# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S319
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS
policies developed and determined for this purpose by the Board of
International Mission as the only sending agency”; and
Whereas, CCM Opinion 14-2724 incorrectly restricts the mission
outreach of congregations and others 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; therefore be it
Resolved, That the congregations of the Texas District and of the
LCMS be encouraged, with much prayer and under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, to send missionaries to foreign areas; and be it further
Resolved, That the Texas District affirms and encourages congregations, auxiliaries, recognized service organizations, districts, and
individual members of the Synod in their 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 to all the world; and
be it further
Resolved, That nothing in the bylaws of Synod should ever be
interpreted to limit efforts by congregations, auxiliaries, recognized
service organizations, districts, and individual members of the Synod
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 to
all the world, but only be interpreted as requesting information which
might allow the Synod to support (and to assist in connecting potential support for) congregations and individual members, to assist in
connecting potential mission partners, and to provide best-practices
information which could assist the efforts; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Texas District in convention memorialize the
Synod in convention to adopt this resolution and to overrule CCM
Opinion 14-2724, to be thereby declared null and void and of no
effect.
Texas District; Trinity, Utica, MI; Immanuel, Grand Rapids,
MI; Marco, Marco Island, FL; King of Kings, Omaha,
NE; Amazing Grace, Oxford, FL; Board of Directors,
Eastern District; California-Nevada-Hawaii District; Board
of Directors, Michigan District; St. Matthew, Walled
Lake, MI; Grace, Visalia, CA; Pacific Southwest District;
Pacific Southwest District; St. John, Dublin, OH; Village,
Bronxville, NY; Messiah, Lincoln, NE; Trinity, Hanford,
CA; Prince of Peace, Orlando, FL; Redeemer, Fresno, CA;
Bethany, Menlo Park, CA; Orlando West Circuit, FloridaGeorgia District; The Rock, Seward, NE; Trinity, Delray
Beach, FL; Christ, Mantua, OH
2-05

To Request CCM to Revise and Clarify
Opinion 14-2724
Whereas, The Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM),
in its Opinion 14-2724 concerning the applicability of Bylaw 3.8.3,
states in part in its response to Question 3 that “congregations may
not send funds to mission societies and non-Synod entities for work
in foreign areas”; and
Whereas, This statement can be misinterpreted by congregations to prohibit support of all international mercy efforts outside
the Synod; and
Whereas, The actual wording of Bylaw 3.8.3 states “Upon the
recommendation of the Office of International Mission, the board
shall serve as the only sending agency through which workers and
funds are sent to the foreign mission areas of the Synod” (emphasis added); and

319

Whereas, This section of Bylaw 3.8.3 necessarily defines responsibility for the function of sending actual LCMS mission workers to
foreign fields to spread the Good News of the Gospel and the direct
support of those workers in the harvest; and
Whereas, This section of Bylaw 3.8.3 does not address financial or material support of foreign mercy efforts that are not a part
of the Synod; and
Whereas, The opinion of CCM goes on to imply that congregations which provide financial or material support of non-Synod mercy
efforts are “participating in heterodox tract and missionary activities,”
which is contrary to the teaching of Christ in Matthew 25:31−46, that
mercy should be shown to all in need; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention direct the CCM to
revise and clarify its response to Question 3 of its opinion and to
reassure congregations that their financial and material support of
international mercy efforts outside the Synod is not prohibited and is
not necessarily linked to syncretistic or unionistic practices.
Board of Directors
Southeastern District
2-06

To Amend Synod Bylaws to Recognize Authority
of Congregations to Send Missionaries
Whereas, The Lord Jesus Christ sent us into His mission field
with the words, “Go you, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19); and
Whereas, The last words that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
spoke on earth were, “But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts
1:8), clearly charging all of His people to bear brave witness and
to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, giving all of us, the Synod,
congregations, and individuals, the promise of the power of the Holy
Spirit to carry out this command; and
Whereas, The church at Antioch, while worshiping, was
instructed by the Holy Spirit to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the
work to which God had called them. The congregation recognized this
divine call to missionary service and released Saul and Barnabas to
serve in this evangelistic mission (Acts 13:1−3). This is the basis for
the right of congregations to call and send missionaries; and
Whereas, God’s Word does not say that the church at Antioch
consulted with the church in Jerusalem or any of the other apostles
before releasing Paul and Barnabas to their missionary service; and
Whereas, The Treatise on the Power and the Primacy of the Pope
states, “For wherever the church exists, the right to administer the
Gospel also exists. Wherefore it is necessary for the church to retain
the right of calling, electing, and ordaining ministers. This right is a
gift given exclusively to the church, and no human authority can take
it away from the church. It is as Paul testifies to the Ephesians when
he says, ‘When he ascended on high he gave gifts to men’ (Eph. 4:8,
11, 12). He enumerates pastors and teachers among the gifts belonging exclusively to the church, and he adds that they are given for
the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ” (Tr 63,
Tappert). Ephesians 4 also lists apostles, prophets, and evangelists as
those gifts which God has given to His Church. By extension, it is
the right of the congregation to call missionaries for the expansion
of the Kingdom of God; and
2016 Convention Workbook