LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 459

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OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS 459

B. Other Offices Established by the Church
1. Established by Human Right (iure humano).

Throughout its history the church in Christian freedom has es-
tablished other offices distinct from the one divinely instituted of-
fice of pastor in order to meet various needs in different times and
places. Since the church is under no divine command to create such
offices, they and their functions exist only “by human right” (iure
humano). Already in apostolic times, and under apostolic direction,
the church selected individuals to assist the apostles in carrying out
their work (cf. Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:8-13). Similarly, the contem-
porary church has continued to establish offices which have their
origin not in a divine command but in the decision of the Christian
congregation and groups of congregations (e.g., Synod) to facili-
tate the mission given to them by God.

2. Functions Assigned by the Church (ture humano).

When a congregation or group of congregations (the Synod) as-
signs “official functions” to a particular office established by the
congregation or the Synod, this too, is done not by divine mandate
(iure divino), but by human arrangement. That is to say, the as-
signment of duties to all offices in the church belongs in the sphere
of Christian freedom exercised in love. Congregations are free to
assign functions to various offices in their midst as they deem ap-
propriate and necessary, for the edification of the church and in
keeping with the principle of good order (1 Cor. 14:40). This prin-
ciple also holds true for all synodical and district offices.

3. Eligibility for Service.

In determining the eligibility of women for service in these hu-
manly established offices, it will be helpful to bear in mind that
many of these offices are created for the purpose of assisting pas-
tors, to a lesser or greater extent, in carrying out the duties of their
office. There is a long tradition in the church of proceeding in this
way and such a practice, which engages the service of both men
and women, ought to be encouraged, especially in circumstances
where burdens of time and increased organizational commitments
severely limit pastors’ ability adequately to care for those in their
charge.

At the same time, such assisting in pastoral work should be dis-
tinguished in practice as in theory, from the public exercise of those
functions that belong to the pastor’s supervision of the flock
through the public proclamation of the Word and the administra-
tion of the sacraments. In keeping with what the Scriptures teach
about the service of women with respect to the pastoral office,
women may not assume responsibility for or carry out in behalf of
the congregation (that is “publicly”), and in the stead of Christ,
those functions in the local congregation that would involve them
in the exercise of authority inherent in this authoritative public
teaching office in the church.’ This remains the only stricture.

These considerations imply, and even require, that in determin-
ing the eligibility of women for services in all congregational, dis-
trict and synodical offices, attention be given to the functions at-
tached to a given office. As the Commission stated in the 1985
report on Women in the Church, “For other offices [other than the
office of public ministry of Word and sacraments] we have no ex-
press ‘thus saith the Lord,’ and everything depends on the func-
tions assigned to these offices.”®

CASE ONE: The Office of Elder

From the early years of the history of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod to the present, congregations have established an
office called “elder” (Vorsteher) to assist the pastor in carrying out
the functions of the office of the public ministry (Predigtamt).? The
duties of this office in synodical congregations generally indicate
that elders work closely with the pastor in his divinely assigned re-
sponsibility to feed the whole congregation with the Word of God

and to watch over it for the sake of its spiritual welfare. Elders
serve primarily to assist the pastor in shepherding and overseeing
the entire flock of God at their place. They frequently assist in cer-
tain aspects of the conduct of the public worship service, such as in
the distribution of Holy Communion. In certain emergency situa-
tions elders may be asked by the congregation to perform, on a
temporary basis, certain distinctive functions of the pastoral office
(e.g., lead public worship, deliver a sermon).

In evaluating whether women may serve in the office of elder
(established iure humano) in congregations, the principal consid-
eration is whether the office requires that those who hold it are el-
igible to perform those functions that are distinctive to the public
exercise of the ministry of Word and sacrament. If such a situation
pertains, women may not serve in this office. An additional con-
sideration has to do with the use of the term “elder” for those of-
fices which do not in fact require such responsibilities. In view of
the use of the term “elder” in the Scriptures (see note 9) in the his-
tory of the church, and in our own synodical history, we recom-
mend that this term be reserved for that office which has as its as-
signed duty assisting the pastor in the public exercise of the
distinctive functions of his office.

To avoid confusion regarding the pastoral office, consideration
should perhaps be given to the use of a different term (e.g., dea-
con, deaconess) for those who assist the pastor in the care of the
flock, but who are not engaged in the distinctive functions of the
pastoral ministry. Women have long participated actively in a car-
ing, spiritual ministry in our Synod’s congregations and in light of
presently changing needs will likely be increasingly asked to do so.
Such work is not only necessary, but ought to be encouraged, for
the responsibility for the mutual care and nurture of Christ’s body,
the church, lies with all and may indeed be enhanced through the
creation of offices for this task.

CASE TWO: The Offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman

If the duties prescribed for the offices of chairman and vice
chairman in the congregation do not allow for the assumption of
the distinctive functions of the pastoral office, women are free to
hold this office without any Scriptural restriction—a principle that
applies to the chairmanship of all other congregational committees
as well. Since the responsibilities of these offices usually do not in-
volve the exercise of the functions of pastoral oversight through
the ministry of Word and sacrament in congregations today,
women gifted for such areas of responsibility should be encour-
aged toward such service.

CASE THREE: Members of a Synodical Dispute Resolution Panel

The following questions have been addressed to the CTCR re-
garding the service of women on a synodical Dispute Resolution
Panel: (1) Whether, or in what cases, the majority of persons on a
dispute resolution panel may be women, and (2) if the majority
serving on a dispute resolution panel are women, would the deci-
sion be valid in that specific case?!° Given the limitations noted
above regarding other positions created by the church but not di-
vinely established, women are free to serve as reconcilers and
members of such panels. The question as to whether women may
constitute a majority on such a panel is in itself irrelevant. To be
sure, if women having a majority on such a panel were to seek to
assert their power as women over men as men, such conduct would
be a violation of Christian love, just as it would be for a majority of
men to exercise power as men over women in such a situation.

Conclusion: A Word of Encouragement

St. Paul concludes his epistle to the Romans by greeting and
commending by name a number of men and women in the congre-
gation. Included among those mentioned are a number of women,
most of whom are held up for the church to see as models of de-

2004 Convention Workbook