Who Should Be Nominated For LCMS Synodical President?

[mariemeyer]

Pr. Herman Otten turns 80 on March 3, 2013.

Marie Otten Meyer

So what?  When does Marie Otten Meyer turn 80?

Never ask a woman her age.  (I am a younger sister.)

BTW, yesterday I spoke with Herman's daughter, Ruth. She reports that following a serious fall and broken hip Herman is able to walk again. Health concerns have contributed to his retirement following his next birthday.

Marie Otten Meyer 

[D. Engebretson]

President Harrison....He's wise, clever, crazy, compassionate, and humble.  A scholar and yet jovial, passionate about the Gospel AND about meeting human need in tangible ways.  No faith without works for him.

He's a blessing to our Synod and well beyond.

I just had the opportunity to hear Pres. Harrison again at the recent Rural and Small Town Mission Conference this week in Iowa.  I'm always impressed.  He's well grounded in the Word (and Confessions/Luther), yet also very much in touch with real parish needs and genuine pastoral realities.  In talking about Witness, Mercy, Life Together as it relates to rural and small town needs he quickly became passionate about a desire to see a renewal in preaching.  He has also reminded our pastors and lay people about the great need to return to regular visitation.  Back to the basics, the essentials.  I appreciate that.  No gimmicks.  He knows what is ultimately important: our proclamation of the Gospel and the community of believers.  And as Chap. Weedon notes, he is very passionate about meeting human needs.  He has a solid history of doing this, going back to his days at Zion in Ft. Wayne when they worked for renewal of the inner city, and then stretching through the 9 or so years at the LCMS World Relief and Human Care.  He is a rare combination of impeccable and solid scholarship and genuine pastoral compassion.

Bart Day was supposed to be with you, Don, but he was with me.  In fact we were eating at the Parkside Restaurant in Corona Queens and he left to speak via phone to the assembled conference on Friday nite.  And off we went the next day to Staten Island.  So we were happy in NYC that he was with us, even though he was supposed to be with you. 

Dave Benke

Bart Day did end up calling and talking to the conference at the banquet on Friday night and filling the assembly in on what is happening on the east coast. A bit hard to make it all out, as he was talking on a cell phone and it was patch through the resort's PA system, but we did the best we could. Lee Hagan (interim dir of RSTM) was sweating out whether Harrison would also have to miss as well, but he made it.  We all understood that Bart had to be where he was and remembered all of you in our collective prayers that night!

[Mike Gehlhausen]

Just a reminder that congregation ballots to nominate candidates for president are due by February 20.

Mike

[R. T. Fouts]

Sort of surprised Gerald Kieschnick isn't on the list.  I have heard many intended to nominate him again.

[Mike Gehlhausen]

Sort of surprised Gerald Kieschnick isn't on the list.  I have heard many intended to nominate him again.

I considered adding him and would have had anyone suggested it early in the poll.

You might notice that the poll also does not contain Dr. David Maier which DayStar "nominated".  Their e-mail suggesting Dr. Maier did not appear until almost a month after I started this poll.

We'll know who was nominated in a couple of months. I believe that only three names are required this time; I don't remember whether up to five may appear on the ballot if they satisfy some condition, but I do remember that the bylaw was changed to require only at least three versus the previous five.

Mike

[LutherMan]

Sort of surprised Gerald Kieschnick isn't on the list.  I have heard many intended to nominate him again.

Does he currently have a call?

[R. T. Fouts]

Sort of surprised Gerald Kieschnick isn't on the list.  I have heard many intended to nominate him again.

Does he currently have a call?

Yes.  He is called through Concordia Unviersity Texas.  I believe his official title is Presidential Ambassador for Missions. 

[Daniel L. Gard]

And ....(drum roll).........the three nominees will be.............(drum roll)..............

Matthew Harrison (Incumbent)
Herbert Mueller (Each congregation can nominate 2 and most who nominate MH will also nominate the current 1st VP)
David Maier (Far fewer nominations but the candidate of Daystar)
If David Maier declines, then Gerald Kieschnick.

And the winner will be..........(drum roll).....Matthew Harrison with 65-70% of the vote.

[R. T. Fouts]

I imagine you could be correct.  That said -- I think Kieschnick will probably get more nominations than Maier.   

I'm not so sure how the votes will go, though, considering that we really have no "history" of past elections to go by as the process has changed and there will be many more votes on the table.   It will be interesting to see how the new process for electing president, which is probably a more accurate reflection of where Synod is at across the board, shifts considering the narrow margin with which the president has been elected over the last several cycles. 

