I do appreciate that our synodical leadership gives open opportunity for responses from the people that are affected by this Boy Scouts of America (BSA) change of policy.

What I can see from the various comments above is what I saw beforehand of what this change of BSA policy would bring to light---division within our Church body and where we must emphasize our preaching, teaching and witness to the world of what God's gracious and unchanged Word says of how human sexuality is designed and how it is to be ordered. We must emphasize our preaching, teaching and witness to our fellow members within our congregations about how the Word of the Lord and the Holy Spirit work transformation of hearts, over time, that are disoriented in any way in their desires.

What I can see from the various comments above and what I think I discern (hopefully rightly) from Rev. Day's 5-24-13 letter is that whatever our synodical leadership's decision or admonition will be, some division (or at least disagreement) will follow from it, no matter how faithful to the Scriptures that clarification and admonition may be. The LC-MS has, in the past, faced the prospect of losing members if it remained faithful to the Scriptures by stating what the confessional position of doctrine and practice is for the LC-MS and for its member congregations. Such happened in the early 1970s as one example; as a result, those churches that left the LC-MS eventually lost members over time to the LC-MS and to other confessional Lutheran Church bodies because the implications of their unbiblical beliefs and practices were fully manifested to their confessional members. We also have not changed our belief or practice about not allowing our members to hold membership in the Masonic Lodge because of the Lodge's beliefs and practices being contrary to Scripture. Such stated positions have come from our Synod and its leadership for clarification and loving admonition to its member congregations. For those we give God thanks for the unity that they provide.

Now the BSA has changed its beliefs and practices to reflect the surrounding culture's beliefs and practices contrary to Scripture. This matter of the fundamental/ideological change of the BSA was, continues to be and will continue to be directed by the ideology of activist groups that say homosexual behavior is good and not to be discouraged, and our shared experience is that these groups are litigious in their coercion of their ideology upon others in all major and smaller public and private institutions. The good news is that already reputable alternatives to the BSA, alternative organizations with excellent resources and long-time experienced leaders, are being formed that our LC-MS and its member congregations, pastors, ministers, leaders and parents can support, host and sponsor in good and winsome conscience. OnMyHonor.net is already organizing such an organization for boys, and Pastor Kenyatta T. Cobb, Sr. of Orlando, Florida offers his help, and Lutheran Rangers in Wisconsin and again OnMyHonor.net offer alternatives for our boys. An alternative organization for our boys may be able to lovingly direct our boys in the principled way (which the BSA will now not be able to do). Such alternative organizations could have a Sixth Commandment and Lord's Prayer policy and clear procedures by which boys may be able to confide (rather than proclaim) in their leaders that they struggle with same-sex attractions, and those leaders can then direct the boys toward the truth, healing, transformation of mind and desires, set loving and protective boundaries and genuine and holy fellowship without leaders fearing false accusation of discrimination or coercion. With such an alternative for our boys we would thereby fulfill the Great Commission and the petitions that we hallow God's name among us, His will be done among us, and that we all be led away from temptation. It's a very serious thought worth very serious consideration. If the synodical leadership does not consider this to be sufficient protection to our youth, so be it.

But here is the practical and unavoidable situation about pursuing any alternative to our boys and congregations throughout our Synod: Our pastors and congregations cannot in a united and loving action offer such alternatives to our congregations, leaders, parents and scout troops if our synodical leadership does not clearly state what the confessional position in doctrine and practice is in this matter of the BSA's change of direction that confronts us. If our synodical leadership does not state what that position is and fails to urge such alternative organizations, then we leaders and members in the congregations will be found without adequate support to offer, set up and implement those alternatives in our congregations and to our parents, and further division will ensue in our Church body.

But I believe that by the grace and help of God our synodical leadership will state that confessional position and urge such uniting alternatives. Our prayers for our synodical leaders, professors, pastors and congregations in this matter are the very petitions that our Lord taught us to pray and the meaning of those petitions that we learn from the Small Catechism. It is astounding how applicable those petitions and their meanings are to this matter and what God is calling us, and empowering us, to do in such a time as this! God's peace in Christ to His people.