# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_September 19 20 1975_S5
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

congregations to call men to serve as Seminex instructors. There was some uneasiness about this
statement expressed but it was decided to take no official action until compelled to do so. It was pointed
out that the statement was not adopted by the convention but merely filed with the secretary and therefore
really has no official status.
483. Oklahoma Board of Directors' Resolution (Ag. 867): Pastor Mickow of Kingfisher, Oklahoma
shared with the Commission a carbon copy of a letter which he had addressed to President Brockhoff of
the Oklahoma District, asking him to see to it that a certain resolution of the Oklahoma Board of
Directors would not be carried out. The Commission does not know the nature of that Board of Directors'
resolution. The correspondence was shared simply for purposes of information.
484. Anaheim Res. 5-02A (Ag. 851): Rev. L.A. Weerts of Luxemburg, Wisconsin had written to both
Chairman E.H. Happel of Committee #5 and to the Secretary of the Synod for information regarding the
resolution on ordinations, inquiring whether the resolution did not also refer to those ceremonies which
are tantamont to ordination although perhaps referred to by a different name. The secretary had responded
that the Commission's opinion on "Investitures, Commissionings, Appointments, etc." reprinted on page
483 of the convention Workbook still stands. The Commission ratified his reply.
485. Missouri Commission of Adjudication (Ag. 853): Mr. Roy Agnew of the Missouri Commission of
Adjudication had raised several questions with the secretary of the Commission regarding District
Commissions of Adjudication. Specifically, the secretary had replied that any "party" to a dispute would
include the accused, the accuser, and any unit that in the process of adjudication makes a decision which
is subject to appeal, and that the last words of Bylaw 5.55 "another District commission" must refer to a
Commission of Adjudication of another District rather than simply to another commission within the
same District. The Commission ratified this reply.
486. May Lay Ministers Administer Holy Communion Under the Anaheim Resolution (Ag 854, Res.
6-11A):
In answer to the question raised by Carl A. Heckmann, the secretary had
suggested that the resolution does speak of a lay minister being licensed "in all areas of the ministry of the
Word" but had suggested that President Heckmann inquire of the chairman of the Board for Lay
Ministers, Dr. Theodore Nickel. The Commission ratified this reply.
487. ALC Fellowship (Ag. 861): Rev. Mervin Kellerman of Richland, Washington had written to the
synodical Secretary stating that the president of the Northwest District had said that the fellowship
resolution was obligatory for each congregation. The secretary in his reply called attention to the
document which was referred to in the Denver resolution as adopted by the joint meeting of District
presidents of the two church bodies and to which reference apparently was made in the preamble of the
Milwaukee resolution. That preamble states that the implementation of fellowship lies within the province
of the local congregation. The Commission ratified this reply.
488. Next Meeting: The Commission decided to meet Friday, December 12 (2:00 p.m.) and December 13.
489. Harnapp--Mueller Correspondence (Ag. 855): The secretary shared correspondence which he had
had with Rev. Harlan Harnapp. In his reply the secretary had ventured the personal opinion that the
Gerken--Tietjen matter had now been concluded unless Harnapp and Buelow could persuade the
President of the Synod to intervene in the case on the assumption that in one way or another the case had
not been properly handled.
490. Zimmermann Questions re Gerken--Tietjen Situation (Ag 862): President E.H. Zimmermann of the
Indiana District had addressed two questions to the Commission. The questions and the answers decided
upon by the Commission, with John Klotz abstaining, follow: