Our Goal
+To reclaim the unaltered
confession of the Gospel as stated in the Creeds according to the LCMS
1998 Convention Resolution 3-04A.
+To
reclaim the use of the name "Lutheran" as stated in the LCMS
1995 Convention Resolution 3-13A.
+To reclaim the original
congregational structure and autonomy of LCMS Congregations and their
supremacy over every entity of the Synod. This means the circuits,
districts, and synod itself, including its affiliated institutions,
subsidiaries, and corporations.
+To reclaim the,
"Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms
in church and school," as a condition of membership. (LCMS
Constitution Article VI.4.)
+To reclaim the name
"Lutheran" on all LCMS congregations, schools, subsidiaries,
institutions, affiliates, and corporations.
+To expose the needless
bureaucracy taking place in LCMS District Offices and limit the
self-ascribed powers of the District Presidents by promoting a resolution
requiring all District Presidents to remain as full-time pastors in their
districts. District Presidents will then be encouraged to delegate their
duties to vice presidents and circuit counselors, thus recreating the
self-administrating polity characterized by the first 100 years of the
LCMS. This was also the time of our most rapid growth. Districts that are
too large, such as Michigan and Texas, should be divided into smaller
districts as are Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
+To expose the aberrant
practices promoted by the "Church Growth" Leadership Training,
and return to the doctrine and practice of Church and Ministry
taught by the Synod’s Founder, C.F.W. Walther, and adopted by the
Milwaukee LCMS Convention of 1851 as the official doctrine and practice of
Church and Ministry in the LCMS. This position was reiterated by Synodical
President Dr. A.L. Barry, during the 1999 Symposia Series at Concordia
Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The current Church
Growth/Leadership Training aberrations now sweeping the synod are a thinly
veiled effort to establish the legalism of Reformed theology through
corporate structure.
+To
expose the so called "High Church" opinions of Loehe and Grabau
which view ordination as a sacrament and the congregation as an extension
of the pastoral office. This will also expose so called "Hyper-Euro
Lutherans" who wish to return to pre-Waltherian 18th and 19th century
European Lutheran hierarchy. This failed position seeks to address
congregational and synodical issues with the hierarchy of the clergy in
place of the authority of Scripture over the Voters' Assembly.
What
You Can Do
Look
around on our website for timely articles and links. Participate in the Luther
Quest Discussion Group. You can share concerns and ideas there
with other confessional Lutherans. Read. Aside from the articles on this
website, participate in the new Lutheran
Book Review Discussion Group. Authors and readers alike can share
information on good, confessional books. Sign up for Reclaim
News, our email mailing list. Check out presentations in your
area on church polity and confessional topics. You owe it to your
congregation and the Missouri Synod to do so. Please visit the website for
Pastor Cascione's congregation, Redeemer
Lutheran Church.
Feel
free to email us
with comments and suggestions. Articles
may be submitted
for publication on this site. All submitted articles are subject to review
by the Reclaiming Walther editorial board. All articles published on this
site are editorials of the individual authors. They do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the web hosting company or Webmaster. Please see
our note regarding copyright
issues.
