LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 182

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182 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-81

To Reaffirm Scriptural Teaching
re Woman’s Role in Church

WHEREAS, Major Lutheran bodies worldwide have rejected the
apostolic injunction to the Church that the Office of the Holy Min-
istry is to be entrusted to qualified men only; and

WHEREAS, There is increasing pressure on our church body,
from within and without, to compromise this position; and

Wuereas, 1992 Res. 3-04 and 3-05 encouraged groups, con-
gregations, etc., within the Synod to discuss and express any con-
cerns they may have; and

Wuereas, Our Synod has always affirmed that the biblical doc-
trine of the ministry teaches that the pastoral office is to be held
only by men, as found in 1 Cor. 14:34—35; 1 Tim. 2:1]-14; 1 Tim.
3:1-7; and

WuerEAS, Our Lutheran Confessions also affirm this biblical
teaching concerning the pastoral office: “A bishop (pastor) must be
blameless, the husband of one wife...” (Triglotta 561:2); and

WHEREAS, 1986 Res. 3-10 stated that the Scriptures prohibit
women from the pastoral office and its functions; and

WHEREAS, There are organizations (e.g., LWML) that provide
opportunities for women to serve the Lord beyond the local con-
gregation; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention reaffirm as the offi-
cial doctrinal position of our church the scriptural teaching that
women may not hold the pastoral office or carry out the distinctive
functions of this office (1 Cor. 11:14; 1 Tim. 2); and be it further

Resolved, That all pastors, district officials, and LCMS profes-
sors must believe and teach that the Bible opposes the ordination of
women into the holy ministry.

Salem
Taylorsville, NC

3-82

To Authorize Survey re Ordination of Women

WHEREAS, The Bible says all people are equal under redemp-
tion saying, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in
Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28); and

WHEREAS, The Bible tells us that women occupy a position of
honor in Christ’s ministry as evidenced by the accounts of Eve,
Sarah, Deborah, Ruth, the Virgin Mary, Lydia, Lois, Eunice, and
many others; and

WHEREAS, The Bible opposes women serving as pastors (1 Cor.
14:34, 35; 1 Tim. 2:11-14); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has offi-
cially said it is contrary to Scripture for women to serve as pastors;
and

WHEREAS, The 1998 LCMS convention, in Res. 3-25A, adopted
this resolution: “That the 1998 convention of the Synod reaffirm
its previous resolution on this issue and declare clearly and un-
equivocally once again that the Scriptures teach that only men may
hold the pastoral office”; and

WHEREAS, Some have made overtures since the 1998 conven-
tion to change the official teaching of the LCMS that it is contrary
to the Bible for women to serve as pastors or be ordained to the
Holy Ministry (e.g., Overture 3-101 petitioned the 2001 LCMS
convention “to provide for the ordination of women as soon as pos-
sible”); and

WHEREAS, Since the 1998 convention of the Synod, some inter-
est groups that are influencing members of the LCMS promote the
idea that it is not contrary to the Bible to have women pastors (e.g.,
a 2004 speaker at an LCMS interest group conference has written,
“In God’s good time—and only then—I believe that it will come to
pass in the Missouri Synod that women are ordained into the public
Ministry”; and

Wuereas, A member of the Board of Directors of Concordia
Publishing House said in a well-received essay presented at the
same LCMS interest group conference in 2004:

So I suggest to you that women’s ministry is not about you, not about

me, and it’s not even really about the LCMS. It’s about God’s calling,

equipping, and sending a woman into whichever mission field God sets
before her. A woman must answer God’s call; and determine how and
where God is directing her service and then courageously obey.

If The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is to be a church body that

supports and upholds the ministries of women, women must lead the

way with an audaciously joyous spirit and good cheer, first by discern-
ing God’s call and then by moving forward in obedience, trusting that
the God who calls into ministry is also the God who provides the venue
and the gifts for holy service;

therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention ask the Praesidium
of the LCMS to authorize a survey of all those on the LCMS roster
to find out how many maintain that the LCMS should allow women
to serve as pastors; and be it further

Resolved, That the Praesidium authorize a series of articles to
appear in The Lutheran Witness presenting the biblical reasons why
women may not serve as pastors; and be it finally

Resolved, That all those on the LCMS clergy roster who con-
tinue to teach that it is desirable for the Synod to ordain women,
after proper evangelical admonition, be disciplined.

Trinity
New Haven, MO

3-83

To State That Women Are Not to Have Authority
Even in Humanly Established Offices

WHEREAS, Res. 3-08A adopted at the 2004 Synod convention
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

a9,

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

WHEREAS, Holy Scripture plainly states in 1 Tim. 2:12 that
women are not permitted to exercise authority over a man: “I do
not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man”;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention state, in accordance
with Scripture, that women may serve only in humanly established
offices in the Church that do not exercise authority over men.

Trinity
Austin, TX

3-84

To Redefine Role of Doctrinal Resolutions

WHEREAS, The current Bylaws of the Synod (1.6) create two
mechanisms, “doctrinal statements” and “doctrinal resolutions,” by
which the Synod in convention may establish or alter the formal,
public, theological position of the Synod and bind the conscience of
its members to such a position, but make no provision for the
Synod in convention to express its view at a given time on an issue
with theological implications without establishing or altering the
formal, public, doctrinal position of the Synod or binding the con-
science of its members; and

WHEREAS, One of these mechanisms, the “doctrinal statement,”
provides for a careful process of review and analysis by the Synod
followed by ratification on the part of the member congregations
of the Synod, while the other, the “doctrinal resolution,” lacks any
process of review or analysis and makes no provision for congre-
gational ratification; and

WHEREAS, Under the current Bylaws, the 2007 Synod conven-
tion may establish or alter the formal and public doctrinal position
of the Synod by a simple majority vote in a resolution that is not re-