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63rd REPORT REGULAR CONVENTION of the EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD and the 24th Annual Meeting of the BETHANY LUTHERAN COLLEGE CORPORATION Convention Theme: "TESTIMONIES BEFORE KINGS Essay: The Augsburg Confession. Its History Its Evangelical Message and Its Light For Our Day Essayist: The Rev. Harold Vetter Compiled by Alf Merseth, Secretary Held at BETHANY LUTHERAN COLLEGE Mankato, Minnesota 56001 June 15-20, 1980 j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j 'j j j j j CONVENTION OPENING SYNOD SUNDAY June 15, 1980 The 63rd Annual Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the 24th Annual Meeting of the Bethany Lutheran College Corporation opened on Sunday June 15, 1980 with ser vices conducted in the Norwegian and English languages. The Norwegian service was held at the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church at 9:30a.m. The preacher was the Rev. H. A. Theiste, Golden Valley, Minnesota. The Synod's President, the Rev. W. Petersen, served as liturgist. Using as his text Matthew 7:24-25 Pastor Theiste spoke on the theme "The Only Everlasting Foun dation." This is a jubilee year. At this convention we will be reminded that it is the 450th year since the Augsburg Confession was pre sented at Augsburg June 25, 1530, and the 400th anniversary of the presentation of the Formula of Concord on June 25, 1580. Since that time the Book of Concord which contains the three Ecumenical Creeds together with the six specific Lutheran Statements of Doctrine has been used by the Lutheran Churches as a guide for true Lutheran teaching. We believe, confess and teach that herein is presented the one true safe foundation on which to build our faith. This safe foundation for our faith is "The Word." The entire Scripture identifies Jesus with "The Word." The Lutheran confessional writings are a good example of how to build on this foundation of Jesus and His Word. But must the Christian Church in all ages and under all cir cumstances build on the old foundation? Is it not true that new times and new life-styles require a new foundation on which to build? To such questions the Bible answers with an emphatic "NO." There is no other foundation for faith and the spiritually wise build on it. The English service was held at the Bethany College Auditor ium at 10:30 a.m. The preacher was the Rev. Warren Granke, Madison, Wisconsin. Prof. J. B. Madson served as liturgist. Mrs. Chris Faye served as organist, and special music was furnished by the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church Choir under the direction of Prof. Ellefson. Using as his text Psalm 126 Pastor Granke spoke on the theme: "The Church in Action." 1980 is a banner year for Lutherans. It is the 450th Anniver sary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession and the 400th Anniversary of the compiling of the Book of Concord. The church of that time was truly in action, in action confessing the the Lutheran faith as delivered by the Lord Himself in the Sacred Scriptures. We are the church of God in action today. We are to be in action in three areas. 1 I. We are to be in action in confession. The church today, we as Christians, should boldly confess the faith delivered to us in the Sacred Scriptures. II. We are to be the church in action in the Great Commission. We have been given the bounties of the Gospel by faith in Jesus Christ. The last instructions of Jesus as He was ascending into heaven were to go out and make disciples, to share the Gospel. III. We are to be in action in service. The church has been ac tive in reaching out to the needs of mankind. We are to be active in reaching out to all, especially to those of the household faith. We of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod will be in action doing the Lord's work this week in convention. May we go forward as the church of God in action. President Norman Holte of Bethany Lutheran College spoke a word of welcome to the convention on behalf of Bethany Lutheran College and Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary. President W. Petersen responded on behalf of the Synod with a word of thanks for the welcome spoken by President Holte. He also thanked all those who had participated in conducting the morning services. President Petersen also appointed a temporary Credentials Committee consisting of Pastors Warren Granke, Erwin Ekhoff and Michael Elliott and Delegates Willis Anthony and Herman Dittmar. ····" ,. The Rev. Hans Theiste, Prof. Erling Teigen, Mr. John Wilde, Prof. Juul Madson, The Rev. Warren Granke, The Rev. Milton Tweit, The Rev. Alf Mer seth On Sunday afternoon a PROGRAM COMMEMORATING THE 450TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGSBURG