# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S221
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION 221

WHEREAS, Some synodical statements and practices obscure
the fact that such persons participate in the office of the public
ministry; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Board of Directors is considering
resolutions to clarify the status of those workers who have been
prepared for and participate in the office of the public ministry:
therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod clearly recognize that those
synodically certified persons, such as directors of Christian
education and teachers, who are called into specialized service
in the public ministry of the Word are, in fact, Ministers of
Religion; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Directors, in consultation with
the Board for Professional Education Services, be directed to
work out the details necessary to implement this resolution:
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board of Directors be empowered to
implement this resolution through listing on the membership
roster of the Synod and in any other appropriate manner, and
that the Board of Directors also be directed to finalize such
implementation within 12 months of the adjournment of this
convention.

Faculty

Concordia College

St. Paul, Minn.

Carroll E. Peter. Secretary

5-35A
To Change Title of ‘‘Lay Minister”’

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church
Relations’ study, “The Ministry, Offices, Procedures, and
Nomenclature,” published in September 1981, questions the
propriety of using “such terms as ‘lay minister’ or ‘lay pastor’”’:
an

WHEREAS, A recent survey (Lutheran Witness Reporter,
August 16, 1982) of lay minister graduates indicated that while
the majority favors retaining the title, a significant number
would accept the more appropriate term ‘“‘deacon’’; therefore be
it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention change the title of
“lay minister” to “deacon” and still retain the term presently
used in the case of women, ‘“‘deaconess.”

Redeemer Lutheran Church
Delta, Colo.

Alvin Hahn, President
Charles Lutje, Secretary

Identical or similar:
5-35B

Beautiful Savior, Broomfield, Colo. Harlan Harnapp

5-36A

To Change the Title ‘‘Lay Minister”
to ‘‘Deacon”’

WHEREAS, Much confusion has resulted because of the term
“lay minister” in our Synod; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Rela-
tions in its Ministry Document states that ‘‘the danger is that
the nomenclature (“‘lay minister’) tends to erode the proper
understanding of the doctrine of the ministry in the minds of
those who are called to this office and in the minds of the people
in the church”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Biblical title “deacon” and “‘deaconess”
be used for those who are now called “lay ministers.”
Salem Lutheran Church
Florissant, Mo.
Randy Adler, President
Melvin H. Vahrenhorst, Secretary

Identical or similar:

5-36B to 5-36E

Beautiful Savior, Broomfield, Colo.
St. John’s, Truman, Minn.

St. John’s, St. James, Minn.

St. Paul's, Prior Lake, Minn.

Harlan Harnapp
Willard Tetzloff
Marvin Becker
Steve Mueller

5-37

To Classify Directors of Evangelism
As Ministers of Religion

WHEREAS, Directors of evangelism prepared in approved
programs of the Synod's colleges are thoroughly grounded in
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions: and

WHEREAS, The function of the director of evangelism is to
communicate God's Word in order to strengthen and equip
members as well as to bring in nonmembers; and

WHEREAS, The professional preparation of directors of
evangelism is comparable to that of teachers and directors of
Christian education: therefore be it

Resolved. That directors of evangelism prepared in ap-
proved programs of the Synod’s colleges be classified as
Ministers of Religion with teachers and directors of Christian
education.

Faculty

Concordia College

St. Paul, Minn.

Carrol E. Peter, Secretary

5-38
To Classify Ministers of Religion

Background

A floor committee had presented to the 1981 convention the
following resolution (Res. 5-08) dealing with the subject of
classifying ministers for purposes of federal law.

WHEREAS, There is need for clarification of the factors
that quality pastors and teachers as “ministers of the
Gospel,” ‘‘ministers of religion,” “ministers of the church”
or similar titles for the purpose of United States income
taxes, social security (FICA and self-employment taxes),
unemployment taxes, and selective service; and

WHEREAS, The regulations of one governmental author-
ity, the IRS, require that an individual be authorized to
carry out “substantially all of the functions” of the office of
the public pastoral ministry to qualify for such status; and

WHEREAS, The traditional theology of the Synod allows
“substantially allofthe functions” of the office of the public
pastoral ministry to be performed by male teachers under
some circumstances, but this is not true of our women
teachers; therefore be it

Resolved, That only those duly ordained pastors and
duly commissioned male teachers who are listed on the
Synod’s official membership rosters shall be regarded by
the Synod as qualifying as ‘ministers of the Gospel,”
‘ministers of religion,” “ministers of the church” or similar
titles for urRoses of United States income taxes, social
security (FIC and self-employment taxes), unemployment
taxes, and selective service.

After considerable discussion the convention resolved to
refer the resolution to the Board of Directors “for study and
report at next convention.”

The Board of Directors decided on a process to develop a
proposal for consideration. During the development and sub-
sequent process of refinement, consultations were held with
theologians, historians, legal counsel, executives dealing with
our elementary and secondary schools, constitutionalists,
faculty members of our teachers colleges, District Presidents,
and others.

After the Board of Directors had given tentative approval to