# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S108
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

104 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

We, the faculty of Concordia College in St.Paul, Minn,
spectfully petition Synod to rescind the resolution of the 1944
vention regarding the retirement of professors at the age
seventy. (Proc., 1944, p. 112.) oe

We hold that this resolution violates the doctrine of the. call

Since the organization of our Synod it has been Synod’s posf
tion, based upon the doctrine of the call, that a pastor can be rg
moved from office only because of 1) adherence to false doctring
2) conduct unbecoming a Christian, 3) willful neglect of duit
4) incompetency. “If God therefore has called a man, such a maf
is in the service of God, and neither a congregation nor: anyon
else has the right to dismiss him, unless it be evident that e
Himself would do so, as when.a minister preaches false doctring
or leads a scandalous life, or willfully neglects, or is no longer abig
to perform, his official duties, Jer. 15:19; Hos. 4:6; 1 Tim. 3:7; 1 .
4:2. In such a case the congregation does not actually dismiss
minister, but only acts for God in so doing. If a congregation aig
sumes to tell a minister who has been given to it by the Lord hog
long he is to remain with them, it puts itself above the Lord, ij
Master, and interferes with His government. Matt. 23:8; 2 Tig
4:2-3.” (Fritz, Past. Theol., p. 40.) j

During all these years it has likewise been Synod’s positigg
that a professor duly called by Synod by virtue of the powegj
delegated to it by the congregations has a divine call in all
spects as binding upon him and upon Synod as the call of a pa
In a sermon delivered at the installation of two professors, D
Walther states Synod’s position relative to a professor’s call
position which has remained unchallenged from the organizatig
of Synod up to the time of the 1944 resolution. “Es ist daher nig
eine menschliche Ordnung, dass es Maenner in der Kirche gif
die gottselige Knaben erziehen und unterrichten, damit sie ei
das Amt, das die Versoehnung predigt, zu fuehren vermoegen.
Amt ist ein heiliges, goettliches Amt, ein Zweig des Amtes,
Christus einst mit Ueberreichung der Schluessel des Himmelreic
auf Erden stiftete und aufrichtete.” (Walther, Brosamen, p. 35

Since therefore the call of a professor is a divine call on ap
with that of a pastor, we maintain that the compulsory retireme
of a professor at a fixed age, if none of the above-mentioned re
sons can be shown, is a violation of the doctrine of the call.

We therefore respectfully request that Synod reverse its (
cision of 1944 and return to its former Biblical practice in reg

to this matter. Arraur C. STREUFERT, Secretary