LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 55

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 55

mission, taking into account time constraints of the dissenter, for-
warded the following preliminary response:

Without rendering an opinion on the relative merits of the pro-
posals contained in the material which had been submitted to the
CTCR titled “Ordained Elders,” it is the opinion of the CTCR that
the submitter of this dissent has not demonstrated that the 1995
Resolution 3-07A is in doctrinal error or contrary to the doctrinal
position of the Synod. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence that
the doctrinal position of the Synod is in need of revision.

The commission, mindful that this was forwarded as a “‘prelim-
inary” response, once again placed the matter on its agenda, for
closure, and at its September 1997 meeting adopted a revised state-
ment indicating that the CTCR is of the opinion that the proposals
contained in the materials which had been submitted to it by the
faculty member titled “ ‘Ordained Elders’ do not demonstrate that
1995 Res. 3-07A is in doctrinal error or contrary to the doctrinal
position of the Synod and therefore in need of revision.”

3. Expression of Dissent to 1995 Resolution 3-08 “To Reaffirm the
Practice of Close(d) Communion.”

In a letter dated Nov. 9, 1995, a pastor from the North Wiscon-
sin District forwarded an expression of dissent to 1995 Res. 3-08.
At its May 1996 meeting the standing committee given responsi-
bility for this matter decided to consider the questions and concerns
raised by this pastor in connection with the CTCR’s assignment on
the issue of close(d) communion.

E. Assignments Removed
1. Word of God

In 1975 the CTCR, taking into account an overture submitted
to the 1975 convention, placed on its agenda a study of “the Word
of God.” During this past triennium the commission reviewed the
status of this project and decided to remove it from its agenda.

2. Conscience and the Third Use of the Law

The CTCR placed this topic on its agenda in 1975 in response
to a request of the President of the Synod. During the past trien-
nium the commission reviewed the status of this assignment and
decided to consult with President Barry, advising him that if it met
with his approval, the commission would remove this assignment
from its agenda. President Barry concurred with this proposal and
the assignment was then removed from the agenda.

3. Lutheran Fellowship and Identity

In November 1986 the President asked for counsel on how the
Synod might exercise responsible leadership within world
Lutheranism in view of contemporary ecumenical developments.
Following a review of this assignment in light of other matters on
its agenda (e.g., guidelines for inter-Christian relationships), the
commission decided to remove the assignment from its agenda.

F. 150th Anniversary Celebration

In April 1994 the CTCR appointed a committee to develop
plans for presenting to the Synod a “gift” in thanksgiving to God
for the blessings of the past 150 years of the Synod’s history. This
committee in February 1996 presented a proposal to the plenary
commission for a 150th Anniversary Theological Convocation.
After funding for the convocation was assured, the commission
prepared specific plans for the convocation to be held in August
1997 in conjunction with the 150th Anniversary Celebration of the
Synod in St. Louis. At its May 1996 meeting the commission rec-
ommended to the President of the Synod that he appoint a program
committee consisting of the following: chairman of the CTCR;
chairman of the Council of Presidents, presidents of the two semi-
naries, synodical President, chairman of the International Lutheran
Council or his representative, the executive director of the CTCR,
and the staff of the CTCR. As this committee began to make plans
for the convocation, President Barry recommended that the topic
for the convocation be “church and ministry.”’ The theological con-
vocation took place in St. Louis on August 5-7, 1997. About 140
people took part in the conference. The participants included 42
persons from the Council of Presidents, 12 from the CTCR, 20

from the St. Louis seminary. 13 from the Ft. Wayne seminary, 27
heads of international churches, and 26 theologians from these
church bodies. The presentations included a keynote address by
President Barry, four major papers delivered by the two seminary
presidents and two district presidents, responses to each of these
papers given by designated reactors, and concluding reflections
given by four commentators. Second Vice-President Robert King
served as chaplain of the convocation. A volume containing all of
the presentations, together with a four-part Bible study on the office
of the public ministry and the priesthood of believers will be dis-
tributed to the Synod in the Spring of 1998.

II. Church Relations
A. Inter-Lutheran
1. International Lutheran Council (ILC)

The origins of the International Lutheran Council can be traced
to a meeting of leaders of confessional Lutheran churches in
Uelzen, Germany in July 1952. A second meeting was held in 1959
in Oakland, Calif. to discuss the topic “The Fellowship between
our Churches.” This was followed in 1963 by a third meeting in
Cambridge, England, where the name “International Lutheran The-
ological Conference” was chosen for these informal international
gatherings. During the next three decades eleven more informal
gatherings of the heads of confessional Lutheran churches took
place. The ILC as a council of church bodies officially came into
existence in 1993 in Antigua, Guatemala, with the adoption of a
constitution by representatives from Lutheran church bodies from
all six continents. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod resolved
in 1995 Res. 3-03A officially to join the newly organized ILC.

The ILC is a worldwide association of established confessional
Lutheran church bodies that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
on the basis of an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scrip-
tures as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Lutheran
Confessions contained in the Book of Concord as the true and faith-
ful exposition of the Word of God.

The ILC exists for the purpose of encouraging, strengthening,
and promoting confessional Lutheran theology and practice cen-
tering in Jesus Christ and throughout the world by: 1. providing op-
portunities for the joint study of contemporary theological issues;
2. giving mutual support and encouragement to the heads of mem-
ber church bodies; 3. encouraging and assisting member churches
in planning for mission outreach; 4. strengthening theological edu-
cation through conferences of theologians and seminary teachers,
mission staffs and those involved with human care; 5. facilitating
communication between confessional Lutheran churches of the
world through the publication of JLC News; and 6. stimulating and
facilitating the preparation and. publication of confessional
Lutheran literature. The ILC is not a church body nor does it carry
out churchly functions. It does not intend to prescribe any course of
action for its members, but rather seeks to assist and strengthen
them in their confessional witness and mission.

Serving as officers of the ILC during the present biennium are
Dr. Leopoldo Heimann (chairman), Dr. Al Barry (vice-chairman),
and Rev. Karl Fry (secretary). An executive committee made up of
the three officers and four additional representatives, which is to
include one representative from each of six world areas (Africa,
East Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Southeast
Asia and Australia) is responsible for implementing the objectives
of the ILC. Dr. Edwin Lehman (Lutheran Church—Canada) has
been serving as editor of the ILC News.

At the request of the ILC and with the concurrence of the
LCMS Board of Directors and the CTCR, Dr. Samuel Nafzger
serves as the executive secretary of the ILC. The executive secre-
tary works under the general supervision of the Executive Com-
mittee and is responsible for providing administrative and technical
support. Member church bodies contribute, on an annual basis, fi-
nancial support (based on their baptized membership) for the cost
of operating the ILC. The Council, which presently has 26 partici-
pating churches, meets every two years. The most recent meeting
was held in St. Louis on August 1-4, 1997. At a Nov. 5-7, 1997,
meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the executive committee made two
important decisions: to approve the concept of regional conferences