LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 292

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292 ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

copies must be sent to all who were in attendance.

6. In the event that the above process was not successful in resolv-
ing the issue, then the offended party must select one or two of
his/her peers to accompany him/her when he/she goes to meet
with the other party. The meeting must take place no later than
three months after the latest previous meeting. Regardless of the
outcome, written reports must be sent to their District Presi-
dent(s) within 10 days, with copies mailed to all in attendance.
The District President(s) are strongly encouraged to have repre-
sentatives at this meeting also.

7. In the event that this meeting is not successful in resolving the
problem, then the offended part may file formal charges against
the offending party. |

Texas District

To Provide Guidelines Governing Charges
and Discipline

WHEREAS, The current escalation of charges and countercharges
being filed in the Synod reveals a need to clarify the policies of the
Synod dealing with charges and discipline; and

Wuereas, Montana District President Wollenburg has prepared
“Suggested Guidelines Governing Charges and Discipline in the
Synod” (adapted from The Lutheran Pastor, by G. H. Gerberding;
reprinted by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1987; pp.
261-69), which reads as follows:

What Sort of Persons Are Proper Subjects
for Discipline

. Those who are guilty of flagrant public offense against a clear
commandment of God or have acted clearly contrary to the con-
ditions of membership. Manifest violations are those about
which there can be no doubt.

2. Those who persistently maintain fundamentally false doctrine
after having their error patiently shown them, to the point where
it becomes clearly evident that they intend to persist in what is
clearly contrary to Scripture (Rom. 16:17; Titus 3710; 2 John
9-11).

3. Those who have shown themselves unwilling to hear or learn
and maliciously try to secure support from others for their posi-
tion.

4. Those with whom the steps of Matt. 18:15-17 have been care-
fully and repeatedly followed.

—

Method of Procedure

. See that Matt. 18:15-17 has been carefully, kindly, patiently, and
repeatedly followed. ’

2. See that the constitutional provisions of the Synod have been
carefully followed.

3. See that the accused is duly informed of a hearing and the
charges against him.

4. Make certain the accused has every opportunity to defend him-
self and to bring proper witness on his own behalf.

5. Let everything be done in a kind way. All bitterness, spite, anger,
and scolding should be avoided. Instead gentleness, kindness, a
tone of sorrow, and a loving desire to win back the erring should
be evident and clear to all.

6. Let any erring be done on the side of charity and leniency rather
than on the side of severity.

7. Avoid publicity as long as possible. Consider carefully and
prayerfully the salvation of the offender, the welfare of the souls
of his family and friends, and the salvation of the accuser. Seek
to win the offender with the Word, with love, patience, work,
prayer, and faith.

Some Excellent Rules

1. Brotherly correction must be so administered that it glorifies
God and does not make the offender an object of scorn. It must
be clear that it does not come from malice, personal dislike, or
hurt pride.

2. Every rebuke must be based upon sure and certain knowledge
of an actual transgression of a clear commandment of God or a
clear and blatant violation of the Constitution and Bylaws of
the Synod.

3. The person who seeks to correct or admonish another must al-
ways keep in mind our common weakness and proceed with
caution, lest in rebuking another, he may also fall into tempta-
tion and sin (Gal. 6:1).

4. The one who seeks to correct another must be careful not to be
guilty of the same or similar sin.

5. Secret sins (i.e., those known only to one person or a few per-
sons, but are not public knowledge) are not to be openly or pub-
licly rebuked.

6. Anyone who makes public sins without first observing the
Word of Scripture, which requires a personal effort to resolve
the dispute, shall not be heard, but instead rebuked.

7. Anyone who is accused of an offense shall meet with the ac-
cuser. At such a meeting, record or witness of what is said must
be maintained.

8. Even open sins, known to all, are not in the first instance to be
punished openly.

9. The reproach should not be too cold, hard, and stern, or too
mild. The purpose is to win the brother to a contrite heart by a
conviction of sin.

10. Gentleness and kindness should be evident to the one being re-
buked.

11. The disposition and condition of the offender must be kept in
mind.

12. The rebuke ought to vary with the nature of the offense.

13. Reference must be made to time and place.

14, When the offense or sin is of such a nature that it endangers the
church or individual persons, or if it is of such a nature that the
person who has knowledge of it may be considered an accom-
plice, then that person should not wait to admonish privately
but should report it to the proper authorities (e.g., child mo-
lestation).

15. If the individual repents of his sin or if he amends it without
rebuke, he should be forgiven. If he is unrepentant, but inno-
cent persons will suffer with him, we ought to rebuke very
mildly.

16. When it is clear that an individual] absolutely refuses to hear,
then admonition and rebuke may be spared and the individual
dealt with according to the punishment prescribed by the Scrip-
ture and the rules of the Synod.

17. Admonition requires witnesses (“take with you one or two wit-
nesses, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word
may be established” [Matt. 18:16]). Such witnesses should be
persons who are not odious or persons who are already alien-
ated from the offender. The witnesses should be persons whom

- the offender trusts and before whom he will not be humiliated.
Otherwise, the offender may, out of shame and anger, heap sin
upon sin and harden himself.

18. All grades of admonition are to be repeated several times. Only
after much patient admonition and prayer, when it becomes
clear that the offender understands the commandment of God,
the nature of the offense he has committed, or his disobedience
but nevertheless demonstrates stubborn contempt, should the
final step be taken.

Principles to Be Observed

Discipline, however correct, is not to be enforced to the ruin of
the congregation (Synod). St. Augustine: “Some we bear with,