Crisis in the LC-MS In Which Direction Are We Being Led?

Atlantic District President David Benke

Crisis in the LC-MS “Prayer for America” at Yankee Stadium

Crisis in the LC-MS

LC-MS in Crisis “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description”

Crisis in the LC-MS “You shall have no other gods before Me”

Crisis in the LC-MS “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” (2 Cor. 6:14-16). “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” (2 Cor. 6:14-16).

Crisis in the LC-MS “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us,” (II Thess. 3:6). “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us,” (II Thess. 3:6).

Crisis in the LC-MS Benke President A.L. Barry

Crisis in the LC-MS “My participation in this service was a direct violation of the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and consequently, a violation of the Constitution, Bylaws and doctrinal resolutions of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.” “My participation in this service was a direct violation of the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and consequently, a violation of the Constitution, Bylaws and doctrinal resolutions of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.” “I will not repeat this error in the future.”

Crisis in the LC-MS Gerald Kieschnick

LC-MS in Crisis Daniel Preus Wallace Schulz

Crisis in LC-MS “we cannot consider the ELCA to be an orthodox Lutheran church body” “…that we of the LCMS recognize that many of our brothers and sisters of the ELCA remain faithful to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and we resolve to reach out to them in love and support.” Resolution 3-21A

Crisis in the LC-MS LCMS + ELCA

Crisis in the LC-MS Robert Kuhn Brothers and sisters in Christ, it truly hurts me that in our Synod, in the past several years, there have arisen groups that claim to be Jesus first, or that they are trying to shine like stars, when it is obvious they are attempting to advance an old liberal theology and practice, an agenda which has haunted this church body since the days of Seminex and even before. Delegates, my fraternal and heartfelt encouragement to you as president of our Synod is to beware of this agenda and how they are suggesting to carry it out. It would be detrimental to head in this direction. This is not the path we should follow. There is a much better way.”

Crisis in the LC-MS Resolution 3-07A “The Lutheran Understanding of Church Fellowship” “cases of discretion” Not the official doctrinal position of the Synod.

Crisis in the LC-MS “I did and do support the pastoral decision he made to participate.”

the Synodical President, “has ecclesiastical supervision of all officers of the Synod and its agencies, the individual Districts of the Synod, and all District Presidents.”

Crisis in the LC-MS

SUSPENDED “I am hereby advising the Synod that I have no choice but to “call up for review” Dr. Schulz’s action of placing President David H. Benke on suspended status for the purpose of requesting that this action be “altered or reversed.”

Crisis in the LC-MS “Vice President Schulz has suspended President Benke without even addressing the question of whether he has acted contrary to the doctrine and practice of the synod as presented in Resolution 3-07A.”

Crisis in the LC-MS Benke has appealed the decision. A hearing before a three-member Dispute Resolution Panel which issues a decision on the matter. The decision can be appealed to… An Appeal Panel, made up of three District Presidents who determine whether or not the case should be re- heard. If they deem that it should, the case finally goes to…. A five-member Review Panel who make a final, binding decision. “while an appeal is contemplated or pending, publicity shall not be given to the issues in the matter by any of the parties involved”

Crisis in the LC-MS “Some of our people believe that by participating in such an event on the stage with non- Christian people, President Benke gave the impression that there is no difference between Christianity and Muslim or Hindu religions. We believe that President Benke simply but significantly prayed in the midst of people of other religions but certainly did not pray with members of other religions.”

Crisis in the LC-MS Benke: “So take the hand of one next to you now and join me in prayer on this “field of dreams” turned into God’s house of prayer.”

Crisis in the LC-MS "The board basically said very clearly that Dr. Schulz had violated our conflict of interest policy.’

Crisis in the LC-MS In which direction is our church body being led? How many of the pastors and laity throughout the Synod are aware of what’s been going on? Where does our District President stand on this matter? What, if anything, can our congregation do about this situation?