# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S195
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Theology and Church Relations
Whereas, There is divergence of opinion in the Synod concerning
women serving as assistants in the distribution of Holy Communion;
and
Whereas, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(CTCR) has stated in its 1983 report Theology and Practice in the Lord’s
Supper (p. 330) and reaffirmed in the 1985 report Women in the Church
that ‘the commission strongly recommends that to avoid confusion regarding the office of the public ministry and to avoid giving offense to
the church, such assistance be limited to men’ (p. 47); therefore be it

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4-67

To Restore LCMS Historic Teaching
of Fourth Commandment

therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod President instruct all district presidents
to enforce this resolution and remind them of their primary responsibility to insure that this scripturally faithful resolution be observed
in all the congregations within their districts, as well as all district
events where Holy Communion is served.
Salem Lutheran Church
Taylorsville, NC

Whereas, The Fourth Commandment recorded in Ex. 20:12 and
Deut. 5:16 includes a promise; and
Whereas, Paul refers to this commandment as the “first commandment with a promise” (Eph. 6:2); and
Whereas, Martin Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms of 1529
both record the Fourth Commandment with its promise; and
Whereas, Up until 1986, all copyrighted Luther’s Small
Catechisms published by Concordia Publishing House contained
the promise; and
Whereas, In 1986, the promise associated with the Fourth
Commandment was removed from Luther’s Small Catechism by
Concordia Publishing House; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Oklahoma District in convention request that
the national convention of Synod ensure that all official publications
of the Fourth Commandment published or used within the LCMS contain the biblical promise associated with this commandment.
Oklahoma District

4-66

4-68

Resolved, That the CTCR report Theology and Practice in the Lord’s
Supper be commended to the congregations of the Synod for study and
guidance in this matter; And be it further
Resolved, That the pastors and congregations of the Synod be urged
to conform to this counsel;

To Reaffirm the Practice of Close Communion

To Assign CTCR Functions to Seminary Faculties

Whereas, The Scriptures require both a knowledge of the Lord’s
Supper sufficient for its proper reception and a contrite heart that
trusts Jesus’ Word (1 Cor. 11:27–29); and
Whereas, Fellowship at the Lord’s Table is an act of confession
of faith (1 Cor. 10:17); and
Whereas, The LCMS in 1995 Res. 3-08 addressed the document “A Declaration of Eucharistic Understanding and Practice” by
reaffirming 1967 Res. 2-19, “To Take a Position with Reference to
Communing Lutherans of Other Synods,” thereby placing the entire
Synod officially in opposition to “A Declaration of Eucharistic
Understanding and Practice”; and
Whereas, The admission to Holy Communion without a regard
for confession of faith is neither faithful to God’s Word nor an act of
love (Rom. 16:17); and
Whereas, The practice of close Communion was officially and
publicly taught and observed by the Early Church; and
Whereas, The practice of close Communion is affirmed by our
Lutheran Confession: “For we do not intend to admit to the sacrament and administer it to those who do not know what they seek or
why them come” (Tappert, pp. 447:2, 575:32f., etc.); and
Whereas, The LCMS from its beginning in 1847 practiced close
Communion (see Explanation to the 1943 Small Catechism, question 326); and
Whereas, The practice of close Communion seeks to prevent
both harmful reception of the Sacrament as well as a profession of
unity in confession of faith where this unity does not exist (1 Cor.
11:27–29; 1:10); and
Whereas, Disparity in the practice of the Lord’s Supper has created confusion and controversy in the Synod; and
Whereas, It is desirable that uniform practice that is in harmony
with the theology of the Lord’s Supper be followed in the Synod;
therefore be it
Resolved, That all LCMS congregations practice close
Communion.
Salem Lutheran Church
Taylorsville, NC

Whereas, The circumstances that necessitated the creation of the
CTCR have been addressed; and
Whereas, The theological studies and opinions issued by the
CTCR are widely perceived by the Church-at-large as official doctrine rather than opinion; and
Whereas, Maintaining the CTCR as an ongoing commission represents a substantial expense; therefore be it
Resolved, That the CTCR go out of existence by the end of 2014;
and be it further
Resolved, That the functions of the CTCR and their remaining
assignments be assigned to those called to teach theology in the
Synod, our seminary faculties.
Salem Lutheran Church
Taylorsville, NC
4-69

To Condemn the Heresy of Darwinism
Whereas, The Scriptures teach that God is the Creator of all that
exists and is therefore the author (Acts 3:15) and giver of life (Nicene
Creed, 3rd Article); and
Whereas, The hypotheses of macro, organic, and Darwinian
evolution, including theistic evolution or any other model denying
special, immediate, and miraculous creation, undercut this support
for the honoring of life as the gift of God; and
Whereas, The Darwinian heresy also requires the idea that death
enter the world before and apart from man’s fall into sin and thus
undercuts and denies what the Scriptures teach regarding Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for our justification (Rom. 5:12ff.); and
Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod strongly confesses a literal six twenty-four-hour-days exegesis of Genesis 1–2
(A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod,
1932, paragraph 5) and has held to this as its official position for at
least eighty years; and
2013 Convention Workbook