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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 345

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the Synod accepts these
confessions as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of
the Word of God (Const. Art. II 2); and
WHEREAS, The Office of the Ministry is rightly called a divine
office because it was divinely instituted by Christ (Eph. 4:11; Titus
1:5; Acts 14:23), and other offices not instituted by Christ but
instituted by men, which the Church has freedom to create by
human arrangement (Tr 60–82), should not be called divine offices;
and
WHEREAS, A number of “called” positions within the Synod and
its auxiliaries do not require teaching the Word or administering the
Sacraments; and
WHEREAS, The practice of issuing divine calls to positions that
are not in the direct service of the proclamation of the Gospel and
administration of the Sacraments conflicts with the referenced
portions of the Confessions, and creates confusion regarding the
nature of the divine call; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Montana District convention memorialize the
2026 Synod convention to direct the President of the Synod to
appoint a committee consisting of at least one theological professor
from each seminary and one district president to study how the
practice of issuing divine calls (Bylaw 3.11.1) to positions without
direct involvement in the proclamation of the Gospel and
administration of the Sacraments may be amended to comply with
the Confessions; and be it further
Resolved, That by July 30, 2028, this committee make its
recommendations to the Board of Directors (BOD) regarding Synod
practice on the calls it issues; and be it finally
Resolved, That these recommendations, together with the BOD
response to the recommendations, be reported to the 2029 Synod
convention.
Montana District
Ov. 5-15

To Encourage and Promote Sound Teaching
on Eschatology or Last Things
WHEREAS, Christians are surrounded by teachings that contradict
the Scriptures concerning eschatology or the last things; and
WHEREAS, Errant eschatology teachings, such as that of
premillennial dispensationalism, Seventh-day Adventism, the
Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others hold significant religious sway in
our society; and
WHEREAS, Sadly, many Lutherans are influenced by errant
teachers who hold heterodox views on the end times; and
WHEREAS, The physical resurrection of the body has suffered
diminished emphasis in recent decades among Christians; and
WHEREAS, Many of the most prominent defenders of and
institutions focused on the biblical doctrine of the last things
produce literature that has false teaching of other confessions mixed
into it; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is one of the
largest protestant denominations to uphold the sound teaching of
amillennialism; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage its
congregations, pastors, district leaders, and schools to deliberately
uphold and promote the sound teaching of eschatology and to
provide increased educational opportunities on the subject to

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catechize about this important area of the counsel of God; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage Concordia
Publishing House and experts in institutions of higher learning
(universities and seminaries) to make this a publishing and public
teaching priority for the next triennium and in the years to come,
providing up-to-date resources at both laity-accessible and
academic levels.
Circuit 25 (Kenosha), South Wisconsin District; Circuit 26
(Racine), South Wisconsin District
Ov. 5-16

To Reaffirm and Encourage Teaching
and Practice of Closed Communion
WHEREAS, Members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
are bound by the Lutheran Confessions to regard Holy Scripture as
the teaching of the Holy Supper of our Lord, Jesus Christ:
• That His body and blood are truly and substantially present,
distributed, and received in, with, and under the elements of
the bread and wine (AC X); and
•

That these are received by both the believing and
unbelieving participants, by those who eat in repentance and
faith, to “forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation” (SC VI) and
by those who eat in unrepentance or unbelief, to judgment
(Ap XXIV; FC Ep VII; FC SD VII); and

•

That to obtain such faith, the preaching office is instituted by
our Lord to administer the Gospel and the Sacraments (AC
V), with those filling it thus having grave responsibility for
the souls in their care (SC VI); and

WHEREAS, The true unity of the Church is found in the pure
teaching of the Gospel and right administration of the Sacraments
(AC VII); and
WHEREAS, St. Paul himself admonishes the Corinthians against
assembling to eat the Supper of our Lord with divisions among
them, thus coming together not for the better but for the worse (1
Cor. 11:17–18); and
WHEREAS, True doctrine necessarily regulates practice, as the
confessors write, “The custom has been retained among us of not
administering the sacrament to those who have not previously been
examined and absolved” (AC XXV); and, “In our churches Mass is
celebrated every Sunday and on other festivals, when the sacrament
is offered to those who wish for it after they have been examined
and absolved” (Ap XXIV), and as our Lord says, “My mother and
my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke
8:21); and
WHEREAS, The responsibility of pastors as stewards of the
mysteries of God is not as hirelings or pleasers of any man or group
of men, but as servants of Christ; it being required of stewards that
they be faithful (1 Cor. 4:1–2); and keep watch over souls as those
who will have to give an account (Heb. 13:17); therefore be it
Resolved, That the pastors of our Synod be exhorted, as duty
bound by the office before the almighty God, to whom they will
have to give an account for the souls entrusted to them, to teach,
exhort, practice, and defend closed Communion, communing only
those who have been examined and absolved, who are neither living
in open, unrepentant sin, nor under the ban, who have been taught
and confess, not only the true doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, but all
2026 Convention Workbook