LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1995, Page 127

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS . 127

Resolved, That we encourage the members of the Synod
to pray for God’s blessing on the work of the task force.as it
assists us in ministering to homosexuals and their families;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the members of the Synod deal with sex-
ual sins with the same love and concern as all other sins,
calling for repentance and offering the forgiveness in the
Good News of Jesus Christ.

Action: No action.

To Commend CTCR Report Spiritual
Gifts for Study and Guidance
RESOLUTION 3-20
Overture 3-115 (CW, p. 186); App. I (CW, pp. 292-309)

WHEREAS, The September 1994 CTCR report Spiritual
Gifts describes the use of spiritual gifts inventories and an-
alyzes this methodology in light of the biblical and confes-
sional approach to spiritual gifts; and

WHEREAS, many spiritual gifts inventories direct mem-
bers of Christian congregations to determine what their
spiritual gifts are in such a way as to depreciate the role of
the Means of Grace in the Christian life, as well as the bib-
lical doctrine of vocation; therefore be it

Resolved, That the CTCR report Spiritual Gifts be com-
mended for study and guidance throughout the Synod, es-
pecially in pastoral conferences and congregations; and be
it further

Resolved, That the congregations, pastors, and District
leadership of the Synod commit themselves to a thorough
reassessment of the propriety and validity of the use of
spiritual gifts inventories.

Action: Adopted (1).

To Commend CTCR Document
The Ministry: Offices, Procedures
and Nomenclature for Study by Synod
; RESOLUTION 3-21
Overture 3-26 (CW, p. 160)

WueEreas, A number of overtures to this convention have
addressed issues involving the doctrine of the ministry, and

Wuereas, The CTCR in 1981 published the document
The Ministry: Offices, Procedures and Nomenclature; and

WHEREAS, This document addresses many of the current
issues and concerns involving the doctrine of the ministry
and its offices; therefore be it

Resolved, That we commend this document for study
throughout Synod in pastoral conferences, our colleges and
seminaries, and among the congregations.

Action: No action.

To Affirm the Use of Wine
in the Sacrament of the Altar

RESOLUTION 3-22
Overtures 3-11-12 (CW, p. 156)

WHEREAS, In the institution of the Sacrament of the
Altar the Lord Jesus Christ gave His body and blood for us

to eat and drink under the form of bread and wine (Matt.
26:26-29; Mark 14:22~25; Luke 22:15—20; 1 Cor. 11:23—26;
cf. AC X); and

WHEREAS, In accordance with Christ’s institution, the
Lutheran Confessions define the Sacrament of the Altar to
be “the true body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in, and’
under the bread and wine which we Christians are com-
manded by Christ’s Word to eat and drink” (LC V 8; cf. AC
X; Apology X); and

WHEREAS, The blessings and benefits proffered in the
Sacrament of the Altar are not given and received apart
from the elements used by Christ in His institution of this
most venerable Sacrament, as Christ said of the bread,
“Take eat, this is My body which is given for you” and of
the wine, “This is My blood of the new covenant which is
shed for you for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28; Mark
14:24; Luke 22:20; also in the Lutheran Confessions AC X;
LC V 21-22; FC SD VII 43-53); therefore be it

Resolved, That the congregations of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod affirm the use of bread and wine
in the administration of the Sacrament of the Altar; and be
it further

Resolved, That pastors, who are stewards of the myster-
ies of God (1 Cor. 4:1) and are entrusted with the pastoral
care of souls, remain faithful in their practice of Christ’s in-
stitution of the Sacrament of the Altar through the use of
bread and wine; and be it finally

Resolved, That in cases where pastoral concern arises
concerning the reception of wine by certain persons, the in- —
stitution of Christ not be overthrown but that the pastor
stress the Gospel’s power and total effectiveness in the in-
dividual’s life and patiently seek a practical solution which
is faithful to the Word of Christ and sensitive to the desire
to partake in the Supper of the Lord.

Action: No action.

To Respectfully Decline Overtures
RESOLUTION 3-23

Overtures 3-33, 3-79, 3-108 (CW, pp. 162-63, 176,
183-84)

WHEREAS, The floor committee has considered all over-
tures assigned to it and has concluded, for various reasons,
that certain overtures should be declined; therefore be it

Resolved, That the following overtures be respectfully
declined for the reasons given:

Overture Subject Reason
3-33 Fellowship with Feilowship with individual —

Independent Congregations congregations is not consistent with our
traditional concept of fellowship. Meeting
the needs of independent congregations is
already taken care of by Synod’s
Constitution.

3-79 To Authorize Ordination of | Contrary to Scripture
Women to Pastoral Office

3-108 Inter-Christian The CTCR has taken into account
Relationships Document responses to this document and has before

it a draft of the modified report, but has not
completed deliberation of the same at the
present time.

Action: No action.