# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S99 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 99 sions. It then became necessary to adopt a doctrinal statement which distinguished the true position from the false one. This was done by adopting A Statement of Scriptural and Confes- sional Principles (hereafter called A Statement). Throughout the years the Synod has authorized and dis- tributed certain doctrinal statements which were genuinely and totally loyal to God’s inspired and inerrant Holy Scripture, and also to our highest secondary norm. the Lutheran Confes- sions. Besides their harmony with His Word and our Con- fessions, these doctrinal statements had another unique ad- vantage—they spoke against the specific errors of our times. One such statement of an earlier generation which obviously comes under this description is A Brief Statement of the Doc- trinal Position of the Missouri Synod (hereafter called A Brief Statement). The turmoil of our own generation, as before said, has pro- duced another statement of the Biblical faith, again one that speaks clearly against the errors of our day—A Statement. The continuing struggle within our midst, even after the God-pleasing adoption of A Statement. demonstrates the neces- sity of a wider and more constant use of A Statement also on the local level. This is further demonstrated because of the very admirable desire of our congregations to remain loyal to all of God's Word. Our churches also desire to avoid clergy who, while claiming subscription to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, have an obviously different understanding of such, sometimes amounting to a denial of what is there taught. The Synod owes it to its congregations to have a guide whereby our churches might incorporate into the doctrinal paragraph of their constitutions some reference to these later doctrinal statements herein named, in order to more readily avoid the errors of our time. The New Orleans convention said it well: “If they ‘are in accord with the aforementioned pattern of doctrine [the Lu- theran Confessions]’ the church must accept and use doctrinal statements especially in times of controversy for the purpose of restraining contentious men who spread dissensions, in order to afford guidance to troubled and confused Christians, and for the sake of posterity.” It is understood that the Synod in providing such a guide, and the congregations in accepting it, are not changing their doc- trinal standards but rather clarifying what Holy Scripture and our assent to it in the Confessions say against the errors of our time. Such insertions must be properly phrased so as to clearly state that while these later doctrinal statements are in complete harmony with Scripture and the Confessions, they are clearly subordinate to them. WHEREAS. A Brief Statement and A Statement are completely in harmony with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confes- sions, clearly and truthfully speaking against the errors of our time: and WHEREAS. The New Orleans convention resolved “That the Synod reaffirm its position (Milwaukee Proceedings. Res. 2-21 and 5-24) that such statements, insofar as they are in accord with the Scriptures and the pattern of doctrine set forth in the Lu- theran Symbols, are, pursuant to Article II of the Synod’s constitution, binding upon all its members’: and WHEREAS. In our day and in our circles, in the troubles within our midst, it is a fact of life that conviction-agreement to A Brief Statement and A Statement has come to be the positive. genuine measure as to whether a clergyman or teacher actually sub- scribes to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions on their own terms; therefore be it Resolved. That the Synod encourage all member congrega- tions to insert into the doctrinal paragraph of their constitutions something similar in intent to the following: This congregation supports, acts, and teaches in accordance with A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod and A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Prin- ciples: 1. because the Synod has reaffirmed “the desirability of the formulation of doctrinal statements which clearly set forth the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and apply them to issues in our day” (Milwaukee Proceedings. 5-24, p. 165): 2. because these writings, while subordinate to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, are in full accord with them. Thus such writings “do not set up ‘a power in the church beside the power of the Word’” but ‘do in fact permit God’s Word to rule” (Milwaukee Proceedings. 2-21, p. 119): 3. because these writings so plainly speak against the unbelief of our times. maintaining the true Scriptural faith: and be it further Resolred. That the Synod instruct all District Presidents to heartily cooperate in giving such encouragement: and be it further Resolved. That the Synod instruct all District officers, from District President down through and including Circuit Coun- selors, to encourage all congregations involved in calling profes- sional church workers, whether pastors. teachers, directors of Christian education, or deaconesses, to first determine before issuing a call or contract whether or not any or all of those sug- gested to be considered for a call or contract do in fact support, act, and teach in accordance with the Synod’s position so well expressed in these later doctrinal statements: and be it further Resolved. That the Synod understand its President to be empowered and now instruct him to exercise disciplinary measures against any District President refusing to meet the letter, spirit, and intent of this resolution: and be it further Resolved. That the Synod empower and instruct the District Presidents to exercise disciplinary measures against any Circuit Counselor refusing to meet the letter. spirit. and intent of this resolution; and be it finally Resolved. That the following schools arrange for the formal and thorough study of these herein named doctrinal statements as truly Lutheran confessions of faith. and in accord with the letter, spirit. and intent of this resolution such study shall be required of all students preparing for professional church work in the Synod: Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield. IIl.: Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Ill.: Concordia Teachers College, Seward, Nebr.: and Concordia College, St. Paul, Minn. Grace Lutheran Church Lexington, Mo. Arnold Viebrock, President Edward Kolster, Secretary K. Michael Simminger, Pastor 3-120A To Declare Against Binding Resolutions WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has adopted A State- ment of Scriptural and Confessional Principles. which it has declared to be a formal and comprehensive statement and which purports to apply Scripture to the issues of our day (New Orleans Resolution 3-01): and WHEREAS. The Synod's Constitution (Art. VII) states: In its relation to its members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical govern- ment exercising legislative or coercive powers, and with respect to the individual congregation's right of self-government it is but an advisory body. Accordingly, no resolution of the Synod imposing any- thing upon the individual congregation is of binding force if it is not in accordance with the Word of God or if it appears to be inexpedient as far as the condition of a congregation is concerned: and WHEREAS. This is in no way invalidated by Bylaw 1.09; and WHEREAS. The founding fathers strongly resisted any at- tempt on the part of the Synod to exercise legislative or coercive powers; and WueEreas. C. F. W. Walther, for instance, declared in his first presidential address (1848): According to our constitution we have no right to formulate decrees. pass laws and regulations. and to make a judicial decision, to which our congregations would have to submit unconditionally in any matter involving the imposing of something upon them. and warned “all who have an office in the church against all desire to rule” (Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly. XXXIII [April 1960], 13 and 16); and