[Dave Benke]

I'm in the relatively rare position of pretty much agreeing with Chaplain Gard, as to the nominees and as to the result. 

Further, I think
a) the volume level church-politically is way, way down.  This is a good thing
b) the volume level of "die so genannte" moderate wing is set just barely above zero.  The sound of politics in the Missouri Synod is basically the sound of one hand clapping.
c) the result of the one hand clapping in terms of the overall denominational elections will begin to be felt in the fall of 2013 and through to the 2016 convention in terms of action and energy.
d) the force of the Koinonia Project will be the premier force for dialog rather than convention resolution dictates in the denomination for at least the next two conventions
c) I kind of disagree with the Chaplain on the percentage result.  My Karnak the Magnificent forecast is between 75-80% for President Harrison. 

Dave Benke

[Mike Gehlhausen]

c) the result of the one hand clapping in terms of the overall denominational elections will begin to be felt in the fall of 2013 and through to the 2016 convention in terms of action and energy.
d) the force of the Koinonia Project will be the premier force for dialog rather than convention resolution dictates in the denomination for at least the next two conventions
c) I kind of disagree with the Chaplain on the percentage result.  My Karnak the Magnificent forecast is between 75-80% for President Harrison. 

Wow.  I hope this insight is true. I see all three of these as positive trends.  Do you believe those of the "die so genannte" moderate wing will agree or do you believe they will feel ignored as the Synod progresses in a mode of "one hand clapping"?

Mike

[R. T. Fouts]

Do you really think things in Synod have shifted so far in but a few years that we would be carried from a stanstill with but a few percentage points determining our differences to such a majoirity?   Why is it that the vast number of firings that have went on in the realm of world missions is less publicized than the firing of one radio show host was a few years back? 

[Weedon]

Pastor Fouts,

What do you mean by the vast number of firings in the realm of world missions? A new person was called to be Executive Director of International Mission, but that position had not been filled since the restructuring so no one was fired to fill it. There had been two interim co-directors serving. One of them was given accountability for the entire arm of Synod's mercy work. The other has recently taken a call to serve up at Concordia Wisconsin. The further restructuring inside the OIM resulted in two people having their positions eliminated, I think. Part and parcel of the down-sizing of Synod because of the convention mandated restructuring has entailed the loss of positions in most every department. I mean, the COW used to have an Executive Director, an Associate Director, a full time admin and a commission of seven members. Now its work is given under National Mission to me and one part-time admin. I'm sure not seeing a "vast number of firings" in International Mission, though.

[scott8]

Pastor Fouts,

What do you mean by the vast number of firings in the realm of world missions? A new person was called to be Executive Director of International Mission, but that position had not been filled since the restructuring so no one was fired to fill it. There had been two interim co-directors serving. One of them was given accountability for the entire arm of Synod's mercy work. The other has recently taken a call to serve up at Concordia Wisconsin. The further restructuring inside the OIM resulted in two people having their positions eliminated, I think. Part and parcel of the down-sizing of Synod because of the convention mandated restructuring has entailed the loss of positions in most every department. I mean, the COW used to have an Executive Director, an Associate Director, a full time admin and a commission of seven members. Now its work is given under National Mission to me and one part-time admin. I'm sure not seeing a "vast number of firings" in International Mission, though.

As I recall, at the end of 2010 there were approximately 12 people let go from WM.

[mariemeyer]

Pastor Fouts,

What do you mean by the vast number of firings in the realm of world missions? A new person was called to be Executive Director of International Mission, but that position had not been filled since the restructuring so no one was fired to fill it. There had been two interim co-directors serving. One of them was given accountability for the entire arm of Synod's mercy work. The other has recently taken a call to serve up at Concordia Wisconsin. The further restructuring inside the OIM resulted in two people having their positions eliminated, I think. Part and parcel of the down-sizing of Synod because of the convention mandated restructuring has entailed the loss of positions in most every department. I mean, the COW used to have an Executive Director, an Associate Director, a full time admin and a commission of seven members. Now its work is given under National Mission to me and one part-time admin. I'm sure not seeing a "vast number of firings" in International Mission, though.

There are many ways to approach changes at the International Center since the last convention.  Restructuring has contributed to some of the changes in International Mission.  A decrease in staff was inevitable. True, there was a loss of positions in every department.  However, one change that is cause for concern is that for the first time in many years veteran missionaries, men who for many years served on the mission field in various parts of the world, are not part of the leadership team.  The International Mission Department experienced a greater loss in terms of persons with experience. 

Marie Meyer