LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — October 21-22, 2002, Page 9

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

Commission is unable to provide an answer because it has no authority to review the provisions of a
policy manual and such review would be imperative to a resolution of the issue.
78. Eligibility of Women for Offices of President/Vice-President in Congregations (02-2288)
A pastor of the Synod in an e-mail letter dated July 23, 2002, explained that his congregation was in the
process of updating its constitution. Upon submission of the updated constitution to the District for
approval, the congregation was informed that it should add a provision excluding women from the
positions of congregational president (chairman) or vice-president (vice-chairman) as per article 12.0 of
the Commission’s “GUIDELINES for the Constitution and Bylaws of a Lutheran Congregation.” The
pastor explains that his congregation agrees with the doctrinal position that women should not be
involved in the specific functions of the pastoral office nor hold positions in the church that violate the
order of creation. He notes, however, that these offices in question can be viewed as strictly functionary
and administrative in nature and asks the following question.
Question 1:

“Why would it be considered a violation of the order of creation or an improper
involvement in the specific functions of the pastoral office for a woman to hold these
posts?”

Opinion: For information regarding why it would be considered a violation of the order of creation or an
improper involvement in the specific functions of the pastoral office for a woman to hold one or other of
these posts, the petitioner is advised to request explanation from the Synod’s Commission on Theology
and Church Relations.
Question 2:

“What is the rationale for the position advocated by the Commission on Constitutional
Matters in its ‘Guidelines for the Constitution and Bylaws of a Lutheran Congregation’?”

Opinion: Resolution 3-06A of the 1995 convention of the Synod resolved, “That the members of the
Synod continue to uphold its position on women serving in congregational offices and to abide by the
position as stated in the 1970 opinion of the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) that
congregations may allow women to hold all congregational offices except those of chairman, vicechairman, elder, and any other board or policy-making committee ‘whose chairmanship the congregation
might wish to restrict to men.’” The Commission’s “GUIDELINES for the Constitution and Bylaws of a
Lutheran Congregation” incorporates this and earlier convention decisions of the Synod (1969 Res. 2-17;
1971 Workbook, p. 244; 1981 Res. 3-11).
79. Relationship of the Synod to Auxiliary Organizations (02-2289)
A pastor of the Synod in a July 24, 2002 letter to the Commission asked a series of questions regarding
the relationship of the Synod to auxiliary organizations and their operations, especially as pertains to
rostered members of the Synod employed by such organizations.
Question 1:

Are the Constitution, Bylaws, policies, administration and activities of an Auxiliary or
Recognized Service Organization required to be in conformity with and defer to the
Constitution and Bylaws of Synod?

Opinion: The answer to this question is: No. While Bylaw 13.01 c 6 requires that an Auxiliary shall
“honor and uphold the doctrine and practice of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as set forth in the
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions,” and while Bylaw 13.01 a 2 requires that an Auxiliary
“identifies itself with the Synod,” the latter bylaw also states that an Auxiliary “is not a part of the
Synod’s constitutional structure.” Bylaw 13.01 a 4 provides that an Auxiliary "…operates with freedom
57