LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 148

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148 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

commission's Social Concerns Committee is included in
Appendix III of this Workbook.

3. Critique of the 1960 Catechism

Following the 1971 convention of the Synod, the Board of
Directors referred Res. 2-35, which was not acted on because of
lack of time, to the CTCR. This resolution called for the
inclusion of the word “true” in the new translation of Luther’s
Small Catechism after the question “‘What is the Lord’s
Supper?” (“It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ’). After the 1973 convention failed to act on a resolution
submitted by the CTCR in response to the referral of 1971 Res.
2-35, the CTCR reviewed the matter and decided to continue its
study. Having examined the 1960 version of The Small Cate-
chism by Martin Luther in Contemporary English, the CTCR
reported to the 1979 convention of the Synod that this cate-
chism is not an accurate translation of Luther’s German
Catechism and recommended to the Synod that it ‘“undertakea
revised translation of Luther’s Small Catechism as soon as
possible.” In response to this report and recommendation the
Synod asked the CTCR to ‘‘make available to all congregations
and schools by July 1980 a brief critique of The Small
Catechism in Contemporary English and any cautionary
notes as to its use” (Res. 7-04A “To Deal with Concerns
Regarding Translations of Luther’s Small Catechism"). The
commission has completed this assignment and is herewith
making it available to the members of the Synod. See Appendix
A of this report for the commission’s “Critique of the 1960
Catechism.”

4. ACDC Summary

In March 1976, Dr. Preus forwarded the report of the
President’s Advisory Committee on Doctrine and Conciliation
(*ACDC Report’) to the CTCR with the request that the
commission evaluate the report and ‘“‘give every consideration
to the more specific proposals dealing with the issues which
were suggested by the moderate and conservative caucuses as
you coordinate the preparation of a series of Bible studies and
as you carry out your responsibilities for ongoing theological
education as called for in 1975 Resolution 3-01 ‘To Seek Unity.”

The commission has conducted a careful review of the
“ACDC Report” and has informed the President that this
atudy 38 useful in understanding the recent controversy in the

ynod.

5. Evaluation of Effectiveness Training
for Lutherans Program

The 1979 convention of the Synod referred Res. 4-22 (“‘To
Provide Future Funding for ‘Effectiveness Training for Lu-
therans’ [ETL] for Parents, Teachers, and Pastors’’) to the
CTCR “for doctrinal review of the theological philosophy of
ETL” (with the accompanying request that the BPE ‘‘ask the
Board of Directors for their approval before any moneys are
appropriated by the BPE.”). The commission has completed its
review of this program and in Appendix B of this report
presents its conclusions. The commission wishes to note
especially that the Board of Parish Education has made
available a very helpful volume titled You Can Have a Family
Where Everybody Wins, which, from a Christian perspective,
makes use of Scripture in approaching the whole area of
parent-child relationships.

B. Studies in Progress

1. The Ministry: Call, Ordination, and Installation—
Procedures and Nomenclature

The commission’s report on the “ministry” was undertaken
in September 1974 in response to requests from the Board of
Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the President of the
Synod, and the Board of Directors of the Northwest District. In
these requests the need was expressed for a theological study of
proper ‘‘call” nomenclature and procedures, particularly as
these apply to the varied offices of the church. Recognizing the
sensitive nature of this study and its implications for the
workers of the Synod, the commission discussed preliminary
drafts with agencies and personnel of the Synod most directly
involved in this matter (seminary faculties, representatives
from teacher-training colleges, synodical department heads,

the Council of Presidents, Synod’s legal counsel, Task Force I
on Constitution, Bylaws, and Structure). At the time of this
report the commission has not yet adopted this report.

2. Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective

The need for a study on the issue of human sexuality was
expressed in a resolution placed before the 1973 convention of
the Synod. Since this resolution (2-34, “‘To Study the Issues of
Human Sexuality”) was not acted on because of lack of time, it
was referred to the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations by the Board of Directors. In response to this referral
the CTCR asked its Social Concerns Committee to study the
issue of human sexuality. The commission is completing its
work on this report and hopes to distribute it to the members of
the Synod later this year.

3. Communion Practices Report

The 1977 convention of the Synod, noting a 1971 request
that a report on Communion practices be prepared (1971 Res.
2-13), asked the CTCR, after consultation with the Commission
on Worship, “‘to complete the Communion Practices Report as
soon as possible, giving special attention to the matters of
Communion practices on synodical campuses and open and
close Communion” (Res. 3-12 “To Encourage CTCR to Com-
plete Its Report on Communion Practices”). The responses to
the CTCR’s “Bible Study on Fellowship” have indicated that
pastors and congregations consider Communion practices as
the primary area in their pastoral ministry where it is neces-
sary for them to apply the Biblical principles on fellowship.
Recognizing that the principles formulated in its report on
fellowship have important implications for Communion prac-
tices and that the members of the Synod are urgently seeking
guidance on this matter, the commission intends to give high
priority to the completion of this assignment in the coming
biennium.

4. Studies on the Scripture

During this biennium the commission has been continuing
its work on two studies related to the doctrine of Scripture. In
1973 the convention of the Synod adopted a resolution pre-
sented from the floor requesting the CTCR “to conduct an
intensive study of the doctrine of inerrancy and also of the
traditional interpretation of Genesis 1—3 and the interpreta-
tion of the Book of Jonah” (1973 Proceedings, p. 46). The
commission itself, noting 1975 Overture 3-126 (“To Publish
Theses and Antitheses on the Term ‘The Word of God,’” 1975
Workbook pp. 100—101), initiated a study of the ‘Word of God”
in 1975. Since questions pertaining to the inerrancy of Holy
Scripture and Scripture as Word of God continue to be matters
of discussion and debate in theological circles throughout the
world, the commission desires to complete these assignments
as soon as possible. The commission again wishes to call
attention to the reports which it has already prepared on the
doctrine of Scripture:

a. “A Lutheran Stance Toward Contemporary Biblical
Studies” (1966)

b. “The Witness of Jesus and Old Testament Authorship”
(1966)

c. ‘‘Answers to Questions Raised Regarding the Document
‘A Lutheran Stance Toward Contemporary Biblical
Studies” (1967)

d. ‘“‘A Response to Questions on ‘The Witness of Jesus and

Old Testament Authorship’”’(1968)

. “Seven Theses on Reformation Hermeneutics” (1969)

. “Gospel and Scripture” (1972)

‘A Comparative Study of Varying Contemporary

Approaches to Biblical Interpretation” (1973)

. “The Inspiration of Scripture” (1975)

TFT Ryo

5. Conscience and the Third Use of the Law

The commission’s study of conscience and the third use of
the Law was begun in response to a suggestion made by the
President of the Synod in his January 1975 report to the CTCR.
The commission’s Standing Committee on Biblical Studies has
been given responsibility for this assignment and has been
working toward the completion of its study on this issue.