LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 149

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 149

6. Divorce and Remarriage

In the summer of 1974 one of the Vice-Presidents of the
Synod requested the CTCR to study the question of divorce and
remarriage. In response to this request the commission in
September 1974 decided to begin a Scriptural study of divorce
and remarriage. The commission wishes to point out that a
preliminary treatment of this problem may be found in a
report on ““Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective” to be
distributed to pastors and congregations of the Synod. In its
upcoming report on divorce and remarriage the commission
will give more detailed attention to what the Scriptures teach
on this subject.

7. The Theology of Evangelism and the Doctrine
of Conversion

In recent years the commission has received several
inquiries on various theological aspects of evangelism and
church-growth programs being used by pastors and congrega-
tions in the Synod. In May 1977 the commission received a
request from the English District to examine the theological
presuppositions of the Fuller Church Growth programs. In
response to concerns in this area, in 1975 the commission
initiated a study of the theology of evangelism with special
reference to the doctrine of conversion. The commission hopes
to give high priority to the preparation of this report in the
coming biennium.

8. Abortion

The CTCR reported to the 1979 convention of the Synod that
since many legal and medical developments have taken place
since the CTCR issued its 1971 report on ‘Abortion: Theo-
logical, Legal, and Medical Aspects,” the commission had
directed its Social Concerns Committee to review this document
with a view toward updating it. The Social Concerns Commit-
tee is presently conducting a careful study of this issue and is
considering the possibility of preparing a new report on
abortion which builds on the 1971 document but provides
additional information on the legal and medical developments
which have taken place since the Jan. 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade
decision of the Supreme Court. The commission and its Social
Concerns Committee wish to express their gratitude to God
that the Synod once again reaffirmed its strong opposition to
abortion in the 1979 convention, stating clearly that “since
abortion takes a human life, abortion is not a moral option,
except as a tragically unavoidable byproduct of medical
procedures necessary to prevent the death of another human
being, viz., the mother....” (Res. 3-02A “To State Positions on
Abortion’). In keeping with this resolution of the Synod, the
commission strongly urges the members of the Synod con-
tinually “to warn publicly and privately (Prov. 31:8-9) against
the sin of abortion” and out of ‘‘a deep reverence and gratitude
for God’s gracious gift of human life” to support all efforts to
provide protection for the living but unborn children, including
especially the efforts of responsible pro-life groups in their
communities, e.g., “Lutherans for Life.” (Cf. 1979 CTCR
Report, CW, p. 74.)

9. Church Discipline

At the September 1980 meeting of the commission President
Preus requested the CTCR to undertake a study of church
discipline and excommunication. Dr. Preus reported that his
office has received an increasing number of requests from
individuals in the Synod for guidance in this area of the
church’s ministry. The commission has assigned this matter to
its standing committee on Church and Society.

10. The Role of Women in the Church

In a resolution commending the Task Force on Women,
appointed by the President of the Synod in 1973 and continued
by the 1975 convention, the 1977 convention of the Synod
directed ‘that particular attention be given by the CTCR and
its Social Concern Committee to studying and clarifying issues
concerning woman suffrage and womer teachers” (1977 Res.
3-06). In response to this request the SCC has continued to keep
itself informed on issues related to women’s role in the church
through the participation of its members in consultations on

this subject and has given consideration to various ways in
which this matter may be addressed.

C. Reports Reissued

In keeping with its responsibility to provide guidance to the
Synod regarding current social issues ‘‘as they affect the
church and as the church may affect such social issues”
(Handbook, 2.109 b 1 dd), the CTCR has reissued two reports
which touch on issues of current interest and concern. Now
available in a new format from Concordia Publishing House
are the commission's 1976 reports on Equal Rights Amend-
ment and on Capital Punishment. Both of these reports were
originally published in the Lutheran Witness (Feb. 1, 1976, and
May 16, 1976, respectively).

D. Requests for Theological Opinions

1. Board of Control, Concordia Teachers College
River Forest

In a letter dated March 10, 1980, President Paul Zimmer-
man conveyed a request of the Board of Control of Concordia
College, River Forest, for ‘‘an advisory opinion (synodical
Handbook 6.79 d)...in connection with charges which have
been brought against a faculty member.” In response to this
request the commission asked in turn that “the issue at
question be put in the form of an abstract theological question”
and that the Board of Control seek the concurrence of all
parties involved in determining the precise theological ques-
tions at issue. The theological questions and supporting
material were forwarded to the commission. When the com-
mission was informed in the fall of 1980 that due to achangein
circumstances the Board of Control would not pursue the
matter further, the CTCR removed this item from its agenda.

2. Request on Application for Communicant Membership
from the Northwest District

In February 1980 the Committee on Constitutional Matters
of the Northwest District submitted a request that the CTCR
provide guidance on the following questions: ‘(1) May a
congregation in its constitution or bylaws require a unanimous
vote by the governing body (voters assembly) for acceptance
into membership of an applicant for communicant member-
ship? (2) May a congregation in its constitution or bylaws
require a unanimous vote by the governing body for acceptance
of an applicant into voting membership?” This matter has
been assigned to the appropriate standing committee of the
commission for study.

E. Task Force II on Constitution, Bylaws, LZ

and Structure

In early February 1981 the Task Force II on Constitution,
Bylaws, and Structure informed the CTCR that it was recom-
mending changes both in the membership and function of the
commission. According to this recommendation, the CTCR
would be reduced from its present membership of 23 to 9 voting
members. At its February 1981 meeting the CTCR discussed
this proposal at considerable length, taking into account its
assigned responsibilities to provide “guidance to the Synod in
matters of theology and church relations” and ‘‘to assist the
President at his request in discharging his constitutional
responsibilities” and the importance of these functions in a
confessional church body such as ours. As a result of this
discussion, the commission concluded that the restructure as
proposed by Task Force II would drastically alter the nature
and function of the CTCR as a working commission of the
Synod. In its own earlier review ofits structure the commission
had concluded that its present composition is necessary to
fulfill its responsibilities and to complete the many assign-
ments which it has been given. In light of these considerations
the commission therefore recommends the following with
respect to the proposals of Task Force II:

WHEREAS, The function of the CTCR to provide “guidance
to the Synod in matters of theology and church relations” and
“to assist the President at his request in discharging his
constitutional responsibilities’ is vital toa church body which
takes its Biblical and confessional theology seriously; and

WHEREAS, The CTCR was established as a working com-