The Fifth Annual Theological Conference and Plenary Session of The Augustana Ministerium will be held May 17–19, 2010, hosted by Charity Lutheran Church, 1101 S.W. Wilshire Blvd., Burleson, TX and her pastor, the Rev. Dr. Kent Heimbigner.

This year’s conference theme, “Lives in the Balance,” focuses on how Confessional Lutherans go about equipping people for the world’s fight and the soul’s salvation. From education to citizenship, apologetics to proper use of the Law and the Gospel to steer people away from both boredom and despair, the shape of the enemy’s weapons and our response to them will be brought into view.

The theological portion of the program is open to members and non-members, clergy and laity alike. The Plenary Session of the Ministerium will be open to all attendees, except during an executive session, should one be called. The cost of the conference will be $30. That cost is included in the paid 2010 dues for Ministerium and Confraternity members.

To prepare yourself for the papers and discussion at this year’s conference, we provide the following set of reading lists:

Reclaiming the Old Lutheran Axiom: We Teach Our Own—To Keep our Baptized Children Alive; Rev. J. Richard Sawyer

Luther, Martin, “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation,” Luther’s Works, American Edition, vol. 44, section 25, and the Prefaces to the Large and Small Catechisms
Sayers, Dorothy L., “The Lost Tools of Learning” (available in Wilson’s book or for free on the web, along with other resources at The Well-Trained Mind)
Wilson, Douglas, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: An Approach to Distinctively Christian Education
Hicks, David V., Norms and Nobility: A Treatise on Education
Spitz, Lewis W., and Tinsley, Barbara, Johann Sturm on Education

Nurturing the Foundations of Faith: Equipping God’s People to Defend Against the Reasoned Arguments of Unbelief; Rev. Anthony Oncken

James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door (Intervarsity Press), Chapters 3-6, 9

The Balanced Spiritual Diet of Full-Strength Law and Gospel, and the Deadly Signs of Imbalance (Boredom and Despair); Rev. Michael Henson

Walther, C.F.W, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel (especially Thesis XXVI)
Forde, Gerhard, On Being a Theologian of the Cross

Instilling Christian Citizenship: The Freedom of Grace and the Bondage of the Neighbor; Rev. Dr. Steven Hein

Luther, Martin, “Freedom of the Christian,” Luther’s Works, American Edition, vol. 31

The Seven Deadly Values of Contemporary Culture: The Shape of the Enemy’s Weapons against Our People Today; Rt. Rev. James Heiser

In descending order of priotrity:

Michael Allen Gillespie, The Theological Origins of Modernity (Chicago, 2008)
Douglas V. Porpora, Landscapes of the Soul—The Loss of Moral Meaning in American Life (Oxford, 2001)
A. J. Conyers, The Long Truce—How Toleration Made the World Safe for Power and Profit (Spence, 2001)
John Lukacs, Democracy and Populism—Fear and Hatred (Yale, 2005)
Loren J. Samons II, What’s Wrong with Democracy?—From Athenian Practice to American Worship (California, 2004)
Mark Bauerlein, The Dumbest Generation (Tarcher, 2008)
Barry Alan Shain, The Myth of American Individualism—The Protestant Origins of American Political Thought (Princeton, 1994)

We have a fine slate of speakers for this conference and we are certain that you will find these presentations a blessing regardless of your vocation(s). Please plan on joining us in Burleson! Register at http://augustanaministerium.org/conference

This year’s conference theme, “Lives in the Balance,” focuses on how Confessional Lutherans go about equipping people for the world’s fight and the soul’s salvation. From education to citizenship, apologetics to the proper use of the Law and the Gospel to steer people away from both boredom and despair, the shape of the enemy’s weapons and our response to them will be brought into view.

Topic facilitators will provide pertinent background information on each topic for your conference preparation. A listing of these materials will be made available via both this website and our blog well in advance of the conference. Such advance preparation by attendees is strongly encouraged for informative and beneficial discussion at the conference.

