Jesus First
Publishes 50th Issue
This
is the fiftieth issue of the Jesus First newsletter, an
occasion to give thanks for God’s consistent blessings,
including so many faithful supporters.
Never
once have we had to wonder whether there would be enough money
to put out the next edition--
remarkable!
Why
the Newsletter Started
The
first issue appeared in July 1999, a year after a Synod-wide
Convention. A dozen or so LCMS pastors and lay people from
across the Synod had been meeting regularly during that year
to discuss how to change the direction some Synod leaders were
taking the church body.
Here
is what they were reacting to: “We see disturbing displays
of diminished mission urgency, increasing legalism, disrespect
for the priesthood of all believers, exaggerated pastoral
authority, misplaced uniformity, resistance to cultural
diversity, avoidance of other Christians, overstepping the
advisory nature of Synod, and a growing spirit of fear and
intimidation.”
Who
We Are
From
the beginning, Jesus First people were careful to identify
themselves:
“To
be sure, we are conservative in wanting to preserve our
precious Lutheran doctrine, and we are truly confessional
in our commitment to the Holy Spirit and our historic Lutheran
creeds and confessions. But we are also liberal in our
love for all people and our appreciation for the freedom of
the Gospel, and we are middle-of-the-road in our strong
desire for peace and unity in the church.
“.
. . Our conviction that Jesus Christ is first in our faith and
life and that our Gospel freedom is our most precious
possession . . . motivates us to choose and support leaders at
the congregational, district, and synodical levels who truly
put Jesus Christ and his Gospel first, in theory and in
practice.”
Our
Task Goes On
The
task for Jesus First will not be finished until
Gospel-Centered, Mission-Driven, Future-Oriented leadership is
firmly established at
every level of Synod’s elected officials. We invite
you to help make that happen.
