(Dr. Schulz's paper presented at the February 2004 Suncoast Conference:
pages.prodigy.net/cnehrenz/schulzlvpaper.html)

It is well known, a given, that laymen play only a peripheral role in the deliberations of these groups and are for the most part considered important only because their numbers are crucial to the outcome sought by each of the contending factions. It is a situation that has become untenable to many laymen, including me. We are not happy with decisions made behind closed doors by people we know nothing about concluding things we don't agree with.

Until very recently there was nothing to be done about this dilemma, laymen - and for that matter, most pastors - having no recourse but to stand silently by and accept the status of "going along." But now, with the coming of the internet and the World Wide Web all that has changed. Our Lutheran Annual- and I stress our - includes the e-mail addresses (2004) of over half our congregations. It is the members of those congregations to whom I'm sendingthis message but it is directed via this web page to all laymen everywhere and to any pastors who might be interested.

For President

Recently, the writer of a message posted to one of the Lutheran-oriented web sites offered this biographical information:

"Daniel Preus was born on March 7, 1949 in Mayville, North Dakota. He attended both parochial and public schools as he grew up in the St. Louis area. He attended seminary at Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield and at the SELK seminary in Oberursel (sp? -- it's not far from Frankfurt). He graduated from CTS in 1975. He has an STM from the same institution. He served congregations in Hobart, Indiana, Truman, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Oak Park, Illinois. He was a parish pastor for about twenty years. Then he served for a few years as Director of the Concordia Historical Institute. He has been a guest lecturer at various institutions, as well as a frequent speaker at various Lutheran gatherings. He is the president of the Luther Academy that sponsors the Pieper Lectures at St. Louis every year. He is fluent in German and Norwegian."

In addition, consider this:

1 - It must be assumed that all the nominees for president will be competent theologians or they wouldn't have achieved the reputation necessary to be considered for the position in the first place. Daniel Preus, however, has one important qualification that none of the others share. He is an accomplished historian and served six years, from 1995 to 2001, as chief executive officer of our Concordia Historical Institute.

The matters that are currently causing so much agitation among us, unionism, syncretism, the church growth movement, church and ministry, a charismatic movement, all contain an important historical element because all those on all sides of all the issues claim that it is their position alone that is in conformity with or at least not in violation of the theological positions supported historically by Synod.

Given all of this it is clear that none of the problems associated with any of these matters can even begin to be resolved until the historical record is dealt with. And who better to gain the confidence of our people that history is not being revised by those who claim support in historical precedence than one who has a solid reputation of competence in the study of history as well as theology.

2 - There will be no need for him to spend the weeks or even months normally necessary for one newly elected to the presidency to become familiar with all the intricacies associated with the operations of that office. As first vice-president he will have served three years in a full-time position at Synodical headquarters and will be intimately familiar with the internal operations of the corporation and the many weighty responsibilities that the presidency imposes on an incumbent.

3 - His family background has prepared him to deal with controversy and those who cause it. His uncle, J. A. O. Preus, and his father, Robert Preus, were both involved firsthand in the 1970's Battle for the Bible, the former as president of Synod, the latter as one of a handful of St. Louis seminary professors who remained faithful to their calling. He has thereby been witness to and prepared for the tremendous pressures that can be brought to bear on those leaders who in order to resolve controversial issues must make hard choices that oftentimes unavoidably affect in dire ways personalities and whole bodies of people.

Daniel Preus is in all ways eminently qualified to serve as President of Synod. He should be nominated for the position. He should be elected.

For First Vice-President

No one in the Missouri Synod has suffered more for standing firmly on the rock solid foundation of God's Holy Word while faithfully discharging the responsibilities of the office to which he was elected by a convention of Synod than Second Vice-President Wallace Schulz.

To be sure, others have stood firm under criticism, but none have, like him, suffered attacks meant to tarnish and bring disrepute to a unsullied reputation; been summarily dismissed from an honored position of long-standing almost literally moments before receiving a scheduled and well-deserved commendation for faithful service; and, perhaps most diabolical of all, forced by unreasonable demands of their employer to resign their vocation, the source of their livelihood, as recompense for their unshakable commitment to seeking to resolve weighty problems guided alone by principles inherent in God's Word, "the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged. ( http://www.crisisinthelcms.org/schulzreport.htm)

He would bring with him to the office of First Vice-President the respect of a broadly representative constituency of our people and instill confidence in the integrity of the office, both of which are vital to the stability so necessary for fulfilling the purposes for which Synod exists. And given his experience as editor of that most excellent quarterly, Good News, considered by many a theological journal for laymen, we may even see the day, given the influence of an office like First Vice-President, when the Lutheran Witness becomes once again a Lutheran witness.

Wallace Schulz is eminently qualified to serve as First Vice-President of Synod and would be a valuable asset to the presidency of Daniel Preus. He should be nominated for the position. He should be elected.

A Caveat

We are becoming worn out by the theological controversies (and forget the claim of politics; all the issues we are being confronted with are at base theological) being foisted upon us by those we have placed into offices of leadership, trust and oversight on every level of the Synodical structure.

Almost without exception, as is the case historically, the genesis of those controversies can be traced to the inner sanctums of our seminary faculties. They pass from there to our seminary students, then to our parishes and ultimately to the Synodical hierarchy, this last (hierarchy), given our officially-adopted historical position on church and ministry, a shameful expression forced by fact.

It is one thing to elect people to offices of responsibility and authority who have themselves been caught up in this hierarchical milieu, which in our day includes a great many pastors and most ordained seminary graduates employed by Synod or one of its agencies. But it is quite another thing, gross folly, in fact, to elect as president or any vice-president someone of influence who opposes this official position and teaches accordingly, e.g., http://pages.prodigy.net/cnehrenz/marquartreview.html

January 15, 2004