LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 175

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Moreover, though the proposal anticipates five “problematic
possibilities” should the Synod in convention pass the current proposals of the 7-03 Task Force and should a school eventually lose
its ecclesiastical accreditation, all five could happen as a result of
CTX’s separation from the Synod. These are the five concerns:
•

The sudden loss of eligibility for participation in Concordia
Plans

•

The removal of the ability to call certified church workers

•

The discontinuation of LCMS accepted church worker programs

•

The loss of standing as an LCMS institution, causing a possible loss in financial support and harming the overall reputation of the institution

•

A confusion of leadership, mission, and direction as a thirdparty committee—a new model of ecclesiastical oversight in
the 7-03 recommendation—exerts outside influence that is
confusing in its execution (emphasis added)

Even the CTX BOR proposal admits that “CTX will not be able
to certify [church work] students” and will need to partner with
another LCMS institution that would certify students for church
work. Separation from the Synod would cost CTX its standing as
an LCMS institution. In order to avoid the proposed “new model
of ecclesiastical oversight” of the 7-03 recommendation, CTX
proposes its own new model of ecclesiastical oversight. This new
model is most certainly “confusing in its execution.”
The desire for separation from the Synod is not new, as even the
proposal mentions discussions in 1976 and 2003 about governance
independent from the Synod. Was 2019 Res. 7-03 really the impetus, or has the desire for independence been simmering for a while?
Before the 2019 Synod convention, which passed Res. 7-03,
ELCA emeritus professor Rev. Dr. Darrell Jodock presented at a
faculty development series at CTX in July 2018. Jodock has written extensively on the nature of Lutheran higher education, much
of which is available online. Jodock’s church affiliation and longterm professorate at an ELCA school (Gustavus Adolphus College)
reflect a public confession of a Lutheran identity not in concert with
what most LCMS Lutherans understand Lutheranism to be about.
In his presentation at CTX (which was available online, and
which one of the visitation team members listened to), Jodock argued for a Lutheran university as a “third path” between sectarian
religious institutions and non-sectarian institutions. This third path
is both “Lutheran and inclusive,” deeply rooted in religious tradition but also an understanding and welcoming way of diversity
and inclusivity. Jodock told the CTX faculty that the vocabulary
of a “Lutheran identity” does not work for other faith traditions.
Instead, he argued, we must talk about “Lutheran values” to which
everyone is more willing to subscribe. This is an insidious move
to eschew a confessional identity borne out of Scripture and the
Lutheran Confessions and to replace this identity with a set of “values” for how to see the world through the same critical eyes as,
some suppose, Luther had. Jodock rejected universities being tied
to church bodies, as such affiliation automatically subjects colleges
to religious authorities. Jodock reasoned that since Luther challenged ecclesiastical authority, so should Lutheran universities. Finally, in Jodock’s vision of a Lutheran university, Lutheran identity
is reduced to the area of vocation, which supposedly “enhances the
educational experience.”

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This is a pauper’s Lutheran identity, lacking the essence of what
Lutherans believe and confess. But it sets the stage for CTX’s move
away from the Synod’s ecclesiastical authority.
The doctrine of vocation is not the fullness of a confessional Lutheran identity, rooted in Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
Instead, Jodock’s presentation on vocation functions as a Trojan
horse, in which is hidden an attempt to make the imagined renegade
ghost of Luther the Geist of a Lutheran university.
If Lutheran hospitals and social service agencies are the model
for separating from Synod governance, the natural question is, “Is
there any such institution still faithful to its confessional moorings?” Is there a hospital that bears the name “Lutheran” and does
not perform or prescribe abortions? Is there a Lutheran adoption
agency that has severed its ties with a church body that does not
place adoptees into same-sex households? For that matter, is there
any example of a university or college, founded by a traditionally
conservative church body, that after severing its ties with its mother
church body continued to remain faithful to that body’s public confession? The weight of historical evidence is stacked against CTX
remaining faithful to the doctrine and practice of the LCMS once
such a separation has occurred.
Other peculiar statements about CTX’s relationship to the
LCMS can be found in recent BOR agenda and minutes:
•

September 2019: “Need to determine if we are still independent of the LCMS. If we determine we’re not—need to
notify SACS-COC. We can say we are a multi governance
system.”

•

February 2020, discussing Res. 7-03: “We embarked on a
new structure this past July, having all departments other
than philanthropy report to Kristi Kirk. … You can have
great confidence that the leadership of Concordia is deep and
very results oriented, with a focus on mission and margin.”

•

Minutes from the February 2021 BOR meeting: “Time for
us as a board to resolve that we oppose the changes of 7-03
committee. As we are not in alignment with the committee,
and they are not listening to our proposed changes. [sic] Other schools may join us in opposition, but it’s difficult to see
any other school taking the lead.”

•

Minutes from the April 2021 meeting: “Proposal: The Board
of Regents, in its meeting of April 16, 2021, commission
the president to prepare and present models of alternative
governing structures to the board and relationships to be
considered alongside the 7-03 proposed bylaws; and that the
board, after exploring and studying the risks and rewards of
each of the models, determines which one best serves the
school, the church and its constituents. The models presented will continue to align CTX with the church in a way that
is faithful to the doctrine and practice of the LCMS, allows
for a sustainable future, and meets the long-term vision of
the University.”

•

September 2021 State of the University Report about DEI:
“As we take seriously the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are ever mindful of how that work is influenced
by, understood through, and lived out in accordance with our
Lutheran identity. There are many words and phrases in this
work that have been co-opted or misconstrued by various
groups. Our mission must always align with these initiatives.”
2023 Convention Workbook