LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 50

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50 SYNODICAL REPORTS

B. Studies in Progress
1, Women in the Church
a. The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices

In November 1994 the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations, in response to an assignment from the 1989 synodical
convention (cf. Res. 3-13A, “To Study and Clarify Services of
Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices”), adopted a re-
port titled The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical
Offices, which was published in the December 1994 issue of the
Reporter. A “Dissenting Opinion on Women in Congregational Of-
fices,” signed by five members of the commission, was printed in
this same issue of the Reporter. (Both of these documents were in-
cluded in the 1995 Convention Workbook, pp. 310ff.) In its report
to the 1995 convention, the commission unanimously recom-
mended “that the Synod pledge itself during the coming triennium
to a careful study of the commission’s report The Service of Women
in Congregational and Synodical Offices, together with theologi-
cal issues raised in the dissenting opinion and in the CTCR’s 1968
and 1985 reports (Woman Suffrage in the Church and Women in
the Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice) so that,
under the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod may be found faithful to God's will for
the service of women and men in the church.”

The 1995 convention, in response to the reports and memorials
submitted on this matter, adopted a resolution (3-06A) which com-
mended the commission for its work on this assignment, urged the
members of the Synod to study the commission’s reports and the
dissenting opinion and to share the results of their study with the
commission, requested that the CTCR, in consultation with the
Synod’s seminaries, give its highest priority to the continued study
of the issues addressed in The Service of Women, and asked that
the members of the Synod continue to uphold the position of the
Synod regarding the service of women as stated in the 1970 opin-
ion of the Commission on Constitutional Matters.

The CTCR has sought to give this assignment its highest prior-
ity. While only one response to the study of the service of women
in congregational and synodical offices has been received by the
commission since the 1995 convention, two of the CTCR’s three
standing committees have been at work on this assignment. Not
everyone on the commission is agreed, however, as to how best to
proceed in giving this assignment the highest priority. All mem-
bers of the commission are agreed that questions regarding the ser-
vice of women in congregational and synodical offices should be
answered on the basis of the inspired and inerrant Scriptures and
the Lutheran Confessions, and there is unanimous agreement on
the commission that the Holy Scriptures clearly teach (1 Cor. 11,
14 and | Tim. 2) that, to use the words of 1969 Resolution 2-17,
“women ought not to hold the pastoral office or serve in any other
capacity involving the distinctive functions of this office.”

Some members of the commission, however, believe that the
foundational exegetical work regarding the service of women in all
congregational offices (including those of chairman, vice-chairman,
and elder) has already been carried out in the preparation of the
commission’s 1985 report Women in the Church. They contend
that this document, which has been commended by three synodi-
cal conventions to the members of the Synod for study, reference
and guidance (1986 Res. 3-09, 1989 Res. 3-14, and 1992 Res. 3-
04), has provided the theological basis for the conclusion that
“women may hold any office and serve on any committee of the
congregation which enhances the work of the priesthood of all be-
lievers” and that “everything depends on the nature of functions as-
signed to various offices established by the church” (Women in the
Church, 1985, p. 46). These members of the commission hold, ac-
cordingly, that there are no scriptural reasons which prohibit
women from serving as congregational chairman and vice-chair-
man, provided that the duties prescribed for these offices “do not
allow for the assumption of the distinctive functions of the pastoral
office” (The Service of Women, 1995 CW, p. 311). These members
would also urge that the Synod not permit women to serve as con-
gregational elders (or however else this office may be referred to) if
this office calls upon its incumbents to assist “the pastor in the pub-
lic exercise of the distinctive functions of his office” (CW, p. 310),

but that women be permitted to hold the office of elder (perhaps
referred to by a different term), provided that this would not in-
volve them in distinctive functions of the pastoral ministry.

Others members of the commission, on the other hand, disagree
with this way of proceeding, though they, too, seek to give the mat-
ter the highest priority. They do not believe that the foundational
work necessary for presenting the scriptural position on the service
of women in the office of chairman, vice-chairman, and elders has,
in fact, been presented in the 1985 report Women in the Church.
For example, they hold that more thorough exegetical work on the
key but controverted passage | Tim. 2:12 regarding the precise
meaning of teaching (didaskein) and exercising authority (authen-
tein), and regarding the relationship of these ideas to one another, is
necessary beyond the brief treatment given it there (cf., p. 35). In
addition, these members of the commission do not believe that the
commission's 1985 report sufficiently recognizes that Paul’s state-
ment concerning the order of creation in | Tim. 2:13 applies be-
yond the pastoral office, especially when his teaching on the order
of creation in Eph. 5:23~33 and 1 Cor. 11:2—16 does not seem to be
applied to that office at all. Furthermore, these members hold that
the 1994 document, and to some extent the 1985 report itself, seem
to be in conflict with the Synod’s own understanding of 1969 Res.
2-17, as expressed in the Commission on Constitutional Matters’
1970 ruling on that resolution. Accordingly, they urge the Synod
to wait until the studies currently underway, which speak to key is-
sues in foundational passages, are completed before taking further
action on the service of women in congregational offices.

b. Scriptural Relationship of Man and Woman

The 1995 convention of the Synod asked that “the CTCR coor-
dinate a comprehensive study of the scriptural relationship of man
and woman, together with the faculties of both seminaries, making
use of other persons who are competent in the area of theology, in-
cluding women” (Res. 3-10). The standing committee having pre-
liminary responsibility for work on this assignment began its work
by prioritizing various issues involved in this assignment. These is-
sues included the following: the nature of God/inclusive-exclusive
language, Imago Dei (“image of God’), orders of creation, the
meaning of authentein (“to usurp authority over,” KJV; “to have
authority over,” RSV), priesthood of all believers (the latter three
items are included in a 1993 request of the Atlantic District), con-
gregational offices, women serving as lectors (September 1996 re-
quest of the President of the Synod), and the question of women
serving as teachers of theology (June 1993 request of Board for
Higher Education Services). The study on inclusive language (see
section I A 6 above) has now been completed and the commission
has given a progress report on the matter of the service of women
in congregational and synodical offices. The standing committee
is proceeding with its work on the remaining topics.

2. Guidelines for Inter-Christian Relationships

Th& 1981 convention of the Synod requested that the CTCR
prepare “practical guidelines ... to assist officials, pastors, teachers,
congregations, and individuals in the Synod, in determining which
practices and activities are appropriate to the various levels of inter-
Lutheran and inter-Christian relationships in which the Synod is
involved” (Res. 3-03A). In partial response to this assignment the
commission distributed a study document to the Synod in 1991 ti-
tled Guidelines for Inter-Christian Relationships: An Instrument
for Study. A draft of the commission’s final report from a standing
committee of the commission has been shared with the Council of
Presidents for their review prior to further consideration of this as-
signment by the commission.

3. Close(d) Communion

Under 1995 Omnibus Res. A referring a number of overtures to
the CTCR, three of these overtures dealt with the practice of
close(d) Communion. After carefully reviewing the questions and
concerns raised in these overtures the commission decided to add to
its agenda an assignment to “undertake a thorough study of the
practice of ‘close[d] Communion.’” President Barry and the Prae-
sidium have asked that the commission give this assignment its