LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 241

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STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 241

Resolved, That the Synod in its 1998 convention give the Pres-
ident of Synod power to suspend any District President who fails to
publicly support, defend, and promote doctrinal and constitutional
positions of the LCMS.

Mount Hope
Casper, WY

7-07

To Support and Encourage Synodical President
in Exercise of Ecclesiastical Supervision

WHEREAS, Art. III of the Constitution of the LCMS lists as ob-
jectives of our Synod to “conserve and promote the unity of the
true faith” and “provide a united defense against schism, sectari-
anism (Rom. 16:17) and heresy”; and

WHEREAS, Art. VI of the LCMS Constitution lists as conditions
of membership in the Synod “renunciation of unionism and syn-
cretism of every description”; and

WHEREAS, Art. XI B gives the President of Synod the supervi-
sion regarding the doctrine and administration of all the officers of
Synod and encourages him to admonish all who in any way depart
from the Synod’s Constitution and report to Synod all cases where
admonition is not heeded; and

WHEREAS, It is apparent from the official notice in the Febru-
ary 1997 Reporter that the Southern District President Orval
Mueller violated the doctrine of our Synod by participating in a
unionistic service on Aug. 10, 1996, and has refused to heed the
admonitions of the synodical President and Vice-Presidents (this
in turn serves to undermine the unity of our common faith and con-
fession and encourages schism); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Iowa District East in convention register its
concern that an elected officer of the Synod who should be an ex-
ample of right doctrine and practice to the whole church would
publicly violate our doctrine and practice and then having done so
would refuse to repent when admonished; and be it further

Resolved, That in accordance with Art. XI 2 of the Constitution
(which says, “The Synod at all times has the right to call its officers
to account and, if circumstances require it, to remove them from
office in accordance with Christian procedure”), the Synod in con-
vention authorize the synodical President to take steps to discipline
the aforementioned District President and if necessary to declare
the office of the Southern District President vacant; and be it fi-
nally

Resolved, That we humbly encourage one another to walk to-
gether in our agreed-upon doctrine and practice and show concern
for the souls of the weak who might be led astray by examples of
false doctrine or careless practice.

Towa District East; Crookston Circuit, Minnesota North
District

7-08

To Reaffirm Fellowship Practices and Require District
Presidents to Abide by Them

Preamble

In August 1996 the President of the Southern District of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod participated in a joint wedding
service in Watertown, SD, with a clergyman of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America. This participation was contrary to the
official fellowship practice of the Synod, the regular practice of the
South Dakota District, the fraternal request of the President of the
South Dakota District, and the repeated counsel of the President
and Praesidium of the Missouri Synod.

Due to the outstanding, public nature of this incident, the fol-
lowing convention action is proposed.

WHEREAS, The fellowship practice of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod has been established in obedience to Holy Scrip-
tures as a testimony to the importance of pure doctrine and as a
demonstration of fraternal concern for those who have associated
with church bodies which teach and promote error; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has accordingly determined by conven-
tion resolution that its clergy will not participate in joint worship
services with clergy of other church bodies so long as formal altar
and pulpit fellowship has not been established; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has not entered into altar and pulpit fel-
lowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America due to
serious doctrinal concerns; and

WHEREAS, The same fellowship principles and restrictions
therefore apply to our relationship with the ELCA as apply to our
relationship with other heterodox church bodies; and

Wuereas, Our Synod rightly expects that its District Presidents
will not only comply with our Synod’s fellowship principles and
practices as rostered members of the Synod but will also uphold
and carry out its decisions as a primary responsibility of their office
(Bylaw 4.71); and

Wuereas, District Presidents by accepting their office also ac-
cept the responsibility of providing leadership by example, person-
ally abiding by Synod’s decisions and thereby promoting peace and
good order in the church; and

WuereAs, District Presidents no less than others, when they
have concerns or disagreements with resolutions of our Synod,
enjoy the right and responsibility for proper dissent according to
the procedure established by our Synod (Bylaw 2.39 c); and

Wuereas, A District President who therefore participates in a
joint worship service contrary to the established doctrine and prac-
tice of our Synod seriously violates the agreed-upon practice and
procedures of the Synod and fails to carry out significant responsi-
bilities of his office; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 1998 convention of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod reaffirm the fellowship practice of the Synod, that
its clergy, including and especially District Presidents, will not par-
ticipate in joint worship services with clergy of church bodies not
in fellowship until such time as official fellowship agreement ex-
ists; and be it further

Resolved, That this fellowship practice continue to include so-
called “occasional services” such as wedding, funeral, and com-
munity-wide services; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod again
underscore that its fellowship practice is intended to demonstrate
unwavering faithfulness to the teachings of Holy Scriptures while
offering outstanding testimony and concern to those endangered by
association with error; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm Bylaw 4.71, which instructs
its District Presidents to faithfully “represent the Synod” in their
respective territories and to “cause the resolutions of the Synod to
be implemented in the District”; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod encourage all who wish to express
dissent to utilize the procedure for dissent which is provided to all
its members in Bylaw 2.39 c, which requires that dissent of a doc-
trinal nature “is to be expressed first within the fellowship of peers,
then brought to the attention of the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations before finding expression as an overture to the
convention calling for revision or recision’”; and be it finally

Resolved, That for the sake of harmony and good order this con-
vention authorize disciplinary action against District Presidents no
less than others who refuse to abide by the mutually accepted prin-
ciples and practices of the Synod.

Board of Directors
South Dakota District