

• "Worship Planning" seminars and "Worship Enrichment" workshops cover related, but not necessarily the same concepts and materials.

• The popularity of contemporary worship's performance style, bands and vocal groups up in front of the congregation, could serve as models for our own approach in "staging" our musical presentations. This fits the model of traditional cantors who stand in front of church assemblies to lead them in singing.

District president Pastor Paul Janke presented The District President's Report.  The secretary has a copy on file.  Both in the presentation of the report and in the discussion that followed it, the following points were made:

• Redeemer Lutheran, Lovelock, Nevada, is appealing its suspension from our Synod.

• The brothers were strongly encouraged to promote increases in their congregations' Congregational Mission Offering.

• In the light of the fact that 60-70% of the total Synodical budget funds the Worker Training program and that an analysis of future needs versus future income that may be directed toward Worker Training indicates near total insolvency of our Worker Training system by the year 2011, redirecting funds from other areas of ministry to Worker Training now would have little, if any, impact on the overall financial health of the system. The deficits we are facing need to be met with a dramatic and overall increase in CMO / IMO giving.

• Since even allegations of impropriety can lead to devastating consequences, the brothers were strongly encouraged to be proactive in establishing, applying and maintaining congregational policies governing the interaction of called workers and lay workers with women, youth, and children.  It is vital to set boundaries for such ongoing contact so that even the appearance of inappropriate behavior may be avoided.       

• With the call of Pastor Heins to serve as the editor of Charis magazine, there is a more positive outlook regarding both the content of the magazine and the ongoing relationship between the Charis Foundation and the WELS.

• We need to become better informed regarding the current controversial issues troubling our sister synod, the ELS.

• The current issue of non-WELS speakers at WELS or WELS affiliated organizations sponsored gatherings that are defined as, "outside the framework of fellowship," is a frequent agenda item for the COP, but historically the phrase and the issue have surfaced several times since 1961.  The COP will continue to monitor the nature of the events and the background of the speakers that are categorized as, "outside the framework of fellowship."

• The COP strongly holds that the current structure of WELS Boards should remain intact as it enables the COP and the WELS as a body to hold administrators accountable.  Speaking for the Synodical Council, Mr. Tom Schlittenhart noted that in the light of more critical issues, the SC 's consensus is that the 2007 Synod Convention is not the convention at which to address restructuring.

A motion was made and seconded to thank our President for his report.  The motion carried.

Pastor Jon Stern gave The Parish Services Report. The secretary has a copy on file.  In the discussion that followed the report, the following points were noted:

• Compelled by the absence of sufficient budgetary funding to maintain the level and quality of service many congregations are requesting, various Synodical agencies are seeking outside funding.  In the case of services for parish schools, it was emphasized that the per student fee recommended by Parish Services as a means of funding certain programs is a voluntary fee, not a mandatory fee.

• Serving in place of Mr. David Lieder, Pastor Thomas Schulz, Christian Giving Counselor, Current Gifts, gave The Ministry of Christian Giving Report.  The secretary has a copy on file.

The conference was recessed for the rest of the day.  Pastor Scott Stone led the assembly in prayer.

 

WEDNESDAY MORNING

The Conference worship service began at 9:35p.m.  The secretary has a copy on file.  In its lessons, we were encouraged to stand in awe of the inexpressible and glorious nature of the abiding Presence of the LORD (Exodus 33:12-23), to praise God for the inexpressible and glorious joy which fills us as we contemplate Scriptures' revelation of  the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:3-12), and to give witness to our understanding of the Scriptures by proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins to the world (Luke 24:44-49.)  In its sermon, we were instructed regarding the Old Testament's Perspective on the Holy Ministry to reflect Moses' stable perspective on the ministry in the way he clung to Law and Gospel and to reflect the LORD'S glorious perspective in our ministry by keeping in front of our people the vision of a glorious eternity tied to the past's history of God's abiding mercy.

During the worship service, Mr. Harold Mears was installed into his office as Planned Giving Counselor for the Arizona-California District of the WELS.

After the worship service, Pastor Phil Koelpin gave The World Mission Board Report.  There was no written handout.  The presentation was a power point production.  The reporter enthusiastically gave an update on all world mission fields.   The following points were noted.

• The World Mission Board itself, not the Synod's presidium, requested that the Board be restructured.

• Allocations of funds for each major division of the world mission fields (African, S.E.A., Latin American, Native American, and SouthEast Asian,) were based on each division's ability to show the potential of the field, a plan for developing that potential, and progress in implementing that plan.

