Nominate Jerry Kieschnick Because:

·         he has given to the Synod a vision of how we might be about what our Lord has called us to do, to bring people to Jesus and an eternity in heaven as “One Mission, One Message, One people.”

·         he continues to support this vision by giving great energy to the ABLAZE! effort.

·         he demonstrated great pastoral care and patience as he worked through the now set-aside “Anderson Law Suit.”

·         he demonstrates great persistence with Synod’s Board of Directors as he continues to provide leadership for the work that they must do.

·         he has a wonderful working relationship with the District Presidents.

·         he is passionately concerned about the future of the Synod, and has appointed Blue Ribbon Committees to explore its structure.

·         his interest in “pastoral formation” has led him to gather the best minds to explore what can and must be done to provide the very best pastoral leadership for the Synod into the future.

·         his concern that we use the significant financial resources of the people of God led to the formation of a Blue Ribbon Committee on stewardship, which has issued a report worth very serious consideration.

·         he has surrounded himself with a highly competent staff.

·         he has maintained and enriched the relationship with our world-wide partner churches.

·         he has supported a meaningful relationship with the leadership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

·         he has great concern and support for the professional staff of the Synod and for their spouses, demonstrated in the example of his own marriage.

·         he is a great encourager of the dialogue of the various viewpoints  on the critical issues facing the church.

·         he has demonstrated great energy in being available to the individual parts of the Synod as they celebrate the sorrows, the joys, the mission to which it has been called.  

·         he has great interest in the worship life of the church, urging the congregations of the Synod, while being faithful to the past, to do as dynamic and alive worship as possible.

·         he continues to demonstrate the leadership which allows our Lord to release his blessings to the Synod, and through the Synod to the world.