# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S199 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 199 costal/charismatic movement and its distinctive features, while rel- ativizing the orthodox church and confession; and WHEREAS, Some charismatic churches are now ordaining their own men into the pastoral office without being trained at one of our seminaries (e.g., the charismatic church in Charlotte, NC); and WHEREAS, True renewal in the church must be sought not in man-made schemes, but in faithful evangelical preaching and in the Holy Sacraments (AC V, VI, XI, XX); and Wuereas, The proper criteria by which all claims of unity and reunification must be tested and judged are the marks of the church, the purely preached Gospel, and the rightly administered Sacra- ments of Christ (AC VII, compare FC, SD X31); and WHEREAS, More than two decades of patiently dealing with the charismatic-movement adherents has produced an insignificant im- provement to the LCMS (some would say it has only grown worse); and WHEREAS, God warns His children to protect the Body from false doctrine (Rom. 16:17; | Cor. 5:6-7; Gal. 5:9); therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod hold that neither the pentecostal/ charismatic movement in general, nor the attempted Lutheraniza- tion of it by Renewal in Missouri (R..M.) in particular, is compat- ible with biblical, evangelical teaching and the sobriety of The Book of Concord; and be it further Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in its 2001 synodical convention instruct the synodical President to in- form all Ministers of Religion—Ordained who have associated themselves with Renewal in Missouri (R.I.M.) that they have until 12-31-01 to disassociate themselves from any/all ties/connections to/with Renewal in Missouri (R.LM.); and be it further Resolved, That they must, in writing, recant of all pente- costal/charismatic beliefs in general and all ties/associations with Renewal in Missouri (R.1.M.) in particular, and that this letter of recantation be sent by “certified mail” to the synodical President no later than 12-31-01; and be it further Resolved, That they be informed that failure to comply with this synodical resolution will cause them to be removed from the LCMS roster; and be it further Resolved, That the synodical president give a report at the next synodical convention on the completion of this matter; and be it finally Resolved, That congregations and synodical entities, as a matter of confession in time of crisis (FC X), be requested to avoid pente- costal/charismatic “styles” of worship, because these do not ex- press the substance of the Lutheran Confessions, but suggest, pro- mote, and encourage an alien and unchurchly confession. Salem Taylorsville, NC 3-128 To Ask Renewal in Missouri to Disband WHEREAS, Renewal in Missouri (often abbreviated RIM) was formed to address doctrinal concerns within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and WHEREAS, It has concerned many in the Synod that Renewal in Missouri has seemed to function like unto a nongeographical Dis- trict with a leader and “officers”; and Wuereas, The Synod has met in numerous dialogue sessions to speak with Renewal in Missouri about the doctrinal concerns that both groups have; and WuereEAS. The Lord has blessed these dialogues with great progress at achieving mutual understandings and consensus on many important points; and WHEREAS, Further progress in doctrinal discussion can be achieved and possibly enhanced through normal channels of dia- logue at the Circuit and District levels; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con- vention ask Renewal in Missouri in the spirit of unity and walking together to disband as a standing organization with its current struc- ture. Immanuel Orange. CA 3-129 To Ask Supporters of Position of Seminex to Retract WHEREAS, Seminex celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1999; and’ WHEREAS, The LCMS declared that the theological position of Seminex was contrary to the Bible and not to be tolerated in the church of God; and Wuereas, Dr. John Tietjen, President of Seminex, wrote in his 368-page Memoirs in Exile, published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Augsburg Fortress Press, “I am convinced that 40 percent of those in the Missouri Synod compromised their in- tegrity rather than pay the price of following through on the princi- ples to which they were committed”: and WHEREAS, Some 350 professors and pastors on the 1999 clergy roster of the LCMS. who signed statements supporting the theo- logical positions of Seminex or were identified with groups back- ing Seminex, refuse to declare if they now accept the LCMS scrip- tural position on the inerrancy of the Bible, the historicity of the Genesis account of creation, the J-E-D-P source hypothesis. and the ordination of women to the Holy Ministry (Christian News, June 14, 1999, and July 19, 1999): and WHEREAS, Many of those who signed a statement supporting the theology of Seminex or who made it clear that they supported the position of the liberal professors who left Concordia Seminary and formed Seminex are members of the Missouri District; there- fore be it Resolved, That the 2000 convention of the Missouri District and the 2001 convention of the LCMS ask all those who supported the position of Seminex as stated in Seminex’s document “Faithful to Our Calling, Faithful to Our Lord” (published in the June 14, 1999 Christian News) to retract their support of the position of Seminex and sign a statement declaring that The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod should not permit professors and pastors to maintain that (1) The Bible contains errors. (2) Man may have evolved from some primary organism. (3) The first five books of the Bible came from the J-E-D and P sources and were not written by Moses as the Bible says. (4) Women should be pastors and ordained to the Holy Min- istry. Trinity New Haven, MO To Direct President to Address Continuing Concerns re Seminex Supporters WuereEaS, Almost all of the supporters of Seminex, liberals, evolutionists, charismatics, and unionists who were on the clergy roster of the LCMS when Dr. Barry was elected LCMS President in 1992 are still on the clergy roster of the LCMS; and WuereEAs, Five Seminex professors and about 100 graduates of Seminex (still on the LCMS clergy roster) and other pastors and professors still on the LCMS clergy roster who signed a statement supporting the theology of Seminex or indicated support of Dr. John Tietjen, President of Seminex. were asked if they repudiated their support of Seminex and would now affirm the inerrancy of the Bible and the Genesis creation account and are opposed to or- dination of women; and WHEREAS, The response to this questionnaire (Christian News, June 14, 1999) shows that there are still hundreds on the LCMS clergy roster who support the position of Seminex and reject the inerrancy of the Bible: therefore be it 2001 Convention Workbook