# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1995_S127 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS . 127 Resolved, That we encourage the members of the Synod to pray for God’s blessing on the work of the task force.as it assists us in ministering to homosexuals and their families; and be it finally Resolved, That the members of the Synod deal with sex- ual sins with the same love and concern as all other sins, calling for repentance and offering the forgiveness in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Action: No action. To Commend CTCR Report Spiritual Gifts for Study and Guidance RESOLUTION 3-20 Overture 3-115 (CW, p. 186); App. I (CW, pp. 292-309) WHEREAS, The September 1994 CTCR report Spiritual Gifts describes the use of spiritual gifts inventories and an- alyzes this methodology in light of the biblical and confes- sional approach to spiritual gifts; and WHEREAS, many spiritual gifts inventories direct mem- bers of Christian congregations to determine what their spiritual gifts are in such a way as to depreciate the role of the Means of Grace in the Christian life, as well as the bib- lical doctrine of vocation; therefore be it Resolved, That the CTCR report Spiritual Gifts be com- mended for study and guidance throughout the Synod, es- pecially in pastoral conferences and congregations; and be it further Resolved, That the congregations, pastors, and District leadership of the Synod commit themselves to a thorough reassessment of the propriety and validity of the use of spiritual gifts inventories. Action: Adopted (1). To Commend CTCR Document The Ministry: Offices, Procedures and Nomenclature for Study by Synod ; RESOLUTION 3-21 Overture 3-26 (CW, p. 160) WueEreas, A number of overtures to this convention have addressed issues involving the doctrine of the ministry, and Wuereas, The CTCR in 1981 published the document The Ministry: Offices, Procedures and Nomenclature; and WHEREAS, This document addresses many of the current issues and concerns involving the doctrine of the ministry and its offices; therefore be it Resolved, That we commend this document for study throughout Synod in pastoral conferences, our colleges and seminaries, and among the congregations. Action: No action. To Affirm the Use of Wine in the Sacrament of the Altar RESOLUTION 3-22 Overtures 3-11-12 (CW, p. 156) WHEREAS, In the institution of the Sacrament of the Altar the Lord Jesus Christ gave His body and blood for us to eat and drink under the form of bread and wine (Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22~25; Luke 22:15—20; 1 Cor. 11:23—26; cf. AC X); and WHEREAS, In accordance with Christ’s institution, the Lutheran Confessions define the Sacrament of the Altar to be “the true body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in, and’ under the bread and wine which we Christians are com- manded by Christ’s Word to eat and drink” (LC V 8; cf. AC X; Apology X); and WHEREAS, The blessings and benefits proffered in the Sacrament of the Altar are not given and received apart from the elements used by Christ in His institution of this most venerable Sacrament, as Christ said of the bread, “Take eat, this is My body which is given for you” and of the wine, “This is My blood of the new covenant which is shed for you for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; also in the Lutheran Confessions AC X; LC V 21-22; FC SD VII 43-53); therefore be it Resolved, That the congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod affirm the use of bread and wine in the administration of the Sacrament of the Altar; and be it further Resolved, That pastors, who are stewards of the myster- ies of God (1 Cor. 4:1) and are entrusted with the pastoral care of souls, remain faithful in their practice of Christ’s in- stitution of the Sacrament of the Altar through the use of bread and wine; and be it finally Resolved, That in cases where pastoral concern arises concerning the reception of wine by certain persons, the in- — stitution of Christ not be overthrown but that the pastor stress the Gospel’s power and total effectiveness in the in- dividual’s life and patiently seek a practical solution which is faithful to the Word of Christ and sensitive to the desire to partake in the Supper of the Lord. Action: No action. To Respectfully Decline Overtures RESOLUTION 3-23 Overtures 3-33, 3-79, 3-108 (CW, pp. 162-63, 176, 183-84) WHEREAS, The floor committee has considered all over- tures assigned to it and has concluded, for various reasons, that certain overtures should be declined; therefore be it Resolved, That the following overtures be respectfully declined for the reasons given: Overture Subject Reason 3-33 Fellowship with Feilowship with individual — Independent Congregations congregations is not consistent with our traditional concept of fellowship. Meeting the needs of independent congregations is already taken care of by Synod’s Constitution. 3-79 To Authorize Ordination of | Contrary to Scripture Women to Pastoral Office 3-108 Inter-Christian The CTCR has taken into account Relationships Document responses to this document and has before it a draft of the modified report, but has not completed deliberation of the same at the present time. Action: No action.