# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1029
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 831

"is in the service of God, and neither a congregation nor anyone
F else has the right to dismiss him, unless it be evident that God
F’ Himself would do so, as when a minister preaches false doctrine,
* or leads a scandalous life, or willfully neglects, or is no longer able
e to perform, his official duties, Jer. 15:19; Hos. 4:6; 1 Tim. 3:7; 1 Cor.
4:2. In such a case the congregation does not actually dismiss its
’ minister, but only acts for God in so doing. If a congregation as-

sumes to tell a minister who has been given to it by the Lord how

F long he is to remain with them, it puts itself above the Lord, its
s Master, and interferes with His government. Matt. 23:8; 2 Tim.
 4:2-3.” (Fritz, Past. Theol., p. 40.)

During all these years it has likewise been: Synod’s position

- that a professor duly called by Synod by virtue of the powers
. delegated to it by the congregations has a divine call in all re-
E spects as binding upon him and upon Synod as the call of a pastor.
E In a sermon delivered at the installation of two professors, Dr.
.. Walther states Synod’s position relative to a professor’s call, a
. position which has remained unchallenged from the organization
E of Synod up to the time of the 1944 resolution. “Es ist daher nicht
- eine menschliche Ordnung, dass es Maenner in der Kirche gibt,
F- die gottselige Knaben erziehen und unterrichten, damit sie einst
BE das Amt, das die Versoehnung predigt, zu fuehren vermoegen. Ihr
+ Amt ist ein heiliges, goettliches Amt, ein Zweig des Amtes, das
& Christus einst mit Ueberreichung der Schluessel des Himmelreichs
3 auf Erden stiftete und aufrichtete.” (Walther, Brosamen, p. 350.)

Since therefore the call of a professor is a divine call on a par

- with that of a pastor, we maintain that the compulsory retirement
; of a professor at a fixed age, if none of the above-mentioned rea-
sons can be shown, is a violation of the doctrine of the call.

We therefore respectfully request that Synod reverse its de-

4 cision of 1944 and return to its former Biblical practice in regard
P to this matter.

ARTHUR C, STREUFERT, Secretary

4 Rescind Resolution of-Synod re Compulsory Retirement

of Professors at the Age of Seventy
; (Memorial 145)
We, the Faculty of Concordia College at Fort Wayne, Ind.,

F herewith come before Synod with a sincere and earnest request to
* rescind the resolution of Synod regarding compulsory retirement
» of professors at the age of 70.

We believe that the action of Synod as reported in the syn-
odical Proceedings of 1944, p. 112, is

1. Ill-advised. For many men, to this day, have done efficient