To Amend Bylaws to Protect Divine Calls of Missionaries

Official Workbook overture source text

2-05 
To Amend Bylaws to Protect  
Divine Calls of Missionaries 
WHEREAS, One of the objectives of Synod is to “extend [the] 
Gospel witness into all the world” (Const. Art. III 2); our Lord 
states: “behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the 
fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35 KJV); and 
WHEREAS, The sending and support of missionaries is therefore 
a vital objective of our Synod; and 
WHEREAS, It is also an objective of the Synod to “Provide 
protection for congregations, pastors, teachers, and other church 
workers in the performance of their official duties and the 
maintenance of their rights” (Const. Art. III 9); and 
WHEREAS, Called pastors at local congregations are protected by 
the doctrine of the Divine Call, explained by the Commission on 
Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) to mean that a pastor can 
be removed rightfully from his call only for teaching false doctrine, 
offensive conduct (which may include, among other things, neglect 
of, or inability to perform, official duties), or scandalous life 
(LCMS CTCR, Theology and Practice of “the Divine Call ” 
[adopted February 2003], 25); and 
WHEREAS, The CTCR has also recognized in its report that due 
process must be followed in removing a man from a call; 
additionally, pastors serving in certain capacities —for example, as 
seminary professors— are granted express protection in the Synod 
Bylaws against arbitrary removal from their calls without just cause 
(Bylaw 3.10.5.7.5); and 
W
HEREAS, Missionaries serving the Synod, called by the Board 
for International Mission (BIM), are not granted express bylaw 
protection, nor do the current BIM policies provide for due process 
for missionaries before the BIM can terminate their calls and 
effectively end their mission service; and 
WHEREAS, Consistent with 1 Peter 2, Matthew 18, and other 
Scripture passages, the mission boards of the Synod should set a 
good example in their conduct and treatment of their called 
missionaries, and institute a formal requirement for good cause 
before terminati ng the call of any missionary, and ensuring due 
process, fairness, and an opportunity to be heard before any such 
decision is implemented, with appropriate right of appeal through 
the Synod’s dispute resolution process; therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod grant called missionaries serving the 
BIM protection in their Divine Calls by revising the Synod Bylaws 
to require good cause before terminating the call of any missionary, 
and ensuring due process, fairness, and an opportunity to be heard 
before any such decision is implemented, with appropriate right of 
appeal through the Synod’s dispute resolution process; 
and be it 
further 
Resolved, That the Synod in convention overturn any part of the 
CTCR Report, Theology and Practice of “the Divine Call ,” that 
holds that the Divine Call of a missionary in service to the Synod is 
of lesser tenure or protection than the call of a local parish pastor. 
St. Paul, Brookfield, IL; Circuit 24 (Sedalia), Missouri District 
Ov.