# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S255 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 255 the Spirit is doctrinal unity, which is the only real reason why the Synod was formed: and WHEREAS, This God-given unity in doctrine has been greatly damaged and threatened by the rise of doctrinal opposition in the form of Concordia Seminary-in-Exile (Seminex): and WHEREAS, Certain District Presidents, though they hold office in order to promote true doctrinal unity, have either authorized or allowed the placing of Seminex graduates within their Districts despite the fact that Seminex itself was organized as a protest to certain doctrinal decisions made by The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, and despite the fact that Seminex graduates in general have not received doctrinal approval for placement from a regularly authorized seminary of this Synod: therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod re- quest all District Presidents who have authorized or allowed uncertified Seminex graduates to be placed or ordained in their respective Districts to rescind their action, remove the uncerti- fied person or persons from office, and agree not to allow or authorize such uncertified persons to be placed in their Districts in the future: and be it further Resolved. That the Synod authorize the President of the Synod to suspend and if necessary to remove from office any District President who persists in such divisive action, which violates the true and voluntary unity of faith within our Synod and threatens to promote doctrinal chaos and _ indifference among us. St. Paul's Lutheran Church Bremen, Ind. William E. Helmlinger, Chairman pro tem Dan L. Miller, Secretary Raymond A. Mueller, Pastor 5-131 To Request Action Against English District President With this statement of explanation and charges, Messiah Lutheran Church of Detroit, Mich., prefers charges of sinful and offensive conduct against President Harold Hecht of the English District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, under Article XIII of the Constitution of the LCMS for his actions of authorizing, encouraging, and participating in the ordination of Seminex graduates within the English District. We wish first to explain the nature of these serious charges and then to state them specifically. Our Missouri Synod is a church body committed to the clear teachings of Holy Scripture concerning authority in the church that are defended in the Lutheran Confessions. Foremost of these truths is that every Evangelical Lutheran congregation is sovereign under the Word of God, and having found the unity of the true faith with other congregations, we strive to maintain this bond of peace together by forming a Synod. The bond of the Synod is the pledge of our word to each other to ‘‘walk together.’’ This solemn pledge is expressed when congregations sign our Constitution. In the Constitution the congregations have granted the highest authority to our Synodi- cal convention (Arts. VIII and IX) and have required regular election of delegates as a condition for synodical membership (Art. VID. The synodical convention is empowered to express the will of the Synod by resolutions that adopt synodical Bylaws and other directives. An important point of the Constitution is that every synodical officer, including District Presidents, is placed under the authority of both the Constitution and the synodical convention's Bylaws. It should also be emphasized that no synodical official holds his office by divine right and that their duties are those laid upon them by the Synod. As we shall show, the Constitution sets out clearly those candidates for the holy ministry whom a District President may authorize for or- dination, and it clearly forbids him to authorize anyone else for ordination. Finally, we point out that the Synod has required that Dis- trict Presidents take an oath involving God’s name to ‘endeavor faithfully to obey the Constitution and Bylaws.” To violate this oath is a sin against the Second Commandment. “The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Ex. 20:7) Now we wish to state the specifics of our charge. President Hecht has authorized the ordination of many Seminex gradu- ates. He has also encouraged these ordinations by his public actions and has even seen fit to participate in such ordinations. We doubt that anyone will question the fact that this is a violation of several Bylaws of the Synod. We wish to cite a few now: Bylaw 4.15 states that candidates for the ministry need to be endorsed by the faculty of one of the Synod's seminaries. These Seminex graduates were not endorsed. Bylaw 4.09 a requires that after endorsement the candidate be assigned to a congregation within the District by the Council of Presidents, acting as the Board of Assignments. These Seminex graduates were not so assigned. Bylaw 2.107 e makes clear that the Committee on Constitu- tional Matters has the power to interpret the Constitution and Bylaws. That committee has ruled that Seminex graduates are not eligible for calls. By his actions President Hecht has violated these Bylaws and others, such as 6.163 a and 6.163 d and others. These violations of Bylaws are serious issues just in them- selves. But more serious ethical issues must be considered. By his actions President Hecht has violated the following articles of the Constitution and also his oath of office. We wish to cite Article XI, “Rights and Duties of Officers,” A: 1. The officers of the Synod must assume only such rights as have been expressly conferred upon them by the Synod, and in every- thing pertaining to their rights and the performance of their duties they are responsible to the Synod. Also Article XII, ‘Districts of the Synod and Their Regulations”: 9. Furthermore, the District Presidents shall — a. See to it that all resolutions of the Synod which concern the Districts are made known to the Districts and are carried out by them. c. Perform, either in person or by proxy, the ecclesiastical ordina- tion of the candidates for the ministry assigned to their Districts and the installation of such, as well as the installation of candidates for the office of school teachers and of all ministers and teachers called by the congregations in their Districts. Part of the oath of induction into the office of District Presi- dent (Constitution, Art. XII 9 a) requires President Hecht to “carry out’ the Bylaws of the Synod (as we have said before, every Bylaw is adopted by resolution.) The oath of office is a promise before God “to endeavor faithfully to perform all the duties” of District President as laid out in ‘the Constitution and Bylaws” of the Missouri Synod. This requires faithful endeavor- ing to persuade congregations to not violate their pledge to walk together by ordaining men not called in accordance with the Bylaws of the Synod. Instead President Hecht has authorized and participated in such acts. We accuse him of unfaithfulness to his constitutional duties and unfaithfulness to his oath to God. Article XII 9 ¢ requires President Hecht to authorize ordina- tions only for candidates ‘‘assigned to [his} District.” Article XI A 1 requires President Hecht to ‘tassume only such rights as have been expressly conferred upon [him] by the Synod.” Instead President Hecht has usurped the congregation's right to rule both themselves and their elected officials and pre- sumed the right to authorize ordinations for candidates not granted by the Synod, indeed, against the expressed will of the Synod. We accuse President Hecht of being unfaithful to his duties and his oath of office in presuming these powers. We request action against President Hecht under Article XIII of the Constitution of the Synod. Messiah Lutheran Church Detroit, Mich. Carl Hoffmeyer, Pastor 5-132 To Call District Presidents to Account WHEREAS, District Presidents Frincke, Hecht, Ressmeyer, Jacobs, Bruns, Riedel, Meyer, and Zeile have violated their oath of office to uphold the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod in that they authorized the ordinations of men to the holy ministry who were not certified by a proper faculty (Handbook Bylaw 4.15): and WHEREAS. Article XI of the Constitution states: