# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S51 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) SYNODICAL REPORTS 51 highest priority. Standing Committee I has been assigned responsi- bility for this study. 4. Inerrancy of Scripture During the past triennium the CTCR—as a part of its self- study—has evaluated some of the longstanding assignments on its agenda in light of other assignments which it has received and to which it has been asked to give priority. One of these assignments was a 1973 request of the Synod that the CTCR “conduct an inten- sive study of the doctrine of inerrancy and also of the traditional interpretation of Genesis 1-3 and the interpretation of the Book of Jonah” (1973 Proceedings, p. 46). After reviewing the status of this assignment the commission decided to ask the Synod for permis- sion to remove this assignment from its agenda “because the cir- cumstances which had caused it to be placed on the commission’s agenda do not exist today.” It is doing so in an overture found else- where in the Convention Workbook. 5. Theology of Social Ministry After reviewing previous work which had been done on this as- signment, the CTCR’s standing committee working on it asked the executive director of the Board for Human Care Ministries to de- velop a “concept paper” which, in light of contemporary issues, would explain the need for this study. Following this consultation, the committee selected a drafter and approved the sharing of a draft with the staff of the BHCM. Reactions have been received by the standing committee and progress toward adopting a final report continues. 6. Liberation Theology The 1992 synodical convention asked the CTCR to “conduct a comprehensive study of liberation theology and its variations in light of confessional Lutheranism (Res. 3-20). In carrying out this assignment, the commission reviewed an essay written by Dr. Rudolph Blank for the International Lutheran Council titled “Six Theses Concerning Freedom in Christ and Liberation.” The Com- mission was informed that the International Lutheran Council had made arrangements for this essay to be published in the July 1994 issue of Concordia Journal and also to be translated into Spanish and to be sent to all Spanish speaking pastors in Central and South America, as well as to all Spanish speaking pastors in the LCMS (under the title Seis tesis concernientes a la libertad en Cristo y la liberacién). Following its review of this excellent essay by Dr. Blank, and in accordance with the CTCR’s self-study, the com- mission decided to respond to the Synod’s 1992 request by com- mending the essay to the members of the Synod for study and guid- ance. 7, Pastor-Penitent Relationship The board of directors of the Eastern District in September 1994 asked the CTCR “to study the question of privileged communica- tions within the ‘pastor-penitent’ relationship on the basis of Scrip- ture, the historical tradition of the church, and legal constraints, and to present to the pastors and teachers of our Synod the results of such a study as quickly as possible so that we might have guidance on this issue.” This request was occasioned in part by the Child Protective Services Act. A CTCR standing committee is currently working with a draft for this assignment. 8. Prayer The President of the Synod in 1986 requested a study of the the- ology and practice of prayer, stressing the importance of prayer in Christian piety and expressing concern about understandings that seem to equate prayer with the means of grace. The CTCR standing committee given responsibility for preliminary work on this as- signment is nearing completion of a draft. 9. Theology and Practice of Divine Call At its 1992 convention the Synod assigned to the commission, “in consultation with the Council of Presidents and representatives of our Synod’s terminal schools, the preparation of a single docu- ment that provides answers to the questions and concerns within the church regarding the theology and practice of ‘the divine call,’ utilizing the writings of C.F.W. Walther (i.e., his book Church and Ministry and essay ‘The Congregation’s Right to Choose Its Pas- tor’)” (Res. 3-09A). Already in 1986 the Synod had asked the CTCR to prepare a report coordinating various studies being con- ducted (Res. 3-07). The standing committee given preliminary re- sponsibility for this assignment is presently working on a draft which has been shared with the members of the Council of Presi- dents and the Synod’s seminaries and colleges/universities. 10. Request for Opinion on Layperson as Professor of Theology at LCMS Colleges and Seminaries In June 1993 the Board for Higher Education requested an opin- ion from the CTCR “on the role of a layperson as a professor in a college/university or seminary as a teacher of religion or theology.” The commission determined that this question will most profitably be addressed after further work is completed on the comprehensive study of women in the church. C. Requests for Theological Opinions 1. Opinion on Conditional Calls In a letter dated Nov. 11, 1995, Presidents Lane Seitz (MNS District) and Richard Guehna (MNN District) requested an opin- ion from the CTCR regarding the extension of a call to a pastor “subject to a satisfactory Chapter 148a background check.” The Minnesota State Legislature adopted in 1986 a statute requiring congregations to have a background check to determine if there is any knowledge of sexual misconduct on the part of the pastor. In response to this request, at its May 1996 meeting, the commission adopted the following opinion: Response to Questions Regarding Minnesota Statute §148A THE QUESTION Dr. Lane Seitz, President of the Minnesota South District, and Rev. Richard Guehna, President of the Minnesota North District, submitted the following question: Is it in keeping with our understanding of the divine call for the District to recommend to calling congregations that they extend a call to a pastor subject to a satisfactory Minnesota Statute 148a background check? Would this constitute a “conditional call”? THE RESPONSE The answer to the first question, in the opinion of the CTCR, is: No— it is not in keeping with the Synod’s understanding of the divine call for the District to recommend to calling congregations that they ex- tend a call to a pastor subject to a satisfactory Minnesota Statute 148a background check. The answer to the second question, in the opinion of the CTCR, is: Yes—this would constitute a “conditional call.” THE RATIONALE Scripture gives no mandate concerning the specific procedures to be followed when calling a pastor. Yet, unconditional calls have always been the rule in the Synod. In fact, in the opinion of the CTCR, condi- tional calls are inconsistent with Lutheran theology because they ap- pear to contradict the nature of the divine call as unconditionally given by God through a Christian congregation. It is the understanding of the CTCR that, were a congregation to extend a call to a pastor subject to a satisfactory Minnesota Statute 148a background check, this would con- stitute a conditional call. It is our strong opinion that congregations should not issue conditional calls. Such practice would set a dangerous precedent and would open the door to misunderstanding, mischief and possible legal action. It is our recommendation, therefore, that as con- gregations comply with Statute 148a they be encouraged to exhibit pa- tience and await the response called for in this statute before issuing a call.' Adopted May 22, 1996 Note 1 State regulations providing for a review of a pastoral candidate's integrity in the area of sexual ethics need not be feared by the church. Such a statute is not an infringement on the church’s independence or integrity. Congregations are not required to comply with Statute 148a. Compliance does, however, limit the church’s liability in the event of previous sexual misconduct on the part of its pastor. Such a review seeks to establish that a candidate is not unworthy of the call because of prior sexual misconduct.