# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S318
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

318

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

Resolved, That Bylaw 1.1.1. be amended to add a subsection (c):
1.1.1. Committed to a common confession and mission, congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod join with one another
in the Synod to support one another and to work together in carrying out
their commonly adopted objectives. …
(c) Neither the Synod nor any board, commission, or agency on its behalf shall adopt any policy or practice which may inhibit or restrict
individual members or congregations, or members of member congregations, in giving bold witness by word and deed to the love and
work of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and extend that Gospel witness into all the world.

and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention declare its understanding that the calls issued pursuant to Bylaw 3.8.3 by the Board for
International Mission refer to calls issued also on behalf of the agencies of the Synod, not otherwise recognized theologically as having
the ability to issue a call, so as to provide a proper theological underpinning for such calls, and not as a restriction on the ability of agencies
to send workers into foreign mission fields or financially support such
mission efforts within their areas of responsibility; and be it further
Resolved, That nothing in the bylaws of the Synod shall ever be
interpreted so as to limit efforts to give bold witness by word and
deed to the love and work of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and extend that Gospel witness into all the world, but shall only be
understood as requesting information which might allow Synod to
support—or assist in connecting potential support—congregations
and individual members, to assist in connecting potential mission
partners, and to provide best practices information which could assist
the efforts of individual members and congregations; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention recognize its duties to
support and assist recognized service organizations, auxiliaries, and
all others, as long as their efforts support the objectives of the Synod,
while never inhibiting such efforts; reaffirm the partnership in the
Gospel of the Synod with all such organizations; and reaffirm that
the Synod shall never inhibit the mission of such recognized service
organizations and auxiliaries; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention recognize that its need to
coordinate the actions of auxiliaries and recognized service organizations is fulfilled by the auxiliaries’ duty to report to the President
of the Synod pursuant to Bylaw 6.1.3 (a), and the recognized service
organizations’ compliance with Bylaw 6.2.3; and be it further
Resolved, That the President of the Synod promptly fulfill his
responsibilities under 2010 Synod Convention Res. 8-32B regarding
a synodwide study of Article VII; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Texas District in convention memorialize the
Synod in convention for the adoption of this resolution.
Texas District; First Trinity, Tonawanda, NY; Salem,
Tomball, TX; Salem, Buffalo, NY; King of Kings, Round
Rock, TX
2-04

To Overrule CCM Opinion 14-2724
Whereas, The Word of God (Acts 13) clearly reveals that in the
first century of the New Testament, a local congregation of believers
in the Lord Jesus, assembled in Antioch, after much prayer and under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, freely consecrated and sent missionaries, notably Barnabas and Saul, into mission fields; and
Whereas, Art. III 2 of the Constitution of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod identifies as an objective of the Synod to “strengthen
2016 Convention Workbook

congregations and their members in giving bold witness by word and
deed to the love and work of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and extend that Gospel witness into all the world”; and
Whereas, Art. VII 1 of the Constitution of the LCMS states, “In
its relation to its members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical government exercising legislative or coercive powers, and with respect to
the individual congregation’s right of self-government it is but an
advisory body”; and
Whereas, Art. XIV of the Constitution states, “The Synod in
convention may adopt bylaws that are consistent with and do not contradict the Constitution of the Synod, which controls and supersedes
such bylaws and all other rules and regulations of the Synod”; and
Whereas, 2010 Res. 8-32B encourages the Synod to study Art.
VII of the Constitution, including study of “Congregations and Synod,
Background Material on the Advisory Nature of the LCMS” along
with opinions of the Commission on Constitutional Matters related
to this topic (including CCM Opinion 09-2573, listed in a Whereas
paragraph in Res. 8-32B); and
Whereas, 1983 Res. 5-10A in a Resolved clause states that the
LCMS reaffirms that its synodical polity is essentially and principally
congregational in nature; and
Whereas, CCM Opinion 09-2573 states in part that “there is a
common understanding that a congregation exercises its self-government … in carrying out … its own ministry programs and financial
affairs”; and
Whereas, Synod Bylaw 3.8.3 deals only with who has authority
to send ministers of religion and other workers into Synod foreign
mission fields, and prior bylaws have been careful not to restrict congregational activity specifically relating to whom congregations could
send funds overseas; and nothing in the current bylaws restrict or
could restrict the right of member congregations to (a) fund ministries in foreign countries, or (b) send/fund congregation members for
service with organizations seeking to share the Gospel; and
Whereas, 1983 Res. 5-37 amending the bylaws only dealt with
who on behalf of Synod as a whole could send missionaries at the
expense of the Synod, and where the restriction applied, it being a
sending bylaw only, clearly not applicable to congregations in any
event; and
Whereas, CCM Opinion 14-2724, referring to 2013 Res. 1-08,
“To Work Together in Mission,” called for a two-fold response:
First, “Resolved, That the Synod, by the next convention, develop
and provide a mission best-practices policy document for districts
and congregations engaged in mission projects to assist them to better carry out their mission and their life together,” indicating that
districts and congregations have and are recognized to have mission work and practices of their own, and because they have their
own mission work and practices, the Synod should assist and support those efforts by developing a best-practices policy; and second,
“That these best practices include encouragement to districts and
congregations to communicate their international mission activities
to the Synod’s Director of Church Relations and Offices of National
and International Mission for the purposes of healthy coordination
and stewardship” (emphasis added), indicating that districts and congregations can have their own mission activities, and when they do
they are encouraged to communicate these activities to the Synod for
coordination and good stewardship; and
Whereas, CCM Opinion 14-2724 states in part, “Congregations
may not send funds to mission societies and non-Synod entities for work in foreign areas without taking into consideration