Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1973 · 50th Convention › Page 53
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 53

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

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 53

support, act, and teach in accordance with them until they
have been shown to be contrary to God's Word” (2-21,
Whereas); and

Wuereas, The Synod in convention resolved “to urge its
members to honor and uphold the synodically adopted state-
ments as valid interpretations of Christian doctrine and not
to give them more or less status than they deserve” (2-21,
Resolved); therefore be it

Resolved, That Synod assembled in convention reaffirm
the binding nature of doctrinal resolutions: and be it finally

Resolved, That Synod in convention support the right,
responsibility, and need of elected officials to fully carry out
the duties of their office in guiding and admonishing the
members of the Synod to support, act, and teach in accor-
dance with Synod's doctrinal resolutions.

Triniry LUTHERAN CHURCH
Sturgis, Mich.

Bruce Schaeffer, Chairman
Albert Bumann, Secretary
H. M. Heidenreich, Pastor
Tom Baker, Assistant Pastor

2-18
To Rescind Milwaukee Resolution 5-24

Wuereas. Res. 5-24 at Milwaukee states the question
(What controls or states doctrine?) and the answer (Scrip-
tures, are, of course “the only rule and norm of faith and
practice”) correctly: and

Wuereas, Res. 5-24 at Milwaukee correctly states that the
above statements are in accord with the Constitution II, 1,
Handbook, p.15: and

Wuereas, Res. 5-24 at Milwaukee very nicely reiterates
all the man-made procedural requirements of synodical doc-
trine; therefore be it

Resolved, That Resolution 5-24 at Milwaukee be rescinded
to avoid “every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14); and be it
further

Resolved. That Scripture be the sole authority for all
doctrine. (2 Tim. 3:16)

Tue LUTHERAN CHURCH OF Our Savior
San Jose, Calif.

Paul Noostra. President

Richard Husman, Secretary

2-19

To Impose Restraints on Formulation
of Doctrinal Resolutions

Wuereas, There has been growing doubt about the ade-
quacy of our method of formulating and adopting doctrinal
resolutions, and even of the competency of the deliberators;
and

Wuereas, Some of this doubt is occasioned by parliamen-
tary maneuvers which amend sound formulations so that
they become political accommodations: therefore be it

Resolved, That no resolution originating in the floor com-
mittee on doctrine (2) shall be subject to amendment or
substitution on the floor of the convention without committee
approval, but must be either adopted, recommitted for re-

wording, or rejected. Hore LUTHERAN CHURCH

San Leandro. Calif.
Caroline Uhlig, Secretary

2-20

To Provide Continuity to Formulation
of Doctrinal Resolutions

Wuereas, Doctrinal resolutions are approved not only
because they accurately express Scriptural truth, but also
because such expressions are deemed pertinent to current
issues, salutary to the purposes of the Synod and felt to re-

dound to the glory of God in the prevailing thought world;
and

Wuereas. Agreement on the wisdom of expressing these
truths may require discussions extending beyond the time
available for sessions: and

Wuereas. Such determination is quite different from the
functions of the CTCR, which does not normally deal with
parliamentary formulations but with doctrinal analyses,
study documents, and church relations, an assignment which
keeps the commission fully occupied (Bylaw 2.109 d); there-
fore be it

Resolved. That the president appoint from the floor com-
mittee on doctrine a standing committee to continue work-
ing on such resolutions as have not been acted on by the

convention, as have been recommitted or rejected; and be it
further

Resolved. That this standing committee on doctrinal mat-
ters submit corresponding resolutions to the next conven-
tion, which resolutions shall receive priority consideration
without passing through the new floor committee on theolog-
ical matters: and

Wuereas. The Bylaws state that delegates shall serve for
a 2-year term (1.51); therefore be it finally

Resolved. That this interim committee on doctrinal reso-
lutions be automatically dissolved when the Synod recon-

venes.
enes Hore LUTHERAN CHURCH

San Leandro, Calif.
Caroline Uhlig, Secretary

2-21

To Adopt Concept of “Norma Pro Tempore”
and a System for Monitoring Time Span
of Doctrinal Resolutions

Wuereas. The Holy Scriptures are the final source and
criterion of all sound doctrine (the “norma normans”); and

Wuereas. The ecumenical creeds and subsequent doc-
trinal formulations were occasioned by issues which required
the restatement of Scripture truth in terms that were mean-
ingful in new situations: and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Symbols were formulated to ad-
dress specific historic issues which were so precisely iden-
tified and so broad in scope that they have acquired for us
a timeless quality and have been adopted as additional cri-
teria by which modern formulations are to be judged (the
“norma normata’): and

Wuereas. Still more recent issues and more ephemeral
problems have occasioned many dozens of doctrinal resolu-
tions by which Scriptural truths were accurately applied
for the guidance of any who might be confused and for
the maximum degree of God-pleasing unity in doctrine and
uniformity in practice: and

Wuereas. Some have undermined confidence in this pro-
cess by criticizing certain resolutions without analyzing the
situations to which they were addressed (e.g. condemna-
tion of charging interest: condemnation of life insurance) ;
and

Wuereas. There is Scriptural precedence for the principle
that valid applications of truth are expected to expire with
changes in the situations they face (cf. John 4:21: Acts 10:15:
15:20: 1 Cor. 11:16: Gal. 5:3; Col. 2:17: similarly Gen. 3:22;
6:3: 12:3; 1 Cor. 7: [26-27] 27; et al): and

Wuereas, Our Synod has implicitly recognized the limited
applicability of doctrinal resolutions by neglecting to trans-
late ancient rulings from the German and by declining to

ransack the archives whenever new issues are raised; and

WuereasS, New challenges to truth and right practice seem
to be arising at a greater rate and tend to modulate even as
they arise, which threatens to leave doctrinal formulations
designed to counter them as an appropriate residue if they
are regarded as being valid for too long a time; therefore
be it

Resolved, That we recognize the concept of “norma pro