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(RNS3-JUL14) The Rev. Matthew Harrison was elected July 13 as the new president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. For use with RNS-LCMS-PREZ, transmitted July 14, 2010. RNS photo courtesy LCMS.
July 21, 2010
NEWS FEATURE
10 minutes with … Matthew Harrison
By Adelle M. Banks
(RNS) The Rev. Matthew Harrison defeated a three-term incumbent to become president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on July 13, fueled by the support of his denomination’s more conservative wing.
Harrison, 48, will lead a 2.4-million member denomination with a drastically reduced structure, which he opposed. After almost 10 years as the denomination’s director of disaster response, he is scheduled to be installed as president on Sept. 11.
Harrison discussed what’s ahead for the LCMS and its relations with the more liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: You defeated three-term president Gerald Kieschnick in one ballot. Why do you think you won?
A: The outgoing president has served the church with as much vigor as he possibly could. I think there’s also a desire in the church to move forward with changes.
Q: So your election is a sign that people wanted change?
A: Yes, I think people wanted change. I think there’s a longing for folks right now to emphasize the basics and, within a tumultuous and changing society, folks want to emphasize the best of the tradition and fundamental ideas that propel them in faith.
Q: The Missouri Synod is known as a conservative denomination, but some have said it or its leadership were not conservative enough. Do you agree?
A: I think the challenge we have to face internally is the proper approach to meeting culture and accommodating culture. Obviously we have to take a very ancient New Testament message and bring it into a fast-paced and ever-changing post-modern world. I think some thought the essence of Lutheranism was, at times, being compromised.
Q: Do you plan to take the church in a more conservative direction?
A: I am at once a rock-ribbed traditional Lutheran and at the same time believe fully that that very confession, that very conviction, drives us into the maelstrom of today’s post-modern life and particularly toward our neighbor.
Q: But will you take the LCMS in a more conservative direction?
A: I think we have been drifting, and so I will in good faith uphold the church’s confession.
Q: What might that look like?
A: We have a strong, orthodox, creedal Christianity. We believe that the fundamental teachings on social issues—sexuality and those kinds of things—have been determined already in the New Testament. I believe that we should be and we are going to continue to be uncompromising on the conviction of the truth of the Lutheran Confessions of Faith while at the same time generously recognizing that the church is far beyond our little Missouri Synod. The church exists wherever Jesus and his word is.
Q: The ELCA and LCMS hold different positions on sexuality, but your denomination seems to still hope the ELCA will reconsider its votes last year supporting same-sex relationships. Why is that?
A: We’re all hoping against hope. We are nothing but sinners in the Missouri Synod. We’ve had enough internal (struggle) not to be haughty regarding the ELCA. The (ELCA’s) decision was a departure from Christianity and the New Testament. The way back is through repentance.
Q: Do you expect to continue relations with the ELCA on efforts focused on immigration, refugees, world relief and disaster assistance?
A: What I have said publicly (is) the status quo will not hold. I have also said publicly that I am not for summarily ending work with Lutheran World Relief, for instance. The discussion with the ELCA has to be about to what extent the pervasive and unbiblical culture of the ELCA permeates those organizations. ... We’ll put out a report in a year and work from there.
Q: But you’re not ready to end any relationships immediately?
A: That’s right. The church has not given us the ability to do that, nor would I recommend it because there are millions of people who are served and assisted, and we believe in the ability to work with other Christians even though we may profoundly disagree.
(OPTIONAL TRIM FOLLOWS)
Q: You were the executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. With the restructuring adopted at the convention, were you left momentarily without a job?
A: Yes. It was a great and amazing irony that I essentially lost a job on Monday, and I had publicly spoken against the restructuring and did not ask for the new authority to be vested in the president. And the next day the delegates gave me a job and placed me into that very position.
Q: Now, what will you do with this position, apparently with power you didn’t want?
A: It’s all very humbling, frankly, and I think it is going to be enormously challenging to walk on the tightrope that is in front of us. The church expects us to act in a way that is more streamlined and effective. We’ll do the best we can there.
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1 comments:
FYI:
Pastor: LCMS Failed a Big Test of Faith – Still Yoked with Apostate ELCA
http://www.crosstalkblog.com/2010/07/pastor-lcms-failed-a-big-test-of-faith-stays-yoked-with-apostate-elca/
MEDIA ADVISORY, July 28 /Christian Newswire/ — The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod- LCMS- had its national convention in July, completely re-structuring the organization, electing Biblically confessional leaders to most of its national posts, and re-affirming its commitment to mission in a weary world.
But the denomination of nearly 3 million members failed its greatest test this year, following behind denominations all over the world that have condemned the departure of the American Mainline and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from biblical orthodoxy, only to retreat into empty statements.
For 20 years the LCMS has been issuing cautions and statements and pastoral admonishments to the ELCA. A few years ago, the denomination said that the ELCA is no longer a biblically orthodox denomination over that group’s march towards instituting gay marriage and allowing sexually active gay pastors.
No admonishment, no statement, no dialogue or discussion the LCMS has ever had with the ELCA ever led to a change in direction for that apostate denomination.
This year the LCMS, even in the face of the decisive action last summer of the ELCA to unequivocally trample on 2000 years of Biblical teaching, offered more admonishments at the LCMS voter’s assembly. Just more word salad- statements with no teeth.
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod not only failed to seize the opportunity God offered them this year to sever all ties with the ELCA, but in their decision to remain yoked to a denomination that has so clearly left historic Christianity, the LCMS has failed American Christianity and Christians all over the world in a miserable and lamentable way.
The LCMS has acknowledged that its membership has been in decline all these years they’ve been issuing admonishments while working hand-in-hand with the ELCA. Scripture is clear that no church community will be blessed that goes down that road- that fails to sever the bonds with impenitent idolaters (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)- and LCMS leaders play a risky game in betting that God will make an exception in their case.
I’m betting God won’t, and that the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod- so long as the group supports, finances, and works together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for “social justice” – will continue to dwindle and whither on the vine, hanging by a tether, until the day that the “vine-dresser” finally cuts them too from the tree of life (John 15:1-8).
Rev. CJ Conner
Jesus and the Culture Wars- Reclaiming the Lord’s Prayer
www.revcjconner.com
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