# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_August 9 11 2013_S1
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MINUTES
COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, St. Louis
August 9–11, 2013

229. Call to Order, Opening Devotion, Review of Agenda
Chairman Wilbert Sohns called the meeting to order. Daniel Lorenz, serving as devotional leader for the
meeting, provided an opening devotion. As the commission prepared to conduct its business, Chairman
Sohns reviewed the agenda for the meeting.
230. “Fellowship of Peers” (13-2665)
In a letter dated January 23, 2013, a member of the Synod asked the commission two questions regarding
the meaning of “fellowship of peers” in the use of the dissent procedure of the Synod. To aid the
questioner and the Synod the commission provides the following background and rationale.
The purpose of a discussion between members of the Synod on points of theology and doctrine gives
indication of whether the members are discussing and re-examining a doctrine or doctrines or whether
they are indeed teaching or advocating as doctrinal truth a position different from that of the Synod. When
any member of the Synod in any forum, including but not limited to blogs, Facebook pages, and email
groups, publicly teaches or advocates that a doctrinal position of the Synod as stated in a resolution of the
Synod is in error and does not use the Synod’s dissent procedures, he/she/it may no longer be honoring
and upholding the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod and could thereby be subject to a
charge of false doctrine (see Bylaw 1.6.2 [10]).
“The Lutheran Church has always affirmed the right and responsibility of expressing dissent from
teachings and practices believed to be at odds with God’s Word.” So expresses the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) in its introduction to its 2006 report, “CTCR Response to
Expressions of Dissent (2004–2006)” (p. 6).
That CTCR report continues: “The right and responsibility of expressing dissent is based on the premise
that Scripture alone is the infallible and authoritative ‘rule and norm’ for faith and practice in the life of
the church (cf. Article II of the LCMS Constitution). Sinful human beings—both as individuals and as a
group—can and do err in their understanding of what the Bible teaches” (p. 6). As such, the Synod has
established an agreed-upon procedure for dissent which respects both the dissenter and the Synod.
That balance of respect for both the dissenter and the Synod is expressed in that same CTCR report as
follows: “The Synod may be in error on some point of doctrine or practice—but the dissenter may also be
in error. The process seeks to protect not only the conscience of the dissenter but also the consciences of
those who believe that the position of the Synod is not in error (or who are still deliberating the matter). It
upholds the necessary right and responsibility of expressing dissent, while also seeking to ensure that our
‘life together within the fellowship of the Synod’ is preserved with as great a degree of peace and unity as
possible” (p. 8). This CTCR report draws significantly upon 1971 Res. 2-21, which resolution is attached
as Appendix A to the CTCR report and to which the Commission on Constitutional Matters commends
the questioner.
This report, “CTCR Response to Expressions of Dissent (2004–2006),” has not been adopted by the
Synod in convention, yet the report is to be recognized as the considered opinion of the CTCR in