# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S238 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 7. STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 7-01 To Take Action with Regard to District President Orval Mueller WHEREAS, The Word of God teaches us that we are to admonish a fellow Christian who falls into error, and if, after such fraternal admonitions, he persists in refusing to renounce his error and re- pent, we are to bring this matter to the church, and if he still re- fuses to repent, we are to have nothing more to do with him (Titus 3:10; the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 18:15ff); and WHEREAS, Out of love for the triune God, and for the bride of Christ in this world, as well as for an erring brother, we are com- pelled to address this issue so that we may continue to walk to- gether and bear public witness to the true doctrine and practice; and WHEREAS, The Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art. II, clearly declares that the unity that is godly within the church catholic comes only through open and honest agreement in the fun- damental doctrines of the Christian faith (See Concordia Triglotta, p. 1095, and Tappert, p. 632 (94-96); and WHEREAS, Our Symbols, the Book of Concord of 1580, the Solid Declaration, Introduction, “The Summary Formulation, Basis, Rule, and Norm Indicating How All Doctrine Should Be Judged in Conformity with the Word of God ...” (Concordia Triglotta, p. 849-59, and Tappert, p. 503-506 (1-13); and WHEREAS, Until such time that true unity shall exist in the visi- ble church, altar and pulpit fellowship as a formal and public proclamation of agreement in dogma must wait until those doctri- nal differences are resolved in accordance both with Holy Scrip- ture and the Lutheran Symbols referenced above; and WHEREAS, Art.VI 2 b of the Constitution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod gives as one of the “conditions for ac- quiring and holding membership in the Synod ... renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description, such as: ... taking part in the services and sacramental rites of heterodox congrega- tions or of congregations of mixed confession”; and Wuereas, Willful participation in a worship service with clergy, or representatives of clergy, that represent a church body with whom we have not entered into formal altar and pulpit fel- lowship is a serious violation of our fraternal agreement to walk together in both doctrine and practice as a Synod, and violations of this freely-entered-into agreement pose serious problems for a Dis- trict President whose office requires him to uphold and promote the decisions made by our Synod, and bears false public witness to a unity of doctrine and practice that does not exist; and WHEREAS, The incumbent District President of Southern Dis- trict, Rev. Dr. Orval Mueller, did willfully participate, after being admonished by the District President of the South Dakota District, Rev. Dr. Raymond Hartwig, to not participate in a wedding service in the South Dakota District with a rostered clergyman of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church in America; and WHEREAS, The incumbent president of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, the Rev. Dr. A. L. Barry, in accordance with the Gospel of Matthew, 18:17a, and synodical Bylaw 3.101 b, which affirms that he is charged with exercising “supervision over the doctrine,” has brought this matter to the attention of our Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That the Kansas City North Circuit of the District of Missouri, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, memorialize the 1998 synodical convention to admonish the Southern District Pres- ident, Rev. Dr. Orval Mueller, to publicly acknowledge his error and repent of his willful violation of the synodical Constitution’s stricture to renounce “unionism and syncretism of every descrip- tion”; and be it further Resolved, That the synodical President and Vice-Presidents be directed to approach the Southern District President, Rev. Dr. Orval Mueller, once again, out of fraternal love and concern, and direct his attention to the biblical and symbolical basis of our doctrine and practice as a Synod, and the great need to bear faithful witness to a unity of both doctrine and practice among all the members of the Synod; and be it finally Resolved, That should Rev. Dr. Orval Mueller fail to heed the admonition of the synodical President, the synodical Vice-Presi- dents, and the Synod in convention, and continue to refuse to re- pent and amend his stand on this issue, that the synodical President exercise the authority of his office, and, on the basis of Holy Scrip- ture and the synodical Handbook, remove District President Mueller from his office as President of the Southern District, and from any other offices he might hold in this Synod. North Kansas City Circuit Forum Missouri District 7-02 To Review Matter of Wedding Participation WHEREAS, President Orval Mueller of the Southern District fol- lowed his “Christian conscience” in participating in his niece’s wedding service; and WHEREAS, Wedding services are normally “family services” with the attendees being personally invited and are in that way dif- ferent from a “public” worship service; and WHEREAS, Our Lord Himself defended His actions of not com- plying with traditional rules (Matt. 12:1-8) and thereby exempli- fied the highest norm being that of love; and WHEREAS, God’s people of the Southern District have ratified the evangelical approach of President Mueller by removing their term limit on their presidency, and reelecting Mueller overwhelm- ingly to office as District President; and WHEREAS, More division and offense have been caused by those who have sought to discipline Mueller rather than by his act of par- ticipation; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod respect President Mueller’s consci- entious, pastoral, and evangelical decision in this matter; and be it further Resolved, That no further reporting or disciplinary action be taken in this case; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod review such joint participation in wedding services with special focus on ministry to couples and families; and be it finally Resolved, That a study with opportunity for responses by con- gregations be prepared in sufficient time to address this practice at the next convention of Synod. St. Luke Mesa, AZ 7-03 To Support District President WHEREAS, An official report on the matter of Southern District President Orval Mueller’s participation in a wedding with a cler- gyman of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been made to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the February 1997 issue of the Reporter, and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd of Biloxi, Miss., feels that it has a responsibility to respond to this re- port; therefore be it Resolved, That Good Shepherd congregation adopt the follow- ing statement as its own and commend it to the convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for adoption: A Statement of Support The February 1997 issue of the Reporter carried an official no- tice to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod concerning partici- pation by Southern District President Orval Mueller in a wedding along with a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amer- ica. Although the matter was presented in the form of a report, the inference would be drawn that President Mueller had done a grave injustice to the Synod and one of its Districts. Such surely cannot be the case. 239