Will Kieschnick Call For A Special Session of The LCMS Convention?

By: Rev. Jack Cascione


The LCMS Constitution, Article VIII, B. 2. states, “In cases of urgent necessity a special session [of the Convention] may be called by the President with the consent of two-thirds of the District Presidents (COP).”

The LCMS Board of Directors has voted that all LCMS Districts send a higher percentage of their funds to the Synod.  The Districts are currently spending a $100 million on their own increasing staff, bureaucracies, and programs.  Many of the COP will not tolerate cuts in their budgets by the BOD.

Kieschnick may fare better in front of the delegates who elected him than those chosen for the 2004 Convention.  The 2004 delegates may not reverse actions of the BOD.

The minutes of the November 20-22, 2003 , Board of Directors (BOD) ( Miami , Florida ) show that LCMS President Kieschnick continues to resist rulings by the BOD.

Reports about nearly every meeting of the BOD, since Kieschnick's election, tell of some level of conflict between the BOD and Kieschnick in his attempt to govern the business of the BOD.  Kieschnick may have been better suited as Chairman of the BOD than administrating the Synod's doctrine and practice, as he is now instructed to do in the Constitution.

A number of the LCMS Districts have reorganized themselves after the Church Growth/PLI-Leadership Training model of administration where the District President is also the CEO of the District.  During his administration as Texas District President in 1994, Kieschnick led the District to adopt a 45 page “Strategic Plan” that positions the District President as the administrator of District operations.  The Michigan District recently voted that its District President is the CEO of the District.

However, the duties of the Synodical President are far more limited than that of the Texas District President and many other District Presidents.

At its most recent meeting, the minutes of the BOD have recorded:  "Resolved, That because the CCM [Commission on Constitutional Matters] exceeded its authority and acted contrary to the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod when issuing Opinions 02-2259, 02-2357, 03-2358, 03-2359, and 03-2365, those opinions are of no effect; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board of Directors will continue to carry out its responsibilities according to the clear provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod."

It was Kieschnick's appointees to the CCM that issued a series of rulings that have unquestionably interfered with the constitutional responsibilities of the BOD.

Kieschnick replied through the Reporter: "Accordingly, I will be working with the Board of Directors and the Commission on Constitutional Matters in an effort to resolve the apparent conflict between these two important groups of synodical leaders."

Kieschnick is a voting member of the BOD.  He has no constitutional authority to order the BOD to meet with a commission of his appointees, such as the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM).  When the Synod is not in Convention, the LCMS President is accountable to the BOD, not the reverse.

The publicity President Kieschnick gave to the Benke case, in direct violation of the Handbook, resulted in Dr. Wallace Schulz being unceremoniously removed as the Lutheran Hour speaker and, once again, brought him into conflict with the BOD.

The Nov. 20-22 minutes of the BOD continue: "Resolved, That the LCMS Board of Directors makes the following requests to the ILLL Board of Governors: 1. Re-evaluate the ILLL policies of interpretation and application of those policies concerning conflicts of interest for employees of the ILLL who are also synodical vice-presidents or officials who carry out their responsibilities on matters that become controversial;"

The BOD is responsible for keeping the LCMS solvent.  The Synodical debt is $200 million plus and rising.

The BOD writes Nov. 22: "During the last three decades, contributions from LCMS congregations to the Districts have increased by 149%.  During this same period of time, these congregational contributions that the Districts have forwarded on to the Synod have increased one percent or less.  As a result, when taking the 30 years inflation rate into consideration, the amount of congregational contributions that the Districts have forwarded on to the Synod has resulted in a shortfall of nearly, $57,000,000. . . . "

"Therefore be it Resolved, That the Board of Directors adopt in principle the funding policy that will increase the amount of contributions received from the Districts that are forwarded to the Synod; and be it further"

On this point, Kieschnick opposes the BOD's authority to collect a higher percentage of funds for the operation of the Synod from the Districts.  The Districts currently send less than $25 million to the Synod and keep $100 million for the Districts according to page 728 of the 2003 Lutheran Annual.

A number of LCMS universities are running millions of dollars in the red each year.

The BOD minutes report: "Ernst & Young LLP performed the audit of the financial statements of Concordia University , Portland , for the year ended June 30, 2002 . The results of the audit disclosed an unrestricted operating loss for the year then ended in the amount of ($1,597,876).  The accumulated operating deficits, reflected in the undesignated unrestricted net asset account, totaled ($952,927) as of June 30, 2002 .  In addition, the university had a long-term operating loan payable to Concordia University System (CUS) in the amount of $392,461 at June 30, 2002 ."

Northwest District President Warren Schumacher is reported to have said at a recent Concordia, Portland , Regents meeting: "The Chairman of the BOD has overstepped his authority and that the COP intends to straighten the BOD out at the joint meeting."

President Kieschnick continues to receive support from those District Presidents who wish to see him as the CEO of the Synod.  The BOD’s resolve to keep the Synod from bankruptcy may force Kieschnick and the COP to call for a special session of the LCMS Convention.

December 10, 2003