LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 163

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 163

3-29

To Reaffirm and to Clarify Synod’s Policy
on Fellowship and Close(d) Communion

WHEREAS, Reports of worship fellowship with those who are
not in doctrinal agreement with The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod continue to trouble the church; and

WuerEAS, The close(d) Communion practices of the Synod
have been under attack in some quarters; and

WHEREAS, The practice of close(d) Communion is a part of the
Synod’s fellowship practices; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in its Constitution, Art. IH, 1, recognizes
the mandate of St. Paul to mark those who cause divisions and of-
fenses contrary to the doctrine which we have learned and avoid
them (Rom. 16:17); and

WHEREAS, The Communion statement in the worship bulletin
has become the standard means of informing guests of the scrip-
tural mandate of fellowship and close(d) Communion, and the
CTCR has even issued a sample statement as a guide for congre-
gations; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention assembled reaffirm its position on fellowship and close(d)
Communion; and be it further

Resolved, That we understand this to mean that our pastors are
not to participate publicly as worship leaders with those with whom
the Synod is not in doctrinal fellowship; and be it finally

Resolved, That those who are not members of the LCMS or of a
church body with which the Synod is in full doctrinal fellowship
are not to be communed except in very exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances do not include Sunday worship.

Grace
Paris, TX

3-30

To Reaffirm Practice of Closed Communion

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has stated
and reaffirmed on the basis of Scripture (1 Cor. 11:26; 1 Cor.
11:21; 1 Cor. 11:17ff; 1 Cor. 4:1-2) that the Lord’s Supper is an
expression of the oneness of the congregation in Christ and in His
Gospel; that one who eats and drinks at an altar confesses what is
taught from that altar; that each communicant is called on to avoid
creating divisions within the assembly; and that pastors are called
by God through the congregation faithfully to administer the Sacra-
ment according to the Lord’s institution; and, as part of this practice
the pastor will seek to prevent a profession of confessional unity
in the faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement (see
1995 Res. 3-08); and

WHEREAS, The CTCR in 1983 reminded the Synod that “the
Synod has established an official practice requiring that ‘pastors
and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, ex-
cept in situations of emergency and in special cases of pastoral
care, commune individuals of only those synods which are now in
fellowship with us’ ” (CTCR, “Theology and Practice of the Lord’s
Supper,” p. 22; 1967 Res. 2-19; 1969 Res. 3-18; 1981 Res. 3-01;
1995 Res. 3-08); and

WHEREAS, Several congregations in the Synod in recent years
have publicly ignored and/or contradicted the above mentioned
Scripture passages, synodical resolutions, and documents by ad-
mitting to their altars individuals of synods which are not now in
fellowship with us; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm 1967 Res. 2-19 that “pastors
and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, ex-
cept in situations of emergency and in special cases of pastoral
care, commune individuals of only those synods which are now in
fellowship with us”; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm 1986 Res. 3-08, “that the
pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod continue to abide by the practice of close Communion,

which includes the necessity of exercising responsible pastoral care
in extraordinary situations and circumstances,” and beseech one
another in love to remember that “situations of emergency and spe-
cial cases of pastoral care” or “extraordinary situations and cir-
cumstances” are, by their nature, relatively rare; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm 1995 Res. 3-08, “that be-
cause we are ‘eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace’ (Eph. 4:3), any members of the Synod who advocate a
different practice of Holy Communion be fraternally reminded of
the commitment all the members of the Synod make to one another
by subscribing to the Constitution of the Synod to honor and up-
hold its doctrine and practice and, if there is disagreement, to fol-
low the channels of dissent as outlined in synodical Bylaw 2.39 c.”

Prince of Peace
Hartford, IN

3-31

To Support Synod’s Teaching and Practice
on Close(d) Communion
WHEREAS, We are celebrating the 150th anniversary of our
Synod; and
WHEREAS, We cherish the truth that it is good for brothers to
dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1); and

WHEREAS, Integrity to the Word of God and faithful practice is
integral to, and the only basis for, walking together in unity; and

WHEREAS, Situations have arisen where the doctrine and prac-
tice of Synod have been publicly flaunted by some of her mem-
bers; and

WHEREAS Brotherly admonition by the synodical President,
the Rev. Dr. A. L. Barry, has gone unheeded in some cases; and

WHEREAS, The most prominent example of such public contra-
diction of scriptural practice is the situation in the Florida-Georgia
District regarding close(d) Communion in connection with the
“Celebrate” document; and

WHEREAS, We as a Synod have sought for 150 years to demon-
strate love for the truth of God’s Word and love for the neighbor in
the practice of close(d) Communion; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has consistently reaffirmed
this loving practice of close(d) Communion as our Synod’s public
doctrine and practice; and

WHEREAS, The disregard for agreed upon doctrine and practice
fractures our walking together; and

WHEREAS, We seek to be faithful to our Lord in both confes-
sion and practice; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention again reaffirm the scriptural practice of close(d) Commu-
nion; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS in convention would fraternally ad-
monish our brothers and sisters in the Florida-Georgia District for
their open advocacy of a Communion policy and practice contrary
to the Synod’s policy and practice; and be it further

Resolved, That we beseech the Florida-Georgia District Presi-
dent and our brothers and sisters in the Florida-Georgia District to
publicly retract their decision to advocate and defend the practice of
open Communion as contrary to God-pleasing church fellowship;
and be it further

Resolved, That if at the next convention of the Florida-Georgia
District said District does not publicly retract the decision to advo-
cate and defend the practice of open Communion, that the LCMS
in convention authorize the synodical President to deal with this
open violation of our Synod’s doctrine and practice, up to and in-
cluding the power to remove District Presidents and members of
the Synod from their offices, and to suspend congregations from
membership in the LCMS, if they persist in advocating and prac-
ticing open Communion; and be it finally

Resolved, The Synod would pray that Christ, the Lord of the
Church, would work repentance of heart and change of practice