# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S65
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 65

Similar:
2-54B

Our Father’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wis., John
Puls, Chairman, Richard Junas, Secretary.

2-54C

Our Father’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wis. John
Puls, Chairman, Richard Junas, Secretary.

2-55

To Exercise Discipline Regarding Ordination
of Women

Whereas, St. Paul forbids the office of the pastor to
women in 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2; and

Wuereas, Paul threatens excommunication to any person
who continues to disregard his command and continues to
permit women to assume the pastoral position; therefore
be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
following the example and command of St. Paul, excommu~
nicate any church or person who persists in allowing women
to assume the pastoral office.

Our FaTHER’s Ev. LUTHERAN CHURCH
Milwaukee, Wis.

John Puls, Chairman

Richard Junas, Secretary

2-56

To Modify Position Re Women Holding
Pastoral Office

Whereas, Res. 2-04 at Milwaukee, “To Withhold Ordina-
tion of Women to the Pastoral Office,” makes absolute the
interpretation of Scripture that “the Word of God does not
permit women to hold the pastoral office”; and

Wuereas, The study on “The Ordination of Women” by
the three-synod committee proposes the clear possibility of
another interpretation of Scripture which does not abso-
lutely forbid women participating in the pastoral office, but
leaves it open for the church to decide whether this is
wise; and

Wuereas, Many Lutherans, dedicated to hearing God
speak through the Scriptures, are convinced that an honest
interpretation of Scriptures may permit the ordination of
women to the pastoral office: therefore be it

Resolved, That we memorialize Synod in convention at
New Orleans to modify the synodical statement that “the
Word of God does not permit women to hold pastoral office”
to reflect the fact that such an interpretation — though held
by many in Synod — is not absolute, and that the true mean-
ing of the apostles’ directives needs to be further studied as
to the possibility of women being ordained to the pastoral
office; and be it further

Resolved, That we respect the alternative interpretation
of Scriptures that our sister synods have chosen which per-
mits the ordination of women, and do not make this a cause
for division.

SrerrA-NEVADA PASTORAL CONFERENCE
CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA DISTRICT
Oren Geiger, Chairman

James A. Kabel, Secretary

2-57

To Give Further Study to Woman
Ordination

Wuereas, Our Synod has been blessed with various initia-
tives towards greater understanding, cooperation, and fel-
jowship with fellow Lutherans of other synods; and

Wuereas, The ordination of women to the ministry is the
object of a wide variety of opinion within Lutheranism; and

Wuereas, The official position of church bodies that rep-
resent about two thirds of the Lutherans in America is that
the ordination of women is not contrary to Scripture; and

Whereas. Leading Biblical scholars are themselves di-
vided on the issue, and critical terms like “ministry” and
“ordination” are being studied and redefined by our Synod’s
Commission on Theology and Church Relations and the
Commission on Mission and Ministry, and

Wuereas, This issue does not question the authority of
Scripture, but only raises the exegetical question of what
God is saying to us in certain pertinent passages of Scrip-
ture: and

Wuereas. The ordination of women is primarily a ques-
tion of interpretation and practice, rather than of doctrine;
therefore be it

Resolved. That we declare this question not to be divisive
of church fellowship; and be it further

Resolved, That we ask both our Council of Presidents
and our seminary faculties to give this matter further study
in the light of Scriptures and in the light of our cultural
situation as compared with that of the early church, and to
share the results of those findings with the Synod.

PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CuHuRCH
Crestwood, Mo.

Alvar Lindgren, President

Jerry Nolle, Secretary

2-58
To Study Ordination of Women

Wuereas, In 1970 the ALC passed a resolution permitting
the ordination of women, and

Wuereas, In the 1971 convention at Milwaukee, our Synod
expressed its regrets regarding this action indicating the
understanding of 1 Cor. 11 and 14 and 1 Tim. 2 to be that
women ought not hold the pastoral office “or serve in any
other capacity involving the distinctive functions of this
office”; and

Wuereas. The Synod in convention assembled at Milwau-
kee requested the CTCR in coordination with the CMM to
prepare a study on the changing role of women in the church
and society: and

Wuerras, This study has not yet been completed; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations be encouraged to expedite the completion of this
study and disseminate the study material for congregational
consideration: and be it finally

Resolved, That this study include specifically the ordina-
tion of women.

MissourrI DIsTRICT
Herman Scherer, President
Arthur H. Strege, Secretary

ABORTION AND SEXUALITY
2-59A
To Speak Up Publicly Against Abortion

Wuereas, Human life begins at conception, at which time
a new being, totally different from the body of either father
or mother, exists (Handbook on Abortion); and

Wuereas. *. - - to interrupt a person’s life cycle at any
stage is to destroy an individual human being” (St. Louis
Globe-Democrat, April 18, 1969, signed by a number of mem-
bers of the medical profession) and

Wuereas, The Bible states clearly “Thou shalt not kill”;
and

Wuereas. Thousands of unborn human babies in both
Canada and the United States have lost their lives through
aborticide; and

Wuereas, Such killing is brutal, uncivilized, heartless,
and unChristian; therefore be it

Resolved, That this 50th regular convention of the LCMS,