• The professor who holds the World Missionary chair at the Seminary will not only supervise worker training in the various fields, but also oversee a faculty exchange program among the fields.

• The development of our outreach efforts to the Muslim community is the envy of other denominations.

 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

Pastor Hans Caauwe opened the afternoon session with a devotion based on Amos 6:1-7, encouraging us to "see the target on our own backs." As leaders who are to call our people out of complacency about the church's mission, we need to address the materialism that often captures our own focus.  Then we may call our people to repentance for their complacency that focuses on financial fitness without recognizing spiritual bankruptcy. 

Pastor Bill Tackmier presented his paper, "Development in Worship." The secretary has a copy on file.   In the discussion that followed the following points were noted:

• People who transfer from one WELS congregation to another sometimes leave the WELS because their current congregation, though liturgical, does not offer all the worship extras (choirs, hand bell choirs, musicians)  that their former congregation did.  "It isn't always about contemporary worship versus traditional worship."

• "The Memoirs of the Apostles," like, "The Didache," (mentioned in an earlier discussion,) and, "The Apology of Justin Martyr," should not be read as the broad-based record of what the entire visible Christian church was doing at the time.  All three might only reflect a very narrow, that is, a localized church life experience.  Yet, "The Apology of Justin Martyr" does indicate that there was a broad-based uniformity in the order of worship, if not in the actual content.

• We need greater clarity in the terminology we use to describe the format and content of a given worship service.  Word and Sacrament seems to indicates a content oriented worship experience.  Praise Service might be better defined as a Song and Scripture service.

• There are commonalities in respect to the perceived needs of 1st century and 21st century worshippers.  However, we cannot ignore the development of the human psyche over time or the impact of an increasingly humanistic society on our perceptions.

• Though there has never been true, consistent uniformity in ritual and content among our churches (not everyone kneels for confession at communion services, not everyone sings the same hymns on the same Sundays,) the centrality of the WELS worship experience has always been Word and Sacrament.  Personal taste may define what one considers good music, one may find certain liturgical forms better balanced in terms of subjective and objective variables, but one may not call contemporary worship wrong per se because it appears to emphasize subjective response to the word more than objective proclamation of the word.

A motion was made and seconded that we extend the time for discussion of the paper.  The motion carried.

• The strength of CW's hymns is that they are not merely responsive in nature, but also didactic.  One not only is praising God, but also is learning about God and His grace as he sings.

• Our members might become confused by the differences in worship formats and come to see them as indicative of a division in our fellowship.  The antidote for this is that we "get on the same page," allowing for diverse musical selections, instrumentation, and settings, without discounting the value of the traditional liturgies.

• We should demonstrate wisdom in our selection of songs for our worship services, seeking songs that do not merely praise God without proclaiming what He has done to compel our praise.  The service should not be seen merely as a setting for the proclamation of Word and sacrament, but rather in its entirety, in all its parts, be a proclamation of Word and sacrament.

• In ancient times, when it was a part of the service, confession and absolution was usually at the beginning of worship.  However, just as often it was a private affair and separate from the service, unless the Lord's Supper was being celebrated.  Then it always was a part of the service.     

• In ancient times it was, and, most often today, confession usually is placed first in the order of service primarily because it is thought that the confession/conversion implied by the absolution must always precede any act of worship.

A motion was made and seconded that we hear the six remaining speakers.  The motion carried.

• Liturgical forms protect the word because they proclaim the word.  While the Lord's Supper, placed at the end of worship as it usually is, might be overemphasized as the climax of our liturgical worship, we must never forget that the word is more important.

• A brother's experience of Roman Catholic worship services led him to the conclusion that their preaching is miserable and the sacrament a "warm fuzzy."  Sometimes the old liturgical songs are the only hope for someone to hear the proclamation of the Gospel.  When the doctrine goes south, the preaching goes bad, and all that's left is the content of the historic canticles.  Thus subjectivity in song lyrics, how one responds to the Gospel, is not nearly as important as objectivity in song lyrics, the proclamation of the Gospel.  And liturgical structures help us to focus our efforts on that all important word.

• Worship formats fall under the category of adiaphora.  A contemporary worship format may contain the same readings and the same sermon and thus be as sound in the proclamation of the Gospel as any traditional service.  There is a need to apply the 8th commandment among us.  We shouldn't hold a brother suspect simply because he uses a contemporary worship format.   

• Both sides of the issue must take care to avoid making a canon law of their freedom in worship. Traditional proponents must not declare contemporary worship heretical.  Contemporary proponents should not make a ceremonial law of the freedom to do as they please, with no consideration for the impact it might have on the fellowship of the WELS overall.

