# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S194 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 194 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention acknowledge the importance of women of faith in our church as bearers of God’s Good News; and be it further Resolved, That with this acknowledgement, congregations en- courage women to participate with delivery of the Word (i.e., Scripture reading in public worship, Sunday school teaching, Bible class leadership, and distribution of the Sacrament) in appropriate biblical and confessional ways. Village Bronxville, NY 3-96 To Study Theses on Women in the Church Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention be memorialized to See to it that the most recent edition of a study response written by the Rev. Arnie Voigt (Theses on Women in the Church: Resources in Dialogue with “Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice,” a report of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the LCMS, September 1985) be published and distributed to each pastor and congregational president of the Synod, so that this helpful document may be used for study in con- gregations, District conferences, and professional church workers gatherings for growing in our understanding of what the Scriptures say concerning the role of women in the work of the church; and be it further Resolved, That St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Saratoga Springs, New York, encourage the entire Synod to take a careful look at this thorough study so that it might inform future consideration of and decisions relating to the role of women in the work of the church. St. Paul Saratoga Springs, NY 3-97 To Reassign Uncompleted Study of Relationship of Men and Women WHEREAS, In 1994 a CTCR majority finalized a document enti- tled Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices; and WHEREAS, Several members of the CTCR at that time, including two theology professors from St. Louis, two theology professors from Fort Wayne, and a theology professor from Concordia, Irvine, voted against this document and signed their names instead to a dissenting statement, which described numerous theological, his- torical, and procedural problems with the document promoted by the CTCR’s majority; and WHEREAS, The 1995 convention did not commend, adopt, or otherwise endorse Service of Women in Congregational and Syn- odical Offices, but instead adopted Res. 3-90, which assigned the CTCR to produce a “comprehensive study of the scriptural rela- tionship between men and women”; and WHEREAS, Since that time the CTCR has produced nothing in response to this assignment other than the single document on Bib- lical Revelation and Inclusive Language; and WHEREAS, The CTCR has failed to address the concerns identi- fied by its theologians in the 1994 dissenting opinion; and Wuereas, Recent events in the ELCA and the Episcopal Chureh in America demonstrate the need for careful study before new understandings of gender roles are introduced to offices and practices in the church, lest those aspects of feminist theology that lead inevitably toward an unscriptural and permissive view of ho- mosexuality find a foothold in our own Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That the Greater Egypt Circuit of the Southern Ili- nois District call upon the Synod to reassign this uncompleted task of producing a “comprehensive study of the scriptural relationship between men and women” to a joint committee comprised of fac- ulty from the Synod’s two seminaries, to be appointed by the pres- idents of the two seminaries, with the committee electing its own chairman and providing a report to the 2007 convention of the Synod; and be it further Resolved, That the Greater Egypt Circuit of the Southern IIli- nois District call upon the Synod to decline or reject any and all overtures that would have the effect of commending, adopting, or otherwise endorsing the 1994 CTCR document Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices. Greater Egypt Circuit Forum Southern Mlinois District 3-98 To Adopt 1994 CTCR Report The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices WuereEAS, On Nov. 26, 1994, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations adopted the document entitled The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices; and WuereaS, The CTCR document is scripturally based and en- courages appropriate service for women as they are called and the functions of the position permit their service; therefore be it Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District in convention memorialize the 2004 convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod to adopt the 1994 report of the Commission on Theol- ogy and Church Relations entitled The Service of Women in Con-. gregational and Synodical Offices as the position of the Synod on the role and service of women in the church. Pacific Southwest District 3-99 To Officially Receive and Approve CTCR Document The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices WHEREAS, The CTCR has adopted the 1994 study The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices; and WHEREAS, In this document the 1995 Convention Workbook, p. 310, offered a “word of encouragement” that reads in part: “It is the prayer of the Commission that this brief report will assist the members of the Synod in understanding and faithfully applying what the Scriptures teach about the service of women in various positions of assigned responsibility”; and WHEREAS, On Jan. 17, 2003, the Northwest District Board of Directors officially accepted this report and began to implement its recommendations, including its recommendation about women serving as chairperson and viee-chairperson of a congregation; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod commend the CTCR for its work in this area; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod officially receive and approve this theological document. Board of Directors Northwest District 3-100 To Adopt The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices WHEREAS, The CTCR report, The Service of Women in Congre- gational and Synodical Offices was brought forward for adoption at the 1995 convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod but action on adoption was not finalized; and WHEREAS, Sufficient time has transpired for the digestion of the theological information and practical implications of the document to be obtained by the congregations and leadership of the LCMS; and