LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 226

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226

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
Way Forward

Way Forward

Detailed Framework
Section
VI:10

From
Similarly, the Church at large has the
liberty and authority from Christ to
establish various ecclesiastical and
administrative offices for the common
prosecution of various undertakings in
obedience to the Lord's command to
make disciples of all nations. 1 Cor
12:4–13, 26–28; Acts 11:21–23. This
necessitates proper guidance and
direction, spiritual and otherwise,
1 Cor 14:40; 2 Cor 8:18–21; 9:5,
because the Lord has commanded
that everything be done decently
and in order and in accordance with
the law of love. Such arrangements
may vary according to time and
circumstances. All external
arrangements in congregations and
in church bodies and all ranking of
the ministers are purely of human right
and the efficacy of the ministry of the
Gospel is not bound to any human
institution.
Matt 23:8; 1 Cor 3:21–23; Augsburg
Confession XV; XXVIII, 5–29; Smalc. Art.
Tractatus:10, 11, 61–65.

To
No change

Detailed Framework
Paragraph
5.1

From
The Church recognises and upholds
the Office of the Ministry as the
office divinely instituted for the
public administration of the Means
of Grace. For this purpose it shall
receive into its Ministry, by
ordination or by colloquy of ministers
ordained elsewhere, men whose
qualifications for the office have
been established and who
5.1.1 accept and hold the
Confession of the Church;
5.1.2 accept the Constitution and
By-laws of the Church; and
5.1.3 undertake to participate in
the work of the Church and
to promote its Objects.
Such members of the Ministry shall
be recorded in the official Roll of
Pastors

To
Add ‘or women’:
The Church recognises and
upholds the Office of the Ministry
as the office divinely instituted for
the public administration of the
Means of Grace. For this purpose it
shall receive into its Ministry, by
ordination or by colloquy of
ministers ordained elsewhere, men
or women whose qualifications for
the office have been established
and who
5.1.1 accept and hold the
Confession of the Church;
5.1.2 accept the Constitution
and By-laws of the Church;
and
5.1.3 undertake to participate in
the work of the Church and
to promote its Objects.
Such members of the Ministry shall
be recorded in the official Roll of
Pastors

The following changes to the By-Laws of the Church are proposed to address gender
pronouns:
10.4.2 Constitution
The following changes to the LCA Constitution are proposed to address gender
pronouns:
Paragraph
1.2.11

From
‘pastor’ or ‘member of the Ministry’
means any person ordained to the
Holy Ministry according to the rites
and practice of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church who has been
received into the Ministry of the
Church according to Article 5.1;

Paragraph
5.4.1.2

To
Replace ‘person’ with ‘man or
woman’:
‘pastor’ or ‘member of the Ministry’
means any man or woman
ordained to the Holy Ministry
according to the rites and
practice of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church who has been
received into the Ministry of the
Church according to Article 5.1;

Page 30 of 50

Way Forward

5.4.4

5.4.16.2.3.1

5.4.16.3.1

From
parishes which for many years have
been blessed through the talents of
their pastor do not selfishly seek to
prevent him from rendering similar
service in another field.

The relationship between a pastor
and the Church, District, parish,
congregation or other body the call
of which he has accepted is
personal, spiritual and sacred and is
not intended to create any legal
relationship or any employment
relationship between the pastor
and any member of any part of the
Church.

the pastor has a serious physical or
mental disability which substantially
impedes the effectiveness of his
ministry; or

A relevant Bishop shall arrange a
fraternal discussion of the situation
between the pastor, the governing
committee, himself and any other
person he considers appropriate in
an endeavour to achieve a
peaceable resolution of it.

Page 32 of 50

2026 Convention Workbook

To
Add ‘or her’:
every call and transfer rests upon a
basis of mutual confidence and a
sense of responsibility toward each
other and before God, in which
the Bishop and Church Council of
the respective District and the
responsible committees of the
congregation or parish consider
each case with due care before a
recommendation is made, every
parish gives earnest and serious
consideration to the
recommendations placed before
it, and every pastor duly weighs
the recommendations placed
before him or her;

Page 31 of 50

Way Forward

Detailed Framework
Paragraph
5.4.1.5

From
every call and transfer rests upon a
basis of mutual confidence and a
sense of responsibility toward each
other and before God, in which the
Bishop and Church Council of the
respective District and the
responsible committees of the
congregation or parish consider
each case with due care before a
recommendation is made, every
parish gives earnest and serious
consideration to the
recommendations placed before it,
and every pastor duly weighs the
recommendations placed before
him;

To
Add ‘or her’:

Detailed Framework
Paragraph
5.4.16.3.3

parishes which for many years
have been blessed through the
talents of their pastor do not
selfishly seek to prevent him or her
from rendering similar service in
another field.
Add ‘or she’:
The relationship between a pastor
and the Church, District, parish,
congregation or other body the
call of which he or she has
accepted is personal, spiritual and
sacred and is not intended to
create any legal relationship or
any employment relationship
between the pastor and any
member of any part of the
Church.
Add ‘or her’:
the pastor has a serious physical or
mental disability which
substantially impedes the
effectiveness of his or her ministry;
or
Add ‘- or herself’ and ‘or she’:
A relevant Bishop shall arrange a
fraternal discussion of the situation
between the pastor, the governing
committee, him- or herself and
any other person he or she
considers appropriate in an
endeavour to achieve a
peaceable resolution of it.

5.4.16.3.9

8.2.1.1.6.1

8.2.1.1.6.3

From
If the Bishop’s arrangements
referred to in the preceding Section
5.4.16.3.1 do not achieve a
peaceable resolution of the
situation, he shall make a report in
respect of the situation, the
arrangements he made for
discussion and the outcome of the
arrangements and discussions to
the Church Council of the relevant
District or of the Church (as the
case may require). The report shall
be deemed to be the submission to
the Church Council of a
Miscellaneous Issue pursuant to the
following Section 10.3.5.
At all stages of the procedure, the
Bishop may take such further steps
as he considers pastorally
appropriate.
assure himself and thereby the
Church that the teaching and
practice of Australian Lutheran
College is in accord with the public
teaching and practice of the
Church;
satisfy himself that the appropriate
pastoral care is available for the
staff of Australian Lutheran College;

Page 33 of 50

To
Add ‘or she’:
If the Bishop’s arrangements
referred to in the preceding
Section 5.4.16.3.1 do not achieve
a peaceable resolution of the
situation, he or she shall make a
report in respect of the situation,
the arrangements he or she made
for discussion and the outcome of
the arrangements and discussions
to the Church Council of the
relevant District or of the Church
(as the case may require). The
report shall be deemed to be the
submission to the Church Council
of a Miscellaneous Issue pursuant
to the following Section 10.3.5.
Add ‘or she’:
At all stages of the procedure, the
Bishop may take such further steps
as he or she considers pastorally
appropriate.
Add ‘- or herself’:
assure him- or herself and thereby
the Church that the teaching and
practice of Australian Lutheran
College is in accord with the
public teaching and practice of
the Church;
Add ‘- or herself’:
satisfy him- or herself that the
appropriate pastoral care is
available for the staff of Australian
Lutheran College;