# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S180 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 180 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 3-89 To Support Historic Position on Church and Ministry WHEREAS, The LCMS has from its foundation, in the mid-19th century, under the leadership of C. F. W. Walther. fought against a “papacy of the people” resulting from the invasion of political democracy into the church, and “a papacy of the pastors” as pro- moted by Johannes Grabau of the Buffalo Synod; and WHEREAS, The LCMS has been singularly blessed in its scrip- tural stance and in its confessional subscription to the Book of Con- cord regarding the doctrine of church and ministry; and Wuereas, Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself exhorts the Christian church in the Scriptures to keep constant vigil regarding the church's teachings, Matt. 7:14: therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con- vention, recognize the harm that comes when the ministry sets itself above the common Christians, and makes light of the surpassing dignity and glory which saving grace, justifying grace, has con- ferred upon these common Christians, or when the congregation sets itself above the authority of the Word of God and rebels against the faithful servant and undershepherd who seeks to faith- fully fulfill his vows of ordination; and be it further Resolved, That we confess with Martin Luther, C. F. W. Walther, and countless other faithful confessors, that the “Keys be- long not to the person of one particular man, but the Church. Christ grants the keys principally and immediately to the Church and not merely to certain persons. Matt. 18:20: ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name,’ etc.” (SA, Tract 24, 69). “The Christian Church alone has the keys; let there be no doubt about this. And whoever, in spite of this arrogates the keys to himself be he Pope or anybody else, is an errant sacrilegious, a church-rob- ber.” “Here [Matt. 18:19-20] we learn that also where two or three are gathered in the name of Christ they have exactly the same power as that of St. Peter and all the Apostles. Even though all of them were but stable-boys, what does Christ care about high and mighty lords?”; and be it finally Resolved, That we unanimously reaffirm the historical position of the LCMS, so clearly taught in the Scriptures and set forth in the Book of Concord, and thereby strive to maintain the unity of the faith, keeping the peace won for us by the precious blood and in- nocent suffering, death, and resurrection of our dear Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom alone belongs the glory. Rock Island Circuit Forum Central INinois District 3-90 To Study C. F. W. Walther’s Theses on Church and Ministry (Kirche und Amt) WHEREAS, Every generation encounters questions on the bibti- cal and confessional understandings of the church and its ministry; and Wuereas, This lack of clarity among us on the doctrine of the church and its ministry can and has caused unnecessary difficulties among us; and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in conven- tion has officially adopted C. F. W. Walther’s theses on church and ministry as its position; and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has a re- newed interest in the doctrine of church and ministry and this study is necessary for every generation and particularly now; therefore be it Resolved, That we commend to the people of the Northwest District the study of C. F. W. Walther’s theses on church and min- istry from the book Church and Ministry published by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO; and be it further Resolved, That the Northwest District memorialize the next reg- ular convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to pre- pare study materials for distribution to aid in the study of the theses on church and ministry. Northwest District 3-91 To Institute Office of Called Elder WHEREAS, The Wichita convention in Res. 3-05B inaugurated a procedure by which Districts, when appropriate, could license “deacons” for Word and Sacrament ministries; and WHEREAS, A number of men in good faith prepared themselves for that type of ministry; and WuerEAs, God has richly blessed this ministry in Alaska and other locations where people cannot afford a full-time, seminary- educated pastor; and WHEREAS, Many such licensed lay people cannot carry out their regular work, serve as Word and Sacrament ministers, and engage in seminary-level classes at the same time; and Wuereas, The Synod authorized the seminaries to engage in the training of such ministers but provided few if any funds for the undertaking; and WHEREAS, At this time the seminaries still do not have the ca- pacity to provide this education to individual licensed lay people in the remote locations in which many of them do their ministry; and WHEREAS, The 14th article of the Augsburg Confession states, “No one should publicly teach in the Church or administer Sacra- ments unless he be regularly called”; therefore be it Resolved, That the Northwest District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod memorialize the Synod to rescind Res. 3-07A adopted at the 1995 convention; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod thank such “deacons” and “lay min- isters” who have brought the Gospel in Word and Sacrament to many different communities, who have often labored under great hardship, with little or no remuneration, and encourage them in their work; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod institute the office of “called elder” with biblical qualifications for ministry, appropriate “on site” train- ing, and suitable accountability to a pastor, congregation, and Dis- trict; and be it further Resolved, That such elders be called for a specific time and place as reviewed by the District President within the guidelines of the Council of Presidents; and be it finally Resolved, That in the next triennium the Council of Presidents draw up plans for implementing such an office and propose such changes in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod as may be in- dicated. Northwest District 3-92 To Reaffirm Christological Identity of Office of Holy Ministry WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ has granted to His church the gift of the office of the holy ministry (John 20:21-23); and WHEREAS, Christ has declared to those who have been placed into this office by Him, “He who hears you hears Me” (Luke 10:16); and WHEREAS, Our Lutheran Confessions make it abundantly clear that those who have been placed into office stand in the stead and by the command of Christ, so that it is, in fact, Christ Himself who, through the office, pronounces absolution to His people, baptizes them, distributes His body and blood to them in the Holy Supper, and preaches to and teaches them through the voice of the called minister (SC V 27; AC V; XIV; XXV; Ap. XIII 12; VII 28; XXIV 18; XII 39-41; AC XXVIII 8-9; Ap. XXVIII 19): therefore be it