LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 281

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 18]

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention assembled reaffirm the christological identity of the office
of the ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod reaffirm
the Confessions’ position that, according to ecclesiastical order and
its functions, which are set forth in the Augsburg Confession, Art.
XIV, “no one should publicly teach in the church or administer the
Sacraments unless he be regularly called,” so that in upholding this
matter, we guard against confusing the uniqueness of this office
and its functions with the identity and responsibilities of the priest-
hood of all believers.

Grace, Paris. TX: Rock Island Circuit Forum, Central
Illinois District

3-93

To Instruct “Permanent Vacancies” and Congregations
Being Served by “Retired” Pastors
to Call Their Pastors

WuereEAs, In recent years small congregations are increasingly
being served by “retired” pastors for long periods of time or are
being served as “permanent vacancies” by the pastor of another
congregation within the Synod: and

Wuereas, Augsburg Confession Article 14 states: “Of ecclesi-
astical order they teach that no one should publicly teach in the
church or administer the sacraments unless he be regularly called”;
and

WHEREAS, In both the above-stated cases the man serving as
pastor of the congregation is not called by that congregation to be
its pastor, and in the case of a “retired” pastor, the man is being
asked to serve as a pastor without a call of any sort, in direct viola-
tion of the Augsburg Confession; and

WHEREAS, “That we may obtain [justifying] faith the ministry
of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was in-
stituted” (Augsburg Confession, Article 5), which ministry is to be
performed by someone who is “regularly called”; and

WHEREAS, The practice of having someone publicly teach and
administer the Sacraments without a call to the congregation in
which he teaches and administers the Sacraments can easily be
avoided by including the “permanent vacancy” in a multiple parish
to which a pastor is called or by issuing a divine call to a “retired”
pastor who is to perform the public ministry in the congregation;
and

WHEREAS, The extra duties that a pastor is often asked to do,
beyond the ministry of Word and Sacrament, could easily be ne-
gotiated in such a way that a “retired” pastor could still be consid-
ered retired according to Social Security and Concordia Plans rules,
as is currently the case for such “retired” pastors who are carrying
out a Word and Sacrament ministry without the benefit of a divine
call; and

WHEREAS, In those cases where multiple-point parishes would
be formed in order to include current “permanent vacancies” in a
calling parish, District and Synod bylaws could be altered, if such
changes are deemed necessary to insure fair representation, but we
ought not alter the Bible-based qualification that a pastor be di-
vinely called if he is to serve in the ministry of Word and Sacra-
ment (namely, that the Holy Spirit, through a call, makes a man an
overseer to shepherd the church of God, Acts 20:28); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod instruct its President to work with the
District Presidents to uphold the biblical and confessional doctrine
of the divine call by working with congregations now being served
by pastors they have not called, to the end that calls be issued to
“retired” pastors (which calls would be unlimited calls as all others,
subject, of course, to the pastor’s continued ability and willingness
to perform a Word and Sacrament ministry in the congregation),
and that multiple-point parishes be formed or that pastors serving
both “permanent vacancies” and another call be allowed to hold
two calls simultaneously (as in the past a seminary professor could
be called to both a congregation and the seminary); and be it further

Resolved, That the District Presidents also be instructed to use
dispute resolution procedures where difficulties occur in having
“vacant” congregations form multiple parishes or issue calls to the
pastors who regularly perform Word and Sacrament ministry for
them; and be it finally

Resolved, That the synodical President be instructed to appoint
someone to write a pamphlet written in laymen’s terms, which will
explain the confessional Lutheran doctrine of the call, especially to
be used for Bible study in those congregations which are currently
not being served by a called pastor.

Quincy Circuit Form
Central Hlinois District

3-94

To Direct District Conventions in 2000
to Include Essays on Office of the Pastor

WHEREAS, There is much evidence throughout our church body
that widespread confusion and disagreement exists among us re-
garding the scriptural doctrine and practice of the relationship be-
tween the office of the pastor and their congregations; and

WHEREAS, This confusion appears often to have resulted in cer-
tain unfortunate attitudes and actions both on the part of some pas-
tors and on the part of some of the laity; and

WHEREAS, This confusion often seems to cause lack of Joy, ef-
fective outreach, and clear confession of the faith in this era which
needs all of these blessings so badly; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod herewith directs

|. that each District convention in the year 2000 should include
a two-hour essay, if possible with a video, on “The Doctrine and
Practice of the Office of the Pastor”;

2. that the essayists be selected by the District Presidents from a
list of essayists compiled by the President of the Synod;

3. that the essays include treatment of the following subjects:

a. What is God’s own description of the office and work of a
pastor? Is a pastor primarily to attract souls to Christ by entertain-
ing them? If not, what part is a pastor to play in attracting souls to
the Gospel. if they are to be “attracted” at all?

b. Is the pastor to be an administrator in the modern sense
(CEO) or to care for souls?

c. In what sense, if any, is a pastor to be Christ’s incarnated
spokesman in the public and private, dispensing of the Word and
Sacraments (preaching, liturgy, absolution, teaching, counseling)?

d. What in our 20th and 21st century lifestyle has tended to re-
duce, damage, or even destroy the respect for the holy office of the
pastor? For example, how have the following affected the proper
view of the office of pastor?

1) The CEO view (the “hire and fire” mentality) of our day

2) Obvious variations between LCMS pastors in the field on
such matters as close(d) Communion, joint worship with non-
LCMS pastors, styles of personalities, styles of worship, doctrinal
differences, consecration of the elements by persons who are not
ordained, distribution of Communion by women, reading of Scrip-
tures in public worship by women, “lording it over” the laity by
some pastors, immorality of certain pastors—especially sins against
any of the last five Commandments of God: low salaries paid to
pastors as compared to the incomes of many lay members with
equal-to-less education and working hours than their pastors, etc.:
and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod request its President to draw together
the best and most important points made in all the essays presented
to the District conventions and produce a book from them so that
all pastors and lay members around the church body will be able
to gain the benefits of these essays and so that this vexing and
counterproductive problem among us may be settled on the basis of
our gracious God’s holy Word.

Shepherd by the Lakes
North Webster, IN