Lutheran Church of Australia
18th General Convention of Synod
Rochedale, Brisbane 29 September – 4 October 2015
and LWA Convention

GPC Update 1

20 Feb 2015

GPC Update 1

20 February 2015

Brother pastors, planning is advancing on many fronts for our 7-9 July General Pastors Conference.

The GPC Planning Committee is meeting regularly, with local planning at St Michael’s Hahndorf as well. Members and responsibilities are:

  • John Henderson: oversight, key personnel and connection to General Convention
  • Stephen Pietsch: worship, pastoral care
  • David Altus: local hosting, logistics, liaison and planning with St Michael’s Hahndorf
  • Matthew Thomas: light and sound, other staging
  • Mark Lieschke: exhibitors
  • Mark Vainikka: secretary, electoral, budget, registration
  • Greg Pietsch: planning, communications, chair

You have a part in this too. Here are key questions for you:

  • Do you know if you are entitled to attend? Do you know your voting rights?
    If not, check the Attendance and Voting section on our homepage.
  • Have you booked your accommodation?
    If not, time is running out and you need to act now. The Hahndorf Resort contains a variety of options and we’re hoping for a shuttle bus from it morning and evening. Check it out at www.hahndorfresort.com.au For others, check the Accommodation section.
  • Have you arranged your travel?
    If not, get organised to share cars with local brothers or book flights now. We’re hoping to have a bus from the airport at several times on Monday, 6 July, with return on afternoon of Thursday, 9 July.
  • Are you ready to register soon?
    Registration information and process will be available next month.

Remember that the Conference is given almost completely to the question of the call and ordination of women into the public ministry, with a focus on coming to agreed guidance to General Synod on matters referred from General Church Council.  Proposals to General Convention are not in hand yet but will come close to the time of the Conference.  An outline of the Conference is given under Program. The process will be, first, dialogue in small groups over the matters, and then coming to collective advice to Synod.  We are shaping up two strategies to help this: a particular mechanism to quickly collate feedback from the 90 small groups (four people in each) and present it back to the conference; and a mechanism for shaping possible advice to Synod in an orderly way.

Again, you have a part in this too. Prepare well by:

  • enabling and participating in dialogue locally
  • coming up to speed with the issue.

Resources and papers on the matter can be found on the Ordination: We’re Listening (OWL) website – including some recent FAQs prepared by CTICR.

Finally for now, please pray with me.

Dear Lord, You call, gather, enlighten and sanctify your whole Christian church on earth and keep it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. Thank you for your grace in doing this – and thank you for your grace in doing this for the Lutheran Church of Australia. Please purify us as servants of the means of this grace, your holy word and sacraments. Give us all we need to prepare for and attend General Pastors Conference so that we work together to advise Synod according to your word and will.  Strengthen our faith that you can do this, confidence that you will, and love to bind us together – all through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Greg Pietsch
Chair – GPC Planning Committee