LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 154

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5. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
cases of pastoral care where persons who are
members of denominations not in fellowship
with the LCMS desire to receive the Lord’s
Supper. However, part of the pastor’s
responsibility in such situations involves
informing individuals desiring Communion also
of their responsibility regarding an action which
identifies them with the confessional position of
the church body to which the host congregation
belongs and their willingness to place
themselves under the spiritual care of the pastor
in that place (LCMS CTCR, Theology and Practice
of the Lord’s Supper [adopted 1983], 41);

WHEREAS, The 1983 Commission on Theology and Church
Relations (CTCR) report Theology and Practice of the Lord’s
Supper states:
Since fellowship at the Lord’s Table is also
confession of a common faith, it would not be
truthful for those who affirm the Real Presence
and those who deny it to join one another. Their
common Communion would indicate to the
non-Christian community that the last will and
testament of Christ could be interpreted in
contradictory ways. Indeed, the non-Christian
might rightly ask whether it was Jesus’s word
which determined the church’s position and
practice or simply a human consensus (LCMS
CTCR, Theology and Practice of the Lord’s Supper
[adopted 1983], 21).
…

and
WHEREAS, 1995 Res. 3-08, “To Reaffirm the Practice of
Close[d] Communion,” was adopted and reaffirmed 1967 Res.
2-19 and 1986 Res. 3-08 and stated:
Resolved, That because we are “eager to
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace” (Eph. 4:3), any members of the Synod
who advocate a different practice of Holy
Communion be fraternally reminded of the
commitment all the members of the Synod make
to one another by subscribing to the
Constitution of the Synod to honor and uphold
its doctrine and practice and, where there is
disagreement, to follow the proper channels of
dissent as outlined in synodical Bylaw 2.39 c.
(1995 Proceedings, 122);

Close Communion seeks to prevent a profession
of confessional unity in faith where there is, in
fact, disunity and disagreement. It would be
neither faithful to the Scriptural requirements
for admission to Holy Communion (1 Cor. 11:27
ff.; cf. 10:16-17) nor helpful to fallen humanity if
the Christian church welcomes to its altars
those who deny or question clear Scriptural
teachings (LCMS CTCR, Theology and Practice of
the Lord’s Supper [adopted 1983], 22).
…
In keeping with the principle that the
celebration and reception of the Lord’s Supper is
a confession of the unity of faith, while at the
same time recognizing that there will be
instances when sensitive pastoral care needs to
be exercised, the Synod has established an
official practice requiring “that pastors and
congregations of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, except in situations of
emergency and in special cases of pastoral care,
commune individuals of only those synods
which are now in fellowship with us. [28]”
(LCMS CTCR, Theology and Practice of the Lord’s
Supper [adopted 1983], 22–23).
…
[28] 1967 Res. 2-19. See also 1969 Res. 3-18 and
1981 Res. 3-01. Cf. Francis Pieper, Christian
Dogmatics, III, p. 381. Pieper begins his
discussion concerning who is to be admitted to
the Lord’s Supper by stating: “Christian
congregations, and their public servants, are
only the administrants and not lords of the
Sacrament. … On the one hand, they are not
permitted to introduce ‘Open Communion’: on
the other hand, they must guard against
denying the Sacrament to those Christians for
whom Christ has appointed it.” To be sure, a
heavy responsibility rests on pastors in making
decisions as they evaluate those exceptional
154 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION

and
WHEREAS, 2007 Res. 3-09, “To Address Administration of
the Lord’s Supper,” was adopted, commending the 1999 CTCR
report, “Admission to the Lord’s Supper,” and reinforcing the
LCMS position and practice regarding close(d) Communion;
and
WHEREAS, 2013 Res. 4-10 “To Encourage Proper Oversight
in the Administration of the Lord’s Supper by Visitation from
Ecclesiastical Supervisors” was adopted and resolved; and
WHEREAS, 2016 Res. 5-15, “To Address Questions re the
Sacrament of the Altar,” was adopted and resolved “That the
LCMS reaffirm that its statements and resolutions with regard
to close(d) Communion … are faithful to Scripture and the
Confessions”; and
WHEREAS, 2019 Res. 4-11A, “To Encourage the Study of the
Doctrine of Close(d) Communion and Faithful Practice in All
Congregations,” was adopted and resolved “That Synod in
convention encourage the study of God’s Word and the
Lutheran Confessions by all members of Synod with an eye to
teaching and upholding our confession and practice regarding
the administration of the Lord’s Supper,” and “That all pastors
and members of the LCMS recognize the Scriptural and
practical necessity of adhering publicly to both a professed
and functional close(d) Communion practice” (2019
Proceedings, 145); and
WHEREAS, Eighty-three percent of the delegates in 2016
and 78 percent of the delegates in 2019 supported resolutions
Resolutions