LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — January 10-11, 1992, Page 7

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"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to
teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent" I Timothy 2:11-12: and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther has stated in reference to the above Scriptural passages:
"The Holy Ghost has excluded women from government of the church"
XVI:2280; and

St. Louis,

WHEREAS, Our sainted Missouri Synod forefathers, Walther, Stoeckhardt, Pieper, Fritz, and others,
all taught that the above Scriptural citations clearly prohibit women from the public preaching of
Word of God. The following quote being representative of this “publica doctrina” of our Synod:
"It (Scripture) forbids the public speaking and teaching of women. It states: /It is a shame
for women to speak in the church/ (I Cor. 14:35). Women are not even to ask questions in
public assemblies and thus start discussion, but they should ask their own men at home.
Also I Timothy 2:12, /I suffer not a woman to teach,/ pertains according to the context to
the public teaching of women." Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. 1, page 525;
and
WHEREAS, The Synod's Commission on Theology and Church Relations in its September, 1985
document, "Women in the Church" states the following conviction regarding the above cited Spiritual
passages
I Cor. 14:33b-35 and I Tim. 2:11-15 speak of women's roles in the public worship
service. The main application of these passages in the contemporary church is that
women are not to exercise those functions in the local congregation which would involve
them in the exercise of authority inherent in the authoritative public teaching office (i.e.,
the office of pastor). "Women In The Church" page 38; and
WHEREAS, As recently as 1986, The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod in convention adopted the
following resolution:
"WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has repeatedly stated its conviction that the
Scriptures prohibit the ordination of women into the pastoral office (1969 Res. 2-17;
1971 Res. 2-04); and
WHEREAS, This official position of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod is to be
upheld by the Synod and its officers; and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations in its report "Women
in the Church" has discussed the Scriptural basis for not ordaining women to the pastoral
office; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm its conviction that the Scripture prohibit women from
holding the pastoral office or carrying out the distinctive functions of this office (I Cor.
11; 1 Cor. 14; 1 Tim. 2)." "Proceedings" 1986 convention LCMS, page 144; and
WHEREAS, In recent months presentations have been made by ordained teachers of our Synod to
several circuit pastoral conferences, as well as in at least one congregational Bible class, in which it
has been stated that the above passages of Scripture do not prohibit women from publicly preaching
in our churches; and