Lawsuit Against Synod President Withdrawn

 

The lawsuit filed on August 12, 2005, against LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick, First Vice-President William Diekelman and, nominally, the entire Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has been withdrawn with prejudice. This means that the plaintiffs, a handful of LCMS pastors, commissioned ministers and congregations, agree that they cannot bring the suit into court again. In effect, they admit that the complaint had no basis.

     The lawsuit violated the position of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, as expressed in a 1991 document of the Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR). On the basis of I Corinthians 6:1-11, the CTCR states: “The secular law and the secular court, which are established on the basis of the wisdom of the world, are not in a position to judge the fundamental spiritual issues which are always involved.” Those who initiated the lawsuit in violation of the Scriptures said they wanted to “save the LCMS.”

     Instead, they generated legal fees in excess of $200,000 that the Synod must pay—money that could have funded mission opportunities or struggling churches.

An Apology is Included

     The withdrawal of the lawsuit includes an apology from the plaintiffs. (The full text can be read on the LCMS website.) President Kieschnick, Vice-President Diekelman and Synod’s Board of Directors are poised to forgive all the plaintiffs who sign the withdrawal agreement, in particular for “pejorative” words contained in the original complaint.

     What is troubling is that accusations against the President and the Synod continue unabated. If the 2004 synodical Convention broke the law, and Scripture is on their side, why did plaintiffs withdraw the lawsuit? Their words contradict their actions. The Vice-president of Consensus, an organization that includes plaintiffs in the lawsuit, states, “The hero in all this is actually the attorney for the plaintiffs who is willing to have his clients express regret for ‘pejorative words’ just to get President Kieschnick to sign the agreement.”

     As it has in the past, Consensus most likely will publish a “United List” of candidates it supports for election at the 2007 synodical Convention. Jesus First encourages delegates to read the United List with discernment, caution and reservation.

JJC