# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S254 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 254 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 5-128A To Deal with District Presidents WHEREAS, The District Presidents of the LCMS have prom- ised to uphold faithfully the Constitution and Bylaws of the LCMS: and WHEREAS, The the ordination of Seminex graduates who have not been properly certified is a clear violation of the Constitution and Bylaws of the LCMS: and WHEREAS, Such offensive conduct has seandalized the LCMS: therefore be it Resolved. That the Synod in convention assembled call upon those District Presidents who have ordained or permitted the ordination of Seminex graduates in their Districts to repent and apologize to the Synod prior to the end of the Anaheim conven- tion: and be it further Resolved. That the President of the Synod be directed to immediately remove from office those District Presidents who do not repent and apologize to the convention prior to its close: and be it further Resolved, That the President of the Synod be directed to take this action, other provisions of the Handbook notwithstanding: and be it further Resolved. That the President of the Synod be directed to appoint an acting president if and when it becomes necessary to carry out the second resolve stated above, and that the appointed acting president serve the District where a President moved until the next regular convention of the District involved and that this action be taken, other provisions of the Handbook notwithstanding: and be it finally Resolved. That an individual removed from office according to the procedure outlined above be declared ineligible for any full-time office in The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod or one of its Districts. St. John’s Lutheran Church Brule, Nebr. Clifford McBride, Chairman Richard Johnson, Secretary Identical or similar: 5-128B and 5-128C Our Redeemer, North Platte, Nebr. St. James, University City, Mo. H. Harnapp Tom Baker 5-129 To Discipline Certain District Presidents Introduction Although the strife within the Synod is chiefly doctrinal in nature, the crisis has also reached into the area of the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws. The voluntarily assumed obligations of this covenant have been broken by officers of the Synod in areas directly related to the doctrinal issues. The formal organization of ELIM, Seminex, and Partners in Missions is in obvious reaction against the God-pleasing resolutions of the New Orleans convention, such as 2-12, 3-01, 3-09, and 3-12A. That certain District Presidents broke the synodical Bylaws by authorizing and/or participating in the ordination and/or installation of uncertified Seminex graduates into the pastoral office cannot, then, be looked upon simply as a Bylaw violation. It must be seen in relation to the doctrinal errors in our midst. The New Orleans convention in 1973 went far toward the restoration of God-pleasing doctrinal onemindedness (unity) in our midst. Rightly understood in their historical setting, these specific Bylaw violations (4-15 and 4-17) by District Presi- dents are in this case actually a rebellion against God's Word and the Synod’s assent to it at the New Orleans convention. Love for our Savior, who commanded that we are to teach “all things whatsoever” He has commanded, and love for His Word, which commands that we do all things ‘decently and in order,” demand that Christian love produce Christian action, which in this case must be disciplinary in nature. WHEREAS certain District Presidents, as officers of the Synod who have voluntarily obligated themselves to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod, have ignored the warning of the synodical President and have knowingly broken the Bylaws of the Synod (4.15 and 4.17) by authorizing and/or participating in the ordination and/or installation of uncertified Seminex graduates into the pastoral office, thus furthering in our midst the promotion of rebellion against God’s Word and the Synod's assent to it in doctrine and practice; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod instruct those District Presidents who are guilty of the above-stated violations to provide a written statement to this convention no later than the beginning of the first session of the last day of the convention, which statement is to include: 1) a statement of repentance to God and apology to the Synod for the specific violations mentioned in the whereas, acknowledging that it was a sinful thing to do and asking to be forgiven for these violations: 2) a statement of promise and intent not to repeat these violations: 3) a statement of agreement to Resolutions 2-12, 3-01, and 3-09 of the New Orleans convention: and be it further Resolved, That if these instructions are met as herein speci- fied, and in good spirit, that the synodical President, acting for the Synod, accept such repentance and intention and announce God’s forgiveness, as well as that of the Synod: but be it further Resolved, That if these instructions are not met as herein specified, then the Synod understands the synodical President to be empowered and now instructs him to publicly announce by the end of this convention the removal from office of those District Presidents whose actions are condemned in the whereas and have not met the instructions of the first resolved: and be it further Resolved, That the synodical President be empowered and instructed to appoint such men as are above suspension in the current strife to fulfill the terms of office of those District Presi- dents removed from office by the enactment of this resolution, and/or of those District Presidents guilty of the above-stated violations who might resign their office before being removed, with the understanding that such appointed men can also remain as called pastors of congregations if they choose, regardless of District Bylaws, and with the further understanding that be- cause of the nature of this crisis such an appointment shall be considered outside the scope of Bylaw 3.35 (“Holding More than One Office”): and be it further Resolved, That all remaining District Presidents publicly and verbally assure this convention that they will not authorize and/or participate in the ordination and/or installation of un- certified Seminex graduates to the pastoral office or to any other full-time church work: and be it finally Resolved, That everyone entering or reelected to the office of District President during the next 5 years be instructed to assure the synodical President in writing within 10 days of enter- ing or being reelected to his office, of his intention to abide by the letter, spirit, and intent of this resolution, with the under- standing that refusal to do so constitutes grounds for removal from office, which removal the synodical President is herewith empowered and instructed to carry out. Grace Lutheran Church Lexington, Mo. Arnold Viebrock, President Edward Kolster, Secretary K. Michael Simminger, Pastor 5-130 To Deal with Certain District Presidents WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod is a vol- untary brotherhood of Christians, who out of both Christian convictions and Christian love have willingly given up some of their rights as individual congregations in order to live and work together in true unity of the Spirit; and WHEREAS, The one absolute requirement for such unity of