LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 104

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104 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

will of God (Res. 3-02A of the 1979 convention of the LCMS. The
December 1982 Saturday Evening Post stated that the LCMS
takes “the strongest prolife position of any denomination”):
and

WHEREAS, Most major denominations. including various
Lutheran church bodies, have adopted statements allowing for
the killing of unborn infants even when the life of the mother is
not in danger: and

WHEREAS, Some clergymen. hospitals, and social service
agencies associated with the LCMS do not share the LCMS's
Scriptural position on abortion and allow for abortion even
when the life of the mother is not in danger: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
declare that all clergymen. social services agencies. and hos-
pitals associated with the LCMS must support the LCMS’s
Scriptural position on abortion.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Mever. Secretary

3-24

To Study the Role of Women in Worship

WHEREAS, The CTCR is already committed “‘to study the
role of women in church and society”; and

WHEREAS, Specific questions have arisen concerning the
role of women in worship; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod ask the CTCR to include in its
present study the role of women in worship.

Board of Directors
Texas District
Glenn O’Shoney, President

3-25

To Adjust Position on Woman Suffrage

WHEREAS, The Synod accepts without reservation the Scrip-
tures of the Old and New Testament as “the only rule and norm
of faith and practice” (Constitution, Art. II, 1); and

WHEREAS, Res. 2-17 concerning woman suffrage, passed at
the Denver convention in 1969, states: ‘We hold likewise that
Scripture does not prohibit women from exercising the fran-
chise in congregational or synodical assemblies” (Proceedings,
p. 88); and

WHEREAS, Scripture does clearly delineate the doctrine of
the order of creation with reference to the relationship between
men and women, prohibiting women from exercising authority
in the church on an equal basis with men (Gen. 2:18-23; 3:6,
16-17, Is. 3:12; Acts 1:16, 21; 15:7, 22-25; 1 Cor. 7:17-24; 11:3, 7-9;
14:33b-38; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-20; 1 Tim. 2:8-15: Titus 2:3; 1
Peter 3:1-7); and

WHEREAS, The de facto exercise of the voting franchise, as it
is normally defined by the constituted polity of congregations
in the Missouri Synod, particularly in the exercise of the office
of the keys, consists of a binding exercise of authority; and

WHEREAS, Where woman suffrage is in effect, the resultant
binding exercise of authority by both men and women, giving
equal authority to men and women, is in clear violation of the
doctrine of the order of creation and the doctrine of the order of
redemption delineated in Scripture; and

WHEREAS, The theological publication of Concordia Theo-
logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., Concordia Theological
Quarterly, has published a number of theses showing the
practice of woman suffrage to be unscriptural (CTQ, Vol. 41,
No. 3, July 1977); and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Commission on Theology and
Church Relations has in the past declined to restudy the matter
of woman suffrage when requested to do so by the Central
Illinois District and various congregations; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod ask
its Commission on Theology and Church Relations to carefully
study the issue of woman suffrage in the church once again on
the basis of what the Scriptures say; and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR be instructed to seek especially
the counsel and input of people who see inconsistencies in the
Synod’s current position, and that the CTCR consider it a
primary part of its assignment to address these inconsistencies:
and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR show clearly and positively from
the Word of God how women are to fulfill their Christian
calling, particularly with respect to their relation with men in
the life of the church; and be it finally

Resolved, That the CTCR’s final product present both the
Biblical study and the practical conclusions in the clearest
fashion possible, and that this report be disseminated to the
Synod for study and in time for possible official action to be
taken at the next synodical convention.

Ascension Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, Ind.

A. R. Kochlingen, Chairman
David Dubbelde, Pastor

3-26A

To Return to Our Former Scriptural
Position on Woman Suffrage

WHEREAS, St. Paul reminded the early Christians of a God-
pleasing “woman's liberation,” that is. liberating her from
responsibilities God gave to man (1 Tim. 2:11-12 Beck): ‘A
woman should learn in silence, completely submitting herself.
I don’t let a woman teach and have authority over a man; she
should keep silent.” Also, St. Paul speaks of the God-given
authority, as revealed in the order of creation, to maintain
peace and order in a Christian congregation regarding the
man-woman relationship (1 Cor. 14:33-35):

You see, God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the
churches of the holy people. the women should be silent in church
because they are not allowed to speak. They should submit. as the
Law says. If there is something they want to know, they should ask
their husbands at home. It is a disgrace for a woman to speak in
church:

and

WHEREAS, The Lord through Isaiah gives a blessing to those
whoare righteous, but judgment on those who confuse the way
we should go, may we also listen to our Lord (Isaiah 3:10-12):

Tell the righteous all will be well with them: They will eat what their
work produces. Woe to the wicked! It will be bad for him: What he has
done will be done to him. A child will boss my people. Women will
rule over them. My people, those who should lead you straight lead
you astray and confuse the way you should go:

and

WHEREAS, Our forefathers Walther, Stoeckhardt, Fritz, Pie-
per, and others referred to the above references as speaking
clearly regarding woman suffrage, and they disagree with the
present interpretation as reported in the report of the Com-
mission on Theology and Church Relations as presented before
the 1969 convention in Denver; and

WHEREAS, The opinion of the theological faculty of Capital
University, Columbus, Ohio, of some years ago, as reported by
Dr. R. C. H. Lenski in his Interpretation of St. Paul's First and
Second Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 617, states:

How the granting of voice and vote to women in all congregational
meetings can do anything but place women completely on a level
with men in all such meetings and thus gravely interfere with their
divinely ordered subjection and obedience, we are unable to see. In
all cases where women now have such voice and vote they certainly
are on an equality with men in these meetings.—But the matter of
voice and vote is one entirely apart from the natural rights of women
in the church. Thus in questions of doctrine and conscience sex
cannot count in any way, and any woman concerned must be heard.