The Importance of Feedback
You can watch what ULC removed here (it begins right at 18:05):
ULC Director Tania Hinton (being interviewed by her pastor, the Rev. Dr. Tim Ahlman of Christ Greenfield):
“I went to a women's retreat several years ago, about three years ago, and and we wanted to have communion, and they said no, we can't have communion. We don't have a pastor can't come, so we can't do it. And I was like, that is such a shame that we can't experience the grace that's given for us every single day. We can't experience this right now because there's not a male pastor that's able to come, and that was when I first started getting into wanting to to broaden my theology. And so I think that women should be equipped, just like male pastors, to be able to preach in women's conferences, Bible studies for women, women's women's prisons. There's so many contexts: women should be equipped, fully equipped, and I think the master's up divinity program would be amazing for that. So I don't understand why we don't do that. Honestly.”
Unite Leadership Collective is right about the importance of feedback to those in leadership. “Feedback is not a four-letter word.” All leaders need to know what is happening under their authority, as well as to learn how “stakeholders” are responding to what is going on.
The above clip is a demonstration of innovation, being missionally minded, equipping the saints, and prioritizing the Gospel over everything. It is thinking outside the box and empowering the priesthood of all believers. This is not the kind of thing that one is likely to see in a liturgical congregation, especially not one from the Gottesdienst Crowd. But this is certainly a roadmap for CoWo-friendly congregations to get beyond the limitations that ULC believes are holding us back in the LCMS. This is exactly the kind of entrepreneurship we could see more of if we released ourselves from the shackles of our residential seminary paradigm and started raising up local leaders.
It’s important that the leaders of the district and the synod hear from members of synod, and more importantly, from the laity in our churches. Each member of the COP and the Praesidium should receive feedback regarding the work that ULC is doing, to hear from all of us what we think about this kind of approach to evangelism, church, and ministry in the LCMS. If you were a delegate to the last convention, is this what you voted for?
Yes, feedback is important.
Master Directory of LCMS District Presidents & Offices
Atlantic
Rev. Dr. Dien Taylor (718) 378-3560 Atlantic District Web
California / Nevada / Hawaii
Rev. Michael R. Lange (925) 245-4000 CNH District Web
Central Illinois
Rev. Mark R. Eddy (217) 793-1802 Central Illinois Web
Eastern
Rev. John L. Pingel (716) 634-5111 Eastern District Web
English
Rev. Jeffrey G. Miskus (248) 476-0039 English District Web
Florida-Georgia
Rev. James H. Rockey (407) 857-5556 Florida-Georgia Web
Indiana
Rev. Dr. D. Richard Stuckwisch (260) 423-1511 Indiana District Web
Iowa District East
Rev. Dr. Brian S. Saunders (319) 373-2112 Iowa East Web
Iowa District West
Rev. Paul D. Egger (515) 576-7666 Iowa West Web
Kansas
Rev. Justin A. Panzer (785) 357-4441 Kansas District Web
Michigan
Rev. David A. Davis (734) 665-3791 Michigan District Web
Mid-South
Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola (901) 373-1343 Mid-South Web
Minnesota North
Rev. Brady Finnern (218) 829-1781 Minnesota North Web
Minnesota South
Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford (952) 223-2165 Minnesota South Web
Missouri
Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan (314) 590-6200 Missouri District Web
Montana
Rev. Ryan D. Wendt (406) 259-2908 Montana District Web
Nebraska
Rev. Richard Snow (402) 643-2961 Nebraska District Web
New Jersey
Rev. Stephen Gewecke (908) 233-8111 New Jersey Web
New England
Rev. Timothy Yeadon (413) 783-0131 New England Web
North Dakota
Rev. Mark Chepulis (701) 293-9001 North Dakota Web
North Wisconsin
Rev. Timothy J. Shoup (715) 845-4389 North Wisconsin Web
Northern Illinois
Rev. Dr. Allan R. Buss (708) 449-3020 Northern Illinois Web
Northwest
Rev. Dr. Michael T. Von Behren (503) 288-8383 Northwest District Web
Ohio
Rev. Dr. Kevin A. Wilson (440) 235-4225 Ohio District Web
Oklahoma
Rev. David R. Nemme (405) 507-4400 Oklahoma District Web
Pacific Southwest
Rev. Dr. Mike Gibson (949) 854-3232 Pacific SW Web
Rocky Mountain
Rev. James Maxwell (303) 757-5500 Rocky Mountain Web
SELC District
Rev. Waldemar R. Vinovskis (973) 383-0421 SELC District Web
South Dakota
Rev. Randy Sturzenbecher (605) 361-1514 South Dakota Web
South Wisconsin
Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador (414) 464-8100 South Wisconsin Web
Southeastern
Rev. Dr. William A. Harmon (703) 971-9371 Southeastern Web
Southern
Rev. Eric Johnson (985) 892-2278 Southern District Web
Southern Illinois
Rev. Timothy J. Scharr (618) 234-4767 Southern Illinois Web
Texas
Rev. Jon Braunersreuther (512) 926-4272 Texas District Web
Wyoming
Rev. John Hill (307) 265-9691 Wyoming District Web