LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 98

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98 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

the congregations and clergy of the Synod for study and con-
sideration no less than 1 year before such statement is to be
presented to a convention: and be it further

Resolved. That if such a statement is accepted by majority
vote at a convention of the Synod it be resubmitted to the con-
gregations and clergy of the Synod for further study: and be it
further

Resolved. That the congregations and clergy of the Synod be
requested to transmit suggestions and concerns to the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations no less than 8 months
prior to the next synodical convention: and be it further

Resolved. That the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations bring its recommendations regarding the proposed
statement (whether to adopt. modify. or reject it) to the next
convention of the Synod: and be it finally

Resolved. That if such a statement as originally presented or
modified is adopted by majority vote of the next synodical con-
vention it be regarded as a more formal statement of belief in the
sense of the 1971] resolution of the Milwaukee convention.

St. James Lutheran Church
University City, Mo.

John Essen. President

Carl Meinecke. Secretary
Tom Baker, Pastor

3-118

To Establish Commission on Dissent

WHEREAS. The Synod has grappled with stubborn problems
for many years without being able to arrive at easy and clear-cut
solutions, among which we cite continued confusion over the
following:

A. The exact meaning of “honor and uphold doctrinal
resolutions,"’ especially when members of the Synod question
the correctness of certain resolutions.

B. The interplay of a resolution’s bindingness with the dis-
cussion required to confirm its correspondence with the Scrip-
tures:

C. The method of rescinding doctrinal resolutions. declaring
them to be null and void, when and if there should be a con-
sensus that they are in conflict with the Scriptures:

D. The relation between doctrinal discipline and legalistic
or autocratic methods:

E. The necessity for censorship as opposed to the moral
obligation to speak out on doctrinal issues:

F. The sense in which the Synod is a spiritual organization
with the authority to issue divine calls, as opposed to the sense
in which it is a human organization, able to hire and dismiss
employees at will:

G. The fact that the Holy Spirit may speak through a vocal
minority just as truly as through a solid majority: and

WHEREAS, It would be advantageous to the Synod to reach
agreement on certain aspects of these problems whether or not
controversy can be terminated in other areas: and

WHEREAS. It is evident that the Synod does not exist by
divine institution but exists as a creature of congregations which
are themselves by divine institution, and that although the Synod
is committed at their request to standards which are thoroughly
Scriptural. nevertheless. the policies and procedures which it
adopts for practical purposes cannot automatically be construed
as extensions of Article II of the Constitution (e. g., both bud-
getary and personnel matters are essentially administrative and
are not necessarily justified by appeals to specific prooftexts):
and

WHEREAS. Unanimity of belief is clearly understood as a
precondition for membership: and

WHEREAS, Membership in the Synod is voluntary rather than
obligatory and is never interpreted as a precondition for mem-
bership in the kingdom of heaven, so that it does not make sense
to describe its methods as legalistic as opposed to evangelical,
or to insist that exclusion from this human organization must be
on moral rather than on practical grounds, or that dismissal
must take place according to the method outlined in Matt. 18
rather than by sound administrative measures: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod declare that no member of the
Synod may appeal to his “Christian” rights and privileges as
a justification for frustrating the primary purpose for which the
Synod exists. that of preserving the unity of its faith. or for
threatening its organic cohesion: and be it further

Resolved. That a “Commission on Dissent” be established.
to have the following functions:

A. To serve as an agency that provides political Stability to
the Synod by reducing the climate of propaganda and counter-
propaganda, with “every man doing what is right in his own
eyes” by virtue of his status as a child of God, or with contrary
voices claiming to represent the true position of the Synod:

B. To receive charges that individuals are teaching contrary
to the public doctrine of the Synod as expressed in its theological
resolutions, especially when such alleged teachings are being
disseminated beyond the borders of a single District. If they are
confined to a given District. the commission shall relay the
the information to the appropriate District President:

C. To protect the interests of dissenters by making a judg-
ment whether the dissenting views may conceivably be capable
of Scriptural validation, and if so, specify the conditions under
which they may be disseminated. If there appears no merit to
the dissenting positions, those involved shall be given the
reasons and requested to refrain from publicizing their views.
Such a negative ruling will be shared with the Praesidium,
which will in turn give the matter whatever publicity may
serve the unity of our faith:

D. To determine whether the conditions it imposed on the
propagation of dissenting views are being met or whether dis-
senters are becoming dissidents who create dissension rather
than stimulators of Spirit-guided thought and discussion:

E. To preserve unity by requesting the Praesidium to take
appropriate action when it becomes apparent that a Party spirit
is being fostered by dissident activity and that factions threaten
to form. Action by the Praesidium may include:

1. Identifying in official publications the nature of opposition
views and/or loveless activity by dissidents:

2. Requesting the CTCR to demonstrate the Spiritual errors
of dissidents:

3. Requesting District officials and/or Boards of Control to
take prompt disciplinary action against those creating
divisions;

F. To place uncooperating dissidents under temporary
suspension or dismissal from the Synod if the commission is not
satisfied that suitable progress is being made with dissidents
and if sueh action shall not involve forfeiture of equity in funds.
but it shall terminate all synodical support and such other rights
and privileges as may be appropriate under the circumstances
and as determined by the Commission on Dissent:
and be it finally

Resolved. That the Commission on Dissent be appointed by
the President of the Synod and that it consist of five men who
are not on the synodical payroll and who hold no other synodical
office. They shall serve 5-year staggered terms.

Hope Lutheran Church
San Leandro, Calif.
Roberta Strom, Secretary

3-119

To Make Use of Synodically Adopted
Doctrinal Statements on Local Level
Introduction

In the first 100 years of our history, The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod was blessed with that God-pleasing oneminded-
ness in true doctrine and practice which rarely finds parallel
in the entire New Testament era. This was not only a “paper
agreement” but one of deep conviction.

It is a great tragedy that within the last several years the devil
has promoted within our ranks open denials of God’s Word
under the most pious phraseology. For during the present doc-
trinal controversy both sides were claiming their own position
to be in harmony with Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confes-