LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 230

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230

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
Way Forward

Way Forward

Detailed Framework
Article 6 – The Ministry
6.2

The Pastor of the Parish shall be a man1 whose soundness in faith, aptness to
teach, and other qualifications for office have been examined and
approved by the Church in accordance with the Scriptures and Confessions
of the Church regarding the public office of the ministry.
1 Parishes may modify this article to include ‘or woman’.

Detailed Framework
Appendix 1. DSTO 1A Theses of Agreement, The status of
the Theses of Agreement and other doctrinal statements,
CTICR, 1975
1.

In the exercise of their teaching function, whether dealing with a group or a congregation or
with individuals, pastors of the LCA should not run counter to the letter and the spirit of the
Theses of Agreement.

2.

The Theses of Agreement, the fruit of prayerful labours extending over many years, have been
adopted in all seriousness and in good faith by both the former UELCA and ELCA as a unifying
document. They should be respected and treated accordingly. Should amendments
become desirable in the course of time, such amendments would have to be submitted to
the entire Church after thorough theological examination and discussion. Meanwhile, a
deliberate disregard of the Theses in teaching and preaching would appear as evidence of
bad faith, and would constitute a serious threat to the unity of the Church. There may, of
course, be inadvertent disregard of the Theses due to ignorance of their content.

3.

It is clearly the right and the duty of the Church, in the face of current challenges, to define
how it understands the Scriptures and the Confessions. Therefore, explanations and
amendments of the Theses, as well as any other statements of a doctrinal nature, submitted
to the entire Church after thorough theological examination and discussion and adopted by
it, must be accorded the same authority in the Church as the Theses themselves (see 1 and 2
above).

Article 9.3 – Parish Council
9.3.1

The Pastor, by virtue of his the office, shall attend all meetings of the Parish
Council.

Article 9.6 – Officers and Committees
9.6.12

The Pastor, by virtue of his the office, shall have the right to attend all
meetings of the committees.

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Way Forward

Way Forward

Detailed Framework

Detailed Framework

Appendix 2. DSTO 1A Theses of Agreement, The permanent
status of Theses of Agreement, CTICR, 1976

Appendix 3. DSTO 1A Theses of Agreement, I: Principles
governing church fellowship

As the name of the document indicates, the Theses of Agreement were written and adopted to
bring about a consensus, in those doctrines of the Church and in those areas of churchly
practice in which there had been actual or supposed disagreement and division between the
two former Lutheran Churches in Australia. The theses are therefore the official record of the
outcome and the conclusion of the dialogue and debate between those two Churches as they
sought a solution under the guidance of the Word of God to those doctrinal differences that
divided them. They were therefore the instrument through which church fellowship and fraternal
relationships between the two Churches were established.

1. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the infallible
Word of God, written by inspiration of God, 2 Tim 3:16, by the holy men of God,
2 Pet 1:21, as the Spirit gave them utterance, Acts 2:4.

However, in many respects the Theses of Agreement exhibit the marks of confessional
statements as Lutherans understand them. The Theses claim to be a fair and accurate exposition
of the Word of God and in particular of the doctrine of the Gospel, as it is understood and
preached and taught in the Lutheran Church of Australia. At the same time they explicitly
express a complete consensus with the Lutheran fathers and reaffirm their exposition and
understanding of God’s Word as contained in the Book of Concord, and together with them
also reject all heresies that are condemned in the Lutheran Confessions.
Like all confessional statements, the Theses of Agreement are always under the authority of the
Word of God, and therefore there must always be a readiness to submit them to the critical
scrutiny of God’s Word and accordingly confirm them, or amend or repudiate them when
further study of God’s Word shows them to be inadequate or in error.
In that sense their permanent status and authority are entirely determined by the faithfulness
and accuracy with which they reflect the teaching of God’s Word, in particular the doctrine of
the Gospel.
All this, however, does not elevate the Theses of Agreement to the level of the Lutheran
Confessions. A Church cannot claim to be Lutheran if it does not subscribe to the Book of
Concord, or at least hold to the Confessions in the manner referred to in Theses of Agreement IX
9; on the other hand, the absence of subscription to the Theses of Agreement certainly cannot
call into doubt the Lutheran character of a Church that subscribes to the Book of Concord. The
purpose and intention of the Theses of Agreement is related specifically to the Lutheran Church
of Australia, and the permanency of their status therefore rests with this Church.

2. We believe that the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are the infallible
and only source and norm of Christian doctrine and the sure and authoritative guide for
life and practice. 2 Tim 3:15–17; 1 Cor 14:37; Psalm 119:160, etc.
3. We agree that for church fellowship the uniting churches must be one in the
acceptance of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as the inspired Word
of God and as the only and true source, norm, rule, and standard of all teaching and
practice in the Christian Church.
4. a. We believe that where differences in teaching and practice exist or arise between
churches uniting, these differences are to be removed by willingly submitting to the
authority of the Word of God. Where a difference in teaching or practice is a departure
from the doctrine of the Bible, such difference cannot be tolerated, but must be pointed
out as an error, on the basis of clear passages of Holy Writ; and if the error is persisted in,
in spite of instruction, warning, and earnest witness, it must at last lead to a separation.
b. We believe that all doctrines of Holy Writ are equally binding; nevertheless not all
things in Scripture are of the same importance, when viewed from the centre and core
of the Scriptures, Christ and justification by Him through faith.
c. We admit that there are some things hard to be understood in Holy Writ,2 Pet 3:16; but
no doctrine can be based on Scripture passages that are not clear, especially if no light
is thrown upon them by clear passages.
d. Differences in exegesis that do not affect doctrine are not church divisive.
e. In case of differences in exegesis that affect doctrine, agreement on the basis of
God’s Word must be sought by combined, prayerful examination of the passage or
passages in question.
If this does not lead to agreement, because no unanimity has been reached on the
clarity of the passage or passages in question and hence on the stringency and
adequacy of the Scriptural proof, divergent views arising from such differences of
interpretation are not divisive of church fellowship, providing that
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

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2026 Convention Workbook

there be the readiness in principle to submit to the authority of the Word of God;
thereby no clear Word of Scripture is denied, contradicted or ignored;
such divergent views in no wise impair, infringe upon, or violate the central
doctrine of Holy Scripture, justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ;
nothing be taught contrary to the publica doctrina of the Lutheran Church as laid
down in its Confessions;
such divergent views are not propagated as the publica doctrina of the Church
and in no wise impair the doctrine of Holy Writ.

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