LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 172

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

172 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Resolved, That the Synod clearly state that it need not be
dangerous to faith, does not necessarily add to the Gospel, nor
is it contrary to Scripture for Missouri Synod Lutherans to
experience manifestations of the Holy Spirit such as visions,
dreams, or prophecy.

Faith Lutheran Church
Geneva, Il.

David Mahlke, Chairman
Carol Olson, Secretary
Delbert R. Rossin, Pastor

3-39

To Give Supportive Counseling
re Military Service

WHEREAS, Registration for selective service may once again
become the law of the land; and

WHEREAS, Many District young people and their pastors
will be seeking counsel on the issue of conscientious objection;
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
publish current guidelines and give aid to its pastors and
churches as young people struggle with their consciences about
serving in the Armed Forces.

English District
Paul E. Bacon, Secretary

3-40

To Permit Transient Retirees
to Hold Membership in Two Congregations

WHEREAS, There is in America an ever-increasing retirement
population; and

WHEREAS, This growing number of people have the resources
to be transient; and

WHEREAS, The established church's desire is to absorb this
transient influx of nonmember participants; and

WHEREAS, The good order of registering and having
membership transferred each six months is impractical; and

WHEREAS, Increasingly more of our population are commit-
ting themselves to dual residences, thereby making necessary
a dual membership in their church homes; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage by constitutional
changes the ability of members to hold dual memberships
when in a second location for an extended period of time.

(Our membership has several people, who while in Mich-
igan, experienced the summer residence from May through
August or September: and now living in Texas experience
residence from November through April. To preserve respon-
siblecommitment and the accompanying feeling of belonging,
our church needs this growth in service to the numerous older
members. Granted there are ramifications, but they can be
worked outin our reach to bring Christ responsibly to all people
where they live.)

Zion Lutheran Church
Alamo, Tex.

Kevin Swanson, Chairman
Peter Bachman, Secretary

3-41
To Reexamine Synod’s Stand on Insurance

WHEREAS, The first 75 years of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod were marked by hostility toward the use of life
insurance and making a financial profit by charging interest
(called usury in the Old Testament); and

WHEREAS, Such hostility was based upon the theological
premise that insurance of any kind showed a lack of trust in
God’s providence being sufficient for one’s needs; and

WHEREAS, By synodical resolutions, hundreds of sermons,

and catechetical instruction, the synodical forebears con-
demned the taking of interest and the use of insurance; and

WHEREAS, A synodical convention in the 1880s expressly
forbade any synodical property to be insured; and

WHEREAS, Retired church workers were expected to exist on
the charity of church members and not on pensions, since
pensions were made possible only by investing money and
charging interest on that money (usury); and

WHEREAS, The modern practice of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod totally reverses the 19th-century practice of
our forebears in faith; and

WHEREAS, The Synod approves the use of insurance to
protect its property and the lives of its professionals: clergy.
teachers, clerical and maintenance help, etc.; and

WHEREAS, The Synod today provides pensions for its retired
workers, and such pensions are funded by shrewd investments
upon which interest is earned (usury); and

WHEREAS, The Synod has established the Church Extension
Fund to obtain land for and help congregations to fund church
buildings, and that fund is obtained by earning interest upon
investments (usury); and

WHEREAS, All synodical corporations—which includes all
congregations—as well as synodical headquarters itself,
countenance the use of workmen's compensation, whereas
they should civilly disobey laws which require them to enter
into usurious practice as being against the will of God accord-
ing to Synod’s 19th-century stand; and

WHEREAS, The synodical resolutions of the 19th century
against the taking of interest and the use of insurance have
never been rescinded, nor shown to have been false interpreta-
tions of the Old Testament, nor faulty theology; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod assembled in 1981 assign to the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations the task of
investigating the modern synodical practice: and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR reexamine the theological and
hermeneutical premises upon which the early syvnodical
practice was based; and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR determine whether the early or
modern practice is the correct one; and be it further

Resolved, That if the CTCR finds the early practice to have
been based upon false premises, that The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod—

a) publicly acknowledge its former error, and

b) publicly apologize to the descendants of those fore-
bearers who might have had a more secure old age, or, if
disabled, might have passed their days a little better able to
provide for their families if they had been allowed to practice
the modern policy, and

c) publicly apologize to the descendants of those who were
admonished or excommunicated for doing what the moderns
do; and

d) readmit, post facto, those so excommunicated into good
standing in the Church Triumphant; and be it further

Resolved, That should the CTCR find that the early practice
was the true one and modern practice is a sign of doubting the
Lord and the Bible, that The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod establish regional, District, and Circuit conferences to
retrain its church professionals in the correct theology and
hermeneutics of the 19th-century forebearers; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod’s professional workers then be
asked, within a reasonable time to renounce the false teaching
and practice of the 20th-century Synod, and to cancel their
insurance policies and pensions; and be it further

Resolved, That all laity, after a longer period of retraining
in sermons and catechetical instruction, plus attendance at
Circuit conferences, be called upon similarly to renounce
insurance and pensions; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod’s elected church officials be asked
to lead the way by their example of renouncing their pensions
and insurance; and be it finally

Resolved, That after a reasonable time for church profes-
sionals, and a longer time for the laity, if any individual should
not so renounce, that church discipline proceedings be begun