LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 339

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LIFE TOGETHER
4-28

To Establish Task Force
for Social Media Policy Development
Whereas, Our Lord has commanded His people to care for the
reputations of all people, especially those who are fellow brothers and
sisters in Christ (Matthew 18; Eighth Commandment); and
Whereas, Christian unity and harmony are important aspects of
the Christian faith both in terms of practice and in terms of witness
to the faith that we hold (1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:3, 13; John 17:2); and
Whereas, The invention and use of social media has established
a new platform that has not been examined by our Synod in terms of
appropriate and God-pleasing use; and
Whereas, Accusations of irresponsible use of social media by
both individual and corporate members of Synod have been made in
both public and private settings; and
Whereas, Good order should prevail over a perceived need to
voice frustrations, anger, and other such emotions, so that sin and
corrupting talk may be curbed (Eph. 4:25–32); and
Whereas, Inappropriate use of social media may result in unnecessary litigation between members of the Body of Christ (1 Cor.
6:1–7), which brings dishonor and defeat to the people of God; therefore be it
Resolved, That all members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, both individual and corporate, be encouraged to use social
media in a way that brings glory and honor to the triune God and that
seeks to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10) to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ; and be it further
Resolved, That a task force be established to create appropriate
policies and suggestions around the use and misuse of social media
by members of the Synod, both individual and corporate.
Board of Directors
Florida-Georgia District
4-29

To Call for Members with Confessions Contrary
to That of the Scriptures and Lutheran
Confessions to Leave Synodical Union Voluntarily
Whereas, The organizing principle for a Synodical Union is its
confession of faith (Constitution Art. II); and
Whereas, The first objective of the Synod reads:
The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, shall—
1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3−6; 1 Cor.
1:10), work through its official structure toward fellowship with other
Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense against schism,
sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy” (Constitution Art. III);

and
Whereas, The Synodical Union’s provision for dissent is not
intended to provide a means for repeated attacks on the confession
of the Synod; and
Whereas, There are members of the Synodical Union who continue to hold confessions contrary to that of the Scriptures and the
Lutheran Confessions (e.g., abortion, evolution as the origin of man,
homosexual behavior, women’s ordination), despite consistent rejection at Synod conventions of those positions; and
Whereas, Holding a confession contrary to that of the Synodical
Union while remaining in membership thereof creates unnecessary
conflict and stress within the union and raises questions with regard
to the integrity of the dissenter; therefore be it

339

Resolved, That for the sake of the unity of this confession and for
their own integrity, the Montana District respectfully requests that
those members who hold a confession contrary to that of the LCMS
voluntarily resign their membership in the Synodical Union; and be
it further
Resolved, That the Montana District in convention memorialize
the 2016 LCMS convention to adopt this resolution as its own.
Montana District
4-30

To Advance Unity of Doctrine and Practice
in All Districts of the Synod
Whereas, “The district presidents shall, moreover, especially
exercise supervision over the doctrine, life, and administration of
office of the ordained and commissioned ministers of their district
and acquaint themselves with the religious conditions of the congregations of their district” (Constitution, Art. XII 7); and
Whereas, Such supervision is the primary means by which the
key elements of the first objective of the Synod are carried out—
namely, to “[c]onserve and promote the unity of the true faith … and
provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17),
and heresy” (Constitution, Art. III 1); and
Whereas, The Montana district president’s report notes a concern for “effectively dealing with those publicly holding a position
that is contrary to that of the Synod”; and
Whereas, Several district conventions have already forwarded
overtures expressing grave concern with how our “united defense
against schism, sectarianism, … and heresy” is being effected in at
least some of the Synod’s districts through their respective district
presidents; and
Whereas, The Bylaws emphasize in setting out the purpose for
regular Council of Presidents meetings “opportunity for the President
of the Synod to advise and counsel his representatives in the regions
and districts and for the regional vice-presidents and district presidents in turn to give counsel to the President” and “to provide
opportunity for the presidents of the districts and the Praesidium of
the Synod to counsel with one another on matters regarding the doctrine and administration of the Synod, its regions, and its districts,
and to edify and support one another in the work they share” (Bylaw
3.10.1.2); and further, that the President “shall meet regularly with the
Council of Presidents and, as deemed necessary, with individual district presidents, or small groups of district presidents, to see to it that
their administration is in accordance with the Constitution, Bylaws,
and resolutions of the Synod. He shall receive regular reports on this
subject from the district presidents” (Bylaw 3.3.1.2 [b]); and
Whereas, The Bylaws (1) suggest a program agenda of the
Council of Presidents having principally to do with their representation of the President of the Synod as ecclesiastical supervisors (Bylaw
3.3.1.1.1 [b]); and (2) place the responsibility for the development
of said program agenda principally with the President of the Synod,
whose duty it is to see that the district presidents act in accordance
with the Synod’s Constitution and who shall “conscientiously use
all means at his command to promote and maintain unity of doctrine
and practice in all the districts of the Synod” (Constitution, Art. XI
B 2–3); and
Whereas, It has become, contrariwise, the practice of the Council
of Presidents to set its own program agenda; and
Whereas, While the 2013 Synod convention attempted to advance
the concerns of “unity of doctrine and practice in all the districts of
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