LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 220

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THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
Way Forward

Way Forward

Detailed Framework

•

providing the best chance of achieving this outcome. Conversely, fewer than
4 per cent of responses called for the church to separate by ‘peaceful
dismissal’.
Pastoral considerations were raised, including caring for: (a) people across the
church experiencing anxiety and pain over this issue; (b) women who may
become candidates for the public ministry and subsequently pastors; and (c)
people whose consciences differ from the majority view (in LCA, congregation,
family) on the ordination of women.

Detailed Framework
2.
3.
4.
5.

2000, The Final Report of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations
on the Ordination of Women, CTICR, Lutheran Church of Australia
2004, Controverted matters in the LCA Debate on the Ordination of Women,
CTICR, Lutheran Church of Australia
2005, 1 Corinthians 14:33b-38 and 1 Timothy 2:11-14 permit the ordination of
women, CTICR, Lutheran Church of Australia
2018, A Theological Basis for the Ordination of Women and Men, CTICR, Lutheran
Church of Australia

3.5. Reasons for hope

3.3.2 Way Forward Framework
The working groups took into account the feedback from the church on each of the
three frameworks as they developed what was to be the final framework, called the
Way Forward Framework. The Theological, Constitution and Governance working groups
assessed how each framework could be adapted to allow the members of the church
to continue to live and worship in fellowship with each other in a manner that caused
minimal disruption to congregations.
Ultimately, GCB-CoB asked the Way Forward project team to develop a framework that
addresses the change of teaching, preserves the key positive elements of each of the
three original frameworks, and introduces features that reflect the approach to church
fellowship being asked for by the church and the advice of the working groups.
At its April 2024 meeting, GCB-CoB approved the Way Forward Framework for release to
the church for discussion and feedback. The framework included for the first time the
concept of a ‘Conference’ to provide a theological-pastoral place for pastors and
members who uphold the practice of male-only ordination.
Responses from the church included significant concerns that the Conference would not
achieve the aims it was designed for. In May 2024, GCB-CoB resolved to remove the
Conference component from the proposed framework, and directed the Theological,
Constitutional and Governance working groups to develop an alternative mechanism
by which the LCA might operate as one church with two practices of ordination.
The fruit of this work was received by GCB-CoB at its July 2024 meeting. The revised and
detailed Framework was approved for publication in the General Synod Book of Reports.

3.4. Biblical and theological references

In bringing this proposal to the 2024 General Synod, the members of GCB-CoB
acknowledge that the Framework may not be welcomed by everyone in the Church.
They do, however, expect that it will provide a clear and helpful way forward for the
majority of members. It acknowledges the division within the Church on the matter of
ordination and the desire to bring this matter to a conclusion.
Importantly, while the Framework acknowledges the division among us, it also articulates
the strong theological foundations on which we agree (see Section 5).
Like no other previous proposal for the ordination of women, this proposal is the result of
18 months of intensive prayerful work by brothers and sisters in Christ with expertise in the
fields of theology, governance, constitutions and pastoral care, among others.
Moreover, the Framework reflects the feedback of many hundreds of church members,
holding different views on ordination, who responded to churchwide calls for feedback.
Based on that feedback, iterations of the framework were developed and improved on.
As required by the delegates of the 2021-23 General Synod, the Framework provides
details of how this way forward might operate in practical ways, so that people holding
either view on ordination might remain together.
In jointly submitting the Way Forward Detailed Framework to General Synod, GCB and
CoB complete the work asked of them by delegates gathered in the face-to-face
sessions of the 2021-23 General Synod in February 2023. Those delegates called for a
framework through which we can work, witness and worship side by side in the cause of
the gospel of our Lord, while providing for the different understandings of some parts of
Scripture among us.
Our Lord has promised, ‘I will build my church’ (Matt 16).

In February 2024, the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations (CTICR), it was
noted that much work had already been undertaken at previous meetings, on
addressing the biblical and theological basis for the ordination of both women and men.
It was determined that key historical documents from the CTICR be re-released with the
Framework for the Church. These key documents are:
1.

1991, The Ordination of Women, Special Committee to the Commission on
Theology and Inter-Church Relations, Lutheran Church of Australia

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Way Forward

Way Forward

Detailed Framework
4.

Framework overview
The Framework recognises the different theological beliefs on ordination held by
members of the Church, that on the matter of the ordination of both women and men
to the office of the public ministry, the current male-only teaching of the Church does
not accommodate the different theological beliefs held by members of the Church.
These differences are:

Detailed Framework
5. Framework Part A: Commitment to continuity of identity
and form
The Church makes the commitment to maintain its identity and form.
1.

We uphold our teaching on the Office of Ministry as expressed in Theses of
Agreement (TA) VI:1-10 and confessed in Augsburg Confession (AC) V:
‘To obtain such faith God instituted the Office of preaching, giving the gospel
and the Sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit
who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel’ (1-3).

2.

We uphold Clause 7 of our Document of Union as a key guiding principle:
‘We declare that wherever continued cooperation in the preaching of the
gospel and the administration of the sacraments and worship exists, there we
have a witness to the world of unity in the faith and a profession of church
fellowship’.

3.

The Church maintains its Churchwide, District, zone, parish, congregational and
auxiliary structures, as expressed in its constitution and by-laws.

Part B: The Church changes its teaching to allow for the ordination of women and
men.

4.

The Church maintains its membership model, in which congregations are members
of the Church and individuals are members of a congregation.

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.

5.

The Church continues to uphold its ecumenical and international relationships.

a.

that criteria for the ordination of a pastoral candidate does not include the
candidate’s gender (male/female) and that both male and female pastors can
serve as pastors in the Church; and

b.

that criteria for the ordination of a pastoral candidate includes the candidate’s
gender (male/female), limiting ordination to men, and hence only men can serve
as pastors in the Church.

In fulfilment of the resolution of the 2021-23 General Synod, the Framework offers an
approach whereby both practices can exist within the Church. The Framework has five
key parts:
Part A: The Church makes the commitment to maintain its identity and form.

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.

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2026 Convention Workbook

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