LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — December 16,1999, Page 3

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of our faith in Jesus Christ as God and Savior, to foster Christian fellowship and love, to extend a
helping hand in human need, and to achieve our objectives by the preaching of the Word of God, by
the administration of the sacraments, and by the religious instruction of all its members according to
the confessional standard of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
3.0 CONFESSIONAL STANDARD
The Synod requires that its member congregations accept the Synod's confessional standard. At the same
time the congregation's own standard must not go beyond the Synod's confessional standard. The best
procedure would be to adapt Article 11 of the Synod's own Constitution to the congregation's constitution
to wit:
This congregation accepts without reservation:
3.1 The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule
and norm of faith and of practice;
3.2 All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated
statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit: the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles'
Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the Apology of
the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, the Large Catechism of Luther, the Small Catechism
of Luther, and the Formula of Concord.
4.0 MEMBERSHIP
We distinguish three types of membership: baptized, communicant, voting. In the last named category
there are options at this time in our church body. Voting membership may be limited to males only or
open to all communicant members. Most congregations restrict voting membership to persons who have
reached the age of legal majority. Care should be taken that the age at which individuals may hold voting
membership conforms to the any requirements of state law. This is especially important with reference to
decisions involving contracts and other legal matters. Care should be taken to prohibit membership in
organizations whose principles and conduct conflict with the Word of God. (cf. 1998 Handbook, pp. 134135).
Example:
4.1 Membership
The membership of this congregation includes the following:
4. 1.1 Baptized members are all who have been baptized in the name of the Triune God and who are
under the spiritual care of the pastor of this congregation, including the children who have not yet
been confirmed.
4.1.2 Communicant members are those baptized members who have been confirmed in the Lutheran
faith, accept the confessional standard of Section _______ of this constitution, are familiar at least
with the contents of Luther's Small Catechism, and are not members of organizations whose
principles and conduct conflict with the Word of God.
4.1.3. Voting members are communicant members who have reached the age _____ of years, have
been received by the voters assembly, and have signed the constitution of the congregation.
4.2 Reception
Baptized and communicant members are received through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, through
the consent of one or both parents in the case of children who have been baptized in another Christian
congregation, through the rite of confirmation, through transfer from a sister congregation, through
profession of faith or reaffirmation of faith. The reception shall be approved by the voters assembly.
Eligible communicant members may be received as voting members upon application for such
privilege, upon approval by the voters assembly, and upon signing the constitution.
4.3 Duties

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