LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 440

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440

To Spend Only Those 125th Anniversary
Thankoffering Funds Which Are Available

RESOLUTION 4-45
Overture 4-50 (CW, pp. 198—199)

Wuereas, The Board of Directors recognizes the wis-
dom of not spending monies unti! monies for a specific
category or for a designated project of the 125th Anni-
versary Thankoffering are actually received: therefore
be it

Resolved, That no 125th Anniversary Thankoffering
project be begun until sufficient funds are actually re-
ceived and available for use.

To Study Establishment of Office
of Conciliation

RESOLUTION 4-46
Overture 4-57 (CW, p. 200)

WHereas, Overture 4-57 asks for the establishment
of the office of conciliation to assist the President in
dealing with complaints, grievances, and charges that
are directed to the Office of President; and

Wnereas, Bylaw 2.316 states “The President, with
the approval of the Board of Directors, shall be em-
powered to engage sufficient staff to carry out the duties
of his office”; therefore be it

Resolved. That the concerns of Overture 4-57 be re-
ferred to the President and Board of Directors for study
and possible implementation.

To Clarify “All Matters of Doctrine
and of Conscience Shall Be Decided
Only by the Word of God”

RESOLUTION 5-03
Overture 5-46 (CW, p. 224)

Wuerras, Article VIII C of the synodical Constitu-
tion, “Resolutions at Synodical Meetings,” reads, “All
matters of doctrine and of conscience shall be decided
only by the Word of God. All other matters shall be
decided by a majority vote. In case of a tie vote the
President may cast the deciding vote"; and

Wuereas, Overture 5-46 requests that the meaning
of this paragraph “be clarified before any ‘matters of
doctrine and conscience’ are presented for decision by
vote at the 1973 New Orleans Convention”: and

Wuereas, Article VIII as presently formulated dates
back to the earliest texts of the synodical constitution,
including the original draft of May 1846; and

Whereas, It is therefore instructive to see how the
Synod understood and operated under this article in the
past: and

Whereas, The first President of our Synod, Dr. C. F.
W. Walther, in his “Form of a Christian Congregation”
(Translated J. T. Mueller, St. Louis, CPH, 1963) states
in Thesis 16, “Matters of doctrine and conscience are to
be resolved unanimously according to God's Word and
the Confession of the church (Is. 8:20). Adiaphora,
however, that is, matters which in God's Word are
neither commanded nor forbidden, are decided ac-
cording to the principles of love and fairness, after a
previous deliberation, in Christian order by a majority
of votes (1 Cor. 16:14: 14:40 Col, 2:5)": and

WHEREAS, Isaiah 8:20 quoted by Walther follows a
section in which the prophet complains that the people
have been seeking wisdom from witches and wizards
rather than from God and there states “To the law and
the testimony: if they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them,” thus making
clear Walther’s contention that God's people in matters
of doctrine and conscience should seek the answer in
the Scriptures rather than deciding what is right by
seeking what the majority favored, thus calling for
unanimity in that all should submit to the Word of God.
man’s opinion having no authority; and

Wuereas, In a controversy concerning the doctrine
of the millenium from 1855 to 1857 the Synod adopted
with one dissenting vote a statement condemning the
doctrine of millenialism and adding “that the Synod
has ascertained that Pastor Schieferdecker no longer
stands in the same confession of faith with it, and there-
fore it is compelled to sever the synodical fellowship
with him” (Missouri Synod Proceedings, 1857, p. 47),
thus making clear that the fathers did not hesitate to

REFERRED RESOLUTIONS

vote on a matter of doctrine and to come to a decision
even if the vote was not unanimous: and

Wuereas, In the controversy concerning the doctrine
of predestination the Synod voted affirmatively in an-
swer to the question “Does the Synod acknowledge the
position of the doctrine of predestination as presented
in the Thirteen Theses just read as the doctrine of holy
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions?” (Missouri
Synod Proceedings, 1881. p. 41), and the convention
then showed how it operated under Article VIII of the
Constitution by taking the position that those who voted
“no” had accused the Synod of false doctrine and then
resolving “As long as they do not honestly repent...
there can be no talk of further cooperation or walking
together” (Missouri Synod Proceedings, 1881, pp. 42—
43); and

Wuereas, C. F. W. Walther wrote in his Pastoral
Theologie, 1872, p. 372, “If, when matters of this kind
are under consideration, a vote is taken this dare not be
done in order to let the majority of votes decide, but to
learn by way of the vote whether all have recognized
what ts right and are in agreement with it”; and

Wuereas, The learned dogmatician and the President
of the Missouri Synod. Dr. Franz Pieper, wrote in Chris-
tian Dogmatics, Vol. II. p. 430, “The only purpose of
voting in matters of doctrine is to see whether all now
understand the teaching of the divine Word and agree
to it; the purpose of the vote is not to decide the cor-
rectness of a doctrine by majority vote or even by
unanimous vote. The orthodox Christian church re-
mains aware of the fact that it cannot by resolution
make or give birth to Christian doctrines, but must al-
ways merely set forth from Scriptures and profess over
against the prevailing error the doctrines submitted and
settled in Scripture’; and

