LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 254

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254 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

5-128A
To Deal with District Presidents

WHEREAS, The District Presidents of the LCMS have prom-
ised to uphold faithfully the Constitution and Bylaws of the
LCMS: and

WHEREAS, The the ordination of Seminex graduates who
have not been properly certified is a clear violation of the
Constitution and Bylaws of the LCMS: and

WHEREAS, Such offensive conduct has seandalized the
LCMS: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod in convention assembled call upon
those District Presidents who have ordained or permitted the
ordination of Seminex graduates in their Districts to repent and
apologize to the Synod prior to the end of the Anaheim conven-
tion: and be it further

Resolved. That the President of the Synod be directed to
immediately remove from office those District Presidents who
do not repent and apologize to the convention prior to its close:
and be it further

Resolved, That the President of the Synod be directed to take
this action, other provisions of the Handbook notwithstanding:
and be it further

Resolved. That the President of the Synod be directed to
appoint an acting president if and when it becomes necessary
to carry out the second resolve stated above, and that the
appointed acting president serve the District where a President
moved until the next regular convention of the District involved
and that this action be taken, other provisions of the Handbook
notwithstanding: and be it finally

Resolved. That an individual removed from office according
to the procedure outlined above be declared ineligible for any
full-time office in The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod or
one of its Districts.

St. John’s Lutheran Church
Brule, Nebr.

Clifford McBride, Chairman
Richard Johnson, Secretary

Identical or similar:

5-128B and 5-128C

Our Redeemer, North Platte, Nebr.
St. James, University City, Mo.

H. Harnapp
Tom Baker

5-129

To Discipline Certain District Presidents
Introduction

Although the strife within the Synod is chiefly doctrinal in
nature, the crisis has also reached into the area of the Synod’s
Constitution and Bylaws. The voluntarily assumed obligations
of this covenant have been broken by officers of the Synod in
areas directly related to the doctrinal issues.

The formal organization of ELIM, Seminex, and Partners
in Missions is in obvious reaction against the God-pleasing
resolutions of the New Orleans convention, such as 2-12, 3-01,
3-09, and 3-12A.

That certain District Presidents broke the synodical Bylaws
by authorizing and/or participating in the ordination and/or
installation of uncertified Seminex graduates into the pastoral
office cannot, then, be looked upon simply as a Bylaw violation.
It must be seen in relation to the doctrinal errors in our midst.

The New Orleans convention in 1973 went far toward the
restoration of God-pleasing doctrinal onemindedness (unity)
in our midst. Rightly understood in their historical setting,
these specific Bylaw violations (4-15 and 4-17) by District Presi-
dents are in this case actually a rebellion against God's Word
and the Synod’s assent to it at the New Orleans convention.

Love for our Savior, who commanded that we are to teach
“all things whatsoever” He has commanded, and love for His
Word, which commands that we do all things ‘decently and in
order,” demand that Christian love produce Christian action,
which in this case must be disciplinary in nature.

WHEREAS certain District Presidents, as officers of the Synod
who have voluntarily obligated themselves to the Constitution
and Bylaws of the Synod, have ignored the warning of the
synodical President and have knowingly broken the Bylaws of
the Synod (4.15 and 4.17) by authorizing and/or participating
in the ordination and/or installation of uncertified Seminex
graduates into the pastoral office, thus furthering in our midst
the promotion of rebellion against God’s Word and the Synod's
assent to it in doctrine and practice; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod instruct those District Presidents
who are guilty of the above-stated violations to provide a written
statement to this convention no later than the beginning of the
first session of the last day of the convention, which statement is
to include:

1) a statement of repentance to God and apology to the
Synod for the specific violations mentioned in the whereas,
acknowledging that it was a sinful thing to do and asking
to be forgiven for these violations:

2) a statement of promise and intent not to repeat these
violations:

3) a statement of agreement to Resolutions 2-12, 3-01, and
3-09 of the New Orleans convention: and be it further

Resolved, That if these instructions are met as herein speci-
fied, and in good spirit, that the synodical President, acting for
the Synod, accept such repentance and intention and announce
God’s forgiveness, as well as that of the Synod: but be it further

Resolved, That if these instructions are not met as herein
specified, then the Synod understands the synodical President
to be empowered and now instructs him to publicly announce
by the end of this convention the removal from office of those
District Presidents whose actions are condemned in the whereas
and have not met the instructions of the first resolved: and be
it further

Resolved, That the synodical President be empowered and
instructed to appoint such men as are above suspension in the
current strife to fulfill the terms of office of those District Presi-
dents removed from office by the enactment of this resolution,
and/or of those District Presidents guilty of the above-stated
violations who might resign their office before being removed,
with the understanding that such appointed men can also remain
as called pastors of congregations if they choose, regardless of
District Bylaws, and with the further understanding that be-
cause of the nature of this crisis such an appointment shall be
considered outside the scope of Bylaw 3.35 (“Holding More than
One Office”): and be it further

Resolved, That all remaining District Presidents publicly and
verbally assure this convention that they will not authorize
and/or participate in the ordination and/or installation of un-
certified Seminex graduates to the pastoral office or to any other
full-time church work: and be it finally

Resolved, That everyone entering or reelected to the office
of District President during the next 5 years be instructed to
assure the synodical President in writing within 10 days of enter-
ing or being reelected to his office, of his intention to abide by
the letter, spirit, and intent of this resolution, with the under-
standing that refusal to do so constitutes grounds for removal
from office, which removal the synodical President is herewith
empowered and instructed to carry out.

Grace Lutheran Church
Lexington, Mo.

Arnold Viebrock, President
Edward Kolster, Secretary

K. Michael Simminger, Pastor

5-130

To Deal with Certain District Presidents

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod is a vol-
untary brotherhood of Christians, who out of both Christian
convictions and Christian love have willingly given up some
of their rights as individual congregations in order to live
and work together in true unity of the Spirit; and

WHEREAS, The one absolute requirement for such unity of