# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S171
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Theology and Church Relations
Created in the Image of God” [Concordia Theological Quarterly,
Vol. 68 No. 1, January 2004]; and “Dissenting Opinion on Women in
Congregational Offices” [Reporter, St. Louis: The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, December 1994]); and
Whereas, 1 Tim. 2:12–13 states, “I do not permit a woman to
teach or to exercise authority over a man. … For Adam was formed
first, then Eve,” and this divine teaching is contradicted by the
“Conclusions” of the 1994 CTCR report; and
Whereas, The 1994 report departed dramatically from the historic understanding of the LCMS on the matter of the role of women
in congregational offices by restricting the authority women are forbidden to have over men to the pastoral office; and
Whereas, The 1994 report led the Synod President to object to
the report, saying that it “suggests a modification in the present position of the Synod” (letter on CTCR report from Synod President A.L.
Barry [Reporter, St. Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
December 1994]), and led five theological professors of the CTCR
also to object that the majority report did not adequately address the
“order of creation,” including the basic principle that women should
not exercise authority over men; and
Whereas, The 1994 report of the CTCR and 2004 Res. 3-08A
promote confusion, instability, and disunity by permitting women
to serve in roles of elder, chairman, and vice-chairman of a congregation; and
Whereas, The teaching of Scripture does not change; therefore
be it
Resolved, That for the sake of remaining faithful to the Word of
God in all its parts, for the unity of the Church, and for the edifying
of our people and congregations, the Central Illinois District encourage and support its congregations in remaining faithful to the historic,
orthodox, and biblical Lutheran teaching and practice of the role of
women in the Church; And be it further
Resolved, That the congregations of the Central Illinois District of
the LCMS reject the teaching/doctrine/practice of women exercising
authority over men in violation of the order of creation as expressed
in 2004 Res. 3-08A; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Central Illinois District urge the 2013 LCMS
convention to rescind 2004 Res. 3-08A of the 2004 LCMS convention.
Central Illinois District
4-20

To Reaffirm Scriptural Teaching re Women’s Role
in the Church
Whereas, Major Lutheran bodies worldwide have rejected the
apostolic injunction to the Church that the Office of the Holy Ministry
is to be entrusted to qualified men only; and
Whereas, There is increasing pressure on our church body, from
within and without, to compromise this position; and
Whereas, The 1992 LCMS convention (1992 Res. 3-04, 3-05)
has encouraged groups, congregations, etc. within the Synod to discuss and express any concerns they may have; and
Whereas, Our Synod has always affirmed that the biblical doctrine of the ministry teaches that the pastoral office is to be held only
by men, as found in 1 Cor. 14:34–35; 1 Tim. 2:11–14; and 1 Tim.
3:1–7; and
Whereas, Our Lutheran Confessions also affirm this biblical
teaching concerning the pastoral office: “A bishop (pastor) must be
blameless, the husband of one wife” (Triglotta 561:2); and

171

Whereas, The 1986 LCMS convention (Res. 3-10) stated that
the Scriptures prohibit women from the pastoral office and its functions; and
Whereas, There are organizations (e.g., LWML) that provide
opportunities for women to serve the Lord beyond local congregations; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2013 LCMS convention reaffirm as the official
doctrinal position of our church the Scriptural teaching that women
may not hold the pastoral office or carry out the distinctive functions
of this office (1 Cor. 11:14; 1 Tim. 2); and be it finally
Resolved, That all pastors, district officials, and professors of the
LCMS must believe and teach that the Bible opposes the ordination
of women into the Office of the Holy Ministry.
Salem Lutheran Church
Taylorsville, NC
4-21

To Review the Role of Women in Congregation
and Synod Offices
Preamble

In 1969, the Synod addressed the subject of women in the church
by adopting a resolution (1969 Res. 2-17) that was largely based on
a 1968 report by the CTCR. However, the commission began thinking differently of these matters during the 1980s and ’90s. In 2004
Res. 3-08A, the Synod affirmed the conclusions of the then-latest
(1994) CTCR report on the subject, even though a dissenting opinion to that report had been prepared by five theologians of the CTCR
shortly after it was adopted. This overture is submitted in the hope
that the Synod will “back up” and assign the CTCR, with the help of
the seminaries, to issue a new report to the Synod which will contribute toward clearing up ambiguities and misunderstandings concerning
this important subject.
Whereas, The Missouri District, in her 2003 convention, encouraged pastors to “catechize their congregations in the biblical doctrine
held by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod on the different roles
of men and women” (2003 Missouri District Res. 1-10); and
Whereas, The Synod in adopting 2004 Res. 3-08A (“To Affirm
the Conclusions of the 1994 CTCR Report: The Service of Women
in Congregational and Synodical Offices”) seems to have affirmed
only the first of two long-employed criteria for determining whether
women can serve in various lay congregational offices (see 1969
Res. 2-17) [Explanation: Previously, the two criteria had been (1)
By serving in a given office, does a woman do things which are distinctive functions of the pastoral office? and (2) Might a woman be
violating the order of creation by serving in certain congregational
offices in which she does not carry out distinctive functions of the
pastoral office?]; and
Whereas, In 1995 Res. 3-06A, the Synod directed the CTCR
“in consultation with the faculties of the seminaries” to continue
studying the issues in its 1994 report on The Service of Women in
Congregational and Synodical Offices and the resulting dissenting
opinion that was signed by five theological professors on the commission; and
Whereas, The CTCR did not report to subsequent Synod conventions a record of resulting communication with or from the seminaries
on this topic; and
Whereas, The CTCR has recently issued two documents relevant to this general subject:
2013 Convention Workbook