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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 342

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

342

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES

Resolved, That the Montana District in convention instruct the
current and all future Montana District Presidents to include these
words in the Rites of Ordination and Installation of Pastors: “and do
you promise to retain the sins of those who are impenitent as long
as they do not repent,” when he or his agent conducts these rites;
and be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention request the Board for
National Mission (BNM) of the Synod to insert the binding key
language where applicable into the Rite of Ordination; and be it
further
Resolved, That the BNM of the Synod deliver the revised rite to
CPH for publication, or announce that they choose not to include
the binding key in the Rite of Ordination and publicly provide the
rationale for continuing to omit the binding key by November 30,
2024; and be it finally
Resolved, That the district in convention petition the Synod in
convention to direct the BNM of the Synod to make this inclusion.
Montana District
Ov. 6-38

To Support and Participate
in Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support
and “Preach the Word”
WHEREAS, The members of the Synod have agreed to and
adopted the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws that order our life
together in service of the Gospel; and
WHEREAS, “A district is the Synod itself performing the
functions of the Synod” (Bylaw 4.1.1.1), as set forth in:
• Bylaw 1.3.2, “The Synod divides itself into districts and
authorizes its districts to create circuits. The criteria for the
creation of districts and circuits are determined by the Synod
in convention. Districts and circuits are included among the
component parts of the Synod.”
• Bylaw 1.3.4.1, “Members agree to uphold the confessional
position of the Synod (Constitution Art. II) and to assist in
carrying out the objectives of the Synod (Constitution Art.
III), which are objectives of the members themselves.”
• Bylaw 4.1.1, “The Synod is not merely an advisory body in
relation to a district, but establishes districts in order more
effectively to achieve its objectives and carry on its
activities.”
• Bylaw 4.1.1.1, “Resolutions of the Synod are binding upon
the districts”; and
WHEREAS, District presidents shall represent the Synod in the
district in which he was elected, as detailed in:
• LCMS Constitution Article XII 9 a, “[The district presidents]
shall see to it that all resolutions of the Synod which concern
the districts are made known to the districts and are carried
out by them.”
• Bylaw 4.4.2 (a), “He shall cause the resolutions of the Synod
to be implemented in the district, encouraging the
congregations and schools to embrace the mission and
ministry emphases adopted by the national convention for
the triennium.”
• Bylaw 4.4.4 (b), “In his official visits [the district president]
shall seek to bring about to the greatest possible degree the

2023 Convention Workbook

achievement of the Synod’s objectives as expressed in
Article III of its Constitution.”
• Bylaw 5.2.3 (g), “[The circuit visitor] shall assist in the
development and attainment of Synod-wide mission and
ministry emphases”; and
WHEREAS, Congregations and members of Synod commit
themselves to the Constitution and Bylaws of Synod in our life
together as stated in:
• Bylaw 1.1.1, “Committed to a common confession and
mission, congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod join with one another in the Synod to support one
another and to work together in carrying out their commonly
adopted objectives.”
• Bylaw 1.3.1, “Individual Christians are joined together in a
worshiping and serving community, the congregation.
Congregations, the basic units of the Synod, have joined
together to form the Synod and relate to one another through
it.”
• Bylaw 1.3.4, “Congregations together establish the
requirements of membership in the Synod Constitution Art.
VI). In joining the Synod, congregations and other members
obligate themselves to fulfill such requirements and to
diligently and earnestly promote the purposes of the Synod
by word and deed.”
• Bylaw 1.3.4.1, “While congregations of the Synod are selfgoverning Constitution Art. VII), they, and also individual
members, commit themselves as members of the Synod to
act in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the
Synod under which they have agreed to live and work
together and which the congregations alone have the
authority to adopt or amend through conventions”; and
WHEREAS, Synod in convention has adopted resolutions that call
for the encouragement, support, endorsement, and intentional,
consistent usage of the following Synod initiatives and programs:
• Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS).
PALS helps pastors and their wives transition from seminary
into the first three years of his call (lcms.org/how-weserve/education/pastoral/post-seminary-applied-learningand-support)—in LCMS conventions taking place in 1998,
2013, 2016 and 2019; and
• Preach the Word (PTW). PTW helps pastors work together
to improve their preaching through video modules with
accompanying resources and by interacting with seminary
professors and fellow preachers (resources.lcms.org/preachthe-word/)—in LCMS conventions taking place in 2016 and
2019;
therefore be it
Resolved, That all districts and district presidents carry out and
implement PALS and PTW in each respective district of Synod and
not replace these programs and initiatives with district substitutes;
and be it further
Resolved, That all the Synod congregations and church workers
be encouraged to support and participate in PALS and PTW in our
life together in service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastoral Formation Committee