LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 106

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106 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-29
To Open All Offices to Women

WHEREAS, The opportunities for service by women in the
church have increased significantly within our Synod and its
member congregations in recent years: and

WHEREAS, The official synodical position nevertheless
continues to limit the services women may provide, thereby
forfeiting some of the gifts of leadership and service: and

WHEREAS. Many congregations are experiencing the joys
and blessings of service provided by women in all elective
congregational offices; and

WHEREAS, It is stated in Rom. 12:4-6a. “Forjust asin asingle
body there are many limbs and organs, all with different
functions, so all of us, united with Christ. form one body,
serving individually as limbs and organs to one another. The
gifts we possess differ as they are allotted to us by God's grace.
and must be exercised accordingly”; therefore be it

Resolved, That women’s eligibility for service in all offices
of the congregation be recognized by the Synod: and be it
further

Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to revise their
constitutions to provide this opportunity for additional service
by women.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Minnetonka, Minn.

Joan Carlson, President
Carolyn Munkelwitz. Secretary
Arden H. Malotky, Pastor

3-30

To Request CTCR to Review
Women’s Suffrage in Conjunction
with Our Two Seminary Faculties

WHEREAS, Since Synod approved women’s suffrage in our
congregations (Res. 2-17, Denver) much confusion and incon-
sistency has existed among our congregations on this subject:
and

WHEREAS. The 1969 decision has brought forth appeals to
each succeeding synodical convention for reconsideration of
Denver Res. 2-17: and

WHEREAS, Our Synod prior to 1969 was quite candid in its
opposition to women’s suffrage: and

WHEREAS, Our Concordia, Fort Wayne. seminary has pub-
licly and openly stated its opposition to women’s suffrage for
Scriptural reasons (July 1977 Concordia Theological Quar-
terly ) and

WHEREAS, This sensitive matter involves doctrine. con-
science, and congregational polity. all of which deserve our
careful and patient consideration: therefore be it

Resolved, That a special task force of theologians from the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations and our two
seminary faculties be appointed to restudy and reevaluate the
subject of women’s suffrage and make its report and any
recommendations to the Synod at the 1986 synodical con-
vention.

Mount Hope Lutheran Church
Casper, Wyo.

John G. Evans HE. Secretary
J.B. Brown. Pastor

3-31

To Assess the Right and Responsibility
of Christians to Address the Theological,
Moral, and Ethical Implications of Nuclear,
Biological, and Chemical Warfare

WHEREAS, The possibilities of nuclear, biological. and

chemical warfare raise serious new questions about the

previously held and stated “just war’ assumptions pertaining
to conventional warfare; and

WHEREAS, There has been objection by some that Christians
and the church ought not to speak out on the theological,
moral, and ethical implications of nuclear warfare, for fear
that such statements may be construed as political in nature;
therefore be it

Resolved, That individual Christians and groups of Chris-
tians be encouraged to study Scriptures and the Lutheran
Confessions, maintaining the right and responsibility of
Christians to address the theological, moral, and ethical
implications of nuclear warfare; and be it further

Resolved, That such Biblical studies pertaining to these
issues also recognize the primary relationship and loyalties
which Christians have to each other no matter where they hold
temporary and temporal citizenship; and be it further

Resolved, That Christians resist the attempts of any govern-
ment to ‘silence the church’ when it seeks to speak out
individually or corporately on issues that demonstrate the
lordship of God over the two kingdoms of God; and be it finally

Resolved, That Christians fervently pray that the world
may be spared the disaster of a nuclear confrontation, and that
world leaders be sensitive to the survival needs of people. and
that all people of every nation seek to use their best judgment in
dealing with areas of conflict that might lead to a purposeful or
accidental outbreak of nuclear warfare.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Appleton, Wis.

Larry Peterson, President

Marian Baker, Secretary

Stanley G. Bahn, Pastor

3-32

To Define and Implement the ‘“‘Exclusive
Use of Doctrinally Pure Agenda,
Hymnbooks, and Catechisms”’
as a Condition of Membership
in the LCMS (Constitution VI, 4)

WHEREAS, A possible majority of our congregations use
liturgical and instructional materials that have not been
officially approved as orthodox or have augmented approved
materials with selections from sectarian sources; and

WHEREAS, Congregations would welcome help in policing
themselves: and

WHEREAS, Such assistance is not currently available to
promote our synodical objectives (Art III): therefore be it

Resolved. That a mechanism be set up to review the hymnic.
instructional, and liturgical materials currently in use in our
congregations: to render opinions on specific hymns, lessons.
and forms: and to suggest ways in which unsatisfactory
matenals can be dealt with: and be it further

Resolved, That all congregations currently using the
Lutheran Book of Worship find some way to openly disclaim
the doctrinal impurities which it contains.

Hope Lutheran Church
San Leandro, Calif.
Caroline S. Uhlig. Secretary

3-33
To Practice Discipline

WHEREAS, The forces of humanism and existentialism in
our society have led toa widespread ridicule and demeaning of
discipline: and

WHEREAS, The devil continues to use these evil philosophies
against the Christian church so that it will not keep the Fourth
Commandment: and

WHEREAS, There is ample evidence of this in The Lutheran