LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 353

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

offices might indeed be in violation of what has been called the
order of creation or of preservation” (p. 10)?

Congregational and Synodical Offices and the resulting dissenting
opinion that was signed by five theological professors on the commission; and
Whereas, The CTCR did not report to subsequent LCMS conventions a record of resulting communication with or from the seminaries
on this topic; and
Whereas, Since 1995, the CTCR has issued three documents relevant to this general subject:

(It should be noted that the CTCR has asserted, with respect
to expressions of dissent from 2004 Res. 3-08A, “If the dissenters believe that Scripture clearly and definitively teaches that,
due to the order of creation, women are forbidden to serve in
certain humanly instituted offices in the church (even when these
offices do not require them to carry out the distinctive functions
of the pastoral office), then it is incumbent upon those dissenting
to demonstrate where and how Scripture makes this clear. This,
in the CTCR’s judgment, the dissenters have not done” [CTCR
Response to Expressions of Dissent (2004–2006), 25–26, emphasis original].)

1. Authentein, a relatively brief study on the meaning of this Greek
word, which drew no conclusions concerning application in the contemporary church but which corrected an assertion in the 1968 CTCR
Woman Suffrage in the Church report concerning the meaning of this
term;
2. The Creator’s Tapestry: Scriptural Perspectives on Man-Woman Relationships in Marriage and the Church, a more comprehensive report
which, the CTCR’s executive director said, focused “not so much on
specific questions about the service of women in the church—topics
covered in other CTCR documents—but on the scriptural relationship of
man and woman both within and outside of marriage and church-service
contexts” (Reporter, Nov. 2008, p. 2); and
3. The December 2014 CTCR Review of 2005 Task Force Guidelines
for the Service of Women in Congregational Offices, which noted several
deficiencies in the 2005 “Guidelines” document, including the statement that the guidelines “do not directly or explicitly address the issue
of the ‘order of creation’ and its relevance for issues relating to the service of women in the church. This was and is a major concern of those
who have expressed dissent from 2004 Res. 3-08A and needs continued
careful study and attention (a task to which the CTCR has explicitly
committed itself)” (Executive Summary, p. 2); and

If the CTCR wishes to correct the above-cited statement
from the 1968 document, why? If not, why not?
b. Does the CTCR recommend that the Synod in any way
modify the following declarations from its 1969 Resolution
2-17? If so, why? If not, why not?
“2. The principles set forth in such [biblical] passages, we
believe, prohibit holding any other kind of office or membership on boards or committees in the institutional structures of a
congregation, only if this involves women in a violation of the
order of creation.”
(It should be noted that the CTCR stated in 1985: “The only
stricture would have to do with anyone whose official functions
would involve public accountability for the function of the pastoral office (e.g., elders, and possibly the chairman of the congregation)” [Women in the Church, 46].)
“4. We therefore conclude that the Synod itself and the
congregations of the Synod are at liberty to alter their policies
and practices in regard to women’s involvement in the work of
the church according to these declarations, provided the policy
developed conforms to the general Scriptural principles that
women neither hold the pastoral office ‘nor exercise authority
over men.’ ”

Whereas, The Synod is not in agreement about the role of women
in the church and the practical application of the various resolutions
of the Synod concerning women’s roles; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Missouri District West Pastoral Conference
express its desire that our Synod seek a God-pleasing resolution and
lasting solution to the understanding of women’s roles in the church;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Missouri District West Pastoral Conference
memorialize the Synod to do the following:

(It should be noted that the CTCR stated in 1985, with respect
to 1 Tim. 2:11−15: “a careful review of this passage indicates
that the terms ‘teach’ and ‘exercise authority’ parallel each other.
They are intentionally linked. The kind of teaching referred to in
the passage is tied to exercising authority. The authority forbidden to women here is that of the pastoral office” [Women in the
Church, 35].)

1. Rescind 2004 Res. 3-08A and anything based upon it, such as policies or administrative procedures.
2. Assign the CTCR to fulfill the mandate given it in 1995 Res. 3-06A.
3. Assign to the systematic theology departments of her two seminaries the task of giving the CTCR input pursuant to the above assignment, this time by addressing formal “open letters” to the CTCR and
making these letters available to the entire Synod at the time when
they are submitted to the CTCR.
4. Assign the CTCR to review critically all the recommendations in its
1994 report on The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices and their basis in the CTCR 1985 Women in the Church
document in light of the dissenting opinion of 1994, the seminary
department input mentioned above, the input of other concerned
members of the Synod, and scholarly studies concerning relevant
biblical passages (many aided by ancient literature databases) that
have appeared since 1985.
5. Assign the CTCR to issue a report to the Synod on this study in
which the CTCR answers the following questions:
a. In addition to the correction already issued by the CTCR
in its Authentein document, does the CTCR wish to correct the
following statement, or the biblical analysis underlying this
statement, from its 1968 Woman Suffrage in the Church document: “To this point we would need to add the observation that
some offices in the congregation implicitly expect the exercise
of authority over others, including men. [Women h]olding such

353

c. What corrections might the CTCR offer concerning its reports issued after 1969, including Women in the Church (1985)
and The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices (1994)?

(Note: On this entire subject, see “The Service of Women in Congregational Offices, 1969 to 2007,” Concordia Historical Institute
Quarterly 82 [Fall, 2009]:147−69.)
West Pastors Conference, Missouri District; Carrollton
Circuit Forum, Missouri District; Missouri District
5-26

To Give Greater Guidance and Direction re Service
of Women in Congregational Offices
Whereas, The question of the proper role of the service of women
in congregational offices has been under discussion and review in
the Synod since at least 1969 (See CTCR Review of 2005 Task Force
Guidelines for the Service of Women in Congregational Offices, 2014,
p. 2); and
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