LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Sheet 123

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RESOLUTIONS ivs

majority” to deal with them within a time period in
keeping with the urgency of the problem; therefore be it

Resolved, That the President of the Synod, after con-
sultation with the Council of Presidents, appoint a com-
mittee of pastors and laymen who shall meet with each
member of the “faculty majority” to determine whether
New Orleans Resolution 3-09 applies to him or to her;
and be it further

Resolved, That such committee give priority to deal-
ing with those members of the former “faculty majority”
who are teaching or supplying supportive services to
Seminex; and be it further

Resolved, That such committee report its findings to
the President of the Synod; and be it finally

Resolved, That after the report is turned over to the
synodical President, he shall in conjunction with the
respective District Presidents deal pastorally with each
member.

Action: Withdrawn by the committee in favor of Res.
3-03A.

To Declare the Ineligibility of
Unendorsed Seminex Graduates for
Ordination and Pastoral Ministry
in the Missouri Synod

RESOLUTION 5-05

Overtures 5-18, 5-80—5-83, 5-86A—5-95, 5-103—5-
106B (CW, pp. 222, 239243, 246, 247)

An Introductory Word Regarding the Right to Ordain
in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Related
Circumstances in the Church

It is commonly recognized among us that, according to
the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, the Chris-

Matters explains the matter of a congregation’s yielding
its right in ordination in this way: “For good order the
right to perform ecclesiastical ordination is voluntarily
delegated to the responsible officers of the Synod [the
District President, or his representative; see Article XII,
9 c] as a part of the whole process of the congregation’s
requesting and receiving assistance in the important
function of finding a man qualified to be its pastor and in
calling him” (Constitutional “Opinion re Ordination
Rights,” 2, CW, p. 483).

In speaking of ordination, this useful definition of the
term, as offered by the CCM, may be noted: “In terms of

pastor, proclaiming the Word of God in behalf of the
Christian community, and administering the Sacra.
ments” (“Investitures, Commissionings, Appointmeni=
etc.,” 1, p. 483).

1. He [a candidate for the office of the pastoral ministry]
shall have completed the prescribed courses of study and

synodical Handbook, 4.55—4.71,

2. He shall have received endorsement by the proper
faculty or the Committee on Collo uies and in every respect
have been declared qualified by them for the office of the
ministry of Word and Sacrament in the church.

5. He shall have received and accepted a call extended
through the proper channels to assume full-time work in the
church.

The proper channel through which a candidate is to
receive a call is the Council of Presidents, which acts as a
Board of Assignments for graduates from the Synod’s
Seminaries and for those who have fulfilled the requisites
fora colloquy (Bylaw 4.09).

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that under
the Bylaws of the Synod graduates of Seminex (which is
not a seminary of The Lutheran Church—Missourj
and whose faculty is not a proper faculty of the
Synod) are not eligible for ordination and placement in
the Synod.

In loving concern for the Seminex students and mind-
ful of the needs of the church, the Council of Presidents
in the spring of 1974, after consultation with the faculty
and Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,

devised a temporary procedure which Seminex graduates

tions as recognized Missouri Synod pastors at the present
time.

The 1974 and 1975 Seminex graduates who have not
yet received proper certification and endorsement remain
ineligible for pastoral ministry in the Synod. Where

part of congregations,
graduates, and District Presidents alike. The Synod does