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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 419

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

LIFE TOGETHER
requires that the pastors and congregations of the Synod commune
individuals of only those synods which are now in altar and pulpit
fellowship with us; and
WHEREAS, In the Holy Supper of Our Lord, in the blessed cup
Jesus gives the communicant His own precious blood poured out
for the forgiveness of all on the cross, which to receive in faith is to
enter the very Holy of Holies of God but which to fail to discern
brings judgment (Greek: krima) through the defiling touch of the
Most Holy blood by which one was sanctified; and
WHEREAS, The opening up of the altar of the Lord among us to
the adherents of false teachers on the Lord’s Supper even in
“extraordinary situations and circumstances” fails to realize and
proclaim the truly “extraordinary” blessing, on the one hand, and
“extraordinary” judgment (krima), on the other, of partaking of
Jesus’ true body and blood with faith and without faith,
respectively, in Jesus’ Words of Institution as summarized in
Luther’s Small Catechism; therefore be it
Resolved, That out of love and pastoral concern the pastors of the
Synod warn the adherents of false teachers on the Eucharist by
withholding Communion from them until they are instructed and
unite with us (including Roman Catholics, Reformed, Presbyterian,
Baptist, Methodist, Anglican Christians, etc. as well as members of
erring Lutheran bodies such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America); and be it further
Resolved, That we recognize the necessity of both a professed
and functional close(d) Communion practice, so that only
communicant members of the host congregation and those visitors
who are members of congregations in fellowship with the host
congregation and who have on that basis received permission from
the pastor to partake of the Supper should be admitted, realizing that
A church’s communion practice is functionally open when the
determination of who is an appropriate recipient (and not merely
a “worthy” recipient) is left exclusively in the hands of the
individual contemplating eating and drinking, and when the
church’s concern is limited to an individual’s worthiness without
further consideration of that person’s confession. In other words,
professed agreement with the idea of closed communion is
irrelevant, if actual practice leaves it up to individuals to
determine whether they should commune. (Joel Biermann, “Step
Up to the Altar: Thinking about the Theology and Practice of the
Lord’s Supper,” Concordia Theological Quarterly 72, No. 2
[2008] 153); (emphasis added).
and be it further
Resolved, That exceptions involving pastoral care be limited to
those who come from or have been brought up in an orthodox
Lutheran context, including: Lutheran “prodigals” returning to the
true faith with repentant heart, members of other orthodox Lutheran
bodies beyond our fellowship (including the Evangelical Lutheran
Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and certain
international orthodox Lutheran bodies), as well as other persons
for whom the pastor has assumed pastoral responsibility and to
whom he is ministering privately; and be it finally
Resolved, That to the glory of God in Christ Jesus such practice
be publicly adhered to, taught and confessed by all in keeping with
Constitution Article VI 2, Conditions of Membership,
“Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description ...”
Trinity
Tryon, NC

419

Ov. 4-16

To Encourage the Study of the Doctrine
of Closed Communion and Faithful Practice
in All Congregations
WHEREAS, The issue of the practice of closed vs. open
communion continues to be controversial among us in the
Minnesota North District and the broader Synod; and
WHEREAS, The conventions of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod have addressed this issue in 2007 Resolution 3-09, “To
Address Administration of the Lord’s Supper,” and in 2016
Resolution 5-15, “To Standardize Admission to the Lord’s Supper”;
and
WHEREAS, Synod President Matthew C. Harrison and seminary
professor John T. Pless have recently published a jointly edited
book of essays titled Closed Communion? Admission to the Lord’s
Supper in Biblical Lutheran Perspective (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 2017) for the edification of the Synod; therefore
be it
Resolved, That the Minnesota North District encourage all
congregations to study these additional and encouraging essays; and
be it finally
Resolved, That the Minnesota North District memorialize the
Synod to also encourage the study by all members of Synod with an
eye to unified confession and practice with regard to the
administration of the Lord’s Supper.
Minnesota North District
Ov. 4-17

To Care for the Members of the Body of Christ
Through Fraternal Communication
WHEREAS, Though many members, we are all in body in Christ
(Rom. 12:5); and
WHEREAS, We are gathered in over 6,000 congregations in our
Synod; all of these congregations matter, and every member of the
body of Christ matters; and
WHEREAS, An absent member is a missing member of the body
of Christ and the loss is felt by all of those in the body; and
WHEREAS, For the sake of pastoral care, for good order, for
church discipline, and as a matter of fraternity in the body of Christ,
the shepherds called to serve each of these congregations need and
ought to know when their absent members are regularly attending
other congregations, or even have transferred to other
congregations; and
WHEREAS, It sometimes happens that individuals fail to take the
appropriate steps to transfer their membership from one
congregation to another; therefore be it
Resolved, That as a matter of Christian love for the individual
concerned, for the prior congregation and pastor, and for the
receiving congregation, each pastor in the Synod seek to follow
these practices in dealing with members of another congregation of
the Synod who regularly attend services or seek pastoral care
outside their home congregation:
1. To speak with the individual and ascertain why the
individual is not attending services and seeking pastoral
care within the body of the home congregation;

2019 Convention Workbook