# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1979_S103
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

a i ea Tee

RESOLUTIONS 103

before Christ that living and working together is
possible only through the recognition that “we have
merely the power to advise one another, that we have
only the power of the Word, and of convincing.’ 8

FOOTNOTES
1 1854 Constitution, Moving Frontiers (MF), p. 151; current Con-
stitution, Art. VII.

2 Acts 17:11; Walther’s letter to J. A. Ernst, MF, p. 143; 1854
Constitution, MF, p. 151; Walther'’s 1848 presidential address, MF, p.
173; Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, pp. 428 ff.

* Acts 7 and 15; Walther’s letter to J. A. Ernst, MF, p. 143;
Walther’s 1848 presidential address, MF, p. 172.

4 Walther's 1848 presidential address, MF, p. 172.
5 Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. HI, p. 430.
6 Current Constitution, Art. VIII, C.

7 Martin Luther, as quoted by Franz Pieper, Christian Dogmatics,
Vol. III, p. 430.

* Walther’s 1848 presidential address, MF, p. 170.

Action: Declined (5).

(This resolution was introduced in Session 2. Further
discussion was delayed to permit the printing in Today’s
Business of a lengthy amendment that was then taken up in
Session 5 and edited to read as follows as a new paragraph for
point I, A:

A. That a congregation is a local and visible
manifestation of “the assembly of all believers among
whom the Gospel is preached in its purity and the
holy sacraments are administered according to the
Gospel” (AC VII), which is called together by the
Holy Spirit through the means of grace, the Word and
sacraments. As a community of believers it is
gathered by the Holy Spirit and organizes itself under
the Word of God for worship, nurture, witness, and
service. It is furthermore a primary fellowship to
which God grants certain privileges, together with
attendant rights and responsibilities.

The convention declined to change ‘“‘a community” to “the
community” in the second sentence of the amendment and
then declined the amendment itself. The word “endorsed” was
substituted by amendment for “certified” inI, B,3 andin II, C,
1. The delegates refused to add “but not be limited to” to II, C.
The entire resolution as amended was declined. After the
reading of the next resolution had begun, the privilege of a
division of the house was requested. The result: for the
resolution, 333; against, 541.)

To Change Preamble
of the Synod’s Constitution

RESOLUTION 2-02
Report 2-01, B, 1 (CW, p. 58)

WHEREAS, We believe that the first words of a
constitution should call congregations to join together
in God’s mission and to support each other in that
mission; and

WHEREAS, The Lord’s life as servant forms the ideal
model of leadership for the structure that congregations
have developed and called “the Synod”; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
wishes to praise God for His grace in calling together
congregations that give it being and direction; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Preamble to the Constitution of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod be the fol-
lowing:

...and in the gallery