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Kieschnick and Benke say the September 23 event fits the qualifications allowed by 3-07A, but Schulz's decision does not reference the resolution. Schulz declined to comment, saying the matter should be handled in the church.

After Schulz suspended Benke, he was temporarily removed from his duties at Lutheran Hour Ministries, a service of the International Lutheran Laymen's League (LLL).

For the last 25 years, Schulz has hosted "The Lutheran Hour," a syndicated radio show produced by Lutheran Home Ministries. He was the group's associate speaker before becoming head preacher on June 22. The organization's executive board ruled that Schulz's decision has "politically polarized" Lutheran Home Ministries and donors have threatened to retract up to $1 million in funds.

"While Lutheran Hour Ministries has no official position in regard to the synodical decision, the association of Dr. Schulz with Lutheran Hour Ministries has thrust our organization into unprecedented peril," says a July 10 "crisis statement" from LLL leadership.

According to a Lutheran Home Ministries press release, the LLL executive committee in February asked Schulz to recuse himself from the Benke decision. The investigation fell to Schulz after the five synod vice presidents voted that Kieschnick had a conflict of interest and first vice president Rev. Daniel Preus rescued himself.

Thousands of victims' family members and rescue workers attended the September 23 "Prayer for America" [video]. Sponsored by the mayor's office and hosted by Oprah Winfrey, the program featured musical performances, speeches by political leaders, and prayers from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, and Christian clergy.

This is not the first time Benke has provoked ire. In 1998 he participated in an interfaith and interdenominational service for the poor without permission from the synod president. After he signed an official apology to the synod and promised "not repeat this error in the future by participating as an officiant in [an] ecumenical service," the matter was dropped.

Benke's prayer at the Yankee Stadium event has awakened the debate within the LCMS over sharing prayer outside the denomination. After Schulz's decision was announced, Benke's district released a paper, "That WE May Be One," arguing that the "deeply divided synod" rethink its interaction with society.

"If we fail to properly think through the implications of our Lutheran theology for our relationship with the world we will produce a church that remains isolated for fear of being polluted," the document reads. "In so doing, we will place the light of the church under a self-imposed bushel basket of paranoia."

Christians outside the LCMS have also wrestled since 9/11 with involvement in interfaith services. This month, a suburb of Houston will commemorate the attacks with two ceremonies: one interfaith and one hosted by evangelical Christians. An organizer for the evangelical event, "One Voice, The Woodlands Remembers," told the Houston Chronicle that all churches centered on belief in Jesus Christ are welcome. Leaders of the interfaith group hosting the other event accuse "One Voice" organizers of intolerance.

Todd Hertz is assistant online editor of Christianity Today.

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July (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46