LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 190

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190 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

lished and distributed to each pastor and congregational president
of the Synod; and be it finally

Resolved, That the delegates at this convention affirm the de-
sire to provide for the ordination of women as soon as possible.

Resurrection
Coronado, CA

3-102

To Adopt CTCR Report on Role
of Women in Church

WHEREAS, For over three decades, The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod has held the following position on the service and
role of women in the church, as declared in Res. 2-17, “To Grant
Woman Suffrage and Board Membership,” adopted by the 1969
convention of the Synod in Denver:

I. Those statements of Scripture which direct women to keep
silent in the church and which prohibit them to teach and to ex-
ercise authority over men, we understand to mean that women
ought not to hold the pastoral office or serve in any other ca-
pacity involving the distinctive functions of this office.

2. The principles set forth in such passages, we believe, pro-
hibit holding any other kind of office or membership on boards
or committees in the institutional structures of a congregation,
only if this involves women in a violation of the order of cre-
ation. We hold that they do not prohibit full membership of
women on synodical boards, commissions and committees. The
manner of filling an office or establishing membership on a
board or commission, in congregations or in the Synod, has no
prohibitory Scriptural implications.

3. We hold likewise that Scripture does not prohibit women
from exercising the franchise in congregational or synodical as-
semblies.

4. We therefore conclude that the Synod itself and the con-
gregations of the Synod are at liberty to alter their policies and
their practices in regard to women’s involvement in the work of
the church according to these declarations, provided the polity
developed conforms to the general scriptural principles that
women neither hold the pastoral office nor “exercise authority
over men”; and

WuerEas, The Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church
Relations. in its 1985 document entitled Women in the Church:
Scriptural Principles and Ecclesiastical Practice, states:

Holy Scripture clearly excludes women from the office of
the public ministry of Word and sacraments. For other offices
we have no express “thus saith the Lord,” and everything de-
pends on the functions assigned to these offices.

Women may hold any office and serve on any committee of
the congregation which enhances the work of the priesthood of
all believers. Women also have the privilege to chair congrega-
tiona] committees, since a “chair” does not “have authority over
men” any more than the committee per se would have such au-
thority in the New Testament sense. The only stricture would
have to do with anyone whose official functions would involve
public accountability for the function of the pastoral office (e.g.,
elders, and possibly the chairman of the congregation). The
tasks of the elders in a congregation are often directly associ-
ated with the pastoral office and the public administration of the
office of the keys. As stated in the introductory paragraph to this
section, everything depends on the nature of functions assigned
to various offices established by the church; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church
Relations states in its document entitled The Service of Women in
Congregational and Synodical Offices (1994):

If the duties prescribed for the offices of chairman and vice
chairman in the congregation do not allow for the assumption
of the distinctive functions of the pastoral office, women are free
10 hold this office without any Scriptural restriction—a principle
that applies 10 the chairmanship of all other congregational com-
mittees as well. Since the responsibilities of these offices usually
do not involve the exercise of the functions of pastoral oversight
through the ministry of Word and sacrament in congregations

2001 Convention Workbook

today, women gifted for such areas of responsibility should be
encouraged toward such service; and
Wuereas, This assignment was given to the CTCR by the
Synod in 1989 (Res. 3-13A); receiving high priority on the Com-
mission’s agenda for five years (1989-1994), this 1994 report rep-
resented the result of many years of study and discussion within
the Synod on this topic; and

WHEREAS, The conclusions contained in the 1994 report present
the application of the basic principles of the CTCR’s 1985 report
on the question of women serving in congregational offices, which
was adopted unanimously by the CTCR after eight years
(1977-1985) of intense study (cf. 1977 Res. 3-06); and

WHEREAS, This 1985 report was the subject of widespread study
and discussion throughout the Synod for nine years (1985-1994),
and it was commended by the Synod in three successive synodica]
conventions (1986 Res. 3-09; 1989 Res. 3-14; 1992 Res. 3-04); and

WHEREAS, The Synod itself in 1992 “urge[d] the CTCR to com-
plete this study for distribution to the members of the Synod one
year prior to the 1995 Synodical convention” (Res. 3-05); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS Council of Presidents, in consultation
with the Commission, provided implicit and explicit encourage-
ment that the 1994 document be shared with the church for study
and discussion; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Texas District of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod reaffirm the position of the Synod on the role and
service of women in the church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Texas District commend the 1994 Report of
the Commission on Theology and Church Relations entitled The
Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices for
consideration, study, and discussion by its pastors and congrega-
tions; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Texas District, in convention assembled,
memorialize the 2001 convention of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod to adopt the 1994 majority report of the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations, entitled The Service of
Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices, as the position
of the Synod on the role and service of women in the church.

Texas District

3-103

To Instruct CTCR to Restudy
Question of Women’s Ministry

Wuereas, The Synod in convention in 1995 (Res. 3-06A) di-
rected “that the CTCR give this topic of the service of women in
congregational and synodical offices the highest priority”; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in 1998 (Res. 3-22) di-
rected that the “CTCR be encouraged to continue and complete its
above mentioned study in time for consideration prior to the 2001
convention”; and

Wuereas, At the deadline for overtures to the 2001 convention
this study still has not been made available to the church; and

WHEREAS, There is much biblical material that affirms women’s
ministry in all areas of the body of Christ; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod in its practice of restricting ministry of
women does not heed the Scriptures, which say that “to each is
given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor.
12:7); and
WHEREAS, Our Synod supports its position of limiting women’s
ministry and service (and even ordination) on the basis of its tem-
poral understanding of such passages as the following:
¢ 1 Tim. 2:11-12, which speaks of women “learning in silence,” not
teaching

¢ 1 Tim. 2:12, which does not address women being “given authority”
or “having authority,” but only “usurping authority” (taking by a
show of right or by domineering)

¢ | Tim. 2:13—14, in which Paul does not interpret the Genesis account
as an “order of creation,” but addresses false teaching in Timothy’s