Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1973 · 50th Convention › Page 356
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 356

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

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SPECIAL AND SUNDRY MATTERS 353

a teacher, is a trustworthy steward of the mysteries of God
(1 Cor. 4:1-2), and will honor his ordination and/or installa-
tion vows; and

Wuereas, The only fair and just way that a congregation
ean determine what a pastor or teacher believes is by in-
terrogation; therefore be it

Resolved, That the President of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod, together with the Vice-Presidents, form-
ulate a questionnaire on doctrines of the Christian faith as
revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and believed. confessed, and
taught by The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod; and be
it further

Resolved, That this questionnaire serve as a guideline
for the Boards of Directors at the Synod’s colleges and sem-
inaries, when considering candidates for the teaching office,
and for congregations, when calling candidates for the pas-
toral office; and be it finally

Resolved, That the District Presidents, who share the re-
sponsibility of the doctrinal supervision of the pastors and
teachers of their District, supply congregations with copies
of this questionnaire, whenever a vacancy develops.

Our Savior’s LUTHERAN CHURCH
Pacifica, Calif.

Bernard P. Calais, President
Lyle Bjerkhoel, Secretary

11-14

To Provide Procedures for Disciplining
Pastors

Wuereas, The congregational polity of the Missouri Synod
at the time of its organization represented a radical depar-
ture from the state churches of Europe out of which its con-
stituents came; and

Wuergeas, God provided our forebears with a clergy that
reacted to moderate theology by a sensitivity to the dangers
of rationalism and unionism, coupled with the suspicion that
sovereign congregations might force a compromise of their

lofty principles; an

Wuereas, The Bylaws of the Synod were deliberately
framed to protect these conscientious servants of the Word
from the new power of salary-paying congregations; and

Wuereas, The balancing of rights and privileges that re-
sulted enjoyed God’s blessing as long as orthodox Lutheran-
ism functioned as a subculture having a homogeneous view
of the truth based on a common acceptance of the clarity of
the Scriptures and of its authority; and

Wuereas, A different attitude has arisen within the clergy,
one that seeks to modernize doctrine and practice despite the
resistance of the congregations, and one that honors variant
opinions on the authority and content of the Bible as “adia-
phora” which grant status to honest differences of opinion

never before tolerated within The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod: and

Wuereas, The Bylaws are no longer adequate to protect
congregations from such novel teachings and arbitrary prac-
tices without the cumbersome litigation which is so pro-
tracted as to threaten the survival of a congregation or 0
its orthodoxy; therefore be it

Resolved, That the following procedure be authorized.
incorporated into the Bylaws, and become applicable to all
Districts of the Synod:

a. When a congregation by a 2-3 vote agrees
that its pastor is introducing a new doctrinal em-
phasis which it believes is contrary to our con-
fessional position and. or inconsistent with our tra-
ditional understanding of the Scriptures, emergency
measures shall promptly be put into effect.

b. The pastor in question shall be given other
employment by the District for one year or until
normal adjudication procedures are completed,
whichever is first.

c. If the pastor is upheld, he shall promptly be
restored to serve the congregation without preju-
dice.

d. If the pastor is found to be at fault, he shall
be eligible to return to the congregation as soon
as appropriate apologies are made and accepted.

e. If the apology is not accepted without preju-
dice, the congregation shall continue to support the
pastor for 6 months or until he accepts another call,
whichever is first.

f. If an apology is not forthcoming, the pastor
involved shall be invited to associate with another
synod or denomination which shares his personal
understanding of the truth.

g. Such disassociation shall not be construed as
excommunication in the sense of Matthew 18. Un-
like the Romanists, Lutherans have never anathe-
matized other church bodies. It has always stressed
the voluntary nature of membership even though
this has been misinterpreted as prejudicial to good
discipline. A fellowship of choice is quite the op-
posite. It enables the Missouri Synod to adopt
lofty standards of doctrine without legalistically
barring the way to heaven in the sense of Matt.
23:13.

h. These emergency measures shall not apply to
divisiveness per se, nor set aside any other pro-
visions for adjudication or appeal not covered by
the above seven points.

Our Savior LUTHERAN CHURCH
Pinole, Calif.
Curtis Eattock, Secretary

11-15

To Provide Counseling Service for Pastors
and Teachers

Wuereas, A growing number of pastors and teachers have
come to the point of frustration or worse in their ministry;
and

Wuereas, The increasing demands and pressures of the
ministry often limit the individual’s view of himself and his
problems, an

Wuereas, Such Pastors and teachers do need professional
assistance, counseling. and guidance to help them evaluate
their ministry, their lives, and their potential; and

WuereEas, Our District President and circuit counselors
are sympathetic to these problems of their brothers, but of-
ten lack the time and especially the training to offer the
type of counseling that is needed: and

Wuereas, There are many LCMS pastors and teachers
now seeking such evaluation and guidance help at their own
expense from such organizations as Mainstream, Int.; and

Wuereas, The ALC has instituted such a program for
their clergy; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Minnesota South District memorialize
the Synod at New Orleans to investigate the program offered
by Mainstream, Int., the ALC, and similar programs, and be-
gin, at the earliest possible date, a similar program, Or, if

feasible, to use the services of Mainstream, Int. at various

parts of the country. Minnesota SouTH D1sTRICT
Victor H. Marxhausen, Secretary

11-16

To Participate in Memorial to Dr. Knutson

Resolved, That the Synod participate in or initiate a suit-
able memorial for Dr. Kent Knutson, the late president of
the American Lutheran Church.

EASTERN REGIONAL PasTORAL CONFERENCE
ENGLISH DISTRICT
Erich H. Wildgrube Jr., Chairman