Left to right: Loeschman, Carder, Huebel and Schrub.
There is one more place that involves polity which was not mentioned in my Webster's. That is the family. There is a governing structure in the family. God has given parents the responsibility of "bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
Each of these areas of life, the family, the state and the church is important to the Christian. God has given instructions to us on each of these areas of life which are affected by the concept of polity. This conference dealt, of course with the polity in the church. Christ instituted and gave to us the church and the ministry. Therefore, Christ is the Head of the church and rules His Church through His Word revealed to us in the Bible. He rules through the Word as spoken to us by His under-shepherds.
Polity in the church involves the relationships of the local congregations to the larger organizational units in the church. In the Missouri Synod we call them district and synod. Polity also involves the relationship of the individual congregations to the pastor. The organization of the church can and does get very complex. In this conference, we learned a little bit about how to think about polity and how it affects our churches.
There were ten different presentations given in about two days, from Thursday afternoon until about noon on Saturday. Paul Stringer and I have divided these up and Paul will give you his take on the first 5 and I will try to do the same on the last 5.
The main speaker was Rev. Kenneth Schurb, the assistant to the President of the national Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Dr. Al Barry. Schurb spoke on the question: "The Church: a Hospital or Gymnasium?" His thesis was that Lutherans have historically seen the church as those who seek to cure the sin-sickness of people with the medicine of the Gospel of Christ, but lately within the evangelical churches the emphasis has been on promoting activity of all kinds, leading many people to the wrong faith that one can save himself by his own exercise or works.
Mrs. Emily Carder of Memphis Tennessee, a former U. S. Tennis Association judge who has worked the U.S. Open, spoke on the role of women in the church under the topic: "Men, Tell Your Women Who They Are." Her point was that women find their true joy in knowing that they are created by a loving heavenly Father who gives them important roles in life, but not to be confused with men's God-given roles.
Rev. Glenn Huebel of Messiah Lutheran Church, Keller, told the group under the title "A Forgotten Paradigm: The Theology of the Cross," that the Lutheran Church of today, as well as others, is abandoning Christianity as "taking up your cross and following Jesus" for a message of "Christianity is fun." He called for a return to the Theology of the Cross in District philosophy, congregational life and mission development.
Dr. Gene Veith, Jr., Dean of the School of Arts and Science, Concordia University, Mequon. Wisconsin , author of several books including: "Post Modern Times," was be the main speaker. Click here for a Bible Study based on Dr. Veith's presentation, The Church and Culture.
Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher II of Peace Lutheran Church in Garland delivered a paper entitled "Are Today's Ears Heaing the Timeless Message?: Preaching and Hearing Law and Gospel in Today's Culture "
Rev. David Grassley, Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Ft. Worth, was also on the agenda.
The Plano Free Conference
We are grateful to God that the Plano Confessional Study Group once again sponsored a Free Conference at Faith Lutheran Church in Plano on January 30-31, 1998. Approximately 175 pastors and laypeople attended, some from as far away as Galveston, San Antonio and Oklahoma. The Pastors and people of Faith Lutheran Church did a marvelous job of making everyone welcome and comfortable.
The theme was: "The Influence of the Church on the Culture vs. The Influence of the Culture on the Church."
On March 10, 1998, The Metro Pastor's Conference of Dallas and Ft. Worth sponsored what was billed as a "debate" between Dr. John F. Johnson, one of the exegetical inspirations behind a new and different approach to who should be allowed to commune at LCMS altars, and Pastor Glenn Huebel, of Messiah Lutheran Church, Keller, TX. and a member of the Communications Committee of Concord, an association of Confessional Lutherans.Actually, the gathering heard a presentation by Dr. Johnson that was a rehash from a personal viewpoint of what had been published in "Celebrate" a few months earlier. Pr. Huebel presented a paper on the position that the LCMS has taken from its beginning with special remarks aimed at the suggested new practice advocated by Dr. Johnson and the Lutherans Alive group, the sponsors of "Celebrate." Following their presentations, a "question and answer period" allowed the conference attendees an opportunity to follow up.
Pr. Huebel summarized his conclusions that those who hold Dr. Johnson's position are of a different spirit than the LCMS doctrine, and eventually someone will have to leave the synod. Dr. Johnson urged that we all just get along, no matter what we believe and do. The Synod should allow their position to exist alongside the historic position. Pr. Huebel said this was not possible from a confessional point of view.