Delegates to the 38th convention of the LCMS Iowa District East (IDE), June 29-30 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, re-elected the Rev. Dr. Brian S. Saunders to his second three-year term as district president. They also re-elected the two district vic
e-presidents.
The re-election of Saunders, 53, of Cedar Rapids, came on the first ballot.
“Witness, Mercy, Life Together” was the convention theme. That also is the national Synod’s emphasis, which LCMS Fourth Vice-President Rev. Daniel Preus addressed several times as he represented LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison at the convention.
Saunders and the vice-presidents were installed during the convention. The vice-presidents are:
- the Rev. Dr. Matthew W. Rueger, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Hubbard, Iowa, first vice-president; and
- the Rev. Daniel L. Krueger, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Hiawatha, Iowa, second vice-president.
Among resolutions adopted by district convention delegates is one that encourages congregations to support Operation Barnabas — the Synod’s program to uphold the nation’s military personnel and their families.
That resolution calls for congregations to pray on their behalf, asks them to establish “standing committees for military concerns” to prepare for responding “to the needs of deployed and returning servicemen and women and their families” and urges congregations to use resources and training to help those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder. It also asks Operation Barnabas leaders to submit a subsidy request to the district missions committee for consideration in the IDE’s 2013 budget.
Other resolutions adopted by IDE convention delegates:
- allow the district president to “hold a call to serve as a parish pastor” — with the consensus of the calling congregation, the district president and its board of directors (which would also adjust compensation). The district presidency has been a full-time position since 1974.
- call for the district to conduct a capital campaign to raise at least $600,000 over the next 5-7 years for new mission starts in the district.
- ask the 2013 Synod convention to assign the two LCMS seminary faculties with preparing an evaluation of 1989 Synod convention Resolution 3-05B (which authorized licensing laymen to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments under the supervision of an ordained pastor). The district resolution also calls for that evaluation to include a recommendation for the 2016 Synod convention.
- urge the Iowa District East president to visit or contact every district congregation “to make sure the communion practice of each congregation is in accord with the official teaching of the Synod.” The resolution also urges the Synod president to “counsel the district presidents toward faithfulness in our official communion practice and to exercise discipline against errant practice when appropriate and necessary.”
- petition the 2013 Synod convention to direct that information about salaries and benefits of national Synod employees be made available to the general membership of the Synod.
Posted July 3, 2012 / Updated July 9, 2012
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