LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 177

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 177

Resolved, That the CTCR complete and publish this single-vol-
ume, comprehensive study by the 2010 Synod convention.

Board of Directors
Southeastern District

To Evaluate Service of Men and Women
in the LCMS from Biblical Perspective

WHEREAS, The roles of men and women and the functions they
perform in the life of the church are issues deserving of study and
evaluation; and

WHEREAS, Biblical standards clearly call for the pastoral office
and its distinctive functions, specifically: (1) the public preaching
and proclamation of the Word; (2) the administration of the sacra-
ments; (3) the offering of public absolution; (4) providing spiritual
oversight to the flock and those issues addressed in the Supplement
to the Diploma of Vocation to be performed by males; therefore be
It

Resolved, That the New England District (NED) memorialize
the Synod to continue its evaluations of the roles of men and
women and the functions they perform in the life of the Synod’s
congregations; and be it further

Resolved, That the NED encourage its congregations to adopt
and follow scriptural guidelines for the service of all the members
of the body of Christ.

New England District

3-67

To Restudy and Provide for Ordination of Women

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod does not
currently ordain women to the holy ministry because of its inter-
pretation of selected New Testament passages, such as | Tim.
2:11-14, which speak of women learning in silence, not teaching,
and having “authority” over males; and

WHEREAS, Some laypeople and pastors within the Synod are
convinced that these passages address cultural issues and reflect
the practice of an earlier time and are not intended to apply to the
role of women in the church today; and

WHEREAS, The Gospels identify women as the first witnesses
and proclaimers of the resurrection—a task assigned to the apos-
tles (Matt. 28:28; Luke 24:9-10; John 20:18); and

WHEREAS, St. Paul speaks of unity in Christ that transcends gen-
der among all who are baptized (Gal. 3:27-28); and

WHEREAS, Many women who serve as pastors in other denomi-
nations have demonstrated such gifts as preaching, teaching, coun-
seling, and presiding at worship; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS gathered in convention request the
CTCR to restudy the biblical and theological basis for ordaining
women; and be it further

Resolved, That the most recent edition of a study response writ-
ten by the Rev. Arnie Voigt (“Theses on Women in the Church:
Resources in Dialogue with ‘Women in the Church: Scriptural
Principles and Ecclesisal Practice’ [A Report of the CTCR of The
LCMS, Sept. 1985]”), which addresses biblical interpretation
within the context of LCMS concerns in a careful way, be pub-
lished and distributed to each pastor and congregational president
of the Synod; and be it finally

Resolved, That the delegates at this convention affirm the de-
sire to provide for the ordination of women as soon as possible.

Resurrection
Coronado, CA

3-68

To Rescind 2004 Res. 3-08A, Withdraw Guidelines,
and Study Orders of Creation and Redemption

Wuereas, CTCR documents as early as 1968 referred to “the
order of creation” in its statements on the service of women in the
church; and

WHEREAS, The 1968 CTCR Report on Women’s Suffrage states:
“In Gal. 3:28 St. Paul speaks of the redeemed children of God and
their blessed relationship with Christ and with one another. This
blessed relationship through faith does not cancel the order God
has established at the time of creation but sanctifies and hallows
it”; and

WHEREAS, The 1968 CTCR report also states: “the statement of
1956 applies Gal. 3:26--29 to the order of redemption and shows
that it is improper to use this Pauline text as a basis for supporting
the cause of woman suffrage”; and

Wuereas, An April 2004 CTCR opinion (in response to a re-
quest by the Minnesota South District “to make a recommendation
to the Synod regarding ‘appropriateness of women serving as Ex-
ecutive Director or President or Assistant Director or Vice-Presi-
dent of congregations’”’), contradicts the 1968 report when it states:
“We reaffirm the two key emphases made in the 1994 report The
Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices. First,
the Scriptures clearly teach that both men and women have been
baptized into the one Christ and into his one body, the Church (Gal.
3:18) [sic]. Christ did not create a separate men’s church or a sepa-
rate women’s church. All the rights, privileges and responsibilities
given by Christ to His church on earth belong to the members of his
church, both Jew and Greek, both slave and free, and both male
and female. This means that all members, both male and female,
should fully participate in the everyday life of their congregation,
Christ’s church in that place”; and

Wuereas, Based on this April 2004 opinion, one can easily ren-
der the conclusion that the order of creation and the order of re-
demption are not clearly distinguished, and that the order of cre-
ation is both confused with the priesthood of all believers and
superseded by a wrongful application of the latter in regard to our
Synod’s historic practice of church polity; and

WuerEAS, Both 2004 Res. 3-08A and the 2005 Guidelines for
the Service of Women in Congregational Offices reference and base
their conclusions on this opinion’s misuse of Gal. 3:28; and

WHEREAS, The April 2004 CTCR opinion was referenced in
2004 Res. 3-08A, even though the opinion itself was not published
in the 2004 Convention Workbook and was only available on the
CTCR’s Web site; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Indiana District of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod gathered in convention (Fort Wayne, June 2006)
petition the Synod in convention in 2007 to rescind 2004 Res. 3-
O8A and that the January 2005 Guidelines for the Service of
Women in Congregational Offices be withdrawn, and be it further

Resolved, That the presidents of the St. Louis and Fort Wayne
seminaries appoint a joint task force comprised of five faculty
members from each seminary to undertake a study of the order of
creation and the order of redemption, with emphasis on how these
concepts relate to church polity and the service of women in the
church; and be it finally

Resolved, That this task force publish a report on its conclusions
at least one year prior to the 2010 LCMS convention.

Indiana District

3-69

To Rescind 2004 Res. 3-08A and Author
New Service of Women Document
WHEREAS, God says, “As in all the congregations of the saints,
women should remain silent in churches. They are not allowed to
speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says” (1 Cor. 14:34);
and