LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 220

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220 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

35-10

To Repudiate Hierarchism

WHEREAS. Our Lord Jesus Christ by His own sacrificial death
freed His disciples and His people from exercising over each
other the kind of authority characteristic of ‘‘the Gentiles,”
saying in Mark 10:42-45: “You know that those who are sup-
posed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great
men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among
you: but whoever would be great among you must be your
servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave
of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to
serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many”: and

WHEREAS, The Confessions of the Lutheran Reformation
protest against the exercise of false power by bishops and de-
clare that the true office of the bishop is “to preach the Gospel.
forgive sins, judge doctrine and condemn doctrine that is con-
trary to the Gospel, and exclude from the Christian community
the ungodly whose wicked conduct is manifest. All this is to be
done not by human power but by God’s Word alone,” and con-
cluding: ‘St. Peter forbids the bishops to exercise lordship as
if they had power to coerce the churches according to their will.
It is not our intention to find ways of reducing the bishops’
power, but we desire and pray that they may not coerce our
consciences to sin. If they are unwilling to do this and ignore
our petition, let them consider how they will answer for it in
God's sight, inasmuch as by their obstinacy they offer occasion
for division and schism, which they should in truth help to
prevent” (Augsburg Confession, Art. XXVIII, pars. 21, 76-78):
and

WHEREAS. The Saxon fathers of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod successfully resisted an attempt to establish
spiritual and temporal tyranny over the immigrant congrega-
tions in 1839 and designed a constitution which would exclude
hierarchism (coercive rule or authority by church leaders) in
every form by stating in Article VII: ‘In relation to its members
(congregations, ministers, teachers] the Synod is not an eccle-
Siastical government exercising legislative or coercive powers”:
an

WHEREAS, The officers, boards, commissions, and positions
established by the Synod throughout its history are not intended
to establish rank, create a hierarchy, or give some members of
the Synod coercive power over other members of the Synod,
but are intended rather to recognize the variety of gifts which
the Lord has given to His people (Eph. 4:1-16: 1 Cor. 12:12 ff.)
so that His body, the church, would be a people of brothers and
sisters (Matt. 23:8-12): and

WHEREAS, In the body of Christ any requests for authority
and power to take coercive action and any accusations of “‘in-
subordination” or ‘‘disobedience” or “rebellion” are incompat-
ible with the collegial nature of the church and with the Consti-
tution of the Synod: and

WHEREAS. Boards, commissions, officers, congregations,
pastors, teachers, professors. students. executives. and mis-
sionaries are, by virtue of their faith in the Gospel, their life in
the church, and their membership in the Synod, committed to
working together as brothers and sisters, committed to resolving
disagreements by conversation and persuasion, committed to
confronting sin with loving admonition and restoration, com-
mited to ‘“‘bearing one another's burdens” (Gal. 6:2) and putting
up with one another (Eph. 4:2: Col. 3:13); therefore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
repudiate all acts of hierarchism on the part of boards and
officers of the Synod as contrary to the Scriptures, the Confes-
sions, and the Constitution of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod; and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod encourage all officers and boards
of the Synod to regard faculty members, executive staff mem-
bers, missionaries, pastors, teachers, and students as brothers
and sisters in the body of Christ and to let all directives to those
in the employ of the Synod be fraternal and evangelical.

Northwest District
Emil G. Jaech, President
D. C. Schroeder, Secretary

d-11

To Study Authority and Synodical
Structure for Less Ambiguous Witness

WHEREAS, The roles of the Synod and the Districts as they
relate to congregations and each other are not clearly and
uniformly understood; and

WHEREAS, The status of synodically adopted resolutions is
interpreted many ways in the local congregation: and

WHEREAS. Clergy and lay roles are not clearly defined in
congregations, circuits, and the Synod: and

WHEREAS, Circuit structure and Counselor roles seem to be
ineffective; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod initiate a historical, theological,
and experiential study of authority within our church structure
on all levels; and be it further

Resolved. That a commission be established to recommend
changes that would make the structure of our church less
ambiguous and more expressive of our history, theology, and
actions, and more enabling to our mission: and be it further

Resolved. That this commission be made up of “experts”
from the perspectives of church history, theology, and the
experiential/organizational development field, both clergy and
lay; and be it further

Resolved. That this commission be encouraged to use outside
consultants as necessary: and be it finally

Resolved. That this commission report to the 1977 convention
of the Synod.
Faith Lutheran Church
Norfolk, Va.
Thomas Cheatham, President
Vivian Thompson, Secretary
Paul C. Heins, Pastor

3-12A

To Affirm Congregational Autonomy

WHEREAS. The Synod’s Constitution (Article VII) states:

In its relations to its members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical
government 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 anything 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 con-
cerned.
and

WHEREAS, Bylaw 1.09 b states:

The Synod expects every member congregation to respect its resolu-
tions and to consider them of binding force if they are in accordance
with the Word of God and if they appear expedient as far as the con-
dition of the congregation is concerned. The Synod, being an advisory
body, recognizes the right of the congregation to be the judge of the
expediency of the resolution as applied to its local condition. How-
ever. in exercising such judgment, a congregation must not act
arbitrarily but in accordance with the principles of Christian love and
charity.
and

WHEREAS, C. F. W. Walther 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:
therefore be it

Resolved. That we affirm the inherent autonomy of the
individual congregation of the Synod: and be it further

Resolved. That we affirm the constitutional right of the indi-
vidual congregation “to be the judge of the expediency of the
resolution as applied to its local condition” (Bylaw 1.09 b): and
be it further

Resolved. That an individual congregation be allowed to
ignore a resolution of the Synod if it responsibly judges it to be
inexpedient as far as the condition of the congregation is con-
cerned: and be it finally