# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S403
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 408

<4 and doctrine, and he has, therefore, a divine call and office.5é
iy gives the following reasons for the statement that a teacher
vine call: 1. The call is issued by the Christian congregation.
office embraces an activity of the public ministry. 3. The
<is concerned with the teaching of God’s Word. Fehner
‘however, that the teacher’s office is subordinate to the
“of the minister. He says: “Since the teacher is not the
er and shepherd of the whole congregation, but merely of
dren, it follows that he holds an office subordinate to that
e. minister, who has the whole office of the ministry. The
care of the children outside of school hours is not so
the official duty of the teacher as of the minister. Indeed,
er will, as a token of his affection for the children, show
interest also outside of school hours by visiting them in
‘illness and the like.” 57 Fehner points out that in view of
that the minister is entrusted with the oversight of, and
ilities for, all members of the flock, the minister remains
werseer of the school. Even though the teacher is called to
uot: the children in the Word of God, the minister is thereby
félieved from responsibility for the lambs. Fehner asserts,
ver, that the minister’s supervision of the school does not
at he is to interfere officiously in regard to the methods
cher may use or the daily arrangements of subjects he may
duce. He points out that the pastor’s supervisory activity con-
aply in this, that he sees to it that God’s Word is properly
at Christian discipline is maintained, and that the school
, is conducted as a Christian nursery for the young.
Walther’s “Kirche und Amt” quoted approvingly on the office
‘Iaitheran teacher.—In 1939 Theo. Buenger delivered an
the Iowa District East Convention, in which he quoted
y Dr. Walther’s Kirche und Amt. He stated: “We are
ee that Dr. Walther in this first book of his plainly states
ffice of the schoolteacher who teaches the Word of God
ool, is also a divine and sacred office of the church, which
part of the one office and is an aid to the ministry of
, It is evident that no one can come and teach, in public,
to.a congregation that has its minister. How should we
teacher to teach religion if teaching in school were not
ch of the ministry and thus a sacred office?” We could
oubt whether the teacher as far as he teaches secular
; in a sacred office. But I think that even that can be

B Fehner, “The Ministry Is the Highest Office in the Church,”
Michigan District, 64 64 (1939), p. 44.