LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 183

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 183

quired to identify itself as an attempt to establish or alter the doc-
trinal position of the Synod; and

WHEREAS, It is not a good thing to have two such radically dif-
ferent and conflicting processes, each of which binds the members
of the Synod by establishing or altering the doctrinal position of
the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod redefine the role of the “doctrinal res-
olution” to allow the 2007 Synod convention to express a nonbind-
ing opinion at a given time on an issue that may have theological
implications in such a way that does not establish the formal and
public doctrinal position of the Synod and does not bind all mem-
bers of the Synod to this view; and be it further

Resolved, That the “doctrinal statement” shall remain as the
process by which the 2007 Synod convention defines its formal
public doctrine; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Bylaws of the Synod be amended as follows
to accomplish these goals (additions to the current bylaws being

underlined and deletions in strikethreugh):

1.6 Confessional Position of the Synod

1.6.1 The confessional position of the Synod is set forth in Article
II of its Constitution, to which all who wish to be and remain
members of the Synod shall subscribe.

Doctrinal Resolutions and Statements

1.6.2 The Synod, in seeking to clarify its witness or to settle doctrinal
controversy, so that all who seek to participate in the relation-
ships that exist within and through the Synod may benefit and
may act to benefit others, shall have the right to adopt doctrinal
resolutions and statements which are in harmony with Scripture
and the Lutheran Confessions.

(a) Doctrinal resolutions, which are nonbinding expressions
trine of the Synod, may be adopted for the information, coun-
sel, and guidance of the membership. They shall conform to
the confessional position of the Synod as set forth in Article II
of its Constitution and shall ordinarily cite the pertinent pas-
sages of the Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and any
previously adopted official doctrinal statements and resolu-
tions of the Synod. Such resolutions come into being in the
same manner as any other resolutions of a convention of the
the-Syned-emends-er-repedis-thent:
(b) Doctrinal statements set forth in greater detail the posi-
tion of the Synod especially in controverted matters. Such
ni i
A proposed statement or a proposal
for the development of such a statement shall be
(1) submitted by the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations or submitted to the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations by a convention of the Synod (including
that of a district), a faculty of the Synod, or an official dis-
trict conference of ordained and/or commissioned ministers
for evaluation, refinement, development, or recommenda-
tion, as the case may be;
(2) submitted by the Commission, if it acts favorably, to
the colleges, universities, seminaries, congregations, and
other members of the Synod for study and suggestions for
no more than one year (failure by the Commission to sub-
mut a proposed doctrinal statement within a year may be
appealed to the Synod in convention through a proper
Overture);
(3) refined further by the Commission on the basis of sug-
gestions received;
(4) submitted by the Commission to the Synod in conven-
tion for further consideration and possible adoption by
majority vote; amendments shall require a two-thirds af-
firmative vote of those present and voting;
(5) resubmitted to the congregations for ratification in its
final existing form;
(6) ratified and operative if a two-thirds majority of the
member congregations which respond within six months
registers an affirmative vote on a ballot supplied by the
Secretary of the Synod for that purpose. Failure to ratify
makes the statement inoperative, and this fact shall be re-

ported by the Secretary to the members of the Synod
through an announcement in an official periodical;
(7) Such adopted and ratified doctrinal statements shall
be regarded as the position of the Synod and shall be ‘‘ac-
cepted and used as helpful expositions and explanations”
(FC SD Rule and Norm 10). They shall be honored and
upheld (“to abide by, act, and teach in accordance with”
[1971 Res. 2-21]) until such time as the Synod amends or
repeals them;
(8) An overture to amend such an adopted ratified doctri-
nal statement shall follow the same procedure as listed in
(1-6) above;
(9) An overture to repeal such an adopted and ratified
doctrinal statement shall require a majority vote of the
Synod in convention in answer to an overture properly
submitted and be subject to the procedure of congrega-
tional approval set forth in paragraph (6) above;
(10) In the interim, those who submit overtures to amend
or to repeal shall, while retaining their right to dissent,
continue to honor and uphold publicly the statement as
the position of the Synod, notwithstanding further study
and action by the Synod in convention.
Faculty
Concordia Seminary
St. Louis, MO

3-85

To Request CTCR Clarify Distinctions
between Doctrinal Resolutions and Statements

WHEREAS, The confessional position of the Synod is the accep-
tance of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and the
Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS
Constitution, Art. II); and

WHEREAS, The Synod seeks to clarify its witness or settle doc-
trinal controversy by adopting doctrinal resolutions and doctrinal
statements (Bylaw 1.6.2); and

Whereas, Doctrinal resolutions adopted by conventions of the
Synod serve a distinct function for “information, counsel, and guid-
ance of the membership” (Bylaw 1.6.2 [a]), while doctrinal state-
ments ratified by a two-thirds majority of congregations of the
Synod serve a slightly different distinct function to “set forth in
greater detail the position of the Synod” (Bylaw 1.6.2 [b]); and

Wuereas, “No resolution of the Synod ... is of binding force if
it is not in accordance with the Word of God or if it appears to be
inexpedient as far as the condition of a congregation is concerned”
(LCMS Constitution, Art. VII; see also Bylaw 1.7.2); and

WHEREAS, Some in the Synod confound and confuse the dis-
tinct natures and purposes of doctrinal resolutions and doctrinal
statements in order to make all resolutions of the Synod be of bind-
ing force upon all members of the Synod; and

WHEREAS, President Gerald B. Kieschnick has called “for con-
tinual and even accelerated attention ... to what degree are our con-
gregations and professional church workers free to decide how to
proceed (in doctrine and practice) and to what degree are we bound
in uniformity” (President’s Leadership News, December 2006);
therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS Convention request the CTCR
to clarify the distinctions between doctrinal statements and doctri-
nal resolutions (Bylaw 1.6.2); and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR reexamine the natures and purposes
of doctrinal resolutions and doctrinal statements (Bylaw 1.6.2) in
the light of the normative precedents of the Synod’s confessional
position (LCMS Constitution, Art. II) and its application (LCMS
Constitution, Art. VID).

Board of Directors
Pacific Southwest District