# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S246 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 246 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 5-102 To Deal with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Claremont, N. H. WHEREAS, For the sake of good order in our Synod we have agreed that congregations which are members of the Synod, in conformity with Article III, 3 or Constitution of the Synod, shall call and be served only by pastors and called teachers who have been admitted to these respective ministries in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in the synodical Hand- book and have thereby become members of the Synod (“Con- gregations which violate this requirement and persist in such violation shall after due admonition forfeit their membership in the Synod.” Bylaw 4.01): and WHEREAS, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Claremont, N. H., was urged for the sake of unity in the Synod not to install Thomas Colley until he had been certified for ordination by the Synod: and WHEREAS, Thomas Colley for the sake of conscience will not submit to any program of certification ‘“‘which allows Concordia Seminary, 801 De Mun, to serve as final judge of our qualifica- tion for the Ministry in The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod” (Seminex IV-year class resolution of May 20, 1974): and WHEREAS, Thomas Colley continues “to speak a strong word of judgment against Concordia Seminary, 801 De Mun, and the synodical administration which supports it, and will not allow that word of judgement to be silenced” (op. cit.): and WHEREAS, Thomas Colley was ordained and installed on July 21, 1974, as pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Clare- mont, N. H.: and WHEREAS, The New England District resolutions urging the District President to authorize the ordination and installation were ruled unconstitutional and null and void; therefore be it Resolved, That Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Claremont, N. H., be urged to have their pastor Thomas Colley apply for certification for the pastoral ministry in The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod; and be it further Resolved, That if Thomas Colley remains as pastor but does not apply for such certification by Oct. 15, 1975, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Claremont, N. H., be declared expelled from The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. Christ Lutheran Church Troy, New Hampshire Edwin G. Mattson, President Kenneth Luopa, Secretary Douglas May, Pastor 5-103 To Require Colloquy of Seminex Graduates WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod exists to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world; and WHEREAS, The Synod is in need of trained ministers to preach and teach the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ: and WHEREAS, The Synod has established seminaries at St. Louis, Mo., and Springfield, Ill., to train ministers for its member churches and missions: and WHEREAS, These seminaries exist to train future ministers in the historical doctrines of the Lutheran Church, which are based on the infallible written Word of God: and WHEREAS, The historical-grammatical method of Bible inter- pretation is the accepted Lutheran method of Bible interpreta- tion; and WHEREAS, During the past several years certain students at the St.Louis seminary have by their actions expressed dis- satisfaction with the present method of instruction in historical Lutheran doctrine and Bible interpretation and have elected of their own free will to leave the campus of the St. Louis semi- nary and to attend a newly formed rival seminary commonly known as “Seminex’’; and WHEREAS, Certain graduates of this rival seminary desire to become ordained ministers of The Lutheran Church -— Missouri Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That any graduate of the rival seminary ‘““Seminex”’ who desires to become an ordained minister of The Lutheran Church -— Missouri Synod must submit to the regular colloquy procedures of the Synod: and be it further Resolved, That any seminary student who by his actions elects not to submit to such colloquy procedures shall not be eligible to be ordained a minister in The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod and shall not be eligible to accept a call from a member congregation of the Synod. Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church San Antonio, Tex. Arthur S. Jones, President Charles T. Davis, Secretary 5-104A4 To Urge Seminex Graduates to Be Certified WHEREAS, Many young men have voluntarily left the synod- ical seminaries in their preparation for the ministry: and WHEREAS, These young men are gifts that God has given for the ministry in His church: and WHEREAS, The LCMS District Presidents together with the synodical administration and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, have arranged ways for the men attending Seminex to be certified for ministry in the LCMS: therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod encourage these men to use the methods available for certification for ministry in the LCMS. Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer Cushing, Okla. Palmer C. Kise, President Michael D. Holsten, Pastor Identical or similar: 5-104B and 5-104C Emmanuel, Kingfisher, Okla. St. Paul’s, Paterson, N. J. V.H. Mickow J. V. Kimpel 5-105 To Require Certification of Seminex Graduates WHEREAS, Seminex graduates have entered into the work of congregations and other agencies of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod without being properly certified (see Bylaw 4.01 for congregations violating this matter, and see Bylaw 4.15 a 1—6 for proper eligibility for the ministry of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod): and WHEREAS, Such men now have no status as pastors in The Lutheran Church-— Missouri Synod and legally cannot function as pastors; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod ask congregations and agencies now served by uncertified men to direct these men to seek proper certification; and be it further Resolved, That these men be given one final opportunity to be properly certified by a review board of the faculty of Con- cordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.; and be it finally Resolved, That all uncertified men failing to avail themselves of proper certification after 6 months be recognized as not eligible for the ministry in The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and that the District President responsible in each case see that the Constitution of the Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod and its Bylaws and resolutions be carried out. Immanuel Lutheran — Olivette St. Louis, Mo. T.-R. Hanske, Chairman Gary A. Spieler, Secretary Walter J. Hoffmann, Pastor