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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 524

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

524

ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Ov. 10-08

To Allow the Use of the Term Bishop in The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
WHEREAS, The biblical term of an overseer (episcopus; Greek:
έπισκοπής) is usually translated as bishop (1 Tim. 3:1; Acts 20:28);
and
WHEREAS, This biblical word is used in the New Testament to
describe the pastoral office (I Peter 5:2–4) but has been used in
Church history since the early days of the Church Fathers to
recognize one set in rightful authority of oversight of congregations
and pastors; and
WHEREAS, The term bishop is used by most Evangelical
Lutheran church bodies, including those in communion with The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) in the International
Lutheran Council, worldwide; and
WHEREAS, Even in American secular society the term bishop is
understood to imply a position of responsibility of oversight, even
while the office is to be exercised with humility, Lutheran
confessional loyalty, and great care; and
WHEREAS, The term president in our LCMS may be confused
with simple administrative authority positions in government,
business, and service organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.) instead
of its use among us as an office of ecclesiastical responsibility and
oversight for the good of Christ’s Church on earth; and
WHEREAS, Both our Synod and her districts operate in both the
kingdom of the right and the kingdom of the left; and
WHEREAS, The term president was selected in 1847 in the
founding documents of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of
Missouri, Ohio, and Other States (LCMS) in reaction to the misuse
of the term bishop during the 1839 Saxon immigration under Martin
Stephan, but now that history is far in the past; and
WHEREAS, The districts of the LCMS are not confederated to
form the Synod but rather are Synod in any given place, meaning
the district president is in the stead of the Synod President; and
WHEREAS, The term bishop is practically used by many of our
congregations and pastors across the LCMS in deferring to those
serving as district presidents and indeed has had long usage in
several synod districts, some for decades (English, Atlantic, New
Jersey, etc.); and
WHEREAS, The term president is rightly used in LCMS
auxiliaries such as the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
(LWML), but often this presents terminology problems at LWML
conventions when talking about district presidents who are bishops
in distinction from women district presidents who are LWML
district presidents; and
WHEREAS, The term bishop is more reflective of the
responsibilities and respect for the office held by a pastor elected to
such a position in his synod district and could be beneficial in the
Synod’s public witness for Christ in North America, including
through the new Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty office;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the English District memorialize Synod to make
this nomenclature change at the 2019 convention of the LCMS to
allow the use of the term bishop alongside president for both the
Synod President and the district presidents, so that they be called
Synod President/Bishop and District President/Bishop respectively;
and be it finally

2019 Convention Workbook

Resolved, That the Handbook (Constitution and Bylaws) reflect
this change in terminology.
English District
Ov. 10-09

To Memorialize Synod to Revise Eligibility to
Serve as Circuit Visitor
WHEREAS, Synod Bylaw 4.3.1 states “… a circuit visitor for each
circuit established by the district shall be elected from the clergy
roster of the district …”; and
WHEREAS, Synod Bylaw 5.2.2 (d) restricts eligibility to serve as
a circuit visitor to “… nominated pastors serving congregations and
emeriti pastors …”; and
WHEREAS, Many rostered pastors of the Synod serving in
capacities other than parish ministry are well qualified but deemed
ineligible by Synod Bylaw 5.2.2 (d) to serve as circuit visitor;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Missouri District in convention memorialize
the Synod in convention to revise Bylaw 5.2.2 (d) as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.2.2
The circuit visitor shall hold his position by virtue of his
selection by the circuit forum and ratification by the district
convention.
…
(d) All nominated pastors serving congregations and emeriti
pastors who are on the clergy roster of the district whose names
were nominated prior to the day of the circuit forum shall be
eligible for election in accordance with section 4.3 of these
Bylaws.
…

Missouri District
Ov. 10-10

To Encourage Proper Pastoral Oversight in
Administration of Lord’s Supper through
Visitation of Ecclesiastical Supervisors
WHEREAS, The Synod has consistently encouraged its pastors
and congregations to exercise communion practices which are
faithful to the Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions; and
WHEREAS, Pastors are called to be faithful in their stewardship
of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1–2; 2 Tim. 4:3–4) and need
encouragement to carry out this important stewardship; and
WHEREAS, St. Paul admonishes the Corinthians against eating
the Lord’s Supper with divisions among them (1 Cor. 11:17–18);
and
WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has commended for study
the 1999 report of the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations, “Admission to the Lord’s Supper: Basics of Biblical and
Confessional Teaching”; and
WHEREAS, Concerns about communion practice still come
before district and Synod conventions for resolution; and
WHEREAS, The practice of inviting all baptized believers who
merely affirm the real presence, while neglecting to address the
necessity of unity of confession, is not consistent with the biblical
and confessional position of the Synod; and