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SUMMARY REPORT OF "HERE WE STAND"

Augsburg’s Third Annual Convention
at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Audubon, Iowa

Delegates to "Here We Stand!" unanimously approved the final edits of our Augsburg constitution at the business session on July 22, 2003. The constitution working group edited and sifted the document during the convention. The constitution reflects the name change to Augsburg Lutheran Churches, which we’ve discussed this year. A separate article on the name change is included in this issue.

The confessional issues working group resolution to effectively communicate biblical and confessional teachings throughout our church, especially to our youth, by developing a variety of resources for congregational use based on biblical and confessional materials including Dr. Gagnon’s work was unanimously approved. These resources will incorporate the full spectrum of various media and be professionally commissioned. Larry Gedde and Don Albright co-chair the project’s task force.

The evangelism and outreach group proposal to sponsor a mission trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, was unanimously approved. Mrs. Barbara Christensen and Mrs. Barbara Bonham will co-chair the task force planning this trip.

The "Worship: contemporary and faithful" group proposal for the Augsburg worship and education committee to begin a worship resources library for congregations was unanimously approved. The resource library shall be in print and on the website.

Dr. Larry Gedde was elected to a three-year term as Augsburg Financial Chair.

Rev. Perry Toso (Ministry), Rev. Tim McNutt (Membership), and Mrs. Dorothy McNaught (Worship and Education) were elected to serve three-year terms as co-chairs of their respective standing committees.

The convention voted to hold the next Augsburg Lutheran Churches convention July 25-28, 2004, at Hope Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, SD.

A thousand thanks to Mrs. Barbara Christensen, Rev. Walt Kukkonen, and Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church for graciously hosting our convention.

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WE’RE THE AUGSBURG LUTHERAN CHURCHES

Augsburg Lutheran District Approves the Proposed Name Change

Augsburg has a new name. As of July 22, 2003 we are "Augsburg Lutheran Churches" instead of the "Augsburg Lutheran District." The change was adopted by unanimous consensus at this year's Augsburg Convention, held in Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Audubon, Iowa.

While it is a simple change, we believe it is significant because it more clearly reflects our self-understanding. Thus, it will help us to avoid confusion in the general public, in our relationships with other organizations, and even among our own membership about who we are. It will do this in several ways.

For one thing, the use of the word "Churches," as opposed to "District," more accurately reflects Augsburg's own definition of membership as a "fellowship of churches and chapters" (Article 6.01, Augsburg Constitution).

For another, the word "District" is commonly understood geographically. Augsburg is non-geographic, that is, it is bounded by a common reading of Scripture and Confession rather than by lines on a map. To call Augsburg a "non-geographic 'District'" can be confusing. The word "Churches" is plain, simple, and direct. It is what we are.

Perhaps an even more important reason for the change, however, is that a "District" is also commonly understood as a subordinate entity within a larger organization. For instance, some may have understood Augsburg as a district of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) in the sense of being under LCMC's governance and supervision. But this runs contrary to the self-understandings of both Augsburg and LCMC. LCMC is not a hierarchy with intermediate levels of organization called districts. It is a service, support, and fellowship network for Lutheran congregations. Thus, Augsburg is affiliated with, not subordinate to LCMC. They exist alongside each other to support congregations (or "churches") where the mission for Christ actually! takes place. Organizationally, both in Augsburg and in LCMC, the terms "churches" and "congregations" reflect our identity better than "districts." Our names should make this clear.

Finally, we think the new name "sings" in a sort of three-part harmony. The middle term takes the melodic lead. We are the Augsburg Lutheran Churches. We are part of the grand historic fellowship of those who embrace the teachings of the Book of Concord. We are Lutheran.

The first term because it emphasizes our distinctiveness is the high descant or counterpoint. We are the Augsburg Lutheran Churches. We have a sense of standing with the confessors of 1530 before the Holy Roman Emperor at Augsburg, Germany to confess their faith in the God who justifies the ungodly no matter what the cost. We have a sense that perhaps in this time and in this present crisis God may have raised us up to stand for a similar purpose. Like them, we lift up the thin tradition of being theologians of the cross. To the extent to which we are faithful to this calling we follow in their footsteps. We are "Augsburg."

Finally, the third term is the ground bass, the foundation of our harmony. We are the Augsburg Lutheran Churches. Together with all who embrace the true faith, we believe in the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, in which sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. Thus, Augsburg makes no claim to be the Church with a capital "C." We know and confess that the true Church, the Body of Christ, hidden and oppressed by false belief, hypocrisy, sin, and division until Christ comes again, is unequivocally revealed in this evil age solely by its signs—Word and Sacrament. We are assemblies and communities graciously gathered by the Holy Spirit around those signs in mutual fellowship and priestly service under the cross. We are "churches."

So that is our name. That is our song. We sing together as Augsburg Lutheran Churches looking only to the cross of Christ to proclaim God's word as law and gospel for the redemption of his people today. May God help us to the glory of his Name. Amen.

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