LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1971, Page 125

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RESOLUTIONS 125

prior to the completion of the appointed term if the
reviewer is unable or unwilling to carry out the
reviewing tasks assigned. In the event of such
termination, the President of the Synod shall ap-
point another reviewer to complete the unexpired
term.

11.127 Duties of Doctrinal Reviewers

a. The reviewer shall make a careful evaluation
of the doctrinal content of all items submitted to
him.

b. The reviewer’s primary concern is that items
submitted to him be in agreement in their doc-
trinal content with the Scriptures and the Lu-
theran Confessions.

c. The reviewer shall also be concerned that the
items submitted to him do not contain statements
that are inadequate, misleading, ambiguous, or
lacking in doctrinal clarity.

d. The reviewer shall further be concerned that
resolutions of the Synod be honored and upheld
and that positions deviating from the doctrinal res-
olutions of the Synod be clearly identified as such.

11.129 Procedure for Doctrinal Review

a. Each board, agency, or group shall establish
procedures that insure that its material as specified
in 11.123 be sent for doctrinal review to one of the
reviewers referred to in 11.125.

b. Since time requirements vary according to
the type of material being reviewed, the procedure
in each case shall be worked out to the mutual
satisfaction of the producing group and the pub-
lisher.

c. The identity of authors and reviewers shall
ordinarily not be disclosed to each other. Consul-
tation may at times be advisable, however, where
clarification is necessary.

d. When the author is also a reviewer, his ma-
terial shall be assigned to another reviewer.

e. The reviewer may request that specific mate-
rial assigned to him also be reviewed by another
reviewer.

f. Where changes appear to be necessary, the
reviewer(s) shall submit a documented critique
which shall be made available to the author, the
sponsoring group, and the publisher.

g. The author shall consider the critique and
make necessary revisions until there is agreement
between the author and reviewer.

h. Should any problem arise between an author,
a reviewer, the publisher, or any other party in-
volved, with respect to the material submitted for
review, the sponsoring group shall endeavor to
resolve it to the satisfaction of the reviewer. If it
cannot do so, the problem shall be submitted to
the Board of Doctrinal Review under the appeals
procedure stated in 11.133.

11.131 Board of Doctrinal Review

a. A Board of Doctrinal Review consisting of
seven members shall be appointed by the President
of the Synod from the total number of doctrinal
reviewers.

b. The Board of Doctrinal Review shall meet
as often as necessary, effect its own organization,
and elect its officers.

ce. Its duties shall be —

1. to provide guidelines for the work of the doc-
trinal reviewers;

2. to concern itself with problem areas in the
procedures of doctrinal review.

11.133 Appeals Procedure

a. An appeal may be initiated by an author, the
sponsoring group, or an executive staff member
of that group.

b. When an appeal is initiated, the material in
question is to be submitted to the chairman of the
Board of Doctrinal Review.

c. After receipt of an appeal, the chairman of
the Board of Doctrinal Review shall inform all
concerned and shall appoint three members of the
board to serve as a review panel and shall desig-
nate one as its chairman. A panel member shall
disqualify himself on the basis of any kind of per-
sonal involvement in the issue.

d. To aid objectivity, the identity of author and
review panel shall ordinarily not be disclosed.
However, consultation may at times be necessary
for clarification.

e. In making its recommendation the panel shall
decide whether the item in question —

1. is suitable for publication or

2. may be published after alteration or

3. may be published as a study document or
4. shall be denied publication.

f. The decision of the panel shall be determined
by a majority vote and shall be final so far as the
Board of Doctrinal Review is concerned. A report
together with the panel’s minutes shall be sub-
mitted to the chairman of the Board of Doctrinal
Review.

g. The chairman of the Board of Doctrinal Re-
view shall report the decision to the author, the
original reviewers, the sponsoring group, and the
President of the Synod.

Action: Adopted (16).

To Adopt Guidelines for a Doctrinal
Reviewer

RESOLUTION 2-37
Report 2-03 (CW, p. 47)

Wuereas, The Board of Doctrinal Review, in its
report to the Synod, has included the following Guide-
lines for the doctrinal reviewer:

A doctrinal reviewer —

1. shall require that the doctrinal content of the
material does not deviate from the Scriptures and the
Lutheran Confessions and shall also be concerned that
it does not contain statements which are inadequate,
misleading, ambiguous, or lacking in doctrinal clarity.

2. shall be concerned that the resolutions of the
Synod be honored and upheld and that positions deviat-
ing from the doctrinal resolutions of the Synod be
clearly identified as such.

3. may express his judgment in matters that relate
to sound principles of interpretation, historical judg-
ment, education, homiletics, worship, liturgics, pastoral
care, and other similar areas. In such cases he cannot
require a change on the part of the writer.

4. may request that specific material assigned to
him also be reviewed by another reviewer.

5. shall be concerned with defamatory allegations
which are contrary to Christian love or which may
subject the President of the Synod or the Synod to
civil actions for libel or slander.

6. shall offer a documented critique with specific
constructive suggestions when changes in material are
necessary.