Gerald B. Kieschnick
Encyclopedia
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
) was the 12th president of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He served 3 terms starting in 2001, re-elected in 2004, and again in 2007. He was defeated in his bid for a fourth term by the Rev. Matthew C. Harrison on July 13, 2010 at the 64th regular convention of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and his presidency ended on August 31, 2010.
Kieschnick and his wife, Terry, have two grown children and two grandchildren, all of whom live in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Early career
Kieschnick attended Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, graduating with a bachelor of science in 1964. He is a 1970 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary
Concordia Theological Seminary
The Concordia Theological Seminary is an institution of theological higher education of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod , located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, dedicated primarily to the preparation of pastors for the congregations and missions of the LCMS...
in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
(now located in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
), obtained his Master of Divinity in 1977 at Concordia in Fort Wayne, and received an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1996 from Concordia University
Concordia University at Austin
Concordia University Texas is a private, coeducational institution of liberal arts and sciences located in northwest Austin. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as an Accelerated Degree Program for part-time students and adult returning students at satellite campuses in...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
After his ordination in 1970, Kieschnick served as pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
until 1973; at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
from 1973–1981; and at Faith Lutheran Church in Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
from 1981-1986.
He served the Missouri Synod's Texas District
Texas District (LCMS)
The Texas District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and comprises the state of Texas with the exception of El Paso County, which is in the Rocky Mountain District...
as a circuit counselor
Circuit (LCMS)
A circuit, in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , is a local grouping of congregations within one of the Synod's 35 districts. Circuits typically include 8 to 12 congregations...
from 1978–1981 and as director of public relations from 1977-1986. Kieschnick was director of development at Lutheran Foundation of Texas from 1986–1988 and then served as its executive director from 1988-1991.
In 1991, Kieschnick was elected president
Districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is organized into 35 districts, 33 of which are defined along geographic lines. Each district has a president who oversees the congregations in his district, which are further subdivided into local circuits...
of the Synod's Texas District and served in that position until 2001. Under Kieschnick's lead, membership in the Texas District grew by approximately 12 percent, even as LCMS membership numbers slipped nationally.
Opposition from Confessional Lutherans
Polarization in the LCMS dates back at least to the SeminexSeminex
Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile . An institution for the training of Lutheran ministers, Seminex existed from 1974 to 1987. It was formed after a walk-out by dissident faculty and students of Concordia Seminary in St...
controversy of the early 1970s. Kieschnick's first presidential term was stormy. He faced the opposition of more conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
members within the church hierarchy, including four out of the five vice-presidents and a majority on the Board of Directors.
During the 1990s members of the LCMS' "activist" wing (who align themselves with the goals of such non-Lutheran groups, such as the Church Growth
Church growth
Church Growth is a movement within evangelical Christianity which emphasizes mainly missionary work combined with sociological awareness of the target population. The "seeker sensitive" label for this approach characterizes the would-be converts as "seekers".-History:Church Growth began with the...
or Megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
movements) have been in conflict with the "traditional" wing (who often dub themselves Confessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran Christians to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible...
s.) Both wings have established networks of internal caucuses, organizations, and news services to promote their viewpoints and to campaign for Synod leadership candidates.
Issues of disagreement range across the whole life of the church, including worship style, ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
fellowship with other church bodies, the role of women in the church, methods for training leaders and expanding congregations, approaches to scriptural interpretation, the proper relationship of the sacred and secular spheres, and the appropriate division of powers between the Synod and its constituent congregations.
LCMS presidential election and first term
At the LCMS' 2001 convention in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Kieschnick was elected to his first three-year term as president of the church, which has 2.6 million members. He won by 18 votes out of 1,182 total votes in the fourth round of balloting, defeating four other candidates. One of his leading Confessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran Christians to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible...
opponents, Daniel Preus, went on to win the position of First Vice President.
Interfaith issues
Kieschnick spent much of his time in office under fire for his support of Atlantic DistrictAtlantic District (LCMS)
The Atlantic District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and covers eastern New York state: New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and the Capital District...
president David Benke
David Benke
David Benke is a Lutheran pastor and the current president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.-Education and career:Benke was born on May 5, 1946 in Milwaukee, WI as the first child of Raymond and Dorothea Benke...
. The controversy quickly became an emblem for broader, longstanding disagreements within the church. In September 2001, Benke had taken part in an interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
prayer event at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Daniel Preus and others in the Synod's "Confessional" camp argued that Benke, by participating in a prayer event alongside non-Lutheran clergy and leaders of non-Christian faiths, had engaged in practices that the Synod condemns as "Syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
" and "unionism."
Crisis in the Synod
Meanwhile, Kieschnick and his supporters replied that Benke had given Christian witness in a permissible manner, and that the event was not a religious service. Along the way, several LCMS ministers moved to have Kieschnick removed as LCMS president, although the matter ended with Kieschnick surviving the ouster attempt and Benke being cleared of the charges against him. For several years, the Benke controversy left many LCMS members speaking of a "crisis in the Synod" and warning openly of the possibilities for a schismSchism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
.
Committee on Constitutional Matters
Displeased that Kieschnick had used the LCMS' Committee on Constitutional Matters (CCM) to overrule them on several occasions, the LCMS Board of Directors hired a law firm in early 2004 to determine its authority within the church under the laws governing not-for-profit entities in the state of MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. The Kieschnick wing responded by engaging its own legal counsel. Several on the Board of Directors considered filing action against the Synod in civil court as a way to re-assert their authority within the church.
