Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Sheet 546
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Sheet 546

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN THE CHURCH 515

Since Scripture itself excludes children, 1 Peter 5:5, and
women, 1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-12, from speaking and
voting in congregational meetings, only the men of the
congregation have the right to take part in the public dis-
cussions and the right of suffrage. — ‘The reason given in
Scripture why women are not permitted to speak in the
church and to take an active part in the government of
the church is that they “are commanded to be under
obedience” and “not usurp authority over the man.”
Articles espousing the identical position on woman
suffrage in the church appeared over the initials of
Dr. Georg Stoeckhardt in Der Lutheraner, 1895, pp.

103—105, and in Lehre und Wehre, 1897, pp. 65—74.

All of the statements quoted appear to have assumed
that the passages quoted could be applied directly to
the issue of woman suffrage in the church. None of the
statements indicate that the writer felt that his use of
the passages could be challenged.

In passing it might be noted that woman suffrage
had not yet been established in the American way of
life. Voting rights were not equalized for men and
women until 1928. Not long thereafter the whole ques-
tion of woman suffrage in the church took on new sig-
nificance.

B. A QUESTION BEFORE SYNOD

In time the position espoused by Walther, Stoeck-
hardt, and Fritz came to be challenged in the Synod.
As an official matter the question of woman suffrage
came before a synodical convention in 1938. Dr. John
Theodore Mueller had read the formal essay for that
assembly. In his presentation, Dr. Mueller had made
the observation that women must not have the right
to vote in the congregation. One delegate objected to
this remark.

1. St. Louis, 1938

By way of response the issue was referred to a com-
mittee consisting of Dr. Frederick Pfotenhauer, Dr. Ar-
thur Brunn, and Mr. John Piepkorn. The report of this
committee referred to Dr. Francis Pieper’s position in
this matter as expressed in his Christliche Dog-
matik, I (St. Louis, 1924), pp. 626—629, to provide sup-
porting evidence for the accepted position and practice
of Synod that women not be granted such voting mem-
bership. But these three men did not let the matter rest
there. As a committee they offered a resolution asking
that the whole matter be restudied. This resolution was
adopted. There is no evidence, however, in the official
proceedings that any persons were appointed to carry
out this resolve. In fact, 15 years elapsed before the
question came up again as an item of synodical business.

2. Houston, 1953

The Houston convention of 1953 considered two un-
printed memorials. Floor Committee 6 drew up a reso-
lution asking the President of Synod to “appoint a com-
mittee of five members to prepare for the next conven-
tion a thorough exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 14.
1 Timothy 2, and all other applicable texts as they re-
late to the question of woman suffrage in our congre-
gations.” On this whole matter the Proceedings of the

Houston convention (1953) carries the following entry
(pp. 483—484) :

Concerning this matter Committee 6 recommended, and
Synod resolved:
Resolution 27

Wuereas, It is a general principle of Holy Scripture
that woman should not usurp authority over men in the
home and in the church; and

Wuereas, Synod has based its position in the field of
woman suffrage in the church on this general principle
of the Bible, as expressed in various passages, including
1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:11, 12; and

Wuereas, However, there is a sincere difference of
opinion among clergy and laity concerning the full and
correct application of these texts to the question of woman
suffrage in the church, as indicated by Unprinted Me-
morials 21 and 47; and

WHEREAS, Many women of our Church are eager to
be of greatest service to their Lord in the church; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the President of Synod appoint a com-
mittee of five members to prepare for the next convention
a thorough exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Tim-
othy 2, and all other applicable texts as they relate to the
question of woman suffrage in our congregations; and be
it further

Resolved, That, in the meantime, our congregations be
urged to continue the present practice of our Synod in re-
stricting the privileges of voting membership to qualified
male communicants.

Note: Synod by a rising vote expressed its esteem for the

women of the Church and their work.

This resolution was adopted, and a committee was
appointed. It consisted of Professors Victor Bartling, Al-
bert Merkens, Fred Kramer, Pastors Theodore Nickel
and Martin Zschoche.

3. St. Paul, 1956

The St. Paul convention of 1956 accepted the report
prepared by this committee, which chose to offer not
only an exegetical study of the passages involved but
also appended a number of applications to specific prob-
lems and some recommendations to Synod. On the basis
of this document, Floor Committee 3 formulated a set
of five resolutions which upheld the previously accepted
position and practice despite the fact that the Presi-
dent’s committee could find no “express words in the
Scriptures” forbidding woman suffrage. Very signifi-
cantly, 10 members of the convention assembly voted
against the adoption of the proposed resolutions and
were “encouraged to give the reasons for their negative
vote to the Secretary, as a matter of record.”

The report of this committee is of such crucial sig-
nificance that it merits being quoted at some length.
The following lengthy excerpts are taken from the Pro-
ceedings of the St. Paul convention (1956), pp. 553—569.

The report first offers a very comprehensive Biblical
study of all the pertinent passages. Then it proceeds to
an application of the specific problems. Under Section
III, E, the committee formulated its best judgment in
the matter as follows:

1. Scripture knows of only one type of church mem-
bers, members of the body of Christ, male and female
(Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:23; 4:4-6; 1 Peter 2:9, etc.).

2. In the Church Visible these members are bound to-