Two months ago we posted the full text of Dr. Edward Naumann’s paper, “Due Process and the Mission of the Church,” a critical review of so-called “conflict resolution” practices in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, presented at the annual conference of the Lutheran Concerns Association (LCA) on January 20 of this year.
Roughly coincident with our publication of this paper (the day before, to be precise), Kevin Robson, the LCMS Chief Mission Officer, wrote to Dr. Naumann and demanded that he retract his paper and issue a public apology for it.
Old Lutherans has come into possession of that email writing.
It is either highly ironic or highly apropos, depending on where you’re sitting, that the last two paragraphs of Robson’s email entirely vindicate Naumann’s thesis, displaying, as it were, the asp’s venom which lines the lips of so many at the LCMS International Center — and when they are subjected to public censure and accountability, out come the HR-coded fangs. A real “you have said it” moment.
Below you will see that the Rev. Mr. Robson requests a meeting — “we are requesting a face-to-face meeting with you at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis at the earliest possible date.”
That meeting is now in the past. On Monday, March 10, Dr. Naumann arrived in St. Louis accompanied by his congregational chairman, whom he wished to have as a witness. His accusers would not allow a witness, nor would they proceed with the meeting unless he agreed to forgo making an audio recording.
Those who brought Luther’s Large Catechism with Annotations and Contemporary Applications (LLCACA) to the national spotlight were subjected — and continue to be subjected — to similar struggle sessions. The pattern is impossible to miss . . . once you take your hands away from your eyes.
A final note to our non-LCMS readers:
Contrary to how it might sound, the “International Center” is not a Soviet embassy dedicated to subverting the religion, morality, and prosperity of our nation but is in fact the headquarters of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, which looks like this:
But your confusion is understandable.
And one last thing for the record:
Dr. Naumann did not recant, nor did he withdraw his paper. You can expect it to be published in the The Lutheran Clarion this summer.
From: Kevin Robson
Date: Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 12:16 AM
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL: Your Paper/Presentation to 2025 LCA Annual Conference
To: Edward Naumann
Cc: Allen Buss, Lee Hagan, Matthew Harrison, Cory Rajek
Dear Edward,
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (James 3:13–18).
After eight days of prayerful consideration following the presentation of your paper, “Due Process and the Mission of the Church,” at the 20 January 2025 Lutheran Concerns Association (LCA) Annual Conference at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, we are writing under a compelling desire to live in reconciled, peaceful harmony with you. Both of us were present for your reading of the paper, your accompanying verbal commentary provided during the course of the reading and the brief question-and-answer and panel sessions that followed.
As was noted to you individually and immediately following the panel discussion, the content of your paper and your accompanying commentary caused grave offense, owing to numerous mischaracterizations, half-truths and outright errors, factual omissions, slanderous Eighth Commandment transgressions and unjustified assertions and judgments disconnected from factual reality.
It was especially disturbing to see some of the relatively less-informed laity and even clergy present at the LCA Annual Conference unquestioningly taking up your sensational accusations and distorted viewpoints. You will recall that during the panel discussion one pastor from the audience referred to the LCMS Office of International Mission as a “snake pit.” On the morning following the Conference, this pastor confirmed to me in apologetic terms that his use of that pejorative was based on the content of your paper and presentation. Others at the conference, on the basis of a natural reading of your paper, no doubt were stirred up by your scandalous characterizations of unnamed Synod officers and leadership at the national and district levels (including by association your own district president as well as members of the LCMS Office of International Mission and Board for International Mission). Taken together, your initial allusions to “false brothers,” “ministers of Satan,” etc. and your follow-on accusations of lovelessness, neglect, abuse, willful “mobbing” and other untoward behaviors, betrayal, non-transparency, lack of accountability, disregard for Lutheran theology and lack of conformity to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures had a devastating effect on those present at the Conference.
If your publicly-delivered paper and presentation were to be publicly left unaddressed, there would be alarming cause for needless divisiveness and great damage to the Church and her mission, not to mention lasting harm to the reputations of many faithful servants of Christ’s body, particularly within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Indeed, we are concerned that just such great damage and harm has already occurred.
Accordingly, we are requesting a face-to-face meeting with you at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis at the earliest possible date.
Because of a history of lack of reconciliation with you during and after your employment with the LCMS Office of International Mission, and in view of potential future actions under Synod Bylaws 1.10 and 2.14, we have alerted both your ecclesiastical supervisor, LCMS Northern Illinois District President Rev. Dr. Allan Buss, and ours, LCMS Missouri District President Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, as well as LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison, of our intention to request this meeting with you; all are Cc:’d here. Both Presidents Buss and Hagan have indicated their readiness to provide consultative assistance toward reconciliation going forward.
Please consider your calendar and propose two or three options for a date/time for such a meeting to take place at the LCMS International Center no later than 18 February 2025. (Within that timeframe, Friday, 7 February and Friday, 14 February will not work for us.) Upon the receipt of such options from you, we will do our best to arrange our calendars to accommodate a mutually acceptable meeting date/time.
At the face-to-face meeting, we expect to address this sorrowful development with you through mutual repentance and forgiveness. Part of that process will necessarily include a plan for the public retraction of your paper and presentation in their entirety and your apology to the leadership of the LCMS, the LCMS Office of International Mission, the LCA and those present at the LCA’s Annual Conference.
This is a very serious situation that must be addressed thoughtfully and prayerfully, without delay. We anticipate your full attention and prompt response to the request made herein.
In Christian sincerity,
Rev. Kevin D. Robson
Rev. Cory J. Rajek, PhD
