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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 294

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

294

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(CTCR) initially issued an opinion titled “Communion and COVID19” and then later released “One little word can fell him: Addendum
to Communion and COVID-19”; and
WHEREAS, The opinions of the CTCR, on the basis of God’s
Word, properly confess the true doctrine and practice of the Lord’s
Supper, and reject the practice of so-called “internet Communion”;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Central Illinois District (CID), on the basis of
God’s Word, reject and condemn the irresponsible and unfaithful
practice of so-called “internet Communion” as contrary to the Word
of God and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further
Resolved, That the CID memorialize the 2023 Synod convention
to reject and condemn the practice of so-called “internet
Communion” as contrary to the Word of God and the Lutheran
Confessions.
Central Illinois District

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(CTCR) of the LCMS initially issued an opinion titled Communion
and COVID-19 (LCMS CTCR, 2020) and then later released One
Little Word Can Fell Him: Addendum to Communion and COVID19 (LCMS CTCR, 2020); and
WHEREAS, The opinions of the CTCR, on the basis of God’s
Word, properly confess the true doctrine and practice of the Lord’s
Supper, and reject the practice of so-called “internet Communion”;
therefore be it
Resolved, That Christ Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, South
Dakota, on the basis of God’s Word, reject and condemn the
irresponsible and unfaithful practice of so-called “internet
Communion” as contrary to the Word of God and the Lutheran
Confessions; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention also reject and condemn
the practice of so-called “internet Communion” as contrary to the
Word of God and the Lutheran Confessions.
Christ
Sioux Falls, SD

Ov. 5-13

To Reject Practice
of So-Called “Internet Communion”
WHEREAS, The Sacrament of the Altar is the true body and blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, instituted by
Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink
(catechism.cph.org/en/sacrament-of-the-altar.html); and
WHEREAS, The holy evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St.
Paul the apostle write:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took
bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to
the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given
for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also
He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He
gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the
new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the
forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me” (Lutheran Service Book, 162; 179; 197;
209; 217; see also Matt. 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–
20; 1 Cor. 11:23–25);
and
WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 lockdowns beginning in
March 2020, some pastors and congregations of the Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) chose to implement an
innovation which they labeled “internet Communion”; and
WHEREAS, The LCMS holds to the biblical practice of close(d)
communion (1 Cor. 11:28–30) for the benefit of all those who
receive Christ’s true body and blood in this sacrament; and
WHEREAS, “internet Communion” renders the pastor incapable
of knowing who might be following along from a remote location
and thereby participating in this unbiblical practice (1 Cor. 4:1–2;
Augsburg Confession [AC] XXIV 36); and
WHEREAS, These considerations all point to the introduction of
doubt where there should be clarity and confidence in the sacrament
(Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:26; AC XIII); and
WHEREAS, The practice of so-called “internet Communion”
disregards the necessity of the body of Christ from gathering
together physically (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:33; Heb. 10:25); and

2023 Convention Workbook

Ov. 5-14

To Reject Practice
of “Online or Virtual Communion”
WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 pandemic, some
congregations of our Synod started a novel practice—“online or
virtual Communion,” which is unknown to the Scriptures and
heretofore not been practiced in the Synod; and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(CTCR) and the systematic theology departments of both
seminaries have issued opinions that unequivocally and
unanimously argued against the practice of “online or virtual
Communion,” and the Council of Presidents has passed a motion
for all members of Synod to “refrain from the practice of online
Communion”; and
WHEREAS, The CTCR affirmed its 2006 opinion on DVD
consecration and applied its rationale to “online or virtual
Communion,” putting forward the arguments (among others) that
this practice:
• severs the consecration of the Sacrament through the Words
of Institution from the distribution and reception of the
Sacrament;
• potentially and unnecessarily sows doubt in the minds of
communicants as to whether the elements received are in fact
the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood;
• vitiates the instrumental role of pastoral care in the
administration of the Sacrament through the lack of pastoral
oversight, preparation of communicants, and the admission
to the table; and
• detracts from the corporate assembly of God’s people around
the Lord’s Supper as an expression of the common
confession of Christ and unity in the faith;
and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions (Formula of Concord,
Solid Declaration [FC SD] VII) indicate that the proper use of the
Sacrament includes a unified consecration, distribution, and
reception, none of which are to be severed from the other, yet the
practice of “online or virtual Communion” would interject a spatial,