To Exhort Members to Earnestly and Regularly Pray for and Pursue Synodical Unity, and To Appoint a Task Force

Official Workbook overture source text

4-44 
To Exhort Members to Earnestly and Regularly 
Pray for and Pursue Synodical Unity,  
and To Appoint a Task Force 
WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the unity of His 
Church so that the world might believe He has been sent by the 
Father (John 17:11, 20–23); and 
WHEREAS, Jesus stated, “By this all people will know that you 
are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35), 
and “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they 
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in 
heaven” (Matt. 5:16); and 
WHEREAS, The apostle Paul enjoins God’s people to “walk in a 
manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with 
all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another 
in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of 
peace” (Eph. 4:1–3); and 
WHEREAS, Holy Scripture is filled with many other similar 
prayers for, and exhortations to pursue, unity and reconciliation in 
the Church (Psalm 133:1; Matt. 5:23 –25; 7:1–5; 18:15–35; Rom. 
12; 15:5; 1 Cor. 1:10; 12:12; 2 Cor. 13:11; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 4:4– 6; 
Phil. 1:27; 2:1–11; Col. 3:14; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 John 4:20); and 
WHEREAS, The first objective listed in Article III of the Synod 
Constitution is to “conserve and promote the unity of the true faith 
(Eph. 4:3–6; 1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure toward 
fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united 
defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy”; 
and 
WHEREAS, Unity in the Church is a gift from God (Rom. 15:5–
6) we should humbly seek from Him in prayer; and 
WHEREAS, Division and acrimony between Christians severely 
compromises the witness of the Church to the world and may 
directly impede the proclamation of the Gospel and may, thereby 
threaten the eternal salvation of numerous souls; and 
WHEREAS, Such disunity, where it is not necessary to maintain 
fidelity to the Scriptures and the Confessions, but is rather the result 
of human sin, tarnishes God’s name and thus violates the Second 
Commandment; and 
WHEREAS, The Synod is frequently known even outside of itself 
for its internal conflicts and for the refusal of pastors, congregations, 
and circuits to commune together; and 
WHEREAS, Strife and division in the Church for sinful reasons 
are indications that the Church is reflecting the ways of the world 
rather than providing a godly alternative to it; and