From Babylonian Captivity to Confessional Revival in the LCMS

When I entered seminary (CTSFW) in 1998, Al Barry was Synod President and things were beginning to click in a decidedly “confessional” way. CTSFW had clawed its way back out of the Schmiel administration and was growing stronger and stronger, and its classes of new seminarians larger and larger. The LCMS was in the midst of a confessional revival, so it seemed. Then, Barry died when I was on vicarage in early 2001. Bob Kuhn filled the vacancy until the Synod Convention in July elected Gerald Kieschnick LCMS President. Kieschnick served for three terms (9 years), a period of time I refer to as the Babylonian Captivity of the Church Redux. During Kieschnick’s presidency the LCMS was “rode hard and put away wet.” Kieschnick seemingly worked furiously to undo the confessional reforms that had been made, and to re-make the LCMS into a PresbyMethoBaptiCostal church (Ablaze!^TM, CoWo, Promise Keepers, The Porpoise Drivel Life, etc.). Kieschnick’s coup de grace was a complete restructuring of LCMS governance placing central power in the Synod President and closely administrated superboards.

Young pastors and laity today likely have no idea how bad things were getting for confessional pastors and congregations, and for Confessional Lutheranism in general. Come the 2010 Synod Convention, Kieschnick would see upwards of 85% of his restructuring plan passed, and he was poised to be elected to a fourth term to reign over it. Only, that’s not what happened, Deo gratias! Synod passed the lion’s share of Kieschnick’s restructuring and then handed over the gavel to Matt Harrison who accepted it with a bit of shock and great humility.

We have been blessed to have Matt Harrison as Synod President these past 16 years. Under his presidency confessional Lutheranism has flourished. Our seminaries are more united in doctrine and practice than ever since Seminex, more congregations are celebrating the Divine Service every Sunday and using one of the approved liturgies of the Lutheran Service Book, confessional Lutheran pastors and laity serve throughout Synod boards and commissions, and so much more. Even the COP is stronger, more unified, and more confessional than it has likely been in the past seventy-five years. No, Harrison and his administration have not been perfect, nor do we expect them to be. However, gratitude is due, if you only know and understand what could have been and stop to appreciate what we have and thank God in humility.

 

The current generation of young pastors do not know this history, haven’t experienced the tentatio and anfechtungen of the Scmiel or Kieschnick years, and have not the wisdom gained from patient, humble service, teaching, battles, etc. to appreciate or to even understand the congregations they are now called to serve. Many take what they have for granted and attempt to “build” upon it with things that are not bad in themselves, but unnecessary, and certainly “push the envelope,” with seemingly little knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or gratitude for the hard work that has been done there over the past two or three decades.

 

I’ve seen the comments on social media, read the blogs, listened to the podcasts, and have observed the rise of the programs and movements. They all speak with a great zeal about how we haven’t taught and exhorted the faithful to make use of Confession and Absolution, how the hymnal has non-Lutheran and too many post-16^th century hymns, the railing against numerous Divine Service Settings (hey, I don’t like them either!), etc. And they push for more serious expressions of piety, from head coverings to male-only suffrage, to an insistence that the results of new lectionary research must be implemented immediately if we are to be truly confessional. I assure you, they couldn’t be pushing for any of these things today if it hadn’t been for the 20 – 30 years of faithful confessional Lutheran ministry, preaching, and teaching that resulted in the congregations and pastors this current generation of pastors grew up in.

So, if you’ll take a little advice from one of those who have passed through a little tentatio and anfechtungen, slow down, show a little humility and gratitude, and “strive to excel in building up the Church.” Hey, I appreciate your zeal and that many of the things you desire are good, right, and true. This gives me a great amount of hope and encouragement for the future of the LCMS and the Lutheran Confession and Faith in general. Take a moment and consider how it is that you are able to push for and implement these things? You have a luxury that you do not seem to recognize, fought for by those who came before you, many of whom suffered grievously for what we take for granted today.

Pax Christi. And stay off my lawn!