# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1979_S104
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

104 RESOLUTIONS

PRESENT WORDING

PREAMBLE
Reason for the Forming of a Synodical Union

1. The example of the apostolic church. Acts
15:1-31.

2. Our Lord’s will that the diversities of gifts
should be for the common profit. 1 Cor. 12:4-31.

PROPOSED WORDING

PREAMBLE

+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit+

Joyfully committing ourselves to unity in the
pursuit of God’s mission (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-
48) and holding in common the confession of our faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, to which we have been called
by the Holy Spirit,

we, congregations, pastors, and teachers of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church, do covenant in the
spirit of Christ (Phil. 2:5-11) to work with one another
in the fellowship of a synodical bond

~—to praise our God together, giving expression to
His will for unity, and to provide a structure in which
this unity may grow (John 17:11-23; Eph. 4:3-6);

—to encourage one another in the task of commun-
icating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Acts
1:8);

—to follow the apostolic example of speaking and
hearing responsibly to achieve agreement, and to
share the variety of God’s gifts and resources for the
common good (Acts 15:1-31; 1 Cor. 12:4-31).

Faithful to our purpose of carrying out God’s
mission of making disciples of all nations, we have
voluntarily joined ourselves together in a servant
structure, hereafter called “The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod.”

PRESENT WORDING

Article III Objects
The objects of the Synod are:

1. The conservation and promotion of the unity of
the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10) and a united
defense against schism and sectarianism (Rom.
16:17);

2. The joint extension of the Kingdom of God;

3. The training of ministers and teachers for
service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church;

6. The furtherance of Christian parochial schools
and of a thorough instruction for Confirmation;

4. The publication and distribution of Bibles,
church books, schoolbooks, religious periodicals, and
other books and literature;

5. The endeavor to bring about the largest poss-
ible uniformity in church practice, church customs,
and, in general, in congregational affairs;

Action: Failed of required 2/3 vote (2).

(Since this involved a constitutional amendment, a 2/3
majority vote was required. By common consent “Holy Ghost”
wsa changed to “Holy Spirit.” An amendment to place a period
after “bond” and to delete the three infinitive paragraphs
following, failed. A standing vote showed 508 in favor of the
proposed constitutional amendment and 457 opposed. The
proposal therefore fell short of the required 2/3 affirmative
vote.)

To Revise Article III
of Constitution (Objectives)

RESOLUTION 2-03
Report 2-01, B, 2 (CW, p. 58)

WHEREAS, The objectives of the Synod should reflect
the mission of congregations organized to strengthen
one another for service; and

WHEREAS, The objectives of the Synod should affirm
the Synod’s role as an organization designed to serve
congregations as God uses them to extend His kingdom;
and

WHEREAS, The objectives of the Synod should include
the Synod’s program of social ministry and its program
of care for its full-time workers; and

WHEREAS, The objectives of the Synod should be
stated in terms of action that reflect the urgency of the
call to be in mission; therefore be it

Resolved, That the following objectives be adopted
as Article III of the Constitution of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod:

PROPOSED WORDING

Article III Objectives

The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran
Confessions, shall;

1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true
faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official
structure toward fellowship with other Christian
church bodies, and provide a united defense against
schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy;

2. Strengthen congregations and their members
in giving bold witness by word and deed to the love
and work of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and
extend that Gospel witness into all the world;

3. Recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other
professional church workers and provide opportunity
for their continuing growth;

4. Provide opportunities through which its mem-
bers may express their Christian concern, love, and
compassion in meeting human needs;

5. Aid congregations to develop processes of thor-
ough Christian education and nurture and to estab-
lish agencies of Christian education such as elemen-
tary and secondary schools;

6. Aid congregations by providing a variety of
resources and opportunities for recognizing, promot-
ing, expressing, conserving, and defending their
confessional unity in the true faith;

7. Encourage congregations to strive for unifor-
mity in church practice but also to develop an appre-
ciation of a variety of responsible practices and