LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 309

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
14. In the midst of sin, justice to God demands obedience to his
command to pursue reconciliation with one another and
also to love one another even apart from reaching full
reconciliation (Matt. 5:24, 44–48). But for reconciliation to
happen, other specific elements of justice are required:
repenting the wrongdoing and seeking to restore the
good(s) of the one wronged (Luke 17:3–4; Luke 19; Ex.
22:1–4; Leviticus 5–6). Scripture also shows that
communities have responsibility to pursue such
“restorative” justice for their past sins and their
consequences (Nehemiah 4–6, Ezra 9–10, Daniel 9)—yet
without treating any individual as responsible for the “sins
of his fathers” in the way he is for his own sins (unless he
continues the fathers’ sins—Ezekiel 18; Matt. 23:34–36).
Therefore, love, reconciliation, and justice should not be
pitted against one another but pursued with attention to all
these biblical distinctions and the distinct history of all
communities, biblical and contemporary.
15. Notably, the biblical form of love, justice, and equity thus
includes a whole range of elements that worldly ideologies
tend to tear apart (and otherwise corrupt). For instance, it
affirms commonality (human and ecclesial), along with
individual responsibility; but it also affirms ethnic/racial
diversity and the focus on forces, structures, and communal
responsibility central to many ideas of “social justice.”
Once more, we can ally ourselves with no one perspective
even as we must acknowledge partial truths in many—and
above all, seek their critical reunification according to their
true definitions in the whole counsel and will of God.
16. Finally, it is not enough to hear and agree to such truths in
principle; we must be “doers of the Word” (James 1:22)
who examine our lives in light of them, including our
collective lives in the U.S. and our local communities and
also in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), its
institutions, and our congregations. Importantly, since
justice is ordering according to God’s will, we also must
pursue this examination with due regard for the distinctions
God wills between the “two realms/regiments” of Church
and world/government and the specific purposes He gives
to specific orders (family, business, etc.)—even as he
directs all of these from Christ to Christ (Col. 1:15–20) and
calls us to witness and conform to His will in all things
(Prov. 3:5–6; Rom. 12:2; Luke 9:26).
therefore be it
Resolved, That Synod in convention exhort its members, leaders,
and entities to pursue all the truth and the whole counsel of God;
cease all hasty “labeling” and charges of false doctrine in favor of
careful discussion; and love one another by seeking consensus in
truth but also by caring for all people in our common brokenness;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod President and the CTCR form a task
force that will lead and promote dialogue between all corners of
Synod on race/ethnicity, economics, and sex and gender, including
through their own in-person gatherings. The goal of the task force
is not to resolve every question, but to foster better conversation and
to identify baseline, balanced biblical commitments and practical
actions that should unite us and points where greater uncertainty
leaves more room for further inquiry and mutual forbearance. It will
first want to address the key biblical definitions, claims, and

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commands but then also specific issues in the U.S. and LCMS
contexts in light of these. To facilitate real dialogue and the
gathering of all the truth, the task force should seek representation
of both theological and practical wisdom from a diversity of
perspectives and ministry areas. For instance, it might invite
representatives from: the Brothers of St. John the Steadfast; the
board of KFUO; the Commission for Doctrinal Review; both
LCMS seminaries; the Hispanic Institute of Theology; the Black
Clergy Caucus; Lutherans for Racial Justice; Lutheran World Relief
and Human Care; the Concordia universities; the Lutheran
Women’s Missionary League and Lutheran Hour; the Concordia
Deaconess Conference; and/or LCMS Youth Ministry. The task
force might also benefit from a psychologist and social worker who
work with LGBTQ+ persons and their families with biblical grace
and truth; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force aim at a final report by the next
convention but also look for opportunities along the way to gather
input and convey key initial findings; and be it further
Resolved, That not only the President, CTCR, and task force but
also all members of Synod seek opportunities to foster other, more
“local” fraternal and reasoned conversations on these topics; and be
it finally
Resolved, That the Synod President and relevant Synod staff
work with the CTCR to find any necessary funding or people
resources to support the task force, its in-person gatherings, and any
promising local gatherings they can.
St. Peter
Mishawaka, IN
Ov. 5-36

To Condemn Heresy of Transgenderism
as Violation of Commandments and Creed
WHEREAS, God’s Word teaches that He created mankind either
male or female according to the body. To wit: “Then God said, ‘Let
us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens
and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be
fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens
and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Gen. 1:26–
28) (see also Gen. 5:2; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6; Rev. 12:5; 13); and
WHEREAS, God’s Word teaches that He created mankind either
man or woman and these correspond with male or female in Genesis
1:27, Genesis 5:2, Matthew 19:4, Mark 10:6, Revelation 12:5 and
13. To wit: “The man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken
out of Man’” (Gen 2:23); and
WHEREAS, God’s Word teaches that the distinction and
difference between male and female is echoed in every creature in
whom is the breath of life. To wit: “And of every living thing of all
flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them
alive with you. They shall be male and female.” (Gen. 6:19); also
“Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male [husband]
and his mate [wife], and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the
male [husband] and his mate [wife], and seven pairs of the birds of
2023 Convention Workbook