Immanuel to Host A National Free Conference

What is a "free conference?" you ask.  A free conference is a technical name for a conference that is independent of any official church body or synod.  It is a conference devoted to discussing and debating important matters facing the church, without interference from church leaders who have a conflict of interest.  Lutheranism has a long history of such conferences.

In this case, we are hosting a free conference for the purpose of studying the theology and history of Lutheran ministeriums. So what is a ministerium and what do they do?  Well that is the point of the conference.  Ministeriums have functioned in different ways at different times throughout the history of the church, including the Lutheran Church. This conference will attempt to see if the ministerium model has something to contribute to Lutheranism today.

Why have a meeting on such a question now? We are holding this meeting because the LC-MS is moving in a liberal direction and if history teaches us anything, it teaches that when a synod departs from the Word of God it isn’t long before it no longer produces faithful pastors, congregations, and schools.

Virtually all synods and mainline denominations, ours included, have become wasteful bureaucratic structures, where only a small percentage of the money donated makes it to the missionary or mission congregation.  Even less is spent on the support of theological education.  Faithful pastors who refuse to compromise on their doctrine and practice are frequently pushed from the congregation by badly behaved laity and district officials who side with the wrong doers.

In light of this fact many within the LC-MS are starting to exam ways to protect our pastors and congregations while working to establish new churches and schools so that we will fulfill our responsibility of passing on the Gospel and pure doctrine to our children and grandchildren.

There are two ways in which this can be done. The first is the creation of a new Lutheran synod.  But few are ready to leave at this point and the case for doing is not conclusive. The second is through a Lutheran ministerium, which is an association of faithful pastors and is supported by faithful congregations in an informal partnership. 

A ministerium is not a synod. A ministerium does not have any authority over a congregation.  It is an association of pastors who work with one another to create truly Lutheran congregations and schools.  People who have a desire to remain faithful to the Word and Sacrament ministry and want to help create preaching stations, congregations, and schools find the ministerium model appealing. This conference will exam the doctrine and history of the Lutheran ministerium to see what we can learn and what can be adapted from our pious Lutheran forefathers.

 

Can laymen attend this conference? Absolutely. Here are the details.

 

"A Confessional Lutheran Ministerium For Our Day?"

A Free Conference on the History and Theology of Ministeriums

October 24-26, 2004 (Sunday Evening through Tuesday at Noon)

Sponsored by Reformation Today and Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church

Immanuel Lutheran Church

4911 N. Knoxville Avenue, Peoria, Illinois

309-691-3911

Conference Schedule:

Sunday Evening

6:00 to 7:00 pm - Registration at Immanuel Lutheran Church

7:00 pm Welcome and Introductions - Rev. John Frahm Reformation Today & Rev. Craig Stanford, Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church

7:15 pm - Session One: "On Reforming Our Own Estate Today" - Rev. Craig Stanford, Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church, Peoria, IL.

8:15 pm Vespers

Gemuetlichkeit on your own in Peoria

Monday

8:00 am Matins

9:00 am Session Two: "Pastoral Cooperation and Support in the New Testament," Rev. Eric Stefanski, Associate Pastor Immanuel Lutheran, Peoria, IL. & missionary-at-Large, northern Arkansas

10:00-10:15 break for refreshments

10:15 am Session Three: "Clergy Cooperation and Support in the Early and Medieval Church" - Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt - St. Paul's, Kewanee, IL; Editor, Gottesdienst: A Quarterly Journal of the Evangelical-Lutheran Liturgy.

Noon Lunch Break

2:00 pm Session Four: "Ministeriums in the History of American Lutheranism: Positive Examples And Theological Pitfalls to Avoid" - Rev. Dr. Steven A. Hein, Colorado Springs, CO, contributing editor, Logia

3:00 to 3:30 pm Panel Discussion on Biblical, Historical, and Confessional Basis for Ministeriums -

3:30 to 4:00 pm Break

4:00 pm Session Five: "Lutheran Ministerium: What Does This Mean and How Should It Work?" Rev. Robert W. Schaibley, senior pastor, Shepherd of the Springs Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

5:15 pm Break for Supper (A mini-Oktoberfest at Immanuel)

7:30 pm Session Six: "Is the LC-MS Pointed in the Wrong Direction?: 8-01a and Other Problems," Rev. Jeffery Warner, Missionary Pastor To Native Americans

8:30 pm Vespers

Gemuetlichkeit on your own in Peoria

Tuesday

8:30 am Matins

9:30 am Session Seven: "A Confessional Lutheran Ministerium And the theology of Church and Offices in the Lutheran Confessions" Rev. John A. Frahm III, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Virginia, MN

10:30 am Panel Discussion:

11:00 am - Doing Something Constructive With What We've Heard and Discussed...

Noon: Itinerarium

Note: We hope to leave plenty of time in between sessions and during panel discussion to address "practical" questions on a Confessional Lutheran Ministerium. This is also an integral part of the conference.

 

HOTEL INFORMATION

A special rate has been kindly offered by Americinn of Peoria for the Ministerium Conference. The rate is for a double-occupancy room at $65 per night. This room would regularly go for over $90.00 per night. With tax the room would come to $72.48. The Americinn Hotel features continental breakfast, pool, jacuzzi and other amenities. This hotel is also just down the road a couple miles from Immanuel Lutheran Church, the conference location.

This special is for Sunday and Monday night. There is a possibility of extending the rate until Tuesday when necessary by special arrangment. Please talk with Rev. Craig Stanford if you need the extention to Tuesday night. Reservations must be made by October 17th to get this special rate. Please note, in order to get this special rate one must make the reservation in the following manner:

1. Call the Americinn Peoria directly at (309) 692-9200. This offer is NOT available through the national Americinn reservation line. To get this special please mention "Stanford", "Immanuel Lutheran Church" or "C.L.M." or,

2. Go to www.americinnpeoria.com and in the comments section please include "Stanford," "Immanuel Lutheran Church" or "C.L.M." to get the special rate. Again please use the local hotel website rather than the national site.

 

Spread the word to other like-minded faithful Lutherans. This conference is for pastors and laity.  To pre-register visit http://Reformationtoday.tripod.com