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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 195

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Thesis I
Its primary duty is to be faithful to the Confessions in
word and deed, and therefore it must
a. without reservation confess the creeds of the Evangelical Lutheran Church;
b. accept only pastors, teachers, and congregations
that are faithful to the Confessions;
c. supervise the confessional faithfulness of its members;
d. practice fellowship only with church bodies that
are faithful to the Confessions.

Thesis II
A second major duty is that it faithfully treat its congregations in an evangelical way, and therefore
a. not assume a dictatorial role over them but only
help them in an advisory way;
b. assist them in acquiring upright pastors and teachers;
c. protect them against pastors who err in doctrine,
follow an offensive lifestyle, and are domineering
in their office.

Thesis III
A third major duty is that it supports its pastors and
teachers, and therefore
a. counsel them;
b. support them in the proper conduct of their office;
c. defend them against unjust treatment.
Article VII of the Constitution, finally, speaks of the advisory nature of the Synod:

Article VII Relation of the Synod to Its Members
1.

In its relation to its members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical government exercising legislative or coercive
powers, and with respect to the individual congregation’s right of self-government it is but an advisory
body. Accordingly, no resolution of the Synod imposing
anything upon the individual congregation is of binding
force if it is not in accordance with the Word of God or
if it appears to be inexpedient as far as the condition of a
congregation is concerned.
2. Membership of a congregation in the Synod gives the
Synod no equity in the property of the congregation.
The meaning of this article is often misunderstood and has engendered significant debate. When it speaks of the advisory nature of
the Synod, it does not mean that the Synod is advisory to its own
administrative structure, which includes districts. Districts have
been created by the Synod and are the Synod itself in that place,
which means that the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the
Synod are binding on the districts (Const. Art. XII 1–2, 12; Bylaws
4.1.1–4.1.1.2). A district is not free to disregard these.
With regard to its individual members and congregations, the Synod
does not exercise legislative or coercive powers. This means that if

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a congregation or individual member violates one of the conditions
of membership in the Synod, the Synod cannot force compliance.
The means by which the Synod addresses such a violation is by
removal of the individual or congregation from membership in the
Synod. Anything more is explicitly disclaimed: “In its relation to its
members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical government exercising
legislative or coercive powers.” The Synod’s relation to its member
congregations, specifically, is made yet more clear: “with respect
to the individual congregation’s right of self-government it is but
an advisory body.” Here maintained is not only the congregation’s
ability to act freely, without any possibility of the Synod directing
at law or coercing its action, but explicitly disclaimed, in matters
of the congregation’s self-government, is the Synod’s ability to do
anything more than to advise the congregation. While the term selfgovernment is not further defined, a universally recognized and affirmed aspect of this self-government is the right of a congregation
to call the pastor it wants. This it can do, of course, as the Synod
is “not an ecclesiastical government exercising legislative or coercive powers.” But here, provided the congregation does not in so
doing violate its agreed-to terms of membership in the Synod (for
example, by calling and/or being served by a man who is not on
the roster of the Synod, Bylaws 2.5.2, 4), the congregation cannot
be removed from membership for acting otherwise than as advised
(for example, by seeking but ultimately discounting the advice of a
district president as to an eligible ordained minister the congregation might call).
Thus, in terms of calling a pastor the limits placed on a congregation are minimal:
1. Article VI 3 requires the regular call of pastors (“This is
generally assumed to include such requirements as proper
eligibility of the candidate, proper notification for the call
meeting, the presence of a legal quorum in the call meeting,
and election by the congregation itself.” Ag. 438, Minutes of
June 7–8, 1973)
2. Bylaw 2.5.2 limits, as a condition of membership in the
Synod, a congregation to calling and being served only by
ordained ministers who are on the roster of the Synod. This
requirement flows out of Article II of the Constitution, to
guarantee faithfulness to the Scriptures and Confessions.
3. Bylaw 2.5.1 requires a congregation to seek the counsel of
its district president when it is in the process of calling a
pastor (his corresponding duty to provide such counsel being found in Bylaw 4.4.5 [a]). Because of the relationship
of the Synod to the congregation as expressed in Article VII
this counsel is advisory. Indeed, it is some of the extremely
valuable advice, the “calling of servants of the Word [being]
a most important matter” (1945 Handbook, 56, cited from
the 4th Synod Handbook [1899], 10, 11, 147; 1863 Proceedings, 31), that motivates a congregation to join and remain a
member of the Synod (Walther’s second thesis, above).
4. Bylaw 2.13.1 precludes a congregation calling a specific
ministry pastor to a ministry context for which he has not
been trained and certified by his district president.
5. Bylaws 2.13.2.2 (b) and 2.13.4.2 (c) deal with individual
members with restricted or suspended status. While technically such an individual could be called by a congregation,
which is itself perhaps unaware of the status, they cannot
accept such a call until their restricted or suspended status
has been removed.
2023 Convention Workbook