LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 173

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Resolutions
7. Structure and Ecclesiastical Matters
To Set Forth Clear Mutual Expectations
in Carrying Out Office of Visitation
RESOLUTION 7-01A
Overture 7-01 (CW, pp. 247–248)
Preamble
The 2010 LCMS convention created by means of Res. 8-07 a
task force that was charged among other things to make recommendations concerning “the purpose and function of a district.”
This fundamental directive to all of the other work assigned to it
has been the first priority of the task force.
While “visitation” has been noteworthy in the history of the
church through the ages, the importance of the Office of Visitation in evangelical Lutheranism has been recognized from the time
of Dr. Martin Luther all the way through recent LCMS conventions. Because of the central concern for the Word and the need to
reform parish life and pastoral work according to the evangelical
doctrine, Luther proposed formal visitations at the outset of the
Reformation. Philip Melanchthon drafted the Visitation Articles
in 1528 for the proper supervision of the congregations and pastors in Ducal Saxony with Luther providing the Preface (Luther’s
Works, 40:262–319).
The importance of episcope (i.e., the task of ecclesiastical supervision or visitation) to Luther was described in letters in which
he articulated the need for all parishes to be inspected in regard
to poor economic and spiritual conditions. His concern was for
the souls of people and the preaching of the pure Gospel. The
instructions for the visitors of parish pastors cited the Old and
New Testament evidence of the divinely wholesome value of pastors and Christian congregations being visited by understanding
and competent persons (Acts 8:14, 9:32, 15:2; 1 Sam. 7:17, 10:8, 11:14,
13:8, 15:12, 21:1; 1 Kings 17–21; 2 Kings 2–13; Luke 1:39).
Other Scripture passages helpful in understanding the Office
of Visitation not cited in Luther’s Preface in the 1528 “Visitation
Articles” include “And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let
us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed
the word of the Lord, and see how they are’” (Acts 15:36); “Simeon
has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them
a people for His name” (Acts 15:14); “Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people … because of the
tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from
on high” (Luke 1:68, 78); “Fear seized them all, and they glorified
God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has
visited His people!’” (Luke 7:16); and “It has been testified someR e s olu t i on s

Committee 7 Chairman Richard Boche

where, ‘What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of
man, that You care for [visit] him?’” (Heb. 2:6).
At the founding of the Synod, the 1847 Constitution stated:
Article IV. I. Business of the Synod.
1. Supervision of the purity and unity of the doctrine within
the synodical constituency, and opposition to false doctrine.
2. Supervision over the administration of the preachers and
teachers of the synodical constituency.
Article V. I. Execution of Synodical Business.
…
7. The Synod requires a report from the president on the result of his visitations in the preceding year in conformity
with instruction [viz. from Synod], in order to supervise
[the] doctrine, life, and administration of the preachers and
school teachers (see under Article VI A., Para. 7).
Article VI. Rights and Duties of the Officers and Remaining
Members of the Synod.
Of the President
…
7. He is to make use of all diligence during his three-year administration to visit every parish of the synodical constituency at least one time, whereupon he presents his report at
the annual synodical convention.
…
13. In his supervisory capacity he himself is to act strictly according to the written instructions, which he hereto received from the Synod.
In 1854, seven years after the founding of Synod and with only
89 congregations and 15,000 baptized members, the 73 voting delegates found it “necessary” and “salutary” to reorganize the Synod
with providing a new “outward means of assistance” by “arranging” and establishing the structure and governance of districts and
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