# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S110
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

106 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 4

than the office of a pastor, because a professor was to help ‘tg
future pastors and teachers for the Church. er
The present ruling of Synod may have the tendency gradug

to undermine the proper regard for the sacred character of a’ a
fessor’s call and may tend to change his own attitude toward }
er look upon his service as cong

work, so that he will no long
crated to the Lord in the same degree as that of a pastor of a qq
gregation. It cannot be denied that the present retirement .

will break down the respect for the divine call of a professor, J
Moreover, an age limit cannot be retroactively placed into { ;
of a divine call. It is unethical. By§

interpretation of the terms
stretch of the imagination could one consider such an action eth
and pleasing to the Lord and Master of the Church, whose se ;

the professors are by virtue of their calls.
Unless otherwise stipulated specifically in the call, the reciy
ed to resign only when conditions a

of a divine call can be ask

which are displeasing to God. (“In such cases the congrega
does not actually dismiss its minister, but only acts for God
doing.” Fritz, Past. Theol., p. 40.) And if an arbitrary age
written into a call, it would no longer be a divine call, but an

contract.
Such conditions which are displeasing to God occur:

1, When a pastor preaches false doctrine, Hos. 4:6;

2. When he leads a scandalous life, 2 Tim. 3:7; 1 Tim. 3: 2-4

3. When he willfully neglects his official duties, 1 Cor. 4:2; :

4. When he no longer is able physically or mentally to perfd

his official duties efficiently, 1 Tim. 3:3.

These were the principles followed by our fathers in the

for removing also a professor from office, because in their
his call was divine in the same sense as that of a pastor.

But the conditions listed above do not automatically come al
ther age set in advance. :

at the age of 70 or at any © ;
ov L ‘Nowhere in Scripture is any specific age limit, such a

or 70, declared to be displeasing to God per se or to disqui

a man for further service in his divine calling.

-ecords instances in which men at an adval

2: Scripture r
age have served the cause of the Kingdom admirably.
esent’

3. We have pastors serving congregations at the pr
who have passed the age limit established by Synod for profe:
Yet Synod frowns on congregations who would arbitrarily 3
their pastors at the age of 65 or 70. But if Synod can term
a professor's divine call at the age of 70, a congregation can