# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S196
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

196

Theology and Church Relations

Whereas, While This We Believe affirms that “the LCMS is
exceptionally united in what we believe, teach and confess: that there
is only one true and Triune God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who
created the world in six days,” the resolutions referred to in that document have not specifically defined the word “day” as twenty-four
hours in length; and
Whereas, In Res. 2-08A, the 2004 LCMS convention required
that “no educational agency or institution of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod tolerate any teaching that contradicts the special,
immediate, and miraculous creation by God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, as an explanation for the origin of the universe” (2004
Convention Proceedings, pp. 125–126); and
Whereas, The All Workers Conference of the Montana District
heard reports that the teaching of evolution is taking place within the
Concordia University System schools; and
Whereas, Students at universities of the Concordia University
System still report that Darwinism is being taught as fact; therefore
be it
Resolved, That the 2013 LCMS convention unequivocally condemn the heresies of macro, organic, and Darwinian evolution,
including theistic evolution and all other models denying special,
immediate, and miraculous creation; And be it further
Resolved, That the 2013 LCMS convention unequivocally confess
the biblical teaching of a literal six-day (twenty-four-hours per day)
creation of the universe by the power of His Word; And be it further
Resolved, That no educational agency or institution of the LCMS
tolerate any teaching that contradicts the special, immediate, and
miraculous creation by God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as an explanation for the origin of the universe; and be it finally
Resolved, The Montana District All Workers Conference meeting
in Billings, Montana, October 17–19, 2012, memorialize the 2013
LCMS convention to make this resolution its own.
Montana District All Workers Conference
4-71

To Produce a 21st-Century Formula of Concord
WHEREAS, Christendom today is in far greater need of a
Reformation than it was 500 years ago when Martin Luther nailed
his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg,
Germany, on October 31, 1517,
1. Five hundred years ago, hardly any within Christendom
rejected such doctrines as the Trinity, virgin birth, deity, vicarious satisfaction and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, the
inerrancy and historicity of the Bible, or the absolute nature of
the truths proclaimed in the Bible. All these doctrines are being
denied in the major denominations of our time.
2. Today evolution is accepted as fact in most major denominations.
3. Today all the major denominations promote universalism, the notion that Jesus Christ is not the only way to heaven
and non-Christians may be saved without saving faith in Jesus
Christ.
4. Five hundred years ago, such antiscriptural doctrines as
the immaculate conception of Mary, assumption of Mary, and
infallibility of the Pope had not yet been adopted by any within
Christendom.
5. The great apostasy in Christendom is documented in such
books and publications as: Bad Religion—How We Became a
Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat, a Roman Catholic; The
Truth About What Really Happened to the Catholic Church Af2013 Convention Workbook

ter Vatican II by Roman Catholic scholars Michael and Peter
Dimond; Repairing the Breach—Explaining the Systematic Deception Behind the War of Worldviews and How Christendom
Can Turn the Tide by John M. Wynne and Stephen A. Wynne,
Protestant scholars; the issues of Christian News during the last
50 years and its publications: the five volume Christian News
Encyclopedia, Luther Today—What Would He Do or Say?
Crisis in Christendom—Seminex Ablaze, Walter A. Maier Still
Speaks—Missouri and the World Should Listen;
and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran confessors of 1580 saw the need for
possible future confessions:
If the current controversies about our Christian religion
should continue or new ones arise, we shall see to it that they
are settled and composed in timely fashion before they become
dangerously widespread in order that all kinds of scandal might
be obviated. (Preface to the Book of Concord, Tappert, p. 14);
and
WHEREAS, From time to time the Christian Church has resolved
controversies and restored unity by speaking on the issues of the time
in new creeds and confessional documents; and
WHEREAS, Various humanists, historical critics, unorthodox
theologians, universalists, existentialists, evolutionists, charismatics, cultists, and others are introducing errors which are not always
answered in confessional documents written more than 400 years
ago; and
WHEREAS, A comprehensive document of confessional rank is
now needed to apply the truth of the Scriptures to the errors in our
day, in order to bring an end to the scandalous divisions among us
and provide an international basis and rallying point for fellowship
among true Christians everywhere; therefore be it
Resolved, That the LCMS show its commitment to end the controversy that threatens to tear it apart by taking appropriate steps to join
with confessional Lutherans at home and abroad to produce a “21stCentury Formula of Concord” that will deal precisely, in thesis and
anti-thesis, with the errors of our time and will establish the truth in
accordance with the Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions;
and be it further
Resolved, That this “21st-Century Formula of Concord” be submitted to theologians, churches, and individuals all over the world
for their signatures and adoption (see Convention Workbook, LCMS,
1975, pp. 103–104 for further details on such a formula of concord;
see also “The Formula of Concord—Blueprint for Renewal” by Dr.
Neelak S. Tjernagel [Christian News, May 27, 1974, pp. 8–9] and
“Why a Twentieth-Century Reformation,” [Christian News, July 30,
1990]); and be it finally
Resolved, That the 2013 LCMS convention ask President Matthew
Harrison and Vice-Presidents John Wohlrabe, Daniel Preus, Scott
Murray, Herbert Mueller, former Vice-President Wallace Schulz,
Lawrence Burgdorf (Schwan Foundation), all the confessional
Lutheran seminaries in the U.S., Martin Noland (former director of
the Concordia Historical Institute), Alvin Schmidt, the board of directors at CPH, David Menton (CLC), David Finck, Timothy Otten,
David Kaufmann, Scott Meyer (Concordia Historical Institute), Paul
McCain (CPH), Jack Cascione, Rolf Preus, James Lamb (Lutherans
For Life), John Warwick Montgomery (England), Scott Blazek,
Todd Wilken (Issues, Etc.), Tom Baker (Concordia Mission Society,
Affirm), Richard Bolland, Bruce Ley (ACELC), Larry Beane, Brandt
Klawitter (Germany), Timothy Wangert (ELCA), Francis Monseth
(AFLC), David Becker, Dan Delzell (Christian Post), Joel Lehenbauer
(CTCR), Michael Bowers (Lutheran Church of the Reformation),