LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1977, Page 130

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130 RESOLUTIONS

Resolved, That the Synod commend the Special
Committee on Doctrinal Statements for its work and
adopt its recommendations as amended:

PROPOSED WORDING
I. SYNODICAL ORGANIZATION

A. CONFESSION
1.01 Confessional Position

The confessional position of the Synod is set forth
in Article II of its Constitution, to which all who wish
to be and remain members of the Synod shall
subscribe.

1.02 Doctrinal Resolutions and Statements

a. The Synod, in seeking to clarify its witness
or to settle doctrinal controversy, shall have the right
to adopt doctrinal resolutions and statements which
are in harmony with the Scriptures and the Lutheran
Confessions.

b. Doctrinal resolutions may be adopted for the
information, counsel, and guidance of the
membership. They shall reiterate the corporate
position of the Synod and shall ordinarily cite the
pertinent passages of the Scriptures, the Lutheran
Confessions, and any previously adopted official
doctrinal statements or resolutions of the Synod.
Such resolutions come into being in the same
manner as any other resolutions of a synodical
convention and are to be honored and upheld until
such time as the Synod amends or repeals them.

c. Doctrinal statements set forth in greater detail
the corporate position of the Synod especially in
controverted matters. A proposed statement or a
proposal for the development of such a statement
shall be—

1. submitted by the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations directly to those listed in c 2 or
submitted by a synodical convention, a District
convention, a synodical faculty, or an official
District pastoral or teachers conference to the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations for
evaluation, refinement, development, or recommen-
dation, as the case may be;

2. submitted by the commission, if it acts
favorably, to the congregations, the colleges and
seminaries, and the clergy and teacher members of
the Synod for study and suggestions for no more
than one year (failure by the Commission of
Theology and Church Relations to submit a proposed
doctrinal statement within a year may be appealed
to the convention through a proper overture);

3. refined further by the commission on the basis
of suggestions received;

4. submitted by the commission to a convention
for further consideration and possible adoption by
majority vote; amendments shall require a two-
thirds affirmative vote of those present and voting;

5. resubmitted to the congregations for ratifica-
tion in its final existing form;

6. ratified and operative if a two-thirds majority
of the member congregations which respond within 6
months registers an affirmative vote on a ballot
supplied by the synodical Secretary for that purpose.
Failure to ratify makes the statement inoperative,
and this fact shall be reported by the Secretary to the
members of the Synod through an announcement in
the official periodical.

7. Such adopted and ratified doctrinal statements
shall be regarded as the corporate position of the
Synod and shall be “accepted and used as helpful
expositions and explanations” (FC SD Rule and
Norm, 10). They shall be honored and upheld (“to
abide by, act, and teach in accordance with” [1971

Res. 2-21]) until such time as the Synod amends or
repeals them.

8. An overture to amend such an adopted and
ratified doctrinal statement shall follow the same
procedure as listed in paragraph c, 1 to 6, above.

9. An overture to repeal such an adopted and
ratified doctrinal statement shall require a majority
vote of a convention in answer to an overture
properly submitted and be subject to the procedure of
congregational approval set forth in paragraph c, 6,
above.

10. In the interim, those who submit overtures to
amend or to repeal shall, while retaining their right
to dissent, continue to honor and uphold publicly the
statement as the corporate position of the Synod,
notwithstanding further study and action by the
Synod.

d. Dissent from doctrinal resolutions and
statements shall be governed by Bylaw 1.09 e.

B. MEMBERSHIP

1.03 Application and Reception
Applications. . ..

1.04 Signing Constitution
All members... .

Action: Adopted as amended (9).

(Discussion was begun in Session 8 and continued in
Session 9. The convention changed “simple majority” to “two-
thirds majority” in proposed Bylaw 1.02 c, 6. It declined, 449 to
536, an amendment to change the same Bylaw paragraph to
read: “... and operative if within 6 months a majority of the
member congregations register an affirmative vote....” It also
declined to insert “a congregation” after “conference” in
Bylaw 1.02 c, 1, and insert “and which in no way restrict”
after “in harmony with” in 1.02 a.)

To Support Efforts to Protect
the Living but Unborn

RESOLUTION 3-08C

Report 3-01 I, B, 11; III, C (CW, pp. 41, 47);
Overtures 3-68A--3-73 (CW, pp. 89—91)

WHEREAS, Life is a gift of God, and unborn (nascent)
life is of special value before God, and life and death
belong to the province of God (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5;
Is. 49:5; Gal. 1:15); and

WHEREAS, An individual human being is a sinner
from the moment of conception (Ps. 51:5); and

WHEREAS, The Formula of Concord states that our
Lord was fully human as well as fully divine from the
moment of His conception (Tappert p. 592:7, p. 593:13,
p. 596:26) and that His human nature is like ours in
every way except in the matter of sin; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in Milwaukee in
1971 addressed the issue of abortion and resolved that
“willful abortion is contrary to the will of God” (Res. 2-
39, 1971 Proceedings, p. 126); and

WHEREAS, The Synod has stated in its Social
Ministry Affirmations, adopted in convention at
Milwaukee in 1971, that “human life must be treasured,
supported, and protected” and that “we encourage all
people to avoid perverting God will... through such
acts as abortion or euthanasia” (Res. 9-07, 1971
Proceedings, p. 191); and