LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 282

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282 SYNOD STRUCTURE AND GOVERANCE

Resolved, That the PSW District make public this misunder-
standing and its correction in order to ensure no lingering ill ef-
fects;...

and

WHEREAS, ‘In a letter dated July 2, 2006, a district president
questioned the validity of [this] district convention resolution”; and

WHEREAS, The CCM rendered its Opinion (District Convention

Resolution re CCM “Guidelines” (06-2477)) stating:
“.A district convention does not have the authority...to instruct
that district’s constitution committee to ignore the duties and re-
sponsibilities imposed upon them by the Synod... It is the Con-
stitution and Bylaws of the Synod that authorize and instruct a
district’s constitution committee and board of directors con-
cerning the matter of the constitutions and bylaws of district
congregations...”

and

WHEREAS, The purpose of Guidelines for Constitutions and By-
laws of Lutheran Congregations is truly as “guidelines,” and not as
a template which must be followed word-for-word; and

WHEREAS, The CCM, referring to opinions 04-2412 and 98-
2135, stated: “A congregation’s confessional standard must not go
beyond that of the Synod”; and

WHEREAS, The adjectives describing Holy Scripture which are
the focus of the PSW District resolution (inspired, inerrant, and re-
vealed) are not contrary to the Synod’s confessional basis, do not
“go beyond the confessional standard of the Synod”, and are “in
harmony with Holy Scripture, the Confessions, and the teachings
and practices of the Synod”, and use of these words demonstrates a
congregation’s “Acceptance of the confessional basis of Art. II”;
and

WHEREAS, These words are in fact included in the approved
constitutions of many congregations of the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention declare that CCM opin-
ion 06-2477 incorrectly prohibited the inclusion of orthodox words
regarding Scripture, such as inspired, inerrant, or revealed in the
“Confessional Subscription” paragraph of congregational constitu-
tions; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention declare that CCM opin-
ions 04-2412 and 98-2135 not be understood to exclude the words
in question from congregational constitutions; and be it finally

Resolved, That the CCM be prohibited from using any of its
“guidelines” as though they had to be followed word-for-word in
congregational constitutions.

Zion
East Moline, IL

8-64

To Reject CCM Opinion 06-2477 re Use of Terms
in Congregational Constitutions

WHEREAS, The constitution of a congregation of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod is an indispensable document for con-
gregational self-understanding and governance; and

WHEREAS, Constitutions of LCMS congregations and LCMS
rites of ordination for pastors and installation of church workers
(LW Agenda, p. 211; LSB Agenda, p. 165) have rightly included
the accurate and descriptive words “revealed,” “inspired,” or “in-
errant” as standard, time-honored language that details the textual
character of Holy Scripture; and

WHEREAS, Our Lutheran Confessions, in the Preface to the
Book of Concord, refer to the Word of God as, “pure,” “infallible,”
and “unalterable” (Tappert, p. 8) and “pure,” “unalloyed,” and
“unadulterated” (Tappert, p. 3); and

WHEREAS, Our Synod in convention in 1973 clearly expressed
its doctrine in the Brief Statement, a doctrinal resolution of the
LCMS, by describing God’s Holy Word in Section A, entitled “The
Inspiration of Scripture,” as “inspired,” and in Section F, “The In-
fallibility of Scripture” (which ends with “‘the Lord of history, who
reveals Himself in Holy Scriptures”) as “revealed” and as “‘in-

errant” (“We reject the following views: ... 2. That the scriptures
are inerrant only in matters pertaining directly to the Gospel mes-
sage of salvation’’), and in Section 6, “Confessional Subscription,”
(which begins with “We reaffirm our acceptance of the Scriptures
as the inspired and inerrant Word of God’) also as “inerrant”; and

WHEREAS, It is necessary for the Synod to speak to its own cul-
ture regarding Holy Scripture in words that clearly address the ve-
racity of Scripture and to reject false notions prevalent in culture
and in heterodox church bodies that call into question portions of
God’s Word as being authoritative, thus necessitating the use of
“inspired,” “revealed,” “infallible,” and “inerrant”; therefore be it

Resolved, That CCM opinion 06-2477 be officially overturned;
and be it further

Resolved, That congregations of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod be permitted and encouraged to employ the terms “re-
vealed,” “inerrant,” and “infallible” in referencing the character of
the text of Holy Scripture.

North Kansas City Circuit 11
Missouri District

8-65

To Retain the Words “Revealed,” “Inspired,”
and “Inerrant” in Congregations’ Constitutions

WHEREAS, Constitutions of LCMS congregations as well as
LCMS ceremonies and statements have included the words “re-
vealed,” “inspired,” and “inerrant” to describe Holy Scripture; and

WHEREAS, Using these words to describe Scripture is in har-
mony with the position of Scripture itself (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter
1:20-21; 1 Cor. 2:9-13; 14:37; Acts 24:14; Psalm 19:7; Rom. 3:2;
1 Thess. 2:13; John 8:31—32; 17:20; 10:35; 2 Cor. 13:3; 1 Peter
1:12) as well as the Lutheran Confessions (LC IV 57); and

WHEREAS, The Pacific Southwest District (PSWD) Constitution
Committee has instructed congregations to avoid words such as
“revealed,” “inspired,” and “inerrant” to describe Scripture in their
constitutions and has disallowed at least one congregation’s en-
trance into the Synod based on those words appearing in their
drafted constitution; and

WHEREAS, The Missouri Synod Commission on Constitutional
Matters (CCM) has officially supported the actions of the PSWD
Constitution Committee by stating that words describing Scripture
such as “inspired,” “inerrant,” or “revealed” amount to “other con-
fessional statements, confessions of faith, or common confessions”
that “go beyond that of the Synod” and so cannot be used in consti-
tutions (CCM Minutes, Sept. 7-8, 2006: 155. District Convention
Resolution re CCM “Guidelines,” 06-2477); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm that the descrip-
tive words “revealed,” “inspired,” and “inerrant” do not go beyond
the Synod’s confessional standards; and be it further ;

Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the CCM to act
in accordance with this affirmation, particularly by not compelling
congregations, either directly or indirectly, to remove such de-
scriptive language from their constitutions; and be it finally

Resolved, That Guidelines for the Constitution and Bylaws of a
Lutheran Congregation be revised to reflect the freedom of LCMS
congregations to describe Holy Scripture in the confessional stan-
dards paragraph of their constitutions using the words “revealed,”
“inspired,” and/or “inerrant.”

St Paul
Wellston, OK

8-66

To Affirm Confessional Language re Holy Scriptures

WHEREAS, 2 Tim 3:16—17: “All Scripture is breathed out by
God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for
training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work”; and