CONFES SION was presented in the Bethany College Chapel. Mrs. Paul Helland served as the organist and the Mt. Olive Lutheran 2 Church Choir presented special music. The 28 Articles of the Augsburg Confession had been put into verse by the Rev. Paul Madson. These verses were read to the assembly by seven men dressed as German Princes. The seven men who represented the German Princes were Prof. J. B. Madson, Prof. E. Teigen, the Rev. AlfMerseth, the Rev. M. E. Tweit, the Rev. H. A. Theiste, Mr. John Wilde, and the Rev. Warren Granke. Interspersed with the reading the choir and assembly sang songs and hymns expressing the Reformation truths so clearly set forth in the Augsburg Confession. Alf Merseth, secretary 3 THE CONVENTION FOCUS THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION Convention Theme These words selected from Psalm 119:46 were very appropri ately the convention theme in this, the 450th anniversary year of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession to Emperor Charles V on June 25, 1530. The truths of doctrine which the Augsburg Confession set forth so clearly and explicitly were the focal point of the devo tions during the convention. The Augsburg Confession, and es pecially its message of justification by faith as it applies to our day, was also the emphasis of the convention essay by the Rev. Harold Vetter. This anniversary of the Augsburg Confession was given such an emphasis in order to remind the Synod once more of the tre mendous importance of this foundation document of Lutheran ism. 4 THE CONVENTION DAY BY DAY President Wilhelm Petersen and Secretary Alf Merseth guide convention MONDAY The Monday morning devotion was conducted by Chaplain P. Schneider. Using Psalm 119:46 as his text Pastor Schneider ad dressed himself to the thought "We Testify to Everyone, Includ ing Kings." We celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Augsburg Confes sion. The Augsburg Confession is and remains a grand testimony to our Christian faith. We testify of the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This message is truly "fit for a king." All men are by nature dead in trespasses and sins and would be lost for ever unless delivered by our Lord Jesus Christ. The message we declare is that we have been delivered; we have a Savior; we have forgiveness of all our sins. God has credited the perfect life of Jesus and also His death for sin to our account. Therefore we receive the holiness needed for life and have our sin removed. We need never be ashamed of this grand message for it is the power of God unto salvation. After the secretary had called the roll and the first report of the Credentials Committee, which recommended the seating of 71 delegates, had been adopted, President Petersen declared the 63rd Annual Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the 24th Annual Meeting of the Bethany Lutheran College Cor poration to be in session in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (By the end of the first working day of the convention 57 permanent members and 16 permanent ad visory members and 84 delegates were present.) 5 President Petersen delivered his message to the convention in which he spok~ of the importance of our unreserved subscription to the Lutheran Confessions and stressed the importance of con tinuing to battle for and defend the truth of the inerrant Word of God as those truths are set forth in our confessions. This is very true as we approach the 80s in which Satan will surely continue trying to undermine the foundation of our faith. He spoke also of the other challenge of the 80s-namely the challenge of continuing to raise the needed funds to continue and expand the work of the Synod. The President also presented his report to the convention and the convention proceeded to organize by electing its working committees. The Rev. T. E. Aaberg opened the afternoon session with the reading of Acts 1:1-8. The work of the convention was assigned to its various com mittees and the convention was recessed for the remainder ·of the afternoon and evening so that the convention committees could meet and prepare resolutions for the convention's consid eration. TUESDAY The Tuesday morning devotion was conducted by the Rev. John Schmidt. Using as his text 1 Peter 3:15 Pastor Schmidt spoke on the theme "We Testify That We Should Always Be Ready to Witness." All Christians are to be ready to witness to their assurance of salvation through Christ. This assurance is clearly given in the truth and power of the Word. The Rev. Harold Vetter was introduced and read the first part of his essay entitled "THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION: Its His tory, Its Evangelical Message, and Its Light For Our Day." Dis cussion followed.