# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S89 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 3. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 3-01 Report of Commission on Theology and Church Relations Introduction The Commission on Theology and Church Relations, estab- lished by the Synod in 1962, functions to ‘‘assist the President at his request in discharging his constitutional responsi- bilities” and to “provide guidance to the Synod in matters of theology and church relations’( Handbook, 2.593 a, b). In carrying out these assigned responsibilities during the past biennium, the commission has addressed itself to assignments and requests given to it by the Synod and its officials, boards, and commissions and has assisted the President in monitoring official contacts of the Synod with other church bodies and ecumenical agencies. The commission is served by two staff members, Dr. Sdmuel H. Nafzger, executive secretary, and Rev. Jerald C. Joersz, assistant executive secretary. The officers of the commission during the biennium were Dr. Michael Stelmachowicz, chair- man; Dr. George Wollenburg, vice-chairman; and Dr. Norbert Mueller, secretary. Taking into account the reduction in its membership called for by 1981 Resolution 2-27 “To Establish Membership of Commission on Theology and Church Re- lations,” the CTCR during this biennium restructured itself by assign- ing its members to two standing committees which carry out the preliminary work necessary for the completion of the commission’s assignments. The chairman of Standing Com- mittee I was Dr. Lowell Schoer and of Committee II, Dr. Horace Hummel. The officers of the commission make up the member- ship of the executive committee. Dr. Ralph Bohlmann and Dr. Samuel Nafzger have served as ex officio members of the executive committee. In addition to the officers listed above the following are currently members of the commission: Dr. Richard Bardolph, Mr. Walter Bleke, Rev. George Dolak, Mr. Marvin Erdman, Mr. Don Graf, Mr. Stanley Koelling, Rev. John Korcok, Dr. Al Marcis, Dr. James Manz, and Dr. Don Ridgeway. The commission acknowledges with gratitude the faithful service of those who for various reasons were ineligible to continue membership on the commission. Having served two full terms and not eligible for reelection or reappointment were Dr. Karl Barth, Mr. Joseph Schradie, and Mr. Philip Tanger. (Upon his election as president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Dr. Barth became an advisory member of the com- mission under its new structure. Serving in this capacity until Dr. Barth’s election was Dr. John Klotz, acting president of the seminary.) Ineligible for reelection or reappointment because their terms expired in 1981 and their positions were abolished in keeping with the reduction of membership required by 1981 Resolution 2-27 were Rev. Arthur Crosmer and Dr. Richard Schultz. Former representatives of the two seminary faculties on the commission were Prof. Roland Hopmann and Dr. Erich Kiehl (St. Louis), and Prof. Kurt Marquart and Dr. Eugene Klug (Fort Wayne). Beginning with the 1983—1986 triennium, the commission's membership required by 1981 Resolution 2-27 will be in place. The commission’s membership will consist of 13 voting and 4 advisory members selected as follows: two pastors, one parish teacher, and two laypersons elected by the synodical con- vention; two clergymen (one of whom will be a District President) and two laypersons elected by the Council of Presidents; two professors, one appointed or elected by each seminary faculty; and two additional members appointed by the President of the Synod, in consultation with the Vice- Presidents. The President and the First Vice-President of the Synod and the presidents of the Fort Wayne and St. Louis seminaries will serve as advisory members of the commission. In the two-year period covered by this report the CTCR met in seven plenary sessions of three days each. Numerous committee meetings and telephone conference calls were held during the biennium. In the report that follows the commission presents a summary of its major activities since the 1981 convention of the Synod and offers some recommendations pertaining to theology and church relations. I. THEOLOGY A. Assignments Completed 1. The Ministry: Offices, Procedures, and Nomenclature In October 1981 the CTCR mailed its report on ‘“‘The Ministry” to all pastors, teachers, and congregations of the Synod. This report was prepared in response to requests from the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; the President of the Synod; and the Board of Directors of the Northwest District that the CTCR prepare a theological study dealing with proper ‘‘call” nomenclature and procedures, particularly as these apply to the varied offices of the church. Excerpts of “The Ministry” were printed in the October 1981 issue of the Lutheran Witness. The entire report is included in Appendix III of this Workbook. Since the publication of this report in September 1981, the CTCR has received requests from groups throughout the Synod to lead discussions on this study. In response to these requests the executive secretary of the commission has made numerous presentations to pastor and teacher conferences, as well as to various other groups and agencies in the Synod expressing interest in matters relating to the doctrine of the ministry. At the request of the CTCR, the Concordia Theo- logical Quarterly and Lutheran Education have published Dr. Nafzger’s presentation providing background information on the context of ‘“‘The Ministry” report, an overview of the differing approaches to the problems which have confronted the church in this area, a summary of the document’s content, and a review of the nomenclature suggested in the report. The Board for Parish Services, in consultation with the CTCR and its staff, prepared and printed in 1982 a study guide on “The Ministry” for use by congregations, pastors, teachers, and other workers in the Synod. In response to their study of “The Ministry” various individuals and groups in the Synod have forwarded to the commission their reactions and suggestions. The commission is pleased to report that the majority of these responses has been favorable. In some cases requests have been made for the restudy and clarification of certain aspects of the doctrine of the ministry. In July 1982 the President of the Synod forwarded to the CTCR a request from the Michigan District that tasks and designations of ministries be reviewed and clarified. Taking into account all of the responses it has received and the fact that some confusion exists concerning the principles set forth in its report, the CTCR decided at its November 1982 meeting to prepare a statement to clarify issues raised by discussions of ‘“The Ministry” and at the same time to urge the members of the Synod to continue their study of this matter, inviting them to submit responsible papers speaking to the subject. At the time of this report, the commission has not completed work on this statement. 2. Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective The commission distributed its report on “Human Sexu- ality: A Theological Perspective” to all pastors, teachers, and congregations of the Synod in October 1981. The need for such a study was expressed in a resolution placed before the 1973 convention of the Synod. Since this resolution (Res. 2-34 “To Study Issues of Human Sexuality”) was not acted on because of lack of time, it was referred to the CTCR by the Board of Directors. The commission in turn asked its Social Concerns Committee to prepare a study of this issue. An excerpted version of the report was published in the February 1982 issue of the Lutheran Witness. The full report is printed in Appendix III of this Workbook.