LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 194

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194 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention acknowledge the
importance of women of faith in our church as bearers of God’s
Good News; and be it further

Resolved, That with this acknowledgement, congregations en-
courage women to participate with delivery of the Word (i.e.,
Scripture reading in public worship, Sunday school teaching, Bible
class leadership, and distribution of the Sacrament) in appropriate
biblical and confessional ways.

Village
Bronxville, NY

3-96

To Study Theses on Women in the Church

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention be memorialized to
See to it that the most recent edition of a study response written by
the Rev. Arnie Voigt (Theses on Women in the Church: Resources
in Dialogue with “Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and
Ecclesial Practice,” a report of the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations of the LCMS, September 1985) be published and
distributed to each pastor and congregational president of the
Synod, so that this helpful document may be used for study in con-
gregations, District conferences, and professional church workers
gatherings for growing in our understanding of what the Scriptures
say concerning the role of women in the work of the church; and be
it further

Resolved, That St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Saratoga Springs, New York, encourage the entire Synod to take a
careful look at this thorough study so that it might inform future
consideration of and decisions relating to the role of women in the
work of the church.

St. Paul
Saratoga Springs, NY

3-97

To Reassign Uncompleted Study
of Relationship of Men and Women

WHEREAS, In 1994 a CTCR majority finalized a document enti-
tled Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices;
and

WHEREAS, Several members of the CTCR at that time, including
two theology professors from St. Louis, two theology professors
from Fort Wayne, and a theology professor from Concordia, Irvine,
voted against this document and signed their names instead to a
dissenting statement, which described numerous theological, his-
torical, and procedural problems with the document promoted by
the CTCR’s majority; and

WHEREAS, The 1995 convention did not commend, adopt, or
otherwise endorse Service of Women in Congregational and Syn-
odical Offices, but instead adopted Res. 3-90, which assigned the
CTCR to produce a “comprehensive study of the scriptural rela-
tionship between men and women”; and

WHEREAS, Since that time the CTCR has produced nothing in
response to this assignment other than the single document on Bib-
lical Revelation and Inclusive Language; and

WHEREAS, The CTCR has failed to address the concerns identi-
fied by its theologians in the 1994 dissenting opinion; and

Wuereas, Recent events in the ELCA and the Episcopal
Chureh in America demonstrate the need for careful study before
new understandings of gender roles are introduced to offices and
practices in the church, lest those aspects of feminist theology that
lead inevitably toward an unscriptural and permissive view of ho-
mosexuality find a foothold in our own Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Greater Egypt Circuit of the Southern Ili-
nois District call upon the Synod to reassign this uncompleted task
of producing a “comprehensive study of the scriptural relationship
between men and women” to a joint committee comprised of fac-
ulty from the Synod’s two seminaries, to be appointed by the pres-

idents of the two seminaries, with the committee electing its own
chairman and providing a report to the 2007 convention of the
Synod; and be it further
Resolved, That the Greater Egypt Circuit of the Southern IIli-
nois District call upon the Synod to decline or reject any and all
overtures that would have the effect of commending, adopting, or
otherwise endorsing the 1994 CTCR document Service of Women
in Congregational and Synodical Offices.
Greater Egypt Circuit Forum
Southern Mlinois District

3-98

To Adopt 1994 CTCR Report The Service of Women
in Congregational and Synodical Offices

WuereEAS, On Nov. 26, 1994, The Commission on Theology
and Church Relations adopted the document entitled The Service
of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices; and

WuereaS, The CTCR document is scripturally based and en-
courages appropriate service for women as they are called and the
functions of the position permit their service; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District in convention
memorialize the 2004 convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod to adopt the 1994 report of the Commission on Theol-
ogy and Church Relations entitled The Service of Women in Con-.
gregational and Synodical Offices as the position of the Synod on
the role and service of women in the church.

Pacific Southwest District

3-99

To Officially Receive and Approve CTCR Document
The Service of Women in Congregational
and Synodical Offices

WHEREAS, The CTCR has adopted the 1994 study The Service
of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices; and

WHEREAS, In this document the 1995 Convention Workbook, p.
310, offered a “word of encouragement” that reads in part: “It is
the prayer of the Commission that this brief report will assist the
members of the Synod in understanding and faithfully applying
what the Scriptures teach about the service of women in various
positions of assigned responsibility”; and

WHEREAS, On Jan. 17, 2003, the Northwest District Board of
Directors officially accepted this report and began to implement its
recommendations, including its recommendation about women
serving as chairperson and viee-chairperson of a congregation;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod commend the CTCR for its work in
this area; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod officially receive and approve this
theological document.

Board of Directors
Northwest District

3-100

To Adopt The Service of Women in Congregational
and Synodical Offices

WHEREAS, The CTCR report, The Service of Women in Congre-
gational and Synodical Offices was brought forward for adoption at
the 1995 convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod but
action on adoption was not finalized; and

WHEREAS, Sufficient time has transpired for the digestion of the
theological information and practical implications of the document
to be obtained by the congregations and leadership of the LCMS;
and