LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 3

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SYNOD REPORTS
contravenes not only the Judeo-Christian values that have defined the
moral compass of this great nation, but also the laws of nature and the
natural reproductive process.
In the face of such moral decline, The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod (LCMS) has consistently upheld the Bible-based values that
designate “marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman
(Genesis 2:2–24; Matthew 19:5–6)” (2004 LCMS Convention
Resolution 3-05A, attached. All subsequent quotations are from this
resolution). The LCMS has consistently held that “homosexual behavior is prohibited in the Old and New Testaments [of Holy Scripture]
(Leviticus 18:22, 24; 20:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9–20; 1 Timothy 1:10) as
contrary to the Creator’s design (Romans 1:26–27).”
As a Christian body in this country, the LCMS has the duty and
responsibility to speak publicly in disagreement with this action of the
California Supreme Court. In the present context we cannot be silent,
since such silence “could be viewed as acceptance of the homosexual
lifestyle.” Accordingly, we as a church body urge our leaders, members, congregations, and all Christians, “to give a public witness from
Scripture against the social acceptance and legal recognition of homosexual ‘marriage.’”
While this occasion calls us to declare that homosexual behavior is
both unnatural and sinful (see Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:24–
27), we also recognize that it is necessary to respond to these “sexual
sins with the same love and concern as all other sins, calling for repentance and offering forgiveness in the Good News of Jesus Christ when
there is repentance.”
“The Gospel declares that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for
the sins of the world (1 John 2:2) and that Christ, who knew no sin, was
made to be our sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness
of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is the church’s proper evangelical work
to proclaim the reconciliation of the sinner to God in the death of Jesus
Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18–19) in a spirit of compassion and humility,
recognizing that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and
are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that came by
Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23–24).”
Finally, we pray that all people, especially men and women properly united as husbands and wives, will honor God’s divinely ordained
relationship of marriage. And we pray that all husbands and wives will
“give thanks to God for the blessings of marriage, lead a chaste and
decent life, and each love and honor one’s spouse.”
Statement from the President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in Response to Iowa Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex
“Marriage” April 6, 2009
Last Friday, marriage was redefined by seven judges for the entire
state of Iowa and for the majority of Iowans because six couples had
sued the state and demanded marriage licenses in 2005. The majority of Iowans wholeheartedly supported the 1998 Iowa Defense of
Marriage Act, which sought to protect marriage between one man and
one woman, yet the court’s decision on Friday overturned the ban on
same-sex marriage.
This case in Iowa could affect other states and how they handle
challenges to same-sex marriage, which has been the subject of court
cases nationwide. Laws banning same-sex marriage in Massachusetts,
Connecticut, and California already have been struck down by their
respective state courts.
Marriage, as it was instituted by God between male and female,
has existed since the beginning of time. Marriage between any beings
other than one man and one woman changes the meaning of marriage
designed by the Creator for the order of this world.
While members of the LCMS respect all people, we believe it is
against the will of God and contrary to the moral fiber of our country
to redefine marriage. Furthermore, society needs heterosexual marriages between men and women to thrive and succeed, as such unions
remain the cornerstone in God’s design for the procreation and raising
of children.
It is not acceptable to experiment with this generation of children by
trying to muster up weak alternatives to biological mothers and fathers.

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We call upon the citizens of this nation to bolster and strengthen the
institution of traditional marriage, lest our society spiral uncontrollably
into disorder and moral decay.
Though this occasion prompts the LCMS, once again, to declare
that homosexual behavior is both intrinsically unnatural and sinful
(Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:24–27), we also recognize the need
to respond to this behavior with the same love and concern we show
for all other sins, calling for repentance and offering forgiveness in the
Good News of Jesus Christ where there is repentance.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly Actions
Also on the topic of same-gender unions, I share this report on
the actions taken by the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in August 2009. Perhaps you’ve
heard much of what transpired at that gathering and its implications,
both for the ELCA and also for the relationship between the LCMS
and the ELCA. My thoughts are reflected in the words of greeting that
I addressed to the ELCA Assembly following their decisions regarding same-gender unions and the ordination of homosexual pastors
living in “publicly accountable, monogamous, lifelong unions.” A
complete draft of that address is included as Appendix I to this report.
In addition, I issued the following public statement regarding this
matter:
Statement of the President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in Response to Certain Actions of the 2009 Churchwide
Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The two largest Lutheran church bodies in the United States are
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 4.8 million
members and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) with
2.4 million members.
On Friday, Aug. 21, [2009] the Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to open the ministry of
the ELCA to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers
living in “committed relationships.” In an earlier action, the assembly
approved a resolution that commits the ELCA “to finding ways to allow
congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships.”
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has repeatedly affirmed as
its own position the historical understanding of the Christian church that
the Bible condemns homosexual behavior as “intrinsically sinful.” It is
therefore contrary to the will of the Creator and constitutes sin against
the commandments of God (Lev. 18:22, 24; 20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–20; 1 Tim.
1:9–10; and Rom. 1:26, 27).
Addressing the ELCA assembly on Saturday, Aug. 22, I responded
to their aforementioned actions, stating: “The decisions by this assembly to grant non-celibate homosexual ministers the privilege of serving
as rostered leaders in the ELCA and the affirmation of same-gender
unions as pleasing to God will undoubtedly cause additional stress and
disharmony within the ELCA. It will also negatively affect the relationships between our two church bodies. The current division between our
churches threatens to become a chasm. This grieves my heart and the
hearts of all in the ELCA, the LCMS, and other Christian church bodies
throughout the world who do not see these decisions as compatible with
the Word of God, or in agreement with the consensus of 2,000 years of
Christian theological affirmation regarding what Scripture teaches about
human sexuality. Simply stated, this matter is fundamentally related to
significant differences in how we [our two church bodies] understand
the authority of Holy Scripture and the interpretation of God’s revealed
and infallible Word.”
Doctrinal decisions adopted already in 2001 led the LCMS, in sincere humility and love, to declare that we could no longer consider the
ELCA “to be an orthodox Lutheran church body” (2001 Res 3-21A).
Sadly, the decisions of this past week to ignore biblical teaching on
human sexuality have reinforced that conclusion. We respect the desire
to follow conscience in moral decision making, but conscience may not
overrule the Word of God.

2010 Convention Workbook

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