LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 99

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 99

sions. It then became necessary to adopt a doctrinal statement
which distinguished the true position from the false one. This
was done by adopting A Statement of Scriptural and Confes-
sional Principles (hereafter called A Statement).

Throughout the years the Synod has authorized and dis-
tributed certain doctrinal statements which were genuinely
and totally loyal to God’s inspired and inerrant Holy Scripture,
and also to our highest secondary norm. the Lutheran Confes-
sions. Besides their harmony with His Word and our Con-
fessions, these doctrinal statements had another unique ad-
vantage—they spoke against the specific errors of our times.

One such statement of an earlier generation which obviously
comes under this description is A Brief Statement of the Doc-
trinal Position of the Missouri Synod (hereafter called A Brief
Statement).

The turmoil of our own generation, as before said, has pro-
duced another statement of the Biblical faith, again one that
speaks clearly against the errors of our day—A Statement.

The continuing struggle within our midst, even after the
God-pleasing adoption of A Statement. demonstrates the neces-
sity of a wider and more constant use of A Statement also on
the local level.

This is further demonstrated because of the very admirable
desire of our congregations to remain loyal to all of God's Word.
Our churches also desire to avoid clergy who, while claiming
subscription to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,
have an obviously different understanding of such, sometimes
amounting to a denial of what is there taught.

The Synod owes it to its congregations to have a guide
whereby our churches might incorporate into the doctrinal
paragraph of their constitutions some reference to these later
doctrinal statements herein named, in order to more readily
avoid the errors of our time.

The New Orleans convention said it well: “If they ‘are in
accord with the aforementioned pattern of doctrine [the Lu-
theran Confessions]’ the church must accept and use doctrinal
statements especially in times of controversy for the purpose of
restraining contentious men who spread dissensions, in order to
afford guidance to troubled and confused Christians, and for the
sake of posterity.”

It is understood that the Synod in providing such a guide, and
the congregations in accepting it, are not changing their doc-
trinal standards but rather clarifying what Holy Scripture and
our assent to it in the Confessions say against the errors of our
time.

Such insertions must be properly phrased so as to clearly
state that while these later doctrinal statements are in complete
harmony with Scripture and the Confessions, they are clearly
subordinate to them.

WHEREAS. A Brief Statement and A Statement are completely
in harmony with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confes-
sions, clearly and truthfully speaking against the errors of our
time: and

WHEREAS. The New Orleans convention resolved “That the
Synod reaffirm its position (Milwaukee Proceedings. Res. 2-21
and 5-24) that such statements, insofar as they are in accord with
the Scriptures and the pattern of doctrine set forth in the Lu-
theran Symbols, are, pursuant to Article II of the Synod’s
constitution, binding upon all its members’: and

WHEREAS. In our day and in our circles, in the troubles within
our midst, it is a fact of life that conviction-agreement to A Brief
Statement and A Statement has come to be the positive. genuine
measure as to whether a clergyman or teacher actually sub-
scribes to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions on their
own terms; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod encourage all member congrega-
tions to insert into the doctrinal paragraph of their constitutions
something similar in intent to the following:

This congregation supports, acts, and teaches in accordance
with A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri
Synod and A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Prin-
ciples:

1. because the Synod has reaffirmed “the desirability of the
formulation of doctrinal statements which clearly set
forth the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and apply them
to issues in our day” (Milwaukee Proceedings. 5-24, p. 165):

2. because these writings, while subordinate to the Holy

Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, are in full
accord with them. Thus such writings “do not set up
‘a power in the church beside the power of the Word’”
but ‘do in fact permit God’s Word to rule” (Milwaukee
Proceedings. 2-21, p. 119):

3. because these writings so plainly speak against the
unbelief of our times. maintaining the true Scriptural
faith:

and be it further

Resolred. That the Synod instruct all District Presidents to
heartily cooperate in giving such encouragement: and be it
further

Resolved. That the Synod instruct all District officers, from
District President down through and including Circuit Coun-
selors, to encourage all congregations involved in calling profes-
sional church workers, whether pastors. teachers, directors of
Christian education, or deaconesses, to first determine before
issuing a call or contract whether or not any or all of those sug-
gested to be considered for a call or contract do in fact support,
act, and teach in accordance with the Synod’s position so well
expressed in these later doctrinal statements: and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod understand its President to be
empowered and now instruct him to exercise disciplinary
measures against any District President refusing to meet the
letter, spirit, and intent of this resolution: and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod empower and instruct the District
Presidents to exercise disciplinary measures against any Circuit
Counselor refusing to meet the letter. spirit. and intent of this
resolution; and be it finally

Resolved. That the following schools arrange for the formal
and thorough study of these herein named doctrinal statements
as truly Lutheran confessions of faith. and in accord with the
letter, spirit. and intent of this resolution such study shall be
required of all students preparing for professional church work
in the Synod: Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia
Theological Seminary, Springfield. IIl.: Concordia Teachers
College, River Forest, Ill.: Concordia Teachers College, Seward,
Nebr.: and Concordia College, St. Paul, Minn.

Grace Lutheran Church
Lexington, Mo.

Arnold Viebrock, President
Edward Kolster, Secretary

K. Michael Simminger, Pastor

3-120A

To Declare Against Binding Resolutions

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has adopted A State-
ment of Scriptural and Confessional Principles. which it has
declared to be a formal and comprehensive statement and
which purports to apply Scripture to the issues of our day (New
Orleans Resolution 3-01): and

WHEREAS. The Synod's Constitution (Art. VII) states:

In its relation to its members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical govern-

ment exercising legislative or coercive powers, and with respect to

the individual congregation's right of self-government it is but an
advisory body. Accordingly, no resolution of the Synod imposing any-
thing upon the individual congregation is of binding force if it is not
in accordance with the Word of God or if it appears to be inexpedient
as far as the condition of a congregation is concerned:

and

WHEREAS. This is in no way invalidated by Bylaw 1.09; and

WHEREAS. The founding fathers strongly resisted any at-
tempt on the part of the Synod to exercise legislative or coercive
powers; and

WueEreas. C. F. W. Walther, for instance, declared in his first
presidential address (1848):

According to our constitution we have no right to formulate decrees.

pass laws and regulations. and to make a judicial decision, to which

our congregations would have to submit unconditionally in any matter

involving the imposing of something upon them.

and warned “all who have an office in the church against all
desire to rule” (Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly.
XXXIII [April 1960], 13 and 16); and