LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 180

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180 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-89

To Support Historic Position on Church and Ministry

WHEREAS, The LCMS has from its foundation, in the mid-19th
century, under the leadership of C. F. W. Walther. fought against a
“papacy of the people” resulting from the invasion of political
democracy into the church, and “a papacy of the pastors” as pro-
moted by Johannes Grabau of the Buffalo Synod; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has been singularly blessed in its scrip-
tural stance and in its confessional subscription to the Book of Con-
cord regarding the doctrine of church and ministry; and

Wuereas, Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself exhorts the Christian
church in the Scriptures to keep constant vigil regarding the
church's teachings, Matt. 7:14: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con-
vention, recognize the harm that comes when the ministry sets itself
above the common Christians, and makes light of the surpassing
dignity and glory which saving grace, justifying grace, has con-
ferred upon these common Christians, or when the congregation
sets itself above the authority of the Word of God and rebels
against the faithful servant and undershepherd who seeks to faith-
fully fulfill his vows of ordination; and be it further

Resolved, That we confess with Martin Luther, C. F. W.
Walther, and countless other faithful confessors, that the “Keys be-
long not to the person of one particular man, but the Church. Christ
grants the keys principally and immediately to the Church and not
merely to certain persons. Matt. 18:20: ‘Where two or three are
gathered together in my name,’ etc.” (SA, Tract 24, 69). “The
Christian Church alone has the keys; let there be no doubt about
this. And whoever, in spite of this arrogates the keys to himself be
he Pope or anybody else, is an errant sacrilegious, a church-rob-
ber.” “Here [Matt. 18:19-20] we learn that also where two or three
are gathered in the name of Christ they have exactly the same
power as that of St. Peter and all the Apostles. Even though all of
them were but stable-boys, what does Christ care about high and
mighty lords?”; and be it finally

Resolved, That we unanimously reaffirm the historical position
of the LCMS, so clearly taught in the Scriptures and set forth in the
Book of Concord, and thereby strive to maintain the unity of the
faith, keeping the peace won for us by the precious blood and in-
nocent suffering, death, and resurrection of our dear Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ, to whom alone belongs the glory.

Rock Island Circuit Forum
Central INinois District

3-90

To Study C. F. W. Walther’s Theses on Church
and Ministry (Kirche und Amt)

WHEREAS, Every generation encounters questions on the bibti-
cal and confessional understandings of the church and its ministry;
and

Wuereas, This lack of clarity among us on the doctrine of the
church and its ministry can and has caused unnecessary difficulties
among us; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in conven-
tion has officially adopted C. F. W. Walther’s theses on church and
ministry as its position; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has a re-
newed interest in the doctrine of church and ministry and this study
is necessary for every generation and particularly now; therefore
be it

Resolved, That we commend to the people of the Northwest
District the study of C. F. W. Walther’s theses on church and min-
istry from the book Church and Ministry published by Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis, MO; and be it further

Resolved, That the Northwest District memorialize the next reg-
ular convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to pre-

pare study materials for distribution to aid in the study of the theses
on church and ministry.

Northwest District

3-91

To Institute Office of Called Elder

WHEREAS, The Wichita convention in Res. 3-05B inaugurated a
procedure by which Districts, when appropriate, could license
“deacons” for Word and Sacrament ministries; and

WHEREAS, A number of men in good faith prepared themselves
for that type of ministry; and

WuerEAs, God has richly blessed this ministry in Alaska and
other locations where people cannot afford a full-time, seminary-
educated pastor; and

WHEREAS, Many such licensed lay people cannot carry out their
regular work, serve as Word and Sacrament ministers, and engage
in seminary-level classes at the same time; and

Wuereas, The Synod authorized the seminaries to engage in
the training of such ministers but provided few if any funds for the
undertaking; and

WHEREAS, At this time the seminaries still do not have the ca-
pacity to provide this education to individual licensed lay people
in the remote locations in which many of them do their ministry;
and

WHEREAS, The 14th article of the Augsburg Confession states,
“No one should publicly teach in the Church or administer Sacra-
ments unless he be regularly called”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Northwest District of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod memorialize the Synod to rescind Res.
3-07A adopted at the 1995 convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod thank such “deacons” and “lay min-
isters” who have brought the Gospel in Word and Sacrament to
many different communities, who have often labored under great
hardship, with little or no remuneration, and encourage them in
their work; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod institute the office of “called elder”
with biblical qualifications for ministry, appropriate “on site” train-
ing, and suitable accountability to a pastor, congregation, and Dis-
trict; and be it further

Resolved, That such elders be called for a specific time and
place as reviewed by the District President within the guidelines of
the Council of Presidents; and be it finally

Resolved, That in the next triennium the Council of Presidents
draw up plans for implementing such an office and propose such
changes in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod as may be in-
dicated.

Northwest District

3-92

To Reaffirm Christological Identity
of Office of Holy Ministry

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ has granted to His church the
gift of the office of the holy ministry (John 20:21-23); and

WHEREAS, Christ has declared to those who have been placed
into this office by Him, “He who hears you hears Me” (Luke
10:16); and

WHEREAS, Our Lutheran Confessions make it abundantly clear
that those who have been placed into office stand in the stead and
by the command of Christ, so that it is, in fact, Christ Himself who,
through the office, pronounces absolution to His people, baptizes
them, distributes His body and blood to them in the Holy Supper,
and preaches to and teaches them through the voice of the called
minister (SC V 27; AC V; XIV; XXV; Ap. XIII 12; VII 28; XXIV
18; XII 39-41; AC XXVIII 8-9; Ap. XXVIII 19): therefore be it