LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 174

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174

Theology and Church Relations

Whereas, Such faith is nothing other than the working of the Holy
Spirit in and through the divinely appointed means to pronounce forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake (John 20:23; Matt. 16:19; AC Art.
XXVIII 21, 22); and
Whereas, This office is established by Christ for the good of His
Church, and those whom He has called into this office are likewise
removed by our Lord mediately through His Church, not based upon
the sinful whims of man but only for the biblical reasons of: (1) false
doctrine, (2) immoral life, (3) and inability to fulfill the pastoral office
(1 Tim. 1:8–11; 3:1–7; 4:12–16; Titus 1:5–9); and
Whereas, Implicit in the fact that it is a divinely established office
is that the call into this office is permanent, not temporary, nor is it to
be entered into based upon some contractual agreement rather than a
divine call extended through the church; and
Whereas, The permanency of the pastoral office has always been
upheld by the Evangelical Lutheran Church until recent times, as was
well documented in a response to the February 2004 CTCR study
document, Theology and Practice of the Divine Call, by two minority opinions written by two members of the CTCR. In their taking
the CTCR to task, Kurt Marquart and Walter Lehenbauer stated the
following regarding the Synod’s historical understanding of the call,
especially as it relates to the idea of “temporary calls”:
1992 Resolution 3-09A mandating the study of the Call expressly
stated that this was to be done “utilizing the writings of C. F. W. Walther (i.e., his book Church and Ministry and essay ‘The Congregation’s
Rights [sic] to Choose Its Pastor’” (1992 Proceedings, 116). The intent
clearly was to take seriously the balanced, historic, orthodox Lutheran
consensus on church and ministry, for the clear exposition and defense
of which Walther is rightly famous. The CTCR’s document fails to do
justice to standard Lutheranism’s rejection of “temporary calls,” as the
following citations clearly show.
God nowhere has granted or permitted those who call the right to
make such a contract. Hence, neither the one calling nor the one who is
called may regard such a call or dismissal as divine” (C. F. W. Walther,
Church and Ministry, trans. J. T. Mueller (St Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987), 311., Theologia positivopolemica, part II, p. 530).
Neither is a congregation entitled to issue such a call [i.e., temporary], nor is a preacher authorized to accept it. Such a call is before God
neither valid nor legitimate. It is an abuse [Unsitte]. It conflicts in the
first place with the divinity, clearly certified in God’s Word, of a true
call into a preaching office in the church (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor.
12:28; Ps. 68:12; Is. 41:27). … Such a call is not at all that which God
has ordained in respect of the holy office of preaching, but is an entirely
different matter, which hasn’t got anything to do with it. For it is no mediate call through the church, but a human contract; it is no life’s calling,
but a passing function outside the divine order; an ecclesiastical, thus a
human order, or rather an abominable disorder made contrary to the order of God. It is therefore, as stated before, without any validity, null and
void, and one so called is not to be regarded as a servant of Christ and of
the church. … A shepherd and cowherd people may hire for a time, and
when their service no longer pleases, they may at a definite time, but not
always, dismiss them, if they wish: but so to treat a shepherd of souls
is not within the power of any man. Nor may the servant of the Word
himself accept the holy office in such a way, unless he wants to become
a hireling. [C. F. W. Walther, Amerikanisch-Lutherische Pastoraltheologie [American-Lutheran Pastoral Theology], fourth ed., 1897, 41–45].
This temporary calling is a shameful perversion of the order which
Christ Himself has created in the church. Nowhere is it revealed as the
will of God that preachers and teachers should be so engaged that it
depends on the good will and the decision of the others whether they
may remain in their office or not. [J. P. Beyer, “Vom Beruf zum Amt der
Kirchendiener,” LCMS Eastern District Proceedings, (1889) 36–37].

2013 Convention Workbook

From the beginning our Synod had to take a definite stand on this
question. Among the conditions of membership in Synod the following is listed [in the Constitution]: “Regular (not temporary) call of the
pastor.” Chapter V, paragraph 11, we find this statement: “Licenses to
preach which are customary in this country are not granted by Synod
because they are contrary to Scripture and the practice of the Church”
… This has been the consistent practice of our Synod since that time and
has been stated again and again in official papers presented at conventions and in our periodicals. [P. F. Koehneke, “The Call into the Holy
Ministry,” in The Abiding Word (St. Louis: CPH, 1946) 1:380].
The call is always permanent. The notion of a temporary call is inconceivable in the nature of the case, and therefore the matter is not even
considered by Luther or the Confessions or any Lutheran theologian. …
As the immediate call in apostolic times was for life (until God Himself
called the person to a new place), so it is with the mediate call. It is
permanent and irrevocable, unless God Himself intervenes. [Robert D.
Preus, “The Doctrine of the Call in the Confessions and Lutheran Orthodoxy,” in Church and Ministry Today, ed. John A. Maxfield (Crestwood,
MO.: Luther Academy, 2001), 33];

and
Whereas, The departure from faithful practice in upholding the
pastoral office and the divine right of a congregation to maintain
that office is evidenced in a myriad of ways today within the LCMS,
including but not restricted to:
• Congregations firing pastors for no biblical cause and without due
process;
• Congregations deposing pastors without cause and due process claiming that the pastor is “an employee at will” and the congregation is
autonomous;
• A district president placing a pastor who is in office or who has been
deposed from office, either rightfully or wrongfully, on a so-called
“restricted status.” If this is done prior to due process …, it is per se
a violation of the minister’s call according to AC XIV (“Order in the
Church”) or of his right to receive a call …;
• A district president controlling the call list of a congregation. This is
clear violation of the right of the congregation to have a decisive role
in the call of the whole church, which was the concern of Luther, the
Lutheran Confessions, and all previous dogmaticians;
• A district president or circuit counselor interfering in the ministry of a
pastor by talking with members and hearing complaints against him
without his knowledge or presence. This action, whether purposeful
or accidental, is a violation of due process and of the minister’s call;
• The issuing of a “temporary call” by a congregation either at the bequest
of the district or on its own; and

Whereas, The number of pastors who have been unbiblically
removed by their congregation and or district president is growing,
even though specifics are often almost impossible to give due to the
fact that the parties involved are reticent to go on record in fear of
being permanently banned from receiving a call; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention call all Synod and district
presidents and officials and all pastors and congregations to uphold
the divinely ordained pastoral office by no longer dismissing pastors
without cause; and be it further
Resolved, That the district presidents give priority to men who
have been unbiblically removed when suggesting names to congregations calling a pastor, even including them with the list of candidates
from the seminaries who receive calls through the placement process; and be it further
Resolved, That where district officials interfere in the office of pastor in a given congregation and encourage members to do likewise,
that they be admonished to desist in such activity and seek the pastor’s and congregation’s forgiveness; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention move to correct all such
ungodly activity and, through proper catechesis at the local and Synod