Reelection and second term
In 2004 Kieschnick won a re-match with first vice-president Daniel Preus, winning 53 percent of the vote to Preus' 32 percent, with two other Confessional Lutheran candidates placing third and fourth. A Kieschnick ally, Oklahoma DistrictOklahoma District (LCMS)
The Oklahoma District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and comprises the state of Oklahoma. It includes approximately 80 congregations and missions, subdivided into 9 circuits, as well as 18 preschools, 9 elementary schools and 1 high school...
President William R. Diekelman, then defeated Preus for the first vice-presidential slot in a somewhat narrower vote. Although Kieschnick's allies won control of four out of the five vice-presidential slots, the Board of Directors remained narrowly in the control of Synod conservatives.
Margin of victory
Some LCMS traditionalists have charged that Kieschnick's margin of victory was provided only through votes cast by LCMS circuitsCircuit (LCMS)
A circuit, in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , is a local grouping of congregations within one of the Synod's 35 districts. Circuits typically include 8 to 12 congregations...
that were granted exceptions to standard delegate accreditation rules, suggesting that the vote was "rigged" by the incumbent president. While Kieschnick's allies deny that charge, the interpretation of the 2004 convention results remains controversial within the LCMS.
LCMS constitution
Kieschnick and his supporters supported an effort to amend the LCMS constitution to address ambiguous language on the authority of the Board of Directors vis-a-vis the Committee on Constitutional Matters (CCM). Proponents of the effort, dubbed Amendment A, claimed it merely "clarified" existing constitutional language; opponents claimed it was part of an attempt to strip the Board of Directors of some of its powers. Amendment A was approved by the 2004 convention but failed to receive ratification by the two-thirds of LCMS congregations necessary for it to take effect.”Response to 2007 Vatican document
In response to a 2007 document approved by Pope Benedict XVI and released by the Vatican July 10 that says, in part, “...other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and that only Roman Catholicism provides the true path to salvation,” Dr. Kieschnick responded that this declaration, with which Lutherans and other Christian church bodies obviously disagree, is nothing new. Kieschnick said “Similar statements and perspectives precipitated the 16th century Reformation nearly 500 years ago.2008 Radio Program Controversy
During Holy Week in 2008, the Synod-sponsored, nationally syndicated talk radio program Issues, Etc. was canceled, initially without explanation. Issues, Etc. was the most popular program produced by the LCMS owned radio station KFUO-AM and had been a regular part of the broadcast schedule for 15 years. Its cancellation, along with the firing of Host Pastor Todd Wilken and Producer Jeff Schwarz, created a firestorm of protest from traditionalists within the LCMS, including allegations of mishandling of radio station finances. Because KFUO-AM has never published financial information it cannot be held publicly accountable. In June 2008 Issues, Etc. returned as a listener supported program on a competing St. Louis station, and on-line through internet streamingStreaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
and podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
downloads. Kieschnick has repeatedly turned down all requests by the Issues, Etc. producers to appear on the program.
In an article in The Wall Street Journal, journalist M. Z. Hemingway stated:
- “The program was in all likelihood a pawn in a larger battle for the soul of the Missouri Synod. The church is divided between, on the one hand, traditional Lutherans known for their emphasis on sacraments, liturgical worship and the church's historic confessions and, on the other, those who have embraced pop-culture Christianity and a market-driven approach to church growth. The divide is well known to all confessional Christian denominations struggling to retain their traditional identity.”
Misleading picture of the Synod
In a written response, President Kieschnick countered that the article presented a “distorted account of the reason for the discontinuation” and a “misleading picture” of the Synod “as a deeply divided church....” The fallout from the Issues, Etc. cancellation, and President Kieschnick’s denial of discord within Synodical ranks, widened the gap between conservative and liberal factions, motivating many previously silent traditionalists to speak out against perceived Synodical heavy-handedness and doctrinal error.In his weekly column "Perspectives" (Volume 1, Number 42) published in late July 2010 Kieschnick summed up his thoughts about the 64th Regular Convention of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He referenced the words of the Apostle
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
from 1 Corinthians
First Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
and described "a church in conflict, experiencing divided loyalty." This comment seemingly signaled a Flip-flop
Flip-flop (politics)
A "flip-flop" , U-turn , or backflip is a sudden real or apparent change of policy or opinion by a public official, sometimes while trying to claim that both positions are consistent with each other...
by Kieschnick on the issue of division within the LCMS and further confused his standing with Confessional Lutherans within the Synod.
2010 Election
On July 13, 2010, President Kieschnick was defeated for re-election by Rev. Matthew C. Harrison. The vote was 643 to 527.Newspaper articles
- Patricia Rice, "Missouri Synod Elects Moderate as President," St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
, 16 July 2001. - "Houston native takes synod helm," Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, 21 July 2001. - Tom Heinen, "Lutherans' doctrinal clash builds," Milwaukee Journal SentinelMilwaukee Journal SentinelThe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
, 21 July 2001. - Tim Townsend, "Church leader faces reelection fight," St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
, 11 July 2004. - Adam Jadhav, "Embattled Lutheran president wins vote," St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
, 21 July 2004. - "Amendment A falls short of affirmation," LCMS Reporter, March 2005.
- LCMS Q-&-A document on Amendment A (PDF), 2004.
External links
- Official Kieschnick biography from the LCMS website (old link which reverts to main LCMS homepage)
- LCMS homepage
- Concordia Historical Institute
- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120667366412170875.html?mod=taste_primary_hs Article from the Wall Street Journal regarding the cancellation of the Issues, Etc. radio program.
Commentary from "Confessional" LCMS members at:
- Brothers of John The Steadfast
- Reclaiming Walther
- Christian News (old link)
- Consensus Lutheran (old link)
- Alliance of Evangelical Lutheran Lay People (old link)
Commentary from LCMS groups that supported the Kieschnick administration at:
- Jesus First
- Day Star (dead link)
- Voices/Vision (dead link)