LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 255

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CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 255

the Spirit is doctrinal unity, which is the only real reason why
the Synod was formed: and

WHEREAS, This God-given unity in doctrine has been greatly
damaged and threatened by the rise of doctrinal opposition in
the form of Concordia Seminary-in-Exile (Seminex): and

WHEREAS, Certain District Presidents, though they hold
office in order to promote true doctrinal unity, have either
authorized or allowed the placing of Seminex graduates within
their Districts despite the fact that Seminex itself was organized
as a protest to certain doctrinal decisions made by The Lutheran
Church— Missouri Synod, and despite the fact that Seminex
graduates in general have not received doctrinal approval for
placement from a regularly authorized seminary of this Synod:
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod re-
quest all District Presidents who have authorized or allowed
uncertified Seminex graduates to be placed or ordained in their
respective Districts to rescind their action, remove the uncerti-
fied person or persons from office, and agree not to allow or
authorize such uncertified persons to be placed in their Districts
in the future: and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod authorize the President of the
Synod to suspend and if necessary to remove from office any
District President who persists in such divisive action, which
violates the true and voluntary unity of faith within our Synod
and threatens to promote doctrinal chaos and _ indifference
among us.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

Bremen, Ind.

William E. Helmlinger, Chairman pro tem
Dan L. Miller, Secretary

Raymond A. Mueller, Pastor

5-131

To Request Action Against
English District President

With this statement of explanation and charges, Messiah
Lutheran Church of Detroit, Mich., prefers charges of sinful
and offensive conduct against President Harold Hecht of the
English District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
under Article XIII of the Constitution of the LCMS for his
actions of authorizing, encouraging, and participating in the
ordination of Seminex graduates within the English District.

We wish first to explain the nature of these serious charges
and then to state them specifically.

Our Missouri Synod is a church body committed to the clear
teachings of Holy Scripture concerning authority in the church
that are defended in the Lutheran Confessions.

Foremost of these truths is that every Evangelical Lutheran
congregation is sovereign under the Word of God, and having
found the unity of the true faith with other congregations, we
strive to maintain this bond of peace together by forming a
Synod. The bond of the Synod is the pledge of our word to each
other to ‘‘walk together.’’ This solemn pledge is expressed when
congregations sign our Constitution. In the Constitution the
congregations have granted the highest authority to our Synodi-
cal convention (Arts. VIII and IX) and have required regular
election of delegates as a condition for synodical membership
(Art. VID. The synodical convention is empowered to express
the will of the Synod by resolutions that adopt synodical Bylaws
and other directives. An important point of the Constitution is
that every synodical officer, including District Presidents, is

placed under the authority of both the Constitution and the
synodical convention's Bylaws. It should also be emphasized
that no synodical official holds his office by divine right and that
their duties are those laid upon them by the Synod. As we shall
show, the Constitution sets out clearly those candidates for the
holy ministry whom a District President may authorize for or-
dination, and it clearly forbids him to authorize anyone else for
ordination.

Finally, we point out that the Synod has required that Dis-
trict Presidents take an oath involving God’s name to ‘endeavor
faithfully to obey the Constitution and Bylaws.” To violate this
oath is a sin against the Second Commandment. “The Lord will
not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Ex. 20:7)

Now we wish to state the specifics of our charge. President
Hecht has authorized the ordination of many Seminex gradu-
ates. He has also encouraged these ordinations by his public
actions and has even seen fit to participate in such ordinations.

We doubt that anyone will question the fact that this is a
violation of several Bylaws of the Synod. We wish to cite a few
now:

Bylaw 4.15 states that candidates for the ministry need to be
endorsed by the faculty of one of the Synod's seminaries. These
Seminex graduates were not endorsed.

Bylaw 4.09 a requires that after endorsement the candidate
be assigned to a congregation within the District by the Council
of Presidents, acting as the Board of Assignments. These
Seminex graduates were not so assigned.

Bylaw 2.107 e makes clear that the Committee on Constitu-
tional Matters has the power to interpret the Constitution and
Bylaws. That committee has ruled that Seminex graduates are
not eligible for calls. By his actions President Hecht has violated
these Bylaws and others, such as 6.163 a and 6.163 d and others.

These violations of Bylaws are serious issues just in them-
selves. But more serious ethical issues must be considered. By
his actions President Hecht has violated the following articles
of the Constitution and also his oath of office. We wish to cite
Article XI, “Rights and Duties of Officers,” A:

1. The officers of the Synod must assume only such rights as have

been expressly conferred upon them by the Synod, and in every-

thing pertaining to their rights and the performance of their duties
they are responsible to the Synod.

Also Article XII, ‘Districts of the Synod and Their Regulations”:
9. Furthermore, the District Presidents shall —
a. See to it that all resolutions of the Synod which concern the
Districts are made known to the Districts and are carried out by them.
c. Perform, either in person or by proxy, the ecclesiastical ordina-
tion of the candidates for the ministry assigned to their Districts and
the installation of such, as well as the installation of candidates for
the office of school teachers and of all ministers and teachers called
by the congregations in their Districts.

Part of the oath of induction into the office of District Presi-
dent (Constitution, Art. XII 9 a) requires President Hecht to
“carry out’ the Bylaws of the Synod (as we have said before,
every Bylaw is adopted by resolution.) The oath of office is a
promise before God “to endeavor faithfully to perform all the
duties” of District President as laid out in ‘the Constitution and
Bylaws” of the Missouri Synod. This requires faithful endeavor-
ing to persuade congregations to not violate their pledge to walk
together by ordaining men not called in accordance with the
Bylaws of the Synod.

Instead President Hecht has authorized and participated in
such acts. We accuse him of unfaithfulness to his constitutional
duties and unfaithfulness to his oath to God.

Article XII 9 ¢ requires President Hecht to authorize ordina-
tions only for candidates ‘‘assigned to [his} District.” Article
XI A 1 requires President Hecht to ‘tassume only such rights
as have been expressly conferred upon [him] by the Synod.”

Instead President Hecht has usurped the congregation's
right to rule both themselves and their elected officials and pre-
sumed the right to authorize ordinations for candidates not
granted by the Synod, indeed, against the expressed will of
the Synod.

We accuse President Hecht of being unfaithful to his duties
and his oath of office in presuming these powers.

We request action against President Hecht under Article
XIII of the Constitution of the Synod.

Messiah Lutheran Church
Detroit, Mich.
Carl Hoffmeyer, Pastor

5-132
To Call District Presidents to Account

WHEREAS, District Presidents Frincke, Hecht, Ressmeyer,
Jacobs, Bruns, Riedel, Meyer, and Zeile have violated their oath
of office to uphold the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod in
that they authorized the ordinations of men to the holy ministry
who were not certified by a proper faculty (Handbook Bylaw
4.15): and

WHEREAS. Article XI of the Constitution states: