LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 44

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44 SYNODICAL REPORTS

and Priorities.” The Synod directed the CTCR’s Executive Com-
mittee and the Pracsidium of the Synod to review the Commis-
sion’s agenda and discuss ways of facilitating its work in a timely
fashion. The first meeting was held on Nov. 4, 1999. Since three
members of the Pracsidium are members of the CTCR and ongoing
consultation has been taking place on a regular basis. no further
mectings have been scheduled during the tricnnium.

Since July |. 1993, under an “operating agreement” between
the CTCR and the Commission on Organizations (COO), Dr. Jerald
C. Joersz has been providing staff services for the COO. In light of
budgetary considerations discussed in consultation with the Board
of Directors, it has been recommended that the COO be discontin-
ucd as a separately functioning Commission and that its functions
be carried out by the CTCR. The Commission on Structure has rec-
ommended that the Bylaws presently pertaining to the CTCR and
the COO be combined to reflect this change. Following earlier ap-
proval of the COO, the Commission at its February 2001 meeting
adopted for submission to the 2001 synodical convention proposed
Bylaws combining the functions of the two Commissions. These
Bylaws are submitted for approval in an accompanying overture.

I. Theology
A. Assignments Completed
1, Faith Active in Love: Human Care in the Church’s Life

In August 1996 the Board for Human Care Ministries renewed
an earlier request that the CTCR prepare a study on “theology of
social ministry.” It requested that the CTCR “reflect on the role of
Christian care in the overall lite of the Christian community.” In
February 1999 the Commission completed its report entitled Faith
Active in Love: Human Care in the Church’s Life. The report is
printed in Appendix II of this Workbook.

2. Study Guides for Evaluation of ELCA Ecumenical Agreements

In 1998 Res. 3-08A “To Express Deep Regret and Profound
Disagreement with ELCA Actions,” the Synod asked the CTCR
“to prepare an evaluation of the ELCA/Retormed A Formula of
Agreement and the Lutheran/Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on
the Doctrine of Justification for use in discussing these issues
throughout the Synod.” In response to this assignment, and in con-
sultation with the President of the Synod, the CTCR in April 1999
prepared the following two study documents that were distributed
to the Synod through the office of the President: The Joint Decla-
ration on the Doctrine of Justification in Confessional Lutheran
Perspective (based on responses prepared by the Systematic De-
partments of the Synod’s two seminarics). and The Formula of
Agreement in Confessional Lutheran Perspective (based on an
evaluation prepared by the Department of Systematic Theology of
Concordia Theological Seminary. Fort Wayne). Also distributed
was a study document containing a joint report by the Systematic
Departments of the two LCMS seminaries entitled The Porvoo
Common Statement. On the basis of the Porvoo agreement, full
communion has been established between the Anglican churches
of England. Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, and all the Nordic and
Baltic Lutheran churches except Denmark and Latvia.

3. The Pastor-Penitent Relationship: Privileged Communications

The Board of Directors of the Eastern District in September
1994 asked the CTCR “to study the question of privileged commu-
nications within the ‘pastor-penitent’ relationship on the basis of
Scripture, the historical tradition of the church, and Iegal con-
straints, and to present to the pastors and teachers of our Synod the
results of such a study as quickly as possible so that we might have
guidance on this issue.” This request was occasioned in part by the
Child Protective Services Act. The Commission completed this as-
signment in September 1999. The report is included in Appendix II
of the Workbook.

2001 Convention Workbook

4. Admission to the Lord’s Supper: Basics of Biblical and Confessional
Teaching

The 1998 convention asked the CTCR to provide, “in a umely
fashion, a careful response to A Declaration [of Eucharistic Un-
derstanding and Practice ], with special emphasis on pastoral over-
sight and the role that agreement in public confession of faith par-
ticipation in the Lord’s Supper entails.” (A Declaration is a
document that was prepared by those in the Florida-Gcorgia Dis-
trict who formed a “Committee for Eucharistic Understanding and
Practice” and that was subsequently signed by a number of pastors
and others in the District.) [n response to this assignment the CTCR
adopted at its November 1999 meeting the document titled Admis-
sion to the Lord's Supper, which is included in Appendix [I of the
Workbook.

In July 2000 the Commission received a reaction to its report
from Florida-Georgia pastors who had taken part in preparing A
Declaration. At its February 2001 meeting the Commission
adopted a response to be forwarded to these pastors. In its response
the Commission noted that much in their reaction to Admission to
the Lord's Supper represents “fine biblical, Lutheran theology.”
However, the Commission also sought to clarify certain points
where it appears that the pastors misread or misunderstood the
CTCR document. For instance, statements in the pastors’ response.
the Commission noted, did not sufficiently hold in tension the
scriptural view that communicants must be seen both as “contes-
sors” and as “individuals.” In addition, the Commission found that
their response had not provided scriptural basis for taking issue
with certain points in its report Admission to the Lord's Supper.
For example, the Commission cautioned against unwarranted ¢x-
trapolation from the unique situation of the Lord’s Supper in the
Upper Room when making applications to Communion practice
today. It also discussed deficiencies in the pastors’ discussions of
the meaning of the term “body” in | Cor. 11:29, the role of St. Paul
as “pastor” and the importance of “pastoral oversight.” and the ap-
plication of New Testament teaching on the Sacrament to errant
views present in modern denominational positions and teachings.

5. The Lutheran Understanding of Church Fellowship

The 1998 LCMS convention called attention to a growing prob-
lem regarding the practice of fellowship that exists among LCMS
pastors and congregations and requested that the President and the
CTCR develop and promote a “biblical and confessional study of
our Synod’s fellowship principles and practices.” The Synod fur-
ther requested that this study receive thorough discussion at all Dis-
trict conventions, at other conferences throughout the Districts, and
finally at the 2001 convention of the Synod. At its February 2000
meeting the CTCR and the President of the Synod approved a study
document titled The Lutheran Understanding of Church Fellow-
ship containing the following: (1) an extensive essay with detailed
footnotes; (2) a Summary of the longer essay, without notes: (3)
questions for discussion; and (4) Discussion Reporting Instrument.
Two copies of the document were distributed to every LCMS con-
gregation. Threc copies were sent to each District office. Finally,
the document was placed on the LCMS Web site. The report of the
CTCR and President on some 4300 responses received from Syn-
odwide discussions held in 2000 is attached to this report as an ap-
pendix.

B. Studies in Progress
1. Women in the Church

The 1995 LCMS convention asked “that the CTCR coordinate a
comprehensive study of the scriptural relationship of man and
woman, together with the faculties of both seminaries, making use
of other persons who are competent in the area of theology, in-
cluding women” (Res. 3-10). In addition to this assignment, the fol-
lowing issues are also on the Commission's agenda: questions sub-