The theological portion of the program is open to members and non-members, clergy and laity alike. The Plenary Session of the TAM will be open to all attendees, except during an executive session, should one be called. The cost of the conference will be $30. (For members of The Augustana Ministerium or The Augustana Confraternity, having paid your 2010 dues—$50 for Ministerium members, $40 for Confraternity members—will cause this $30 fee to be considered already paid. Thus, membership in the Ministerium or Confraternity is an amazing value for those who are able to attend the conference…and still a very good value for those who cannot attend!)

Details are at:

http://augustanaministerium.org/Conference

Rev. Dr. Steven A. Hein, Dean of Education
The Augustana Ministerium

Through the generosity of the translator, we are able to offer this work *free of charge.*

(If you wish to express thanks for this publication, the editor of the electronic edition suggests the Holy Trinity Sri Lanka Fund or the Confessional Lutheran Education Foundation’s Sri Lanka Project; information is available at <http://holytrinitylc.com/HTLC/Sri%20Lanka.html>.)

You may access this (50 page, 828 Kb) book directly at

<http://HolyTrinityLC.com/WaltherCommunionTheses.pdf>

BUT, it might be easier for you to download it by going to our website,

<http://AugustanaMinisterium.org>

and clicking on the “Reading Lists” item in the “Annual Conference Information” menu. When that page loads, you can right-click and get ‘Save Target As…’ (or some such thing). (Mac users, if you still have a one-button mouse, use control-click to bring up a contextual menu; if you have a two-, three-, or zero-button mouse, click with the right side. But, of course, you already knew that.)

Rev. Eric Stefanski

Dean of Communications

Lately, some have tried to gainsay the topic for the conference, which covers issues of Confession and Absolution, Church Polity, Ecclesiastical Oversight, and the Practice of Communion Fellowship in a “Post-Synodical Age.” These folks try to argue that since synods still exist (and they’re still in them—as are most of ‘we’ in The Augustana Ministerium), the term “Post-Synodical” is somehow evil and threatening.

In all, their complaints remind me of the LCMS Council of Presidents and their great fear that LCMS pastors and laymen filling out the survey that some laymen put up at <http://BlueRibbonSurvey.com> will somehow ‘corrupt the process’ of moving the LCMS into the future.

“Post-Synodical” simply refers to the FACT that no existing ‘synod’ has proven itself either completely trustworthy in all the materials it produces, nor able to produce what its parishes and pastors want and need. Because of that fact, we find independent publishing houses, etc., doing quite well (Repristination Press, Luther Press, Pax-Domini, Vox Visuals, and others), as well as pastors and laymen from several church bodies recognizing that they are in fellowship with those they’d probably ought not be and *not* in fellowship with those they’d ought to be. Our conference deals with these realities, helping those who attend to act faithfully within their context and to encourage others to do the same. In other words, as with all activities of The Augustana Ministerium, it is designed to preserve and promote Lutheran pastors and a distinctively Lutheran Ministry of Word and Sacraments to Lutheran congregations.

For basic information about the conference, please see:
   <http://augustanaministerium.org/conference/>

To register, go to: <http://augustanaministerium.org/conference/registration.html>

A schedule for the Conference is posted at:
   <http://augustanaministerium.org/conference/schedule.html>

To prepare for the conference, our Reading Lists are found at:
   <http://augustanaministerium.org/conference/readinglists.html>

Lodging Information and Directions are given here:
   <http://augustanaministerium.org/conference/lodging.html>

There is also limited free housing available with members of Trinity Lutheran. If you would be interested in this, please contact Trinity’s pastor, the Rev. Drew Newman, who is also the Recording Secretary of the Ministerium, by using the Ministerium’s ‘Contact’ form.

What is The Augustana Ministerium? A full description can be found at <http://augustanaministerium.org/faq/index.html>, but, in brief, we are a pastoral association formed to preserve and promote Lutheran pastors and a distinctively Lutheran Ministry of Word and Sacrament to Lutheran congregations. We accomplish this through providing emergency relief for pastors in crisis and need; helping small congregations keep their faithful pastors, even though they are unable to pay a pastor a full-time livable wage, helping plant new confessional mission congregations and preaching stations; helping put ordained pastors who are without a call to serve in a particular place or are on CRM status back into ministry as pastors and teachers in the church; and establishing, publishing, and promoting such theological conferences, educational resources, and other materials and events as appear helpful for the meeting of our purpose. For 2009, it is our desire to provide over $50,000.00 in aid to pastors.

