LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 189

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 189

Sacraments have been entrusted by Christ to all Christians for
possession and administration (pp. 457-58);

and
WHEREAS, Carl Wisloff writes in The Gift of Communion:

The priest as cultically ordained mediator of the sacrament
has no place in Luther’s interpretation. The Catholic view, ac-
cording to which the sacrament’s validity is dependent upon its
being administered by a properly consecrated priest, strikes him
as Donatism, except that the Catholics do not tie the validity to
“the holiness of the priests” but to their “high rank and author-
ity,” that is, to their official authority received by ordination
which bestows a cultic holiness which in principle stands on a
level with the Donatists’ ethical holiness. Against this Luther
places the primacy of the Word: “Because our faith and the
sacrament must not rest upon the person, be he pious or evil, or-
dained or not, called or crept in, the devil or his mother, but on
Christ, on his Word, on his office, on his command and order.
...” Lis not “by virtue of the unction or consecration,” but “the
command and order of Christ.” “Our office is and ought to be,
nol doing or changing, but only bestowing or giving” (p. 142);

and

WHEREAS, Edmund Schlink writes in The Theology of the
Lutheran Confessions:

The apostles were commissioned by Jesus Christ not only
as the servants of the first church but as servants and represen-
tatives of the church at all times. Therefore, “wherever the
church exists, the right to administer the Gospel also exists”
(Triglotta 67). The fact that according to the testimony of the
ancient church a layman may in an emergency absolve and be-
come the minister and pastor of another (Tr. 67), and the fact
that the Gospel is to be applied “through the mutual conversa-
tion and consolation of brethren” (S.A. III, 4), show plainly that
the loosing power of the keys is entrusted not only to particular
persons but to all members of the church (p. 242);

and

Wuereas, The whole question of laymen administering Word
and Sacraments has been discussed and procedures for such prac-
tice have been approved for “licensed lay ministers” (under pas-
toral guidance, limited to the single congregation, etc.) and may be
used with the understanding of a congregation’s ability to deter-
mine its practices. Art. X of the Formula of Concord states:

We further believe, teach, and confess that the community of
God in every place and at every time has the right, authority,
and power to change, to reduce, or to increase ceremonies ac-
cording to its circumstances, as long as it does so without frivo-
lity and offense but in an orderly and appropriate way, as at any
time may seem to be most profitable, beneficial, and salutary
for good order, Christian discipline; evangelical decorum, and
the edification of the church. Paul instructs us how we can with
a good conscience give in and yield to the weak in faith in such
external matters of indifference (Rom. 14) and demonstrates it
by his own example (Acts 16:3; 21:26; I Cor. 9:10) (FC SD X
9),
and
Wrereas, It is found within the apostolic tradition of the early
church that the ministry of Word and Sacrament was often found in
the homes of the members of the church and not always in the cor-
porate setting of public worship (Acts 2:41-47); therefore be it

Resolved, That the position of the synodical President be lov-
ingly modified to recognize these faithful testimonies and witness
to the ministry of the church belonging to the whole priesthood of
all believers exercised by the call of the congregation to the pas-
tor(s) who serves her; and be it further

Resolved, By The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention that these functions are not contrary to the Synod’s under-
standing of the ministry of the Word and accordingly that on oc-
casion, while under the direct supervision of an ordained pastor,
lay members may both preach and lead the public worship of the
Christian congregation.

Family of Faith
Houston, TX

3-100

To Reaffirm Position of Synod re Women
in Pastoral Office

Wuereas, Major Lutheran bodies worldwide have rejected the
apostolic injunction to the church that the Office of the Holy Min-
istry is to be entrusted to qualified men only; and

WHEREAS, There is increasing pressure on our church body,
from within and without, to compromise this position; and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in conven-
tion in 1992 (Res. 3-04; 3-05) has encouraged groups, congrega-
tions, etc., within the Synod to discuss and express any concerns
they may have; and

WuereasS, Our Synod has always affirmed that the biblical doc-
trine of the ministry teaches that the pastoral office is to be held
only by men as found in | Cor. 14:34-35; | Tim. 2:11-14; | Tim.
3:1-7; and

WHEREAS, Our Lutheran Confessions also affirm this biblical
teaching concerning the pastoral office: “A bishop (pastor) must be
blameless, the husband of one wife ...” (Triglotta 561:2); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in conven-
tion in 1986 (Res. 3-10) has stated that the Scriptures prohibit
women from the pastoral office and its functions; and

WHEREAS, There are organizations (e.g., LWML) that provide
opportunities for women to serve the Lord beyond the local con-
gregation; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
convention reaffirm as the official doctrinal position of our church
the scriptural teaching that women may not hold the pastoral office
or carry out the distinctive functions of this office (1 Cor. 11:14;
1 Tim. 2); and be it further

Resolved, That all pastors, District officials, and professors of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod must believe and teach that
the Bible opposes the ordination of women into the holy ministry.

Salem
Taylorsville, NC

3-101

To Restudy Women’s Ordination

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod does not
currently ordain women to the holy ministry because of its inter-
pretation of selected New Testament passages such as | Tim.
2:11-14, which speak of women learning in silence, not teaching,
and having “authority” over males; and

WHEREAS, Some laypeople and pastors within the Synod are
convinced that these passages address cultural issues and reflect
the practice of an earlier time and are not intended to apply to the
role of women in the church today; and

WHEREAS, The Gospels identify women as the first witnesses
and proclaimers of the resurrection—a task assigned to the apos-
tles (Matt. 28:28; Luke 24:9-10; John 20:18); and

WHEREAS, St. Paul speaks of unity in Christ that transcends gen-
der among all who are baptized (Gal. 3:27—28); and

WHEREAS, Many women who serve as pastors in other denomi-
nations have demonstrated such gifts as preaching, teaching, coun-
seling, and presiding at worship; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod gath-
ered in convention request the Synod’s Commission on Theology
and Church Relations to restudy the biblical and theological basis
for ordaining women; and be it further

Resolved, That the most recent edition of a study response writ-
ten by the Rev. Arnie Voigt (“Theses on Women in the Church:
Resources in Dialogue with Women in the Church: Scriptural Prin-
ciples and Ecclesiastical Practice” [A Report of the CTCR of the
LCMS, Sept. 1985], © 1999), which addresses biblical interpreta-
tion within the context of LCMS concerns in a careful way, be pub-

2001 Convention Workbook