LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 255

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STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 255

7-12
To Reaffirm Synod’s Advisory and Servant Role

WHEREAS, Structures such as “synods” are human associations
not mandated in Scripture; and

WHEREAS, Art. VII of the Synod’s Constitution states that with
respect to an individual congregation’s right of self-governance,
“it” (Synod) serves as an advisory body; and

WHEREAS, Jesus warns against “lording it over” one another
(Mark 10:42); and

WHEREAS, Scripture also calls every believer to “serve...in
love” (Gal: 5:13; Matt. 20:28); and

Wuereas, Parishes in the Synod have voluntarily agreed to
“walk together” for the sake of the Gospel and for the common
good; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District in convention en-
courage the Synod to reaffirm its advisory and servant role; and be
it further

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District commit itself to
gratefully support the work of our Synod as fully as the Lord has
blessed us so that it may realize the fruit of its goals and objectives.

Pacific Southwest District

7-13

To Reaffirm Priesthood of All Believers

WHEREAS, The biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believ-
ers, as found in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may
declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
wonderful light,” is a fundamental doctrine of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, Martin Luther taught that the office of preaching be-
longs to all who are Christians both by right and command; and
every Christian has the right and duty to teach, instruct, admonish,
comfort, and rebuke his neighbor at every opportunity; and

WHEREAS, Founder C. F. W. Walther taught that “the holy min-
istry is the authority conferred by God through the congregation,
as a holder of the priesthood and of all church power, to administer
in public office the common rights of the spiritual priesthood in be-
half of all”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Ohio District memorialize the 2004 conven-
tion of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to reaffirm its his-
toric emphasis on the authority and responsibilities of the priest-
hood of all believers including the rights of self-governance, of
calling their own pastors, of teaching and witnessing, of judging
doctrine, and in the decision making and administration of all
church affairs; and be it further

Resolved, That we all implore the mercies of God to help us
find resolution of disputed matters that are pleasing to Him,
grounded in Scripture, and faithful to the Gospel, so that the mis-
sion and ministry of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod might
be strengthened and advanced.

Ohio District; Trinity, Roselle, IL

7-14

To Overrule CCM Ruling 99-2157 re Art. VII

WHEREAS, The historic relationship between the Synod and its
members is that “the Synod is not an ecclesiastical government ex-
ercising legislative or coercive powers, and with respect to the in-
dividual congregation’s rights of self-government it is but an advi-
sory body” (Art. VII); and

Wuereas, “No resolution of the Synod imposing anything upon
the individual congregation is of binding force if it is not in accor-
dance with the Word of God or if it appears to be inexpedient as
far as the condition of a congregation is concerned” (Art. VII); and

WHEREAS, The clear meaning and intent of this article is estab-
lished in such honored historical documents as C. F. W. Walther’s
First Presidential Address to the Synod, where he clearly noted that
the only power the Synod has is the power to persuade; and

WuerEAS, All members of Synod have already agreed in mu-
tual trust to conform their teaching and practice to Article II of our
Synod’s Constitution, to accept “without reservation: (1) The Scrip-
tures of the Old and New Testament as the written Word of God
and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice; (2) All the
Symbolic Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and
unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit:
the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene
Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Confession,
the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles,
the Large Catechism of Luther, the Small Catechism of Luther, and
the Formula of Concord”; and

WHEREAS, more recent Bylaw revisions and a recent ruling of
the Synod’s Commission on Constitutional Matters, appear to con-
tradict the clear meaning of Constitution Art. VII by coercing con-
formity to Synod’s doctrinal resolutions; and

WHEREAS, The CCM has recently (Sept. 14, 1999) ruled: “‘Thus,
in answer to the question to the Commission, the phrase ‘inexpedi-
ent as far as the condition of the congregation is concerned,’ does
not refer to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod and is re-
stricted to resolutions adopted by a convention of the Synod which
are non-doctrinal in nature”; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con-
vention, overrule the above Sept. 14, 1999 ruling (CCM 99-2157)
and affirm the historical principles of our Synod that the only au-
thority in our Synod is Holy Scripture; as asserted by C. F. W.
Walther in his first presidential address.

Board of Directors
Northwest District

7-15

To Rescind CCM Opinion re Art. VIE

WHEREAS, The confessional base of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod is declared in Art. II of the LCMS Constitution as
the Holy Scriptures and the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church [Lutheran Confessions]; and

WHEREAS, Articles V and VI limit membership in the Synod to
those who confess and accept the confessional basis of Art. II; and

WHEREAS, Article VII of the Constitution limits Synod’s role in
relation to its members as that of an advisory body and states that
no resolution of the Synod imposing anything upon the individual
congregation is of binding force if it is not in accordance with the
Word of God or if it appears to be inexpedient as far as the condi-
tion of a congregation is concerned; and

WHEREAS, Article XIV states, “Changes in the Constitution and
amendments thereto may be made provided they do not conflict
with the provisions laid down in Art. II and Art. VI’; and

WHEREAS, The Synod, in 1962, acknowledged that “a resolu-
tion which declares every synodically adopted doctrinal statement
(past and future) binding upon its members is unconstitutional”
since such a resolution would “in effect amend Article II of the
Constitution by extending the Confessional basis beyond the Bible
and the Symbols” (Res. 6-01, 1962 LCMS convention); therefore
be it

Resolved, The Synod, in convention, set aside the 9/14/99 ruling
of the CCM, which ruled that “the phrase, ‘inexpedient as far as
the condition of a congregation is concerned,’ does not refer to the
Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod and is restricted to resolu-
tions adopted by a convention of the Synod which are non-doctrinal
in nature’; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, reaffirm its historic
principles of Art. VII of the Constitution that Synod is an advisory
body in respect to the individual congregation’s right of self-gov-
ernment, and accordingly, “no resolution of the Synod imposing
anything upon the individual congregation is of binding force if it is