LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — January 23-24, 2010, Page 5

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

discussion above recognizes the duties, responsibilities, and implications for ecclesiastical supervisors.
Neither the Synod itself nor its chosen ecclesiastical supervisors may grant anyone the right to violate the
Scriptures with impunity. The Synod through its ecclesiastical supervisors provides counsel and advice—
not immunity, approval, or permission, much less license. To the extent that an ecclesiastical supervisor’s
counsel and advice is contrary to Holy Scripture, such supervisor must himself be held accountable. And
to the extent that the Synod becomes aware that one of its chosen and delegated ecclesiastical supervisors
has given erroneous advice which has been relied upon by a member, the Synod must provide that
member with corrected advice and give the member the opportunity to take corrective steps before
expelling such member.
138. Dispute Resolution Process Appeal Panel Decision (09-2571)
In a letter dated November 16, 2009, a member of the Synod recently involved in the dispute resolution
process submitted a series of questions to the commission regarding the final decision rendered by the
panel. Commission member Philip Esala and Secretary Raymond Hartwig, both of whom served as
administrators during said dispute resolution process, excused themselves from participation in the
discussion of the questions or the decision reached by the commission. The minutes for this portion of the
meeting were kept by commission member Daniel Lorenz.
Question 1: If the Standard Operating Procedures Manual (SOPM) rule of directly contacting the
Appeals Panel were violated by one side of the dispute during the Appeal Panel deliberations,
do the Bylaws permit that Appeal Panel be declared invalid? And do the Bylaws permit that
another Appeal Panel be formed? And by whom?

4

Constitution, Article VI Conditions of Membership
Conditions for acquiring and holding membership in the Synod are the following:
1. Acceptance of the confessional basis of Article II.
2. Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description, such as:
a. Serving congregations of mixed confession, as such, by ministers of the church;
b. Taking part in the services and sacramental rites of heterodox congregations or of congregations of
mixed confession;
c. Participating in heterodox tract and missionary activities.
3. Regular call of pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach,
directors of family life ministry, directors of parish music, deaconesses, certified lay ministers, and
parish assistants and regular election of lay delegates by the congregations, as also the blamelessness
of the life of such.
4. Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church and school.
5. A congregation shall be received into membership only after the Synod has convinced itself that the
constitution of the congregation, which must be submitted for examination, contains nothing contrary
to the Scriptures or the Confessions.
6. Pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, directors of family
life ministry, directors of parish music, deaconesses, certified lay ministers, or candidates for these
offices not coming from recognized orthodox church bodies must submit to a colloquium before being
received.
7. Congregations and individuals shall be received into membership at such time and manner, and
according to such procedures, as shall be set forth in the bylaws to this Constitution.

91