LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 219

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THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
Way Forward

219

Way Forward

Detailed Framework

Detailed Framework

1. Table of contents

2. Introduction

1.
2.
3.

1.

Impasse: Despite more than three decades of theological study and debate within the
Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) 1, we remain divided on whether
or not the Scriptures permit the ordination of women. There remain two widely held views on
ordination within the Church.

2.

Towards a way forward: At the 2023 in-person sessions of the 2021-23 Convention of General
Synod, delegates voted by a strong majority to direct General Church Board and College of
Bishops (GCB-CoB) to find a way for us to operate as ‘one church with two different practices
of ordination’ and to report back with a detailed framework to the 2024 General Pastors
Conference and General Synod. The Way Forward project appointed by GCB-CoB has
diligently worked through the theological, constitutional and governance requirements to
allow this directive to be accomplished.

3.

The framework: The Way Forward Detailed Framework (Framework) offers an approach whereby
both practices of ordination can exist within the LCA. The Framework has five key parts:

3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5.

Table of contents ........................................................................................................................ 2
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 3
Background ................................................................................................................................. 4
The impasse on ordination .................................................................................................... 4
Towards a way forward – the General Synod resolution................................................... 5
Development of the framework ........................................................................................... 5
Biblical and theological references ..................................................................................... 6
Reasons for hope .................................................................................................................... 7

4.
Framework overview .................................................................................................................. 8
5.
Framework Part A: Commitment to continuity of identity and form .................................... 9
6.
Framework Part B: Changing the teaching to allow for ordination of women and men 10
7.
Framework Part C: Commitments to pastors and pastoral ministry candidates .............. 14
8.
Framework Part D: Commitments to congregations and parishes .................................... 16
9.
Framework Part E: Tenure-based provision for nomination for bishop ............................... 21
10.
Other considerations ................................................................................................................ 22
10.1.
Oversight of bishops ............................................................................................................. 22
10.2.
Synods and Pastors Conferences ....................................................................................... 22
10.3.
District considerations .......................................................................................................... 22
10.4.
Churchwide considerations ................................................................................................ 24
11.
Framework implementation .................................................................................................... 38
12.
Matters for proposals ................................................................................................................ 39
12.1.
Theses of Agreement ........................................................................................................... 39
12.2.
LCA constitution and by-laws ............................................................................................. 40
12.3.
District constitutions and by-laws (if any) .......................................................................... 44
12.4.
Model constitutions and by-laws for a congregation and parish (if any).................... 45
Appendix 1.
Appendix 2.
Appendix 3.

DSTO 1A Theses of Agreement, The status of the Theses of Agreement and other
doctrinal statements, CTICR, 1975 ............................................................................. 47
DSTO 1A Theses of Agreement, The permanent status of Theses of Agreement,
CTICR, 1976 ................................................................................................................... 48
DSTO 1A Theses of Agreement, I: Principles governing church fellowship........... 49

Part A: The Church makes the commitment to maintain its identity and form.
Part B: The Church changes its teaching to allow for the ordination of women and men.
Part C: The Church makes a commitment to pastors and pastoral ministry candidates that
they will continue to be received and welcomed by the whole church in a respectful
environment.
Part D: The Church makes a commitment to congregations and parishes that they may call
a pastor who best aligns with their ministry plans.
Part E: The Church introduces a tenure-based provision for nomination for the roles of
bishop and assistant bishop.
4.

Implementation: The Framework offers practical solutions and steps to implement the changes
required to introduce the ordination of women in the LCA. Attention is given to what changes
might be required by congregations, parishes and District and Churchwide agencies. The
Framework also articulates the many areas of church life in which no changes are required.
Fundamental principles of the implementation processes include respect for all pastors and
people of the Church, and a churchwide program of pastoral care.

5.

Proposals: The Framework includes the proposals to be put to General Synod 2024 developed in
response to the resolution of the 2021-23 General Synod.

6.

Commitments of the Church: In working through all these issues, the Church commits to
respectful dialogue and pastoral care in the gatherings of the Church. In particular, the Church
commits to continued study of the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, acknowledging that
the divergent views of the role and service of women in the Church are upheld by faithful sisters
and brothers in Christ. Moreover, the Church will always provide for concerns of conscience
when providing for the official public worship gatherings in the life of the Church.

1 The Lutheran Church of Australia and the Lutheran Church of New Zealand are commonly referred to as the Lutheran Church of Australia and

New Zealand (‘LCANZ’ or ‘Church’). To align with the Constitution, however, further references to the Church in this document will be ‘LCA’.

