LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 131

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SYNOD REPORTS
Additional Recommendations

The task force considered and recommends the following for
consideration:
1.

There is confusion as to the definition of several key words people
use in the daily life of the Church. The Commission on Handbook
should consider including the following words in the definition section of the Bylaws:
• mission
• missions
• ministry
• visitation
• official visit
2. The terms “bishop” and “district president” are used inconsistently
throughout the Synod. There is confusion in the community and the
outside world about what a district president is. The term “bishop”
is more recognizable to the community. It is also helpful to provide
context for the responsibilities and duties of the current district presidents. The task force recommends that the Synod consider changing the name of district president to bishop.
Conclusion

The task force respectfully submits these recommendations to
the 2013 LCMS convention for consideration. It expresses its gratitude and thanksgiving for the assistance and input provided during
its deliberations with the Council of Presidents, the Synod’s Board
of Directors, and the Synod’s staff.
Task Force Members:

Ray Bauch, East/Southeast Region
Rev. Richard Boche, Council of Presidents
Rev. Bryant Clancy, Central Region
Rev. Ruben Dominguez, West/Southwest Region
Rev. Thomas Eckstein, Great Plains Region
John Edson, Great Plains Region (Chairman)
Rev. Roger Gallup, Great Lakes Region (Secretary)
Elaine Graff, West/Southwest Region
James Lowitzer, Central Region
Rev. Herbert Mueller, First Vice-President, President’s Office
James Saalfeld, Great Lakes Region
Rev. Will Sohns, Commission on Constitutional Matters
Roger Sprengel, District Executive
Rev. Larry Stoterau, Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure
and Governance
Rev. Dien Ashley Taylor, East/Southeast Region
Rev. Gregory Williamson, Chief Mission Officer
Gene Weeke, Staff Resource

The Office of Visitation1 in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, Historical
and Theological
Introduction
In an attempt to strengthen the circuit and the office of visitation
in the Synod, the 2010 convention adopted Res. 8-02A, “To Restore
Circuits to Their Primary Purpose.” The resolution revised Bylaw
5.1.1 with the provision, “A circuit is a network of congregations that
‘walks together’ for mutual care, support, advice, study, ecclesiastical encouragement, service, coordination, resources, and counsel—all
for the sake of greater congregational participation in God’s mission”
(emphasis added). In harmony with this resolve, the convention floor
committee also proposed, “Districts shall establish circuits according

131

to geographic, demographic, and mission criteria, or such other criteria as shall be determined by a district.” However, the convention
amended the resolve to limit the criteria only to “geographic” (2010
Bylaw 5.1.2, emphasis added).
The Preamble to 2010 Res. 8-07, “To Study Future District
Function and Configuration,” established the context and direction
for the resolution: “Districts are large ecclesial clusters (congregations
and circuits) established by the Synod for the care, support, advice,
ecclesiastical encouragement, service, coordination, and counsel that
will foster the congregation’s greater participation in God’s mission.
Present district boundaries were determined by the national Synod
with the intention of providing the most efficient and effective support
and ecclesiastical encouragement and counsel to local congregations”
(emphasis added).
The 8-07 Task Force (authorized by 2010 Res. 8-07) reviewed the
office of visitation historically and theologically to determine how this
office and the circuit model in the districts can be strengthened in The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
The History of the Office of Visitation

The reformers recognized and desired superintending bishops that
were “true” or “proper” bishops, distinguishing between the bishop’s
functions by divine right and human right. While the confessors of the
Reformation condemned the abuses of superintending bishops, they
respected the right of the church to establish the functions of superintending bishops. They re-established the episcope in a God-pleasing
and Christ-centered way.
Because of the central concern for the Word and the need to reform
parish life and pastoral work according to the evangelical doctrine,
Dr. Martin 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.2
The importance of episcope (supervision) 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; 21:1; 10:8;
11:14; 13:8; 15:12; 1 Kings 17–21; 2 Kings 2–13; and 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, emphasis added);
“Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from
them a people for His name” (Acts 15:14, emphasis added); “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, emphasis added); “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, emphasis added); “It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that You
are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You care for [visit] him?’”
(Heb. 2:6, emphasis added). All the visit words in these passages are
rooted in the Greek word επισκοπτεω (cf. επισκοπή [episcope]—the
office; cf. επισκοπος [bishop]—the person of the office).
Historically, the Synod has been so convinced of the power and
authority of the Word that it believed it could accomplish its mission primarily through mutual encouragement and support based on
that Word, rather than by organizational authority, command, and
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