Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 105
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 105

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

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 105

Identical or similar:

3-136B

Redeemer, South Gate, Calif. (vacant)

3-137

To Permit Contracting of Graduates
from Synodical Schools

WHEREAS, A number of churches are hesitant to call pastors
or male teachers without a contracted time of service; and

WHEREAS, It has been the practice in recent years, especially
of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, to give a call with contract
to a number of its graduates; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod continue to permit individual
congregations to decide whether they desire to call pastors
or male teachers with or without contract for a stated period
of time.

St. James Lutheran Church
University City, Mo.

John Essen, President

Carl Meinecke, Secretary
Tom Baker, Pastor

3-138A
To Ordain Teachers and DCEs

WHEREAS, Male teachers have been called to serve in the
public ministry as teachers of the Word in Lutheran congrega-
tions since the Synod’s beginning and female teachers since at
least 1860, and male and female directors of Christian education
have been engaged in the educational ministry of the church in
expanding numbers during the last 15 years; and

WHEREAS, Certain conventions of the Synod declared the
following:

1926—Identical synodical teacher education programs should be
provided for women and men;

1941 - Women teachers, as religious instructors, carry out the function
of the public ministry as do male teachers;

1959 — Directors of Christian education are to be considered teachers
with the same rights and privileges as those pertaining to the
office of the teacher;

1965—The appointment of a certified woman teacher by the church
should properly be regarded as a call; it is also proper to speak
of called female teachers as being “‘installed”’;

1969— Male and female teacher salaries should be equalized as well
as other factors regarding employment; the uniform call docu-
ments now in use by the church were requested;

1973—Female teachers were approved for placement on the roster
of the Synod;

and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Rela-
tions in its March 1973 report, “The Ministry in Its Relation to
the Christian Church,” declared:

Since called male teachers in The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod are called to perform certain functions of the Ministry, and are
considered clergy, and since, moreover, ordination is an adiaphoron,
that is, a custom of the church not divinely commanded, there are no
Biblical or theological reasons why teachers could not be ordained
to perform that function of the Ministry to which they are called.

What is said above about called male teachers applies equally
to the thousands of consecrated women teachers in synodical schools.
. .. They do, however, in many instances perform a part of the
Ministry of the church in teaching the Gospel of Christ. In view of
the fact that ordination is not a formula by which a person becomes
a pastor, but the church’s declaration that the person ordained has
been called to perform certain functions of the Ministry, there appears
to be no Biblical or theological reason why women teachers coutd not
be ordained to the office of teaching the Word: and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the
federal government consider both the called male teachers and
the pastors as ‘‘clergy,” “ministers of religion,” “self-employed,”
and “draft-exempt”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod approve the ordination of synod-
ically approved and called male and female teachers and direc-

tors of Christian education as Ministers of Religion: and be it
further

Resolved, That the scope of activity of a female teacher and
female director of Christian education continue to be limited by
Scriptural principles and the synodical stand in relation to the
position of the woman in the church; and be it finally

Resolved. That the President of the Synod appoint a com-
mittee to consider the implementation of this overture and to
report to the President in order that the ordination of teachers
and directors of Christian education may be initiated in 1976.

Board of Parish Education
Melvin Kieschnick, Executive Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-138B

Board of Dir., Iowa Dist. East John Zimmermann

3-139

To Rescind Woman Suffrage

WHEREAS. The Holy Scripture in 1 Cor. 14:33-34 states that
women are to be in subjection even as also the Law declares;
and

WHEREAS, The congregations in the LCMS conduct business
under democratic principles; and

WHEREAS. These principles place the voting body of each
congregation in the role of final decision-making; and

WHEREAS, The Biblical concept of women being in subjection
and the democratic principle of final decision-making are
contrary to each other; therefore be it

Resolved. That woman suffrage be rescinded.

Christ Lutheran Church
Coos Bay, Oreg.

Wayne Buckles, President
Curt Aman, Secretary

3-140A

To Rescind Denver Resolution re
Woman Suffrage

WHEREAS, The Missouri Synod is bound by clear statements
of Scripture; and

WHEREAS, The concern for women suffrage in the Christian
community seems largely due to a lack of understanding of the
Scriptural position of man as the human head of the church
and family, e. g., 1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 3:12; Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim.
2:9-15; and

WHEREAS, The franchise in itself carries with it equal author-
ity with men, and leaves the woman exercising it not “under
subjection” to man; and

WHEREAS, By virtue of the fact of numerical strength women
could of themselves outvote men assembled or just even sway
the balance of votes, thereby “usurping authority” over the
men: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod assembled in convention rescind
the resolution on woman suffrage passed at Denver, and resolve
to promote understanding of both man’s and woman's Scriptural
position as regards church authority and family and civic
responsibility.

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church
New Westminster, B. C.

Robert Mackie, President
Arthur H. Plitt, Secretary

Identical or similar:
3-140B

Zion, Surrey, B. C. Lymon Jones