Wuereas, Both of these synodical fathers thus make
clear that a vote may be taken and that it need not be
unanimous and that the vote does not establish the doc-
trine, but determines those who recognize the true doc-
trine: and

Whereas, The Synod in 1950 adopted a doctrinal
statement called The Common Confession” as a state-
ment of “doctrine in harmony with Scriptures” (1950
Proceedings, p. 585); and

Wuereas, In the aforementioned action in 1950 there
were “nay” votes and the 1953 convention was asked in
view of Article VIII C of the Constitution to declare that
the “nay” votes cast in a matter of doctrine “have made
the action null and void": and

Wuereas, The 1953 convention rejected this conten-
tion that “nay” yotes in a matter of doctrine or con-
science rendered an action of the Synod null and void,
the Synod referred to the aforementioned statement by
Dr. Pieper and the Synod adopted a Sept. 28, 1951, rul-
ing of the Committee on Constitutional Matters which
reads, “Therefore when Article VIII C deals with mat-
ters of doctrine and conscience, it says nothing about a
unanimous vote or majority vote. but demands that all
such matters are decided by the Word of God” (1953
Proceedings, pp. 485—489): and

Wuereas, To interpret Article VII C to mean that
the Synod cannot vote on a doctrinal matter in order to
recognize what the Word of God says or to insist that
such a vote must be unanimous is not only to go con-
trary to the history of the Synod, but also contrary to
sound reason, to wit, to insist on a unanimous vote or
no vote at all would be to condemn the Synod to forever
being unable to take a doctrinal stance or to settle a
doctrinal controversy: and

Wuereas, Such a condition would turn The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod into a church body where
each could go his own theological way so long as he in-
sisted that he was in harmony with the Scriptures and
the Confessions; and

Wuereas, Such a condition would be in manifest vio-
lation of Article III1 of the synodical Constitution
which gives as the first object of the Synod “the con-
servation and promotion of the unity of the true faith
(Eph. 4:3-6; 1Cor.1:10) and a united defense against
schism and sectarianism (Rom. 16:17); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm its past under-
standing of Article VIII C of the Constitution, to wit,
that

1. Resolutions at synodical conventions dealing with
“matters of doctrine and conscience shall be decided

only by the Word of God” (as opposed to appeals to hu-
man wisdom and opinion).

2, Voting on matters of doctrine and conscience shall
be understood as the Synod recognizing the doctrine
set forth in the Word of God.

3. In the event the vote is not unanimous the action
is not to be regarded as null and void.

To Reaffirm Presidential Authority
and Responsibility
RESOLUTION 5-05

Report 5-01; Overtures 5-60A, 5-60B, 5-63, 5-644A—F,
5-71 5-72, 5-90 (CW, pp. 201—203, 227—-229, 231. 238)

Wuereas, Suggestions have been made that the au-
thority of the office of the President should be strength-
ened: and

Whereas, Others have suggested that the authority
of the office of the President be curtailed and divided
among either the Vice-Presidents or the District Presi-
dents; and

Wuereas, The Commission on Constitutional Matters,
after consultation with many knowledgeable people, has
made an in-depth study on the question of presidential
power and responsibility; and

Wuereas, Their findings indicate that extensive au-
thority does indeed exist and needs to exist in the office
of the President for effective administration; therefore
be it

Resolved, That this convention reaffirm the authority
and responsibility vested in the office of the President
by our Constitution and Bylaws.

To Decline Change
Regarding Board of Directors
RESOLUTION 5-06
Overture 5-09 (CW, p. 215)

Wuereas, The request concerning the makeup of the
Board of Directors to include a teacher is covered by
Bylaw F 2.17; therefore be it

Resolved, That the request to change the Constitu-
tion of the Synod in this regard be declined.

To Revise Bylaws Re Appointment Method
of Boards and Commissions

RESOLUTION 5-07
Report 5-02, I, 2 (CW, p. 204)

Wuertas, The President of the Synod is given the
authority (responsibility) and charged with the ac-
countability provided in the synodical Handbook, By-
law Section I] B and related and supplementary con-
stitutional and Bylaw provisions; and

Whereas, The Board of Directors is given the au-
thority (responsibility) and charged with the account-
ability provided in synodical Handbook Bylaw Section
lI F and related and supplemental Bylaw provisions;
and

Wuereas, The exercise of the appointment authority
by the President in consultation with the Board, or the
Board appointing the various boards and commissions
of the Synod, is in keeping with that responsibility and
accountability; and

Wuereas, There is no clear basis for the existing dif-
ferences in appointment method; and

Wuereas, General criteria for such differences would
be most helpful; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Bylaws be revised to establish
criteria for classifying boards and commissions as to
the method of appointment used; and be it further

Resolved, That the affected organizations be reclassi-
fied accordingly; and be it finally

Resolved, That, to implement these changes, Sections
2.03 and 2.05 of the Handbook be deleted and the fol-
lowing sections be added:

2.02 Boards and Commissions

The Synod shall establish several boards and
commissions with specific responsibilities to further
the work of the church.

a. Boards

Normally a board is charged with the responsi-
bility for an established operating or administrative
program or for adjudicative functions of the Synod.