Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2004 · 62nd Convention, St. Louis › Page 202
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 202

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

202 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

WHEREAS, St. Paul attests male “headship” (1 Cor. 11:7—9) on
the basis of Gen. 2:18—25; and

WHEREAS, The clear message of Scripture is that God both in-
tended and designed men to protect women and nowhere presents
woman as warrior or military defender (Note that the story of Deb-
orah in Judges 4 is a condemnation of male reticence, not an exal-
tation of woman as warrior. Deborah dons no military gear and ac-
companies Barak only to Mount Tabor, not to the battlefield. Barak
wins the victory and the rebuke for his recalcitrance comes when a
woman, Jael, slays the fleeing enemy commander with a household
tool in a home, not on a battlefield); and

WHEREAS, Scripture scoms the use of woman as warrior (Is.
19:16; Jer. 50:31; 51:30; Nahum 3:13, etc.); and

WHEREAS, By sending women as warriors to defend men, God’s
design is violated and women’s glory is diminished (1 Cor. 11:7);
and

WHEREAS, The designation of woman as warrior involves par-
ticipation in the cultural inversion of male and female roles con-
ceived by the Creator and represents a misuse of women in defi-
ance of the Creator’s purpose; and

WHEREAS, Current public policy regarding the assignment of
women to combat roles in national defense reflects the unscriptural
principle that differences between the sexes are social constructs,
not reflections of God’s order of creation, giving rise to pagan con-
cepts of gender neutrality, nonsexual differentiation, and sexual
sameness; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod’s members are questioning the silence of
our church body regarding the radical cultural shift in our nation’s
policy and law relative to the combat role of our church’s women
in national defense; therefore be it

Resolved, That the President of the Synod direct the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations to examine the theologi-
cal/doctrinal implications of current national policy impacting
women of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod serving as com-
bat warriors and provide to our Synod a reasoned scriptural report
to the 2007 convention.

Trinity
Austin, TX

3-110

To Revise Composition of CTCR

WHEREAS, The CTCR prepares theological statements and
makes judgments upon theological issues as integral parts of its
functions; and

WHEREAS, The CTCR needs members who are able to carry out
its obligations in these areas properly and in a timely manner;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the membership of the CTCR be augmented by
an additional four members, two faculty members from each sem-
inary; and be it further

Resolved, That the four faculty members elected by their col-
leagues at each seminary for membership on the CTCR represent
all four theological disciplines (one from each department: exeget-
ical, historical, systematic, and practical theology); and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That the CTCR draw up a description of the requisite
qualifications, namely, the knowledge and skill sets that members
of the commission need to carry out its work; and be it finally

Resolved, That the qualifications, as well as the names, of those
who are being considered or nominated for election to the CTCR
by Synod, in convention, be published for the consideration of con-
vention delegates.

Faculty
Concordia Seminary
St. Louis, MO

3-111

To Phase Out CTCR

WHEREAS, The Synod was in need of an entity to produce study
documents on doctrinal matters in the 1970s and so established the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR); and

WHEREAS, The CTCR had served that purpose well to help the
Synod through some trying years; and

WHEREAS, Today we have two fine seminaries with many bibli-
cal theologians who have been called to serve the church in teach-
ing correct doctrine; and

WuerEAS, For over one hundred years doctrinal documents
came out from the seminaries for study; and

WHEREAS, The budgeted cost of the present CTCR is over
$500,000 per year, which is a huge expenditure when we consider
our church has cut back missionaries, missionary staff, etc.; and

WHEREAS, Commissions are established for certain purposes
and for certain times so it is very appropriate to put closures on
them and carry out goals in other ways; therefore be it

Resolved, That the present Commission on Theology and
Church Relations be phased out within the next three years; and be
it further

Resolved, That the two seminaries be contacted as to their usage
in dealing with doctrinal matters; and be it finally

Resolved, That the next Synod convention be informed of the
process and how the two seminaries can work together in dealing
with doctrinal matters and how there can be checks and balances
between the two seminaries in the study documents produced.

Trinity
St. Francis, MN

3-112

To Assign CTCR Functions to Seminary Faculties

WHEREAS, The circumstances which necessitated the creation
of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR)
have been addressed; and

WHEREAS, The theological studies and opinions issued by the
CTCR are widely perceived by the church at large as official doc-
trine, rather than opinion; and

WHEREAS, Maintaining the CTCR as an ongoing commission
represents a substantial expense; therefore be it

Resolved, That the CTCR go out of existence by the end of
2004; and be it further

Resolved, That the functions of the CTCR and their remaining
assignments be assigned to those called to teach theology in the
Synod: our seminary faculties.

Salem
Taylorsville, NC

3-113

To Consider Proposed Minority Opinion
of CTCR Review of
For the Sake of Christ’s Commission
WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(CTCR) recently produced a review of For the Sake of Christ’s

Commission (FSCC), the report of the Church Growth Study Com-
mittee; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in 2001 elected Mr. Paul Nus to serve as
a laymember of the CTCR; and

WHEREAS, Finding himself unable in good conscience to agree
with the CTCR’s Review of FSCC, Mr. Nus produced a Minority
Opinion and submitted that document to the CTCR; and

WHEREAS, That Opinion reads as follows:
A Minority Opinion on
the CTCR’s Review of For the Sake of Christ’s Commission