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Page 3 of 50

Way Forward

Way Forward

Detailed Framework
3. Background

Detailed Framework
3.2. Towards a way forward – the General Synod resolution

3.1. The impasse on ordination

The resolution of the 2021-23 General Synod reads:
RESOLVED: That General Synod direct the LCANZ General Church Board and the
College of Bishops to:

At the foundation of the Lutheran Church of Australia (‘LCA’ or ‘Church’) in 1966, the
newly formed LCA contended that 1 Corinthians 14:34,35 and 1 Timothy 2:11–14 speak
about the leadership of women in public worship and that these passages prohibit a
woman from being called into the office of the public ministry for the proclamation of
the Word and administration of the Sacraments (Theses of Agreement [TA] VI:11).

a) Work through the theological, constitutional, and governance requirements to
operate as one church with two different practices of ordination and establish a
detailed framework through which this could be accomplished, such as one or
more existing LCANZ Districts becoming Districts that teach and practice the
ordination of both women and men to the office of the public ministry or by
establishing a non-geographical LCANZ ‘District’ that does so.

Since then, despite more than three decades of thorough scriptural, confessional and
prayerful examination, and theological debate regarding these passages, we remain
divided on the questions of whether: (a) the command for the silence of women and the
prohibition of them speaking/teaching in 1 Corinthians 14:33b-38 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15
applies to all churches at all times; and (b) Paul’s declaration about the Lord’s
command in 1 Corinthians 14:37 refers to the one same prohibition in 1 Corinthians 14:34,
and whether Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 14:38 applies to those who advocate the
ordination of women.
Some among us maintain that these Scriptures clearly support the LCA’s public teaching
that prohibits a woman from being called into the office of the public ministry. Others
believe that these passages cannot be used this way and that ordination of women to
the office of the public ministry is consistent with the teaching of the Scriptures and with
the doctrine of the ministry as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions.
At all five Conventions of General Synod at which a proposal on this matter has been
put, more than 50 per cent of delegates have voted in favour of the ordination of
women, reaching 63.5 per cent of the vote in 2015. For proposals requiring a change to
the teaching of the Church, a two-thirds majority is required.
Overall, since the first vote in 2000, the votes for and against the ordination of women
have shown little movement one way or the other. There remain two widely held
positions on ordination within the LCA, that of: (1) men only, and (2) both men and
women. We are at an impasse. It is clear that resolution of the ordination issue requires a
different approach to any taken previously.
In its advice to General Synod, General Pastors Conference (GPC) 2022 said it ‘supports
the advice of the College of Bishops that the agenda of General Synod 2023 must
include proposals on the matter of ordination which do not continue debate which
leaves us divided’. GPC further advised that General Synod consider a proposal that
anticipates the ordination of women to the office of public ministry and also the
continuity of the ordination of men-only in communities of the LCA.
Subsequently, at the in-person sessions of the 2021-23 Convention of General Synod, a
strong majority (73.5 per cent) of delegates directed GCB-CoB to find a way for the LCA
to operate as one church with two practices of ordination.

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b) Submit the fruit of this work in the form of a proposal that should be discussed by
the LCANZ General Pastors Conference for Convention of General Synod 2024.
c) It is the expectation of this General Convention of Synod that both women and
men will be ordained in a District of the LCANZ during the 2024-2027 synodical
period.

3.3. Development of the framework
3.3.1 Initial three frameworks
In June 2023 the Way Forward project issued a churchwide call for models that might
meet the requirements of the General Synod resolution. More than 60 models, as well as
general comments, were submitted for evaluation by the working groups.
A key criterion for evaluation was the extent to which the submissions met the intent of
the General Synod resolution for ‘one church with two different practices of ordination’.
Three frameworks (Confessional Communities, Congregations Decide, District Alignment)
were shortlisted by a process drawing on input from the chairpersons of the project
working groups.
The three frameworks were developed for release to the church for feedback. Members
of the church were invited to submit comments and questions via the Way Forward
website. More than 460 comments and questions were received, including 270
submissions. Around 20 per cent of the submissions were provided by congregations that
gathered especially to consider and pray about the frameworks. All submissions from the
church were passed on to the working groups. An extensive set of questions and answers
was developed for the information of members and to assist the working groups to
shape the final framework.
Some key points in the feedback included:
•

A strong call to maintain the unity of the church was the primary theme of the
submissions, with responders overwhelmingly naming Congregations Decide as

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2026 Convention Workbook