• Contemporary or liturgical, good music matched to sound lyrics is hard to find, especially when your worshipers are attuned to the musical context of their era, but the district worship coordinator and the Synodical worship administrator are solid resources to assist in the search for such solid songs.

A motion was made and seconded to thank the essayist.  The motion carried.

After the break, Pastor Jeffrey Holtan, Immanuel, Waupaca, Wisconsin, our guest lecturer, presented his paper, "The Framework of Fellowship."  The secretary has a copy on file.  In the discussion that followed, the following points were noted:

• No one was aware of any change in the working relationship established between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity.   

• In private situations, in order to avoid unnecessary hurt or offense, care should be taken in dealing with individuals who are ignorant of the confessional principles involved and want us to pray with them.  We should seek to instruct such people, as time and circumstance permit, to confirm their personal relationship with Jesus, at least, especially if there is any indication that they are unchurched.

• If Paul took false teaching and false teachers as seriously as he did, writing that we should, "stay away" from them, should we think that we are any better equipped than he was to withstand false teaching?  Isn't inviting a known heterodox speaker teasing the snare of false teaching?

• There is a need to distinguish between a weak brother who is open to your correction, who is willing to shape his presentation to your parameters, and a persistent errorist who is determined to present his material as is, regardless of any direction he might receive from you.  How can you invite such an errorist to speak on matters that impact on faith, life or ministry, but tell the audience to try to avoid letting it build up their faith.

• We should always be considering, "What is the wisest course?  What will be the impact overall on our own and any presenter=s notions of fellowship?"  And if that is the case, why invite non-WELS speakers in the first place?  God has blessed our "little church body" with a tremendous amount of gifts in its called workers.  Why not turn to those with whom we have no issues to instruct us? 

• Certain areas of expertise are not extant in our circles, and so we may need to go outside of them to gain knowledge, but we must be careful to consider how any given individual receives our invitation, the perception that he might bring with him that he is in fellowship with us when he makes his presentation to us.

• An ALC "grandma" may be a "weak brother" in the sense that she is ignorant of the changes that have taken place, but that does not excuse us from instructing her about them, if she wishes to commune. If one is capable enough to commune, one is capable enough to receive instruction regarding fellowship.

• Brothers who pursue advanced and terminal degrees from non-WELS religious institutions of higher learning should not be condemned out of hand.  Our seminary faculty conducted a study on gaining degrees from such institutions outside our fellowship and it is available.  We need to realize that those pursuing such degrees also are wise enough in the Scriptures to test the spirits and keep that which is good.  At the same time, caution should be given to avoid the yeast of the Pharisees.

A motion was made and seconded that we thank the essayist.  The motion carried.

The conference recessed for the day.  Pastor Bill Tackmier led the conference in prayer.

 

THURSDAY MORNING

Pastor Mark Aufdemberg opened the morning session with a devotion based on Habakkuk 2:1-4.  He reminded us that God in his grace has stooped down to us sinful failures and made us somebody by the proclamation of the same special Gospel message that created a new spirit within us, a spirit that views one thousand eight "unsuccessful" visits in the light of God=s powerful work in the heart of our one thousand and ninth prospect.  Thus he changes our way of thinking from a focus on ourselves and our own success to our delight in the simple privilege of proclaiming his word.

The floor was given to Pastor Snowden Sims, moderator of the Open Forum, "What Is On Your Mind About Our Synod?"  The secretary has a copy of the open forum talking points on file.

In the discussion of those talking points the following was noted:

• DEALING WITH BROTHERS WHO SIN PUBLICLY
   

• A dialogue revolving around anecdotal testimony regarding a specific brother's offense included the expressed desire that the facts of the nature of the offense, the correction given, and whether that correction led to repentance on the part of the offending brother should be shared with all the pastors of our Synod. Especially this should be the case if and when any offending brother has a high profile and his influence can impact both on a  national and even on an international scale.  

• While each DP is trusted to deal with his own constituency (though at times two DP's may work in tandem) and reports actions to the COP, the COP should work as a group when the potential impact of a brother's offense is national in scope. In addition, it is not the sole venue of the DP to rein in errant brothers. Finally, those who experience any given offense first hand ought to be the first to correct, even rebuke, if necessary, while those confronted with correction should lend a "listening ear" (Proverbs 25:12) to a brother who is seeking to instill wisdom, not self-righteously, but lovingly.

