To Reaffirm and Encourage Teaching and Practice of Closed Communion

Ov. 5-16

To Reaffirm and Encourage Teaching and Practice of Closed Communion

WHEREAS, Members of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod are bound by the Lutheran Confessions to regard Holy Scripture as the teaching of the Holy Supper of our Lord, Jesus Christ:

• That His body and blood are truly and substantially present, distributed, and received in, with, and under the elements of the bread and wine (AC X); and • That these are received by both the believing and unbelieving participants, by those who eat in repentance and faith, to “forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation” (SC VI) and by those who eat in unrepentance or unbelief, to judgment (Ap XXIV; FC Ep VII; FC SD VII); and • That to obtain such faith, the preaching office is instituted by our Lord to administer the Gospel and the Sacraments (AC V), with those filling it thus having grave responsibility for the souls in their care (SC VI); and

WHEREAS, The true unity of the Church is found in the pure teaching of the Gospel and right administration of the Sacraments (AC VII); and

WHEREAS, St. Paul himself admonishes the Corinthians against assembling to eat the Supper of our Lord with divisions among them, thus coming together not for the better but for the worse (1 Cor. 11:17–18); and

WHEREAS, True doctrine necessarily regulates practice, as the confessors write, “The custom has been retained among us of not administering the sacrament to those who have not previously been examined and absolved” (AC XXV); and, “In our churches Mass is celebrated every Sunday and on other festivals, when the sacrament is offered to those who wish for it after they have been examined and absolved” (Ap XXIV), and as our Lord says, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21); and

WHEREAS, The responsibility of pastors as stewards of the mysteries of God is not as hirelings or pleasers of any man or group of men, but as servants of Christ; it being required of stewards that they be faithful (1 Cor. 4:1–2); and keep watch over souls as those who will have to give an account (Heb. 13:17); therefore be it

Resolved, That the pastors of our Synod be exhorted, as duty bound by the office before the almighty God, to whom they will have to give an account for the souls entrusted to them, to teach, exhort, practice, and defend closed Communion, communing only those who have been examined and absolved, who are neither living in open, unrepentant sin, nor under the ban, who have been taught and confess, not only the true doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, but all

doctrines as taught in the Small Catechism, who eat and drink at the Lord’s Table as those who gladly hear and believe whatsoever their Lord teaches, professing no doctrine contrary to that taught where they commune, and whose church membership reflects said confession, except in rare, temporary, and extraordinary cases of pastoral discretion; and be it further

Resolved, That the congregations and congregants of our Synod be exhorted, in the fear of God and love of the pastors He sends, so that they may serve “joyfully, and not sadly” (Heb. 13:17 RSV), both to support and uphold the practice of closed Communion in our co ngregations, and to refrain, as a matter of conscience and Christian truthfulness and out of concern for the true unity of the Church in oneness of teaching, from communing at altars of differing confessions; and be it further

Resolved, That the district presidents of our Synod be exhorted, as true ecclesiastical supervisors, and as men who will also have to give account for the ministry committed to their care, to teach, exhort, defend, and further the practice of closed Communion among the members (congregations and pastors) committed to their care, and pastors and congregations be encouraged to keep on record with their district office a copy of the Communion statement currently in use in their parish and their Communion pract ice; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Minnesota North District reaffirm the doctrine and practice of closed Communion and pass this resolution onto the Synod convention.

Minnesota North District