Official Handbook Source Text

Constitution and shall ordinarily cite the pertinent passages of the Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and any previously adopted official doctrinal statements and resolutions of the Synod. Such resolutions come into being in the same manner as any oth er resolutions of a convention of the Synod and are to be honored and upheld until such time as the Synod amends or repeals them.

(b) Doctrinal statements set forth in greater detail the position of the Synod especially in controverted matters. A proposed statement or a proposal for the development of such a statement shall be

(1) submitted by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations or submitted to the Commission on Theology and Church Relations by a convention of the Synod (including that of a district), a faculty of the Synod, or an official district conference of ordained and/or commissioned ministers for evaluation, refinement, development, or recommendation, as the case may be;

(2) submitted by the commission, if it acts favorably, to the colleges, universities, seminaries, congregations, and other members of the Synod for study and suggestions for no more than one year (failure by the commission to submit a proposed doctrinal statement within a year may be appealed to the Synod in convention through a proper overture);

(3) refined further by the commission on the basis of suggestions received;

(4) submitted by the commission to the Synod in convention for further consideration and possible adoption by majority vote;

amendments shall require a two -thirds affirmative vote of those present and voting;

(5) resubmitted to the congregations for ratification in its final existing form;

(6) ratified and operative if a two -thirds majority of the member congregations which respond within six months registers an affirmative vote on a ballot supplied by the Secretary of the Synod for that purpose. Failure to ratify makes the statement inoperative , and this fact shall be reported by the Secretary to the members of the Synod through an announcement in an official periodical;

(7) Such adopted and ratified doctrinal statements shall be regarded as the position of the Synod and shall be “accepted and used as helpful expositions and explanations” (FC SD Rule and Norm 10). They shall be honored and upheld (“to abide by, act, and teach in accordance with” [1971 Res. 2 -21]) until such time as the Synod amends or repeals them;

(8) An overture to amend such an adopted ratified doctrinal statement shall follow the same procedure as listed in (1– 6) above;

(9) An overture to repeal such an adopted and ratified doctrinal statement shall require a majority vote of the Synod in convention in answer to an overture properly submitted and be subject to the procedure of congregational approval set forth in paragraph (6 ) above;