LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 201

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 201

Resolved, That our Central IHinois District memorialize the
2001 synodical convention to encourage the baptism of infants at
the earliest opportunity following their birth.

Central Illinois District

3-135

To Adopt Guidelines re Pastoral Care
Privileged Communications

Wuereas, Our Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod practices
and encourages individual confession and absolution as a signifi-
cant blessing to her congregations’ members and an important
function of the pastoral office; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church has consistently and resolutely
maintained the seal of the confessional, and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Agenda in the Rite of Ordination and
the Rite of Installation includes the vow that the pastor promises
“never to divulge the sins confessed” to him; and

WHEREAS, “By virtue of the pastor’s ordination and the office
into which he is called, the pastor has had his lips sealed from
speaking about the sins of the penitent to anyone, including a court
of law”; and

WHEREAS, The pastor speaks the words of the Absolution as the
voice of God and not the voice of a man, for only God can forgive
sin, so in hearing the confession it is the ears of God who hear and
not the pastor; and

WHEREAS, The congregational members who avail themselves
of private confession and absolution and other pastoral care situa-
tions expect such communications to be and remain forever confi-
dential; and

WHEREAS, Pastors find themselves in difficult situations in these
matters because of pressure from the government and courts to re-
veal confidential communications; and

WHEREAS, Pastors are being threatened with charges of con-
tempt of court and other possible criminal charges for nondisclo-
sure; therefore be it

Resolved, That we encourage pastors tn their calling to be faith-
ful to the Lord and their ordination and installation vows in these
matters of pastoral care; and be it further

Resolved, When a pastor finds himself in a situation where he
clearly is being compelled to violate the sanctity of pastoral care
communications, he may seek counsel and support from his con-
gregation and District; and be it further

Resolved, That we encourage the congregations of the Min-
nesota North District to read and study the document and the guide-
lines entitled, “The Pastor-Penitent Relationship: Privileged Com-
munications”; and be it finally

Resolved, That we memorialize the Synod at the next conven-
tion to adopt these guidelines.

Minnesota North District

3-136
To Expand Guidelines re Pastoral Care Privileged
Communication
Preamble

In September 1999 the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations issued a report entitled “The Pastor-Penitent Relation-
ship Privileged Communications.” This report addresses the scrip-
tural and historical principles that govern the pastor-penitent privi-
lege, that is, “a communication made by a penitent seeking
absolution for a particular act must not be divulged” (p. 14).

While written primarily for the parish pastor and congregational
penitent, this document fails to address the relationship between
District officials, many of whom are ordained ministers, and the
called workers of their District who come under church discipline.
While not deliberate, failure to consider how these principles apply
also to our elected officials has created an atmosphere of inequality

between how a parish pastor and a District official may handle the
same case.

Resolved, That the Synod in convention request the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations to clarify the responsibili-
ties of District officials in handling the confidential/privileged in-
formation of professional church workers.

Bethlehem
Raymore, MO

3-137

To Reject All Forms of Millennialism

WHEREAS, Jesus said: “My Kingdom is not of the world” (John
18:36): and
WHEREAS, Art. XVII of the Augsburg Confession says:
Of Chrisi’s Return to Judgment
Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World
Christ will appear for judgment, and will raise up all the dead;
He will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting
Joys, but ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tor-
mented without end.

They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be
an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils.
They condemn also others, who are now spreading certain
Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the
godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the un-
godly being everywhere suppressed.
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod President A.
L. Barry has said in a statement exposing the anti-scriptural theol-
ogy expressed in the current best-selling Left Behind series, which
has been made into a movie:

This brings to mind an even greater error and danger of the
“Left Behind” books: The idea that there will be a “second
chance” for people who do not have trusting faith in Jesus
Christ. This too is completely contrary to the Bible, which
teaches that NOW is the time of salvation. When Christ returns
on the Last Day, all things will come to an end, with no second
chances. The resurrection of the dead, and the taking of those
still alive at the time, and their judgment, will be total, involving
everyone who has ever lived. This is why Christians have such a
burden to tell the good news about Jesus now, before this pres-
enl age ends.

The historic position of Christianity, embraced by the ma-
jority of Christians in the world today, is that there is just one
great occurrence at the end of history: Judgment Day. That day,
for all its power and majesty, will be far simpler and more con-
clusive than the complex, ongoing chain of events envisioned
in the “Left Behind” books.

Like other flawed apocalyptic views, the LaHaye/Jenkins
view relies on date-setting for anticipating the end (when in fact
no one knows the hour when Christ will return). It looks for
“signs” of prophecies being fulfilled in the churning events and
endless flare-ups of the Middle East (another iffy proposition).
The entire “Left Behind” series, including the “Left Behind”
movie scheduled for release in February, is an unbiblical flight
of fancy (known by the term “dispensational premillennialism’’)
receiving far more press than it deserves.

(Entire statement in the December 18, 2000, Christian
News);

WHEREAS, Some evangelicals and fundamentalists are now pro-
moting preterism, the notion that Christ has already returned and
that the Judgment Day is past; and

Wrereas, All forms of millennialism and preterism are
anti-scriptural and detract from the central doctrine of the Christian
faith, justification by faith alone in the saving merits of Jesus
Christ; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the LCMS declare that
pre-and post-millennialism and preterism are all contrary to Holy
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Trinity, New Haven, MO; Concordia, Fair Haven, MN;
Redeemer, John Day, OR

2001 Convention Workbook