HOUSTON—Ted Kober, founder and president of Ambassadors of Reconciliation, a peacemaking ministry for Lutherans around the world, encouraged forgiveness and understanding amongst church members during the LCMS convention’s opening 
The 64th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is meeting July 10–17 at the George R. Brown Convention Center under the theme “ONE People—Forgiven.” Among the approximately 3,000 participants are some 1,200 clergy and lay voting delegates. Kober will present a series of Bible studies to convention participants throughout the week.
At the start of a week in which delegates will be asked to vote on more than 100 resolutions, Kober focused on Rom. 5:6–11, reminding attendees that it is “Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Rom. 5:8). He asked delegates to consider, despite potential differences, that “reconciliation can never be voted upon” but is the result of “God being placed in the midst of our conflicts.” Confession and forgiveness are critical to reconciliation, but, Kober said, it is “through Christ, [that God] makes us one people—forgiven!”
Posted July 11, 2010
