Wyoming District re-elects Boche

Rev. Richard Boche was elected on the first ballot to a second term as president of the LCMS Wyoming District during the district convention April 30-May 2 in Casper, Wyo.

Meeting under the theme “We Believe, Teach and Confess the Church,” the convention elected Rev. Richard Neugebauer, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Gering, Neb., first vice president. He served as second vice president during the last triennium.

Rev. John Hill, pastor of Mount Hope Lutheran Church, Casper, was elected to a first term as second vice president and Rev. Kirk Peters, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Buffalo, Wyo., was re-elected third vice president.

Among resolutions passed by the convention were 10 originally passed by the 2006 district convention, some of which rejected resolutions of the 2004 Synod convention. One resolution rejects a Commission on Constitutional Matters ruling on ecclesiastical supervision, saying its decision places itself above the Word of God. Another resolution calls on the Synod to rescind 2004 convention Res. 3-08A, which dealt with the service of women in congregational and Synod offices.

The 10 district resolutions were adopted in 2006 and forwarded to the 2007 LCMS convention, but did not reach the Synod by the deadline and were not included in the Convention Workbook.

In resolutions addressing the proposals from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance, the Wyoming District:

urged the Synod and the task force to abandon proposed changes that — in the words of the resolution — “theologically redefine a congregation” and how it is to be governed, specifically proposals for congregational representation to district conventions, congregational representation to national conventions, the process for submitting overtures to district and national conventions, and future district configuration.

rejected what it called “proposed theological changes to the LCMS constitution,” specifically changes in Articles II, III, VI, and VII and declared that, as congregations of the Wyoming District ” … we would be unable to accept these proposed changes to the constitution of the LCMS with a clear conscience.”

memorialized the 2010 LCMS convention to postpone until 2013 consideration of any final report, recommendations, or proposals of the task force in order to give congregations and districts time to consider all final proposals.

Another convention resolution calls on the Synod to replace the terminology and practice of “circuit counselor” with the historic terminology and practice of “circuit visitor.”

Dr. Ronald Garwood, former district president, served as essayist, speaking on the topic, “The Nature of the Church with Reference to its Structure.”

Garwood said, “A true visible church, be it a local congregation, a district, or national synod, is not defined by its structure or organization, but by its doctrine and practice, or as our confessions state it, by what we believe, teach, and confess. It is our hard work to remain committed to that, and God will handle all the rest. And so ultimately we leave ourselves in His loving hands, for He is the creator and sustainer of the church, and He is her Lord.”

Garwood’s presentation will be posted on http://wy.lcms.org, the district Web site.

The Wyoming District includes 61 congregations with 14,756 baptized members.

Posted May 13, 2009

 

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