LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 253

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STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 253

tions have already separated themselves from the Synod by their
own decisions; and be it further

Resolved, That all elected officials including, but not limited to,
the synodical President and Vice-Presidents, the District Presidents
and Vice-Presidents, and Circuit Counselors are directed to make
resolving the disharmony in our walking together as their highest
priority for the next two or three years; and be it further

Resolved, That the synodical and District Presidents are directed
to report at the next District or synodical convention their specific
successes in reclaiming the erring pastors and congregations or sep-
arating those from the Synod who insist on continuing their erring
behavior; and be it finally

Resolved, That we pledge to pray continually to God to grant
the elected officials the wisdom and courage to exercise the re-
sponsibilities entrusted to them by the synodically adopted proce-
dures.

Trinity
Denver, CO

7-44

To Abolish Practice of Forcing Pastors
and Seminary Students into Psychological Assessment
and/or Treatment

WHEREAS, It has become an increasingly common practice in
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod that persons in authority
over the issuance of a divine call, such as District presidents or
seminary administrators, will withhold a call from an ordained pas-
tor or will deny acknowledgment of readiness for ordination to
graduating seminary students (thus denying them the opportunity to
receive a call) unless the potential pastor or student undergo some
form of psychological, psychiatric, or other mental health evalua-
tion and/or treatment to the satisfaction of the person in position of
authority; and

WHEREAS, The divine call to be a pastor is God-given; and

WHEREAS, It is unscriptural and un-Godly and un-Christian to
interfere with the divine call; and

WHEREAS, There is no scientific/empirical or rational/reason-
able basis for assuming, asserting, or alleging that professional
mental health practitioners such as psychologists or psychiatrists
have the capability of determining the necessary qualities of a pas-
tor; and

WHEREAS, There is no scientific/empirical or rational/reason-
able basis for assuming, asserting, or alleging that professional
mental health practitioners, such as psychologists or psychiatrists,
have the capacity to change a man in order to imbue the necessary
qualities of a pastor; and

WHEREAS, This practice violates the principles upon which ef-
fective mental health assessment or intervention rely, to wit, free
agency, motivation, and assurances of confidentiality; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS is founded on the belief that the Bible is
the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and in contrast the compe-
tent practice of mental health intervention is based on science, that
is, on skepticism and empirical demonstration; and

WHEREAS, There is real albeit very infrequent valid concern that
a pastor or student may be impaired and thus incapable of success-
fully fulfilling the duties of the office of the ministry; therefore be
it

Resolved, That the LCMS condemns the practice of forcing a
pastor or a seminary student into mental health assessment or treat-
ment as an abuse of power; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod forbids
the practice of forcing a pastor or a seminary student into mental
health assessment or treatment; and be it further

Resolved, That if concerns about a pastor’s or student’s fitness
exist that the scriptural principle of Matthew 18 be followed, that
is, that the concerns be brought to the attention of the pastor or stu-

dent privately, in earnest good faith, and with the full disclosure of
all competent evidence causing such concern; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS in convention reaffirms that, as es-
tablished in Art. XII of the constitution of the LCMS, the only rea-
sons for removing a pastor from the ministry are for acting con-
trary to the confession laid down in Art. I (of the Constitution) and
to the conditions of membership laid down in Art. VI, or for per-
sisting in an offensive conduct.

Immanuel, Peoria, IL; St. James, Archbold, OH; Our
Redeemer, Forsyth, IL; Bethany, Fort Wayne, IN

7-45

To Correct Abuses by Amending Process
Commencing Action to Terminate Congregational
or Individual Membership

WHEREAS, Bylaw 2.27 provides a process for “Commencing an
Action to Terminate Congregational or Individual Membership”;
and

WHEREAS, On Aug. 23, 1996, Rev. Robert Nordlie, senior pas-
tor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wayzata, Minn., was formally
charged with “holding, teaching, fostering, and allowing a doctrine
and practice contrary to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confes-
sions” by 26 members of our congregation; and

WHEREAS, There was no face-to-face discussion between Pastor
Nordlie and the complainants about the specific charges of false
doctrine brought against him either before or after they were filed;
and

WuEeREAS, President Lane Seitz of the Minnesota South District,
on Nov. 10, 1996, informed the complainants that “your allegations
are not substantiated and that the facts which you have presented do
not form a basis for expelling Rev. Dr. Nordlie under Art. XIII of
the Constitution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,” and
exonerated Pastor Nordlie of the charges; and

WHEREAS, On Nov. 19, 1996, Dr. Seitz’s decision was appealed
to the Praesidium of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, Pastor Nordlie was not provided with any of the ap-
peal documents until Jan. 29, 1997, and as of the writing of this
overture had still not received a complete set of appeal documents;
and

WHEREAS, the synodical Bylaws contain no provision for in-
forming the member of the charges against him until such time as
the District President or the Praesidium “concludes that the facts
form a basis for expulsion of the member”; and

WHEREAS, The synodical Bylaws contain no provision for pro-
viding the member with documentation surrounding the allega-
tions; and

WHEREAS, The synodical Bylaws provide for an automatic ap-
peal to the Praesidium of Synod without cause or reason except that
“the District President declines to suspend the member or fails to
act within 90 days”; and

WHEREAS, The synodical Bylaws specify that the District Pres-
ident shall act within 90 days, and that a Dispute Resolution Panel
shall act within 60 days of its final hearing, but contain no provi-
sion concerning the time in which the Praesidium shall act; and

WHEREAS, Our congregation and pastor have suffered greatly
under this process and continue to endure great hardship as of the
wniting of this overture; therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 2.27 of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod be amended as follows:

PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING
a. When, either by a written complaint of any person or by
his own personal knowledge, facts which could lead to the ex-
pulsion of a member from the Synod under Article XIII of the
Constitution are made known to the District President who has
ecclesiastical supervision of such member, the District President
shall