LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 176

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176 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

humanly established offices in the church as long as the functions
of these offices do not make them eligible to carry out ‘official
functions [that] would involve public accountability for the func-
tion of the pastoral office’’’ (2004 LCMS convention Res. 3-08A);
and be it further

Resolved, That the Northern Illinois District ask the CTCR to
clarify and critically review all the recommendations in its 1994
report and their basis in its 1985 Women in the Church document;
and be it finally

Resolved, That we in the Northern Illinois District continue to
engage in biblical study and discussion of this issue.

Northern Illinois District

3-63

To Affirm Action of 2004 Convention
re Role of Women

WHEREAS, The Synod at its 1969 convention declared, “those
statements of Scripture which direct women to keep silent in the
church and which prohibit them to teach and to exercise authority
over men, we understand to mean that women ought not to hold
the pastoral office or serve in any other capacity involving the dis-
tinctive functions of this office” (1969 Res. 2-17); and

WHEREAS, The CCM in 1970 issued an opinion (“by human
right rather than divine right”), which has been reaffirmed by the
Synod at subsequent conventions, that a woman “shall not serve ...
as chairman or vice-chairman of the congregation”; and

WHEREAS, The CCM, in this opinion, indicated that the Synod
“may further define its position in the future”; and

WHEREAS, The 2004 LCMS convention, in Res. 3-08A, ac-
cepted, “To Affirm the Conclusions of the 1994 CTCR Report: The
Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices’ as the
official stance of the LCMS; and

WuereEaS, The CTCR has stated in a recent (April 2004) opin-
ion requested by the Minnesota South District that “the Scriptures
clearly teach that God has given the pastoral office and the exer-
cise of pastoral authority to men and not to women” and that
“Scripture does not prohibit women who possess the requisite gifts
from holding these humanly established offices, assuming that the
occupants of these offices do not ‘perform those functions that are
distinctive to the public exercise of the ministry of Word and Sacra-
ments,’ or carry out ‘official functions [that] would involve public

999,

accountability for the function of the pastoral office’ ”; and

WHEREAS, The commission in this same opinion counseled that
congregations, in filling these offices, keep in mind the family
structure and encourage “men not to neglect their leadership re-
sponsibilities in their congregations. Since the church encourages
husbands to exercise their God-given headship in a God-pleasing
way at home”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention gives thanks to God
for the appropriate service of women in the LCMS on a congrega-
tional, district, and Synod level, and commends the work of the
CTCR in this area over the past 35 years and the decision of the
Synod in the 2004 convention to affirm it; and be it further

Resolved, That we affirm that women on the basis of the clear
teaching of Scripture may not serve in the office of pastor nor ex-
ercise any of its distinctive functions, and that women may serve in
humanly established offices in the church as long as the functions
of these offices do not make them eligible to carry out “official
functions [that] would involve public accountability for the func-
tion of the pastoral office”; and be it further

Resolved, That we commend the CTCR and the Synod in conven-
tion for heeding the clear warning of Holy Scripture not to add to
God’s revealed will (Rev. 22:18—19) and restrict the service of women
in the church beyond what Holy Scripture reveals; and be it finally

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention reaffirms 3-08A of
the 2004 LCMS convention.

Trinity
Roselle, IL

3-64

To Affirm 2004 Res. 3-08A as Norm for Practice

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in 2004 resolved “that
women may serve in humanly established offices in the church as
long as the functions of these offices do not make them eligible to
carry out ‘official functions’ [that] would involve public account-
ability for the function of the pastoral office”; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in 2004 resolved to “urge
the members of the Synod, in making decisions regarding which
offices women may hold, to bear in mind the CTCR’s counsel that
congregations organize ‘themselves in ways that complement and
reinforce the family, for the church is the “household of God”
(1 Tim. 3:15)’ ”; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in 2004 affirmed the con-
clusions of the 1994 CTCR report The Service of Women in Con-
gregational and Synodical Offices in 2004 Res. 3-08A; and

WHEREAS, The 1994 CTCR report The Service of Women in
Congregational and Synodical Offices was available for study and
input to the CTCR for 10 years before its adoption in 2004 and
none of the limited response was of such nature to cause the CTCR
to change any of its conclusions; and

WHEREAS, The church has been served this past triennium under
the conclusions and guidelines of the CTCR document The Service
of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices; therefore be
it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm 2004 Res. 3-
O8A; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm the guidance of
the 1994 CTCR document The Service of Women in Congrega-
tional and Synodical Offices to be the norm for practice considered
acceptable in congregations and the Synod.

Lord of Life
Leawood, KS

3-65

To Publish Single- Volume Study of Scriptural
Relationship of Man and Woman

WHEREAS, The 1995 Synod convention approved Res. 3-10 call-
ing for the CTCR to “coordinate a comprehensive study of the
Scriptural relationship of man and woman, together with the fac-
ulties of both seminaries, making use of other persons who are
competent in the area of theology, including women”; and

WHEREAS, The CTCR has addressed aspects of the scriptural re-
lationship of man and woman in certain reports and opinions that it
has issued since the 1990s including the 1998 report on Biblical
Revelation and Inclusive Language, and the 1994 report on The
Service of Women in Congregational Offices whose conclusions
the 2004 Synod convention affirmed—but has not yet issued the
comprehensive report called for in Res. 3-10; and

WHEREAS, Questions continue to be raised within the Synod re-
garding the scriptural relationship of man and woman, especially
as this relationship bears upon women’s service in various congre-
gational roles; and

WHEREAS, The CTCR held consultations in December 2006 and
April 2007 on the scriptural relationship of man and woman, at
which both men and women with theological expertise were in-
vited to present their views to the CTCR; therefore be it

Resolved, That the CTCR be commended for making use of
both men and women competent in the area of theology as it ex-
amines the scriptural relationship of man and woman; and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That the CTCR be strongly urged to produce a sin-
gle-volume, comprehensive study of the scriptural relationship of
man and woman that includes a discussion of the implications of
this relationship for women’s roles in the life and worship of the
church; and be it finally