# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S104 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 104 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS will of God (Res. 3-02A of the 1979 convention of the LCMS. The December 1982 Saturday Evening Post stated that the LCMS takes “the strongest prolife position of any denomination”): and WHEREAS, Most major denominations. including various Lutheran church bodies, have adopted statements allowing for the killing of unborn infants even when the life of the mother is not in danger: and WHEREAS, Some clergymen. hospitals, and social service agencies associated with the LCMS do not share the LCMS's Scriptural position on abortion and allow for abortion even when the life of the mother is not in danger: therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod declare that all clergymen. social services agencies. and hos- pitals associated with the LCMS must support the LCMS’s Scriptural position on abortion. Trinity Lutheran Church New Haven, Mo. Orville Mever. Secretary 3-24 To Study the Role of Women in Worship WHEREAS, The CTCR is already committed “‘to study the role of women in church and society”; and WHEREAS, Specific questions have arisen concerning the role of women in worship; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod ask the CTCR to include in its present study the role of women in worship. Board of Directors Texas District Glenn O’Shoney, President 3-25 To Adjust Position on Woman Suffrage WHEREAS, The Synod accepts without reservation the Scrip- tures of the Old and New Testament as “the only rule and norm of faith and practice” (Constitution, Art. II, 1); and WHEREAS, Res. 2-17 concerning woman suffrage, passed at the Denver convention in 1969, states: ‘We hold likewise that Scripture does not prohibit women from exercising the fran- chise in congregational or synodical assemblies” (Proceedings, p. 88); and WHEREAS, Scripture does clearly delineate the doctrine of the order of creation with reference to the relationship between men and women, prohibiting women from exercising authority in the church on an equal basis with men (Gen. 2:18-23; 3:6, 16-17, Is. 3:12; Acts 1:16, 21; 15:7, 22-25; 1 Cor. 7:17-24; 11:3, 7-9; 14:33b-38; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-20; 1 Tim. 2:8-15: Titus 2:3; 1 Peter 3:1-7); and WHEREAS, The de facto exercise of the voting franchise, as it is normally defined by the constituted polity of congregations in the Missouri Synod, particularly in the exercise of the office of the keys, consists of a binding exercise of authority; and WHEREAS, Where woman suffrage is in effect, the resultant binding exercise of authority by both men and women, giving equal authority to men and women, is in clear violation of the doctrine of the order of creation and the doctrine of the order of redemption delineated in Scripture; and WHEREAS, The theological publication of Concordia Theo- logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., Concordia Theological Quarterly, has published a number of theses showing the practice of woman suffrage to be unscriptural (CTQ, Vol. 41, No. 3, July 1977); and WHEREAS, The Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations has in the past declined to restudy the matter of woman suffrage when requested to do so by the Central Illinois District and various congregations; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod ask its Commission on Theology and Church Relations to carefully study the issue of woman suffrage in the church once again on the basis of what the Scriptures say; and be it further Resolved, That the CTCR be instructed to seek especially the counsel and input of people who see inconsistencies in the Synod’s current position, and that the CTCR consider it a primary part of its assignment to address these inconsistencies: and be it further Resolved, That the CTCR show clearly and positively from the Word of God how women are to fulfill their Christian calling, particularly with respect to their relation with men in the life of the church; and be it finally Resolved, That the CTCR’s final product present both the Biblical study and the practical conclusions in the clearest fashion possible, and that this report be disseminated to the Synod for study and in time for possible official action to be taken at the next synodical convention. Ascension Lutheran Church Fort Wayne, Ind. A. R. Kochlingen, Chairman David Dubbelde, Pastor 3-26A To Return to Our Former Scriptural Position on Woman Suffrage WHEREAS, St. Paul reminded the early Christians of a God- pleasing “woman's liberation,” that is. liberating her from responsibilities God gave to man (1 Tim. 2:11-12 Beck): ‘A woman should learn in silence, completely submitting herself. I don’t let a woman teach and have authority over a man; she should keep silent.” Also, St. Paul speaks of the God-given authority, as revealed in the order of creation, to maintain peace and order in a Christian congregation regarding the man-woman relationship (1 Cor. 14:33-35): You see, God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the holy people. the women should be silent in church because they are not allowed to speak. They should submit. as the Law says. If there is something they want to know, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgrace for a woman to speak in church: and WHEREAS, The Lord through Isaiah gives a blessing to those whoare righteous, but judgment on those who confuse the way we should go, may we also listen to our Lord (Isaiah 3:10-12): Tell the righteous all will be well with them: They will eat what their work produces. Woe to the wicked! It will be bad for him: What he has done will be done to him. A child will boss my people. Women will rule over them. My people, those who should lead you straight lead you astray and confuse the way you should go: and WHEREAS, Our forefathers Walther, Stoeckhardt, Fritz, Pie- per, and others referred to the above references as speaking clearly regarding woman suffrage, and they disagree with the present interpretation as reported in the report of the Com- mission on Theology and Church Relations as presented before the 1969 convention in Denver; and WHEREAS, The opinion of the theological faculty of Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, of some years ago, as reported by Dr. R. C. H. Lenski in his Interpretation of St. Paul's First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 617, states: How the granting of voice and vote to women in all congregational meetings can do anything but place women completely on a level with men in all such meetings and thus gravely interfere with their divinely ordered subjection and obedience, we are unable to see. In all cases where women now have such voice and vote they certainly are on an equality with men in these meetings.—But the matter of voice and vote is one entirely apart from the natural rights of women in the church. Thus in questions of doctrine and conscience sex cannot count in any way, and any woman concerned must be heard.