• Trusting those we elect is well and good, but it is also vital that we recognize that even a DP might give an offense, or fail to act on an offense that is given by a brother in his district.  DP's need to watch over DP's and brother pastors as well as the laity have the right to ask questions or express concerns.

• One speaker asked that the secretary be directed to write to the COP on behalf of the conference, requesting them to deal with individual district matters that involve offense or accusations of false teaching as a group, not as individuals.  No motion to that effect was made.
  
   

• RESTRUCTURING
   

• Convinced that the financial solvency of our worker training system schools is the more pressing issue, our SC representative, Tom Schlittenhart still solicited and received guidance from the district pastors regarding restructuring.
   

  • (1.)  The arguments for restructuring put forward at the last convention were not convincing.

  • (2.)  Since 1991, restructuring has been an ongoing process and the instability of that "constant motion" can generate a lack of confidence in the administration in parish pastors and laity alike. We need to stabilize and then stick with the current structure.

  • (3.)  Pursuing restructuring is unnecessary and, if implemented, together with the work to change our constitution, will only distract us from the key issues that should be higher priorities, namely, schools and money, and dilute the energy we need to resolve them. 

  • (4.)  Maintaining the current structure allows for greater accountability to the Synod's overall constituency, in respect to the current calling process for area administrators.
     

• SYNODICAL BUDGET
   

• The Synod's Chief Financial Officer has accumulated and reconciled all area of ministry accounts and will implement how they are to be utilized under the directives attached to certain donations when they were given.       

• CMO and IMO offerings evaluated in the light of proposed future budgets and extrapolated over the next four years reveal that there are going to be serious gaps between income and expenses which will leave our Synodical worker training system compromised, if not crippled, by the year 2011.

Because we were discussing an issue related to our worker training system, a motion was made and seconded that we end the Open Forum in favor of hearing The Board for Ministerial Education Report. The motion carried.

Pastor Rich Kogler gave the WELS Ministerial Education (BME) Report.  The secretary has a copy on file.  In the discussion that followed, the following points were noted:

• Mingled concern and skepticism greeted the news of Michigan Lutheran Seminary's transition from a synodically owned, operated and subsidized prep school to a prep school totally supported by funds from the local (Michigan District) congregations. 

At 10:30a.m., a motion was made and seconded that we extend the discussion of the BME long enough to hear five more speakers who asked for the floor.

• It is appropriate and necessary to refer to MLS as a Synodical prep school in order to keep her focused on her mission as a feeder school for our college, in order to make her eligible for other help that may come from the Synod, and in order to maintain the recruitment aspect of the school in respect to the healthy number of individuals who move on to MLC after graduation.

• While it may be discouraging to hear (and shameful to admit) that staff salary reductions are being used to help balance the budget for MLC, we need to understand that those reductions only emphasize the nature of the financial challenge (NOT crisis) that is confronting us and the need to increase CMO / IMO, to remember God's promises to us, to pray that God raise up workers, and to pray for the Ministerial Education system.

Following the BME report, the chair asked Pastor Phil Koelpin, the WMB reporter, to take the floor and field any questions regarding the report he gave on Wednesday morning.  There were no questions and the reporter was dismissed.

Conference president, Pastor Fred Casmer, verbally summarized a conversation with Mr. Jon Flanagan, VEBA administrator, by noting that 80% of WELS called workers are enrolled, that a $15,000,000 surplus was on hand to make payouts against claims, and that the WELS VEBA program is still solvent.

Pastor Tom Schulz gave the Martin Luther College Report.  The secretary has a copy on file.  In the discussion following the report, the following was noted

• Based on the total IMOs  remitted and the total number of WELS communicant members who contributed to the total, it may be stated that there is sufficient money within the WELS family to more than meet all the financial needs of MLC, if we strive to provide the WELS constituency with the Gospel motivation to do so.

• Incensed and embarrassed by the lack of his fellow district pastors who give IMOs, the presenter challenged the districts' pastors to take the lead in encouraging an increase in CMO and in making their own IMO an example for their respective flocks, as a reflection of their love for Jesus and their willingness to make personal sacrifices in support of the Gospel mission. 

• The fact that a given pastor does not contribute by means of an IMO should not be taken as apathy, complacency, or a lack of leadership regarding MLC's financial plight, as many may be giving an increase  through their congregation's CMO as well as telling MLC's story, describing its needs, and directing members to the special offering envelopes MLC provides.

Pastor Jim Proeber gave The Arizona - California District Commission on Evangelism Report. The secretary has a copy on file.  The reporter emphasized the lay training workshops and stressed the need to help our people do their witnessing job better.