Please note that this conference is free for members of The Augustana Ministerium or The Augustana Confraternity. For others, the cost is $30. For membership information, please visit our website, <http://AugustanaMinisterium.org>.

Rev. Eric Stefanski
Dean of Communications
The Augustana Ministerium

Ecclesiastical Supervision in a Post-Synodical Age

J.A.O. Preus, The Second Martin (CPH, 1994), Chapter 6, “Chemnitz’ Superintendency”

The Epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch (Kleist translation)

Hans von Campenhausen, “Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in
the Church of the First Three  Centuries” (Hendrickson, 1997)

Episcopacy—Lutheran-United Methodist Diologue II (Augsburg, 1991), esp. Todd Nichol, “Bishops in the Lutheran Tradition: The Book of Concord and Later Lutheranism” and George Bornemann, “The Role of the Lutheran Bishop”

Marquart, Kurt, The Church and Her Fellowship, Ministry, and Governance (Luther Academy [current publisher], 1990), esp. pp. 195–219

“The Visitation Articles for the Electorate and Provinces of Upper Saxony” (1592). Available online at http://bookofconcord.org/visitation.php

Akin, Daniel, Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Church Polity (B&H Academic, 2004)

Essential Readings for the Discussion (freely available online):
Preus, Rolf, “Church Fellowship and Closed Communion” (parish Bible study outline, taught January and February, 2007)

Preus, Rolf, “Making a Clear Confession in Muddy Waters” (Burnsville, MN, free conference presentation, January, 2009)

Stefanski, Eric, “Fellowship: What It Is and What It Implies” (chiefly for the section “My Sin in Kansas City”; presentation at St. Luke Ev. Luth. Ch., Richland Center, WI)

Stefanski, Eric, “Guilt by Association” (Burnsville, MN, free conference presentation, January, 2009)

Stefanski, Eric, “A Brief and Bluesy Response to ‘Muddy Waters’,” (a reaction to some assertions in Rolf Preus’s paper)
    not yet posted
The bases for the arguments in the Stefanski papers, above, can be studied in more depth by reading:
Marquart, Kurt, The Church and Her Fellowship, Ministry, and Governance (Luther Academy [current publisher], 1990), esp. pp. 39–77

Walther, C.F.W., Theses on Communion Fellowship with Those Who Believe Differently (CTS, Fort Wayne, 1990)

Elert, Werner, Eucharist and Fellowship in the First Four Centuries (CPH, 1966), esp. pp. 23–184

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Life Together (Harper, 1976; Harper Collins, 2008), section on Confession and the Lord’s Supper (may be readable via Google Books)

“Confession and Absolution Readings” (free file, .pdf format)

Rev. Eric J. Stefanski
Dean of Communications

Marquart, Kurt E. The Church and her fellowship, ministry, and governance.  Read esp. pages 195-219

“The Visitation Articles for the Electorate and Provinces of Upper Saxony” (1592).  available online at http://www.bookofconcord.org/visitation.php 

Akin, Daniel.  Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Church Polity.  (This book, written from various perspectives flowing out of the British Reformation, assumes something of the flavor of a polemic back-and-forth arguing about which polity is “the” Biblically correct one.  I assume the flawed presupposition of this argument will be obvious to us all, and that this exchange will nevertheless give us a useful look at the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to church polity).

Currently, this last book has only four new copies available at Amazon.com, but there are several used copies available there and elsewhere. Consult http://Bookfinder.com to search for copies on the internet, noting that if you give Bookfinder your zipcode it will customize your results so that you see the prices with shipping for a more accurate comparison.

To register for the Conference and Plenary, please visit our website and the entries available under the “Conference” menu.

Rev. Eric J. Stefanski
Dean of Communications

Rev. Eric J. Stefanski

Dean of Communications

Head over to our Conference Page for information, and use the conference tab at the top of the page to access the registration system.

EJG