Lutheran leaders from north and south discuss common concerns

An inter-synod Canadian contingent: Rev. Robert Krestick, LCC vice-president and pastor at Redeemer, Waterloo, Ontario; LCMS vice-president Scott Murray (from Waterloo, Ontario serving a congregation in Houston); and LCC President Robert Bugbee.

For the first time since 2004, Lutheran Church–Canada’s Council of Presidents met with its LCMS counterpart in St. Louis, Missouri February 21-24.  The meeting took place at the LCMS International Centre.

While each council had opportunity to conduct its own business, there were also significant times to meet jointly and discuss issues of mutual interest.

The LCMS COP set aside its agenda Wednesday morning to hear a presentation from LCC Synod President Robert Bugbee who talked about the national work and challenges of LCC, and presented information about LCC’s foreign mission fields and mission strategies. 

Rev. Don Schiemann, president of the ABC District, also provided a presentation on how the Canadian church is responding to the issue of homosexuality.  Ironically, that same week, President Obama announced that his administration will no longer defend marriage laws which prohibit same-sex marriage.

The two councils also discussed placement issues. The Placement Committee of the LCMS council met with LCC’s council to look at ways of facilitating the process of placing seminary candidates between the two church bodies and honouring previous protocols still in place.

Rev. Matt Harrison, the recently-elected president of the LCMS also took time to meet with LCC’s Council of Presidents to gain better understanding of the Canadian scene. President Harrison plans to attend LCC’s national convention in June.

LCC’s Council of Presidents comprises the Synod president, three vice-presidents, and three district presidents. Rev. Don Schiemann is the chairman. Due to weather affecting travel, Presidents Tom Prachar, Paul Zabel and Vice-president Daryl Solie joined the conference by telephone.

From a report by Rev. Don Schiemann

Print this article