LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 234

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234 STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION

through the increased involvement of laymen on the Circuit
level: and

WHEREAS, The feeling of many laymen is that the laymen
should have more of an equal responsibility in the administra-
tion of Christ's earthly church: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
establish a system of “Circuit Layman Counselors.” One
Circuit Layman Counselor would be elected in each Circuit.
These Counselors report to the District President. They would
be voting delegates to the District convention. The Circuit
Layman Counselors would provide a lay communication path
to the District President from each congregation in the District.
This communication path would supplement the current
Pastoral Counselor organization. The Circuit Layman
Counselors would be available for concerns of congregations
within their Circuit. The Layman Counselor and the Pastoral
Counselor are encouraged to share mutual concerns.

Grace Lutheran Church
Vestal, N.Y.
Herbert Meier, President

5-81A

To Refrain from Removing Names
of Eligible Pastors from Call Lists

WHEREAS, Article VII of the Synod’s Constitution states
that “with respect to the individual congregation's right of
self-government it [the Synod] is but an advisory body”; and

WHEREAS, Congregations of the Synod “shall call and be
served only by pastors” who are “members of the Synod"
(Bylaw 5.01 a), and “shall seek the advice of the respective
District officials when calling pastors” (5.03): and

WHEREAs, Situations have arisen in which names of eligible
pastors suggested by congregations seeking to call a pastor
have been removed from consideration by District Presidents:
and

WHEREAS, Such actions are violations of congregation
autonomy: therefore be it

Resolved, That District Presidents refrain from removing
names from congregation call lists: and be it further

Resolved, That when District Presidents have information
that the personalities, talents, families. or health of pastors
whose names have been suggested seem to make it inadvisable
that they be called by particular congregations, the District
President express said concerns with the calling congregations.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Broomfield, Colo.
Harlan Harnapp. Pastor

Identical or similar:

5-81B to 5-81D

St. John’s, Truman, Minn.
St. John’s, St. James, Minn.
St. Paul's. Prior Lake, Minn.

Willard Tetzloff
Marvin W. Becker
Steve Mueller

5-82

To Add “Lutheran Church Extension Fund—
Missouri Synod” to Bylaw 8.09 a

WHEREAS, Lutheran Church Extension Fund—Missouri
Synod is an “organization .. . controlled by the Synod”;
therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 8.09 abe, anditis hereby, amended to
add “Lutheran Church Extension Fund—Missouri Synod” in
recognition of the fact that Lutheran Church Extension
Fund—Missouri Synod is, and from the time it was created has
been, an “organization ... controlled by the Synod.

LCEF Board of Directors
Board of Church Extension
Carl Abel, Chairman

Fred Forster, Secretary

5-83
To Deal with Dual Membership

WHEREAS, According to the 1983 clergy roster of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the 1983 Directory of
the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches there are
still some clergymen, teachers, and congregations who hold
membership in both the LCMS and the AELC: and

WHEREAS, The AELC is a liberal church body which does
not affirm the inerrancy of the Bible, ordains women to the
holy ministry, allows its professors to accept the evolutionary
origin of man. practices altar and pulpit fellowship with
liberals who deny such fundamental doctrines as the deity of
Jesus Christ, and does not accept the Scriptural stand of the
LCMS on abortion and homosexuality: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
declare that it is no longer possible for members of the LCMS to
be a member of such a liberal church body as the AELC.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Meyer, Secretary:

To Remove Schools Upholding
Dual Memberships from the Rosters
of the Synod

WHEREAS, A number of primary and secondary school
associations exist which have as members not only congrega-
tions of the Missouri Synod but also bodies with whom we are
notin fellowship, such as The American Lutheran Church, the
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the

vutheran Church in America: and

WHEREAS, Lutheran school associations do not exist as
entities unto themselves but as agencies of the congregations
making up the association, carrying out their objectives and
purposes; and

WHEREAS, Because such school associations exist to nurture
our children in the truth of the Gospel and. as agencies for
outreach to unchurched families affiliated with the school,
they involve joint church work and fellowship on a most
profound level and therefore constitute unionism in violation
of the conditions of membership in the LCMS (Constitution.
Art. VI, 2) when churches outside our fellowship are members:
and

WHEREAs, The 1981 convention of our Synod forbade dual
memberships for pastors, teachers, and congregations of our
Synod (Res. 5-20, 1981 Proceedings, p. 179); and

WHEREAS, It logically follows that dual membership by such
schools would violate the same principle: and

WHEREAS, The synodical colleges and seminaries exist
primarily to promote and support the ministry of LCMS
congregations and to advance our theological position; there-
fore be it

Resolved. That the LCMS in convention assembled declare
that dual memberships of school associations with church
bodies with whom we do not have fellowship are in violation of
the conditions of membership in the LCMS: and be it further

Resolved, That pastors, teachers, and congregations of the
LCMS involved in such unionistic associations be admonished
to withdraw from them: and be it further

Resolved, That such schools not be listed in the LCMS
roster after 1983 nor be published in The Lutheran Annual or
Statistical Yearbook; and be it finally

Resolved, That our synodical colleges and seminaries do
not provide graduates for associations involving dual mem-
berships with churches not in fellowship with the LCMS.

Salem Lutheran Church
Gretna, La.

G. Robert Murphy, President
Curtis A. Peterson, Pastor