LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 172

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172

Theology and Church Relations

1. Authentein, a relatively brief study on the meaning of this Greek
word, which drew no conclusions concerning application in the contemporary church but which corrected an assertion in the 1968 CTCR Women’s Suffrage in the Church report concerning the meaning of this term;
2. The Creator’s Tapestry: Scriptural Perspectives on Man-Woman
Relationships in Marriage and the Church, a more comprehensive report which, the CTCR’s executive director said, focused “not so much
on specific questions about the service of women in the church—topics
covered in other CTCR documents—but on the scriptural relationship of
man and woman both within and outside of marriage and church-service
contexts” (Reporter, November 2008, p. 2);

and
Whereas, The Synod is not in agreement about the role of women
in the church and the practical application of the various resolutions
of the Synod concerning women’s roles; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Missouri District in convention expresses its
desire that our Synod seek a God-pleasing resolution and lasting solution to the understanding of women’s roles in the church; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Missouri District memorialize the Synod to
do the following:
1. Rescind 2004 Res. 3-08A and anything based upon it, such as
policies or administrative procedures;

committees in the institutional structures of a congregation, only if this
involves women in a violation of the order of creation.”
(It should be noted that the CTCR stated in 1985: “The only stricture
would have to do with anyone whose official functions would involve
public accountability for the functions of the pastoral office [e.g., elders,
and possibly the chairman of the congregation]” [Women in the Church,
p. 46].)
“4. We therefore conclude that the Synod itself and the congregations of the Synod are at liberty to alter their policies and practices in
regard to women’s involvement in the work of the church according
to these declarations, provided the policy developed conforms to the
general Scriptural principles that women neither hold the pastoral office
‘nor exercise authority over men.’”
(It should be noted that the CTCR stated in 1985, with respect to
1 Timothy 2:11–15: “A careful review of this passage indicates that the
terms ‘teach’ and ‘exercise authority’ parallel each other. They are intentionally linked. The kind of teaching referred to in the passage is tied
to exercising authority. The authority forbidden to women here is that of
the pastoral office” [Women in the Church, p. 35].)
c. What corrections might the CTCR offer concerning its reports issued after 1969, including Women in the Church (1985)
and The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices (1994)?

Missouri District;
Carrollton Circuit Forum, Missouri District

2. Assign the CTCR to fulfill the mandate given it in 1995 Res.
3-06A;
3. Assign to the faculties of her two seminaries the task of giving the
CTCR input pursuant to the above assignment, this time by addressing
formal “open letters” to the CTCR and making these letters available to
the entire Synod at the time they are submitted to the CTCR;
4. Assign the CTCR to review critically all the recommendations in
its 1994 report on The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices and their basis in its 1985 Women in the Church document
in light of the dissenting opinion of 1994, the seminary input mentioned
above, the input of other concerned members of the Synod, and in light
of scholarly studies concerning relevant biblical passages (many aided
by ancient literature databases) that have appeared since 1985;
5. Assign the CTCR to issue a report to the Synod on this study in
which the CTCR answers the following questions:
a.  In addition to the correction already issued by the CTCR
in its Authentein document, does the CTCR wish to correct the
following statement (or the biblical analysis underlying this
statement) from its 1968 Women Suffrage in the Church document? “To this point we would need to add the observation that
some offices in the congregation implicitly expect the exercise
of authority over others, including men. [Women h]olding such
offices might indeed be in violation of what has been called the
order of creation or of preservation” (p. 10).
(It should be noted that the CTCR has recently asserted,
with respect to expressions of dissent from 2004 Res. 3-08A,
“If the dissenters believe that Scripture clearly and definitively
teaches that, due to the order of creation, women are forbidden
to serve in certain humanly instituted offices in the church [even
when these offices do not require them to carry out the distinctive functions of the pastoral office], then it is incumbent upon
those dissenting to demonstrate where and how Scripture makes
this clear. This, in the CTCR’s judgment, the dissenters have not
done” [CTCR Response to Expressions of Dissent (2004–2006),
pp. 25–26, emphasis original].)
If the CTCR wishes to correct the above-cited statement
from the 1968 document, why? If not, why not?
b.  Does the CTCR recommend that the Synod in any way
modify the following declarations from its 1969 Res. 2-17? If
so, why? If not, why not?
“2. The principles set forth in such [biblical] passages, we believe,
prohibit holding any other kind of office or membership on boards or

2013 Convention Workbook

4-22

To Promote Study of Biblical and Confessional
Position of LCMS re Office of Holy Ministry
Whereas, Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession states: “Our
churches teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church, or
administer the Sacraments, without a rightly ordered call”; and
Whereas, Article V of the same states: “So that we may obtain
this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the
Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as
through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given (John 20:22)”; and
Whereas, The Lutheran Confessions clearly distinguish between
believers who are all priests before God to offer their spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. 2:5) and those whom Christ has called into specific
offices with specific responsibilities to His Bride (Eph. 4:11–16; Acts
20:28; 1 Cor. 4:1; 12:28; 2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Tim. 4:12–16; Heb. 5:4, etc.)
in such texts as:
Our teachers assert that according to the Gospel the power of the
keys or the power of bishops is a power and command of God to preach
the Gospel, to forgive and retain sins, and to administer and distribute
the sacraments. For Christ sent out the apostles with this command, “As
the Father has sent Me, even so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If
you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of
any, they are retained’ (John 20:21–23)” (AC XXVIII 5);
According to divine right, therefore, it is the office of the bishop to
preach the Gospel, forgive sins, judge doctrine and condemn doctrine
that is contrary to the Gospel, and exclude from the Christian congregation the ungodly whose wicked conduct is manifest. All this is to be
done not by human power but by God’s Word alone. On this account
parish ministers and churches are bound to be obedient to the bishops
according to the saying of Christ in Luke 10:16, “He who hears you
hears Me” (AC XXVIII 21);
When the sacraments are administered by unworthy men, this does
not rob them of their efficacy. For they do not represent their own persons but the person of Christ, because of the church’s call, as Christ
testifies (Luke 10:16), “He who hears you hears Me.” When they offer