# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S444
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

444

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

enlightens (each) with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps (each) in the
true faith”; and
WHEREAS, The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
states, “Here the words of Christ apply which testify that the keys
were given to the church and not merely to certain individuals:
‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their
midst’ [Matt. 18:20]” (Tr 68, ed. Tappert, 331); and
WHEREAS, The Holy Spirit through St. Peter in 1 Peter 2:9 states
that all true believers in Christ are “a royal Priesthood” and again,
through St. John in Rev. 5:9–10, that “He (Christ) purchased men
(people) for God from every nation and made them a kingdom and
priests to serve our God,” in fulfillment of His intent as stated in Ex.
19:5–6 (NIV), “Although the whole earth is mine, you will become
a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”; and
WHEREAS, Papers have been circulated in our Synod
discouraging and prohibiting our laity from witnessing to the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather to leave that to the ordained,
thereby hindering the Holy and Royal Priesthood of God from
carrying out their divine mandate and privilege (Matt. 28:19; 1 Peter
2:4–10); and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations’
opinion (LCMS CTCR, Is the Gospel Effective When Spoken by a
Layperson, [adopted 2016]) is that “The Scriptures are replete with
examples of Christian men and women—lay people—who share the
saving truths of God’s Word with others”; and
WHEREAS, Our Lutheran Confessions (Apology of the Augsburg
Confession [Ap] XIII), when speaking about the Sacraments, also
affirm that the priesthood of the Church is not a ministry of
“sacrifice” but rather of “proclamation,” and further states that the
“Priesthood of the New Testament is a ministry of the Spirit” (Ap
XXIV); and
WHEREAS, The stated purpose of the Holy and Royal Priesthood
is “... that you (we) may declare the praises of Him who called you
(us) out of darkness into his marvelous light”; therefore be it
Resolved, That every baptized believer in Christ be encouraged
to fulfill his priestly office and mission of prayer for others and
proclamation of the Gospel in their own context; and be it further
Resolved, That those uniquely called to the Office of the Holy
Ministry, who serve as pastors in their respective congregations, be
encouraged to intentionally train, equip, encourage, and motivate
the entire “priesthood” under their care to more effectively and
eagerly serve as a “kingdom of priests” in their community and
world; and be it finally
Resolved, That our congregations and church workers be
encouraged to share strategies and best practices of evangelism and
contextualized Kingdom expressions of the Gospel through God’s
priests (e.g., through submissions to the Michigan District’s “Story
Bucket”), in order to encourage and train others.

WHEREAS, The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
states (Tr 68), “Here the words of Christ apply which testify that the
keys were given to the church and not merely to certain individuals:
‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their
midst’ [Matt. 18:20]”; and
WHEREAS, The Holy Spirit through St. Peter in 1 Peter 2:9 states
that all true believers in Christ are “a royal priesthood,” and again
through St. John in Rev. 5:9–10 that “He [Christ] purchased men
[people] for God from every nation and made them a kingdom and
priests to serve our God,” in fulfillment of His intent as stated in
Exodus 19, “Although the whole earth is mine, you will become a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation”; and
WHEREAS, Our Lutheran Confessions, when speaking about the
Sacraments, also affirm that the priesthood of the church is not a
ministry of “sacrifice” but rather of “proclamation” (Apology of the
Augsburg Confession [Ap] XIII 7–9), and further states that the
“Priesthood of the New Testament is a ministry of the Spirit” (Ap
XXIV 59); and
WHEREAS, The stated purpose of the “royal priesthood” is “…
that you [we] may declare the praises of Him who called you [us]
out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9); therefore be
it
Resolved, That every baptized believer in Christ be encouraged
to fulfill his priestly office and mission of prayer for others and
proclamation of the Gospel in their own context; and be it further
Resolved, That those uniquely called to the Office of the Holy
Ministry, who serve as pastors in their respective congregations,
tirelessly seek to train, equip, encourage, and motivate the entire
“priesthood” under their care to more effectively and eagerly serve
as a “kingdom of priests” in their community and world; and be it
further
Resolved, That our lay people, congregations, and church
workers be encouraged to share strategies and best practices of
evangelism and contextualized “kingdom expressions” of the
Gospel through God’s priests in order to encourage and train others;
and be it finally
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod affirms
both the call to and the efficacy of the evangelism efforts of all our
members—ordained, commissioned, and lay people—as God has
called us all into service as “his kingdom of priests.”

Michigan District

WHEREAS, God created man first and then the woman (Gen 2; 1
Tim. 2:13); and
WHEREAS, On the basis of this order of creation God commands
women not to teach or to exercise authority over men in the
churches, but to remain silent and learn in quietness and all
submission, which St. Paul explains as follows:
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not
permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man;
rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then
Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived

Ov. 5-36

To Affirm the Priesthood of All Believers in Christ
and Therefore Their Call as Missionaries
WHEREAS, Luther’s Small Catechism affirms that no one can “by
their own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to
Him,” but rather “the Holy Spirit calls (each) through the Gospel,
enlightens (each) with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps (each) in the
true faith” (SC II 6); and
2019 Convention Workbook

Trinity
Roselle, IL
Ov. 5-37

To Affirm the Biblical Teaching of the Reading of
Scriptures in the Public Worship Service as a
Function of the Pastoral Office