LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 70

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70

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

final approval by the CTCR and the President’s Office (including
doctrinal review), the revised Explanation will be published by
CPH—hopefully sometime in 2017—as a resource available for use
by the church as it observes the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran
Reformation.
9. Study of Baptism (2013 Res. 4-08A)

At its 2013 convention, the Synod adopted Res. 4-08A “To Provide
Responsible Pastoral Care with Regard to Practices Surrounding Holy
Baptism.” The resolution firmly reiterates the necessity of retaining the words of our Lord in baptizing, contrary to the practice of
some who “baptize” with some formula other than “in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). The
Synod then directed the CTCR to “provide a study of the theology on
Holy Baptism that sets forth the scriptural and confessional teaching
on this great sacrament of Christian rebirth and offer positive guidance
to pastors and congregations regarding proper baptismal practices.” A
committee of the CTCR has begun work on this assignment and has
formulated an outline and approach for its completion.
10. Intinction Study and Discussion Guide

President Terry Cripe (Ohio District), a member of the CTCR,
shared a request from the COP for the CTCR to consider the practice
of intinction (dipping the body of Christ into the cup of His blood to
be consumed by the communicant). The request is for a document for
the COP to use to study and discuss this practice. A CTCR committee
was assigned to work on a draft document on the topic.
11. Human Sexuality: Contemporary Issues

The commission’s 1985 report, Human Sexuality, has served the
Synod well for more than three decades as a tool for study, discussion,
and guidance in considering God’s gift of sexuality and His intentions for its right place in human life. However, profound changes
have occurred in the understanding of human sexuality in popular culture. A majority of people in the US and the Western world now view
unmarried sexual relationships, homosexual behavior, bisexuality, and
other practices and behaviors as both morally acceptable and normal.
An increasing number of Christians have also begun to question what
were, a generation ago, widely held convictions among Christians
about the moral propriety of contraception, remarriage after divorce,
and other practices and behaviors. In light of such fluctuating attitudes
and personal convictions, the CTCR has determined that a revised or
expanded report on the subject of human sexuality is needed. Initial
work on this project has been assigned to a CTCR committee.
12. Request from Northern Indiana District Pastors Conference

In email correspondence dated Aug. 10, 2015, the regional
Northern Indiana District pastors conference asked the CTCR to consider formulating and proposing to the Synod a doctrinal statement
on male-only clergy, in keeping with LCMS Bylaw 1.6.2. The CTCR
Executive Committee has placed this assignment on its own agenda
for further discussion and consideration.
C. Theological Conferences
Second International Conference on Confessional Leadership
in the 21st Century (2013 Res. 4-04)
After the request of 2010 Res. 3-02A “To Support Confessional
Lutheranism at Home and Abroad,” the CTCR (in consultation with
the Office of the President) planned and developed an international
theological conference on confessional leadership in the 21st century
that met in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2012. Confessional Lutheran leaders
representing over 20 million Lutherans from around the world gathered for reports, presentations, and prayer. Participants were highly
2016 Convention Workbook

affirmative of the event and urged the LCMS to organize similar
gatherings in the future, if at all possible. The 2013 convention of the
LCMS gave thanks to God for the 2012 conference and urged “the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations and the President’s
Office to continue their planning for a similar international conference” (2013 Res. 4-04).
As it had in 2012, the generous support of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans Foundation provided significant financial resources for a
second international gathering of some 125 Lutheran church leaders
from around the world May 3–8, 2015, in Wittenberg, Germany. This
conference was held in conjunction with the dedication of the “Old
Latin School” as a new International Lutheran Center. Meeting in the
very town where the Reformation began, the conference theme was
“Celebrating the Reformation Rightly: Remembrance, Repentance,
Rejoicing.” The leaders (from over 40 different countries and representing nearly 25 million Lutherans) remembered, repented, and
rejoiced together. Presentations were offered in English, but with
translations for Spanish- and French-speaking participants. Services
were held in St. Mary’s Church, the town church where Luther
preached. Despite the variety of peoples and cultures, a unified commitment was present. President Wakseyoum Idossa of Ethiopian
Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (with nearly eight million members) stated it well: “This gathering of church leaders is a sign for us
to go on to the next 500 years of the Reformation. The Reformation’s
message to the world is that, according to the context we are in now,
we need to be faithful to the Word of God as we serve God’s people.”
D. Other Matters
1. Spanish Translation of CTCR Reports
Due to continuing requests for Lutheran theological literature
in Spanish, both in the US and in Central and South America, the
commission continues to facilitate the translation of its reports into
Spanish. Eleven reports were translated this past triennium and a total
of sixteen reports are currently available in Spanish in electronic formats. Additional translations of other CTCR reports will be prepared
as needed. The CTCR’s report, Immigrants Among Us, is available in
a Spanish print edition. Copies of CTCR translations are shared with
the Synod’s Spanish-speaking partner churches throughout the world.
2. “Policy for Rendering CTCR Opinions in a 30-Day Period”

In dispute resolution cases that may result in expulsion of a member of the Synod, 2013 Resolution 7-11 added a requirement of the
CCM and the CTCR to “have in place procedures for responding”
within 30 days to requests for opinions by a dispute resolution panel
(see Bylaw 2.14.7.8 [l] [3]). At its May 2014 meeting, the commission approved a policy statement detailing a process for rendering an
opinion in a timely manner in such cases.
E. Requests for Opinions
The CTCR receives requests for two sorts of opinions. Advisory
opinions are requests for guidance from the Synod President, district
presidents, and others on specific matters of theology and practice.
The Bylaws of the LCMS also require that, in certain cases involving
potential expulsion of an LCMS member or a theological question
from a dispute resolution panel, the CTCR is mandated to offer
an opinion within 30 days of the request (see Bylaw 1.10.18.1(h);
2.14.8). The CTCR received one bylaw-mandated opinion request in
this triennium and adopted a response to this request on Feb. 20, 2016.
The following items were requests for advisory opinions.