Post: An Overture for this Summer's LCMS Convention

February 2, 2007

Dear Fellow LCMS Pastors and Congregations:

In preparation for the synodical convention this summer, and the deadline of March 10 for overtures, the following memorial is being forwarded to you for your consideration. It is hoped that you will prayerfully consider placing this issue before the congregation you serve, document its approval by the voters in assembly in a cover letter, and mail both the resolution and the cover letter to: Office of the Secretary, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 1333 S Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295. You are also encouraged to fax the resolution along with your cover letter to: 314-996-1016. Thanking you for your time and consideration, I remain

Your servant in Christ,
The Rev. Dr. Daniel N. Harmelink, Pastor
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Huntington Beach, CA
lutherfest@mac.com
714-846-6330


To Allow Congregations to Include/Retain Standard Language Describing the Nature of Holy Scriptures in Their Constitutions

WHEREAS, the constitution of a congregation of the LCMS is an indispensable document for congregational self-understanding and governance; and

WHEREAS, constitutions of LCMS congregations, LCMS rites of ordination for pastors and installation of church workers (Lutheran Worship Agenda, p 211; Lutheran Service Book Agenda, p 179), and confessional statements of synod (Article I of A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod; A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles (1973), http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/astatement.pdf) have included the descriptive words "revealed," "inspired," or "inerrant" as standard, time-honored language that details the position of Holy Scripture (2Timothy 3:16; 2Peter 1:20-21; 1Corinthians 2:9-13; 1Corinthians 14:37; Acts 24:14; Psalm 19:7; Romans 3:2; 1Thessalonians 2:13; John 8:31-32; John 17:20; John 10:35; 2Corinthians 13:3; 1Peter 1:12) and the position of our Lutheran Confessions (Large Catechism, Part Four: Of Baptism, Paragraph 57); and

WHEREAS, district constitution commitees of the LCMS, directed by the synod's Committee on Constitutional Matters (CCM) to judge whether new or revised constitutions of congregations in their district are "in harmony with Holy Scripture, the Confessions, and the teachings and practices of the Synod", have now prohibited congregations seeking approval of their submitted constitution and bylaws from including such descriptive words as "revealed," "inspired" or "inerrant" in the confessional subscription section of their constitution, judging inclusion of such language as being in violation of the opinion of the Committee on Constitutional Matters (CCM) Guidelines for the Constitution and Bylaws of a Lutheran Congregation and "go[ing] beyond the synod's own confessional standards" (http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/CCM/GUIDELINES%20for%20Web.pdf); and

WHEREAS, the recent opinion of the CCM (http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/CCM/CCMMin9-06.pdf) has left no other avenue of appeal for congregations seeking inclusion or retention of this descriptive language in their constitutions; be it therefore

RESOLVED, that synod in convention affirm that the descriptive words "revealed," "inspired," and "inerrant" do not go beyond the synod's own confessional standards, and

RESOLVED, that synod in convention direct district constitution committees not only to cease directing congregations seeking approval of their constitutions and bylaws to remove such descriptive language from their confessional standards paragraph, but also to encourage congregations to retain such time-honored language that describes in a clear and helpful way the nature of the books of the Old and New Testament, and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the CCM document Guidelines for the Constitution and Bylaws of a Lutheran Congregation be revised to reflect the freedom LCMS congregations have previously enjoyed to faithfully and unambiguously describe the nature of Holy Scripture in the confessional standards paragraph of their constitutions using the descriptive words "revealed," "inspired," and/or "inerrant."

Redeemer Lutheran Church
Huntington Beach, CA

Approved in Voters' Assembly by unanimous vote. January 28, 2007