Version History
Current published version
Today's Business, Issue 2B. pp. 292-293. Revised published proposal.
Official Resolution Source Text
Resolution: 5-08
Canonical number: 5-08
Committee: Theology and Church Relations
Source: Today's Business, Issue 1
Printed pages: p. 104
PDF pages: 104
Version: original, superseded
Source reference: Issue 1, p. 104
Line numbers follow Today's Business, Issue 1, with numbering reset on each printed page, so delegates can compare this page with the official PDF.
Page 104
- To Reaffirm the Synod’s Positions on Men and Women in the Church
- RESOLUTION 5-08
- Overtures 5-30–35 (CW, 354–57)
- WHEREAS, Holy Scripture clearly teaches that the pastoral office is reserved for qualified men, and therefore prohibits
- women from publicly preaching, teaching, or leading worship in the assembled congregation (1 Timothy 2; 1 Corinthians
- 11; 1 Corinthians 14); and
- WHEREAS, The Synod has repeatedly affirmed this biblical teaching and opposed the ordination of women into the
- pastoral office as contrary to the Word of God (1971 Res. 2-04, “To Withhold Ordination of Women to the Pastoral
- Office”; 1977 Res. 3-15, “To Reaffirm the Synod’s Position on Women with Reference to the Pastoral Office”; 1986 Res.
- 3-10, “To Reaffirm the Position of Synod on Ordination of Women”; 1998 Res. 3-25A, “To Affirm Position of Synod that
- Only Men May Hold the Pastoral Office”); and
- WHEREAS, The Synod has also consistently maintained that these scriptural prohibitions do not apply to women voting
- in their congregations or serving on boards and committees at the congregational, district, or Synod level (1969 Res. 2-17,
- “To Grant Woman Suffrage and Board Membership”; 1986 Res. 3-09, “To Reaffirm Position of LCMS on Service of
- Women in the Church”; 1995 Res. 3-05, “To Address Concerns regarding Woman Suffrage”; 2004 Res. 3-08A, “To Affirm
- the Conclusions of the 1994 CTCR Report: The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices”); and
- WHEREAS, The Synod has urged against practices such as women serving as elders or assisting in the distribution of
- the Lord’s Supper, due to potential confusion with the distinctive functions of the pastoral office (1989 Res. 3-10, “To
- Address Practice of Women Serving Holy Communion”; 2016 Res. 5-14, “To Reaffirm Biblical Teaching on Man and
- Woman in the Church”); and
- WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) has published many documents pertaining
- to the appropriate roles of men and women in the Christian church that explain these positions, including Women in the
- Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice (1985), The Creator’s Tapestry (2009), CTCR Review of 2005 Task
- Force Guidelines for the Service of Women in Congregational Offices (2014), and The Order of Creation: Theology,
- History, Definition (2022); therefore be it
- Resolved, That these CTCR documents be commended to the Synod for study and guidance, especially as concerns
- arise over the ordination of women, women’s suffrage, women’s board and committee membership, and the role of women
- in the worship life of the church; and be it further
- Resolved, That the Synod again unequivocally reaffirm its opposition to the ordination of women to the pastoral office
- as contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture; and be it further
- Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm its doctrinal and practical positions regarding women’s suffrage and participation
- in boards, committees, and commissions of the Synod; and be it further
- Resolved, That the Synod encourage men, as it did in 2016 Res. 5-14, “to continue to exercise leadership in their
- congregations even as they are encouraged to exercise their God-given leadership in a God-pleasing manner in their
- homes”; and be it further
- Resolved, That the Synod encourage women to exercise their Spirit-given gifts in faithful service in scripturally
- appropriate ways within congregations, districts, and Synod structures to the glory of God and the building up of Christ’s
- Body; and be it finally
- Resolved, That the Synod commend the faithful service of women throughout its history and in the present, and
- actively encourage women to serve the church in various commissioned and lay vocations, including but not limited to:
- teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, directors of family life ministry, directors of
- parish music, deaconesses, parish assistants, and directors of church ministries (Bylaw 2.6.1.1), as well as many volunteer
- roles of leadership, mercy, witness, and support.
Published Proposed Amendments
This amendment is printed as a proposal and is not incorporated into the current resolution text unless official convention action confirms adoption. The printed amendment may reference an earlier version of the resolution.
Published Proposed Amendment to Resolution 5-08
Issue 4, p. 384, Issue 4, p. 384, lines 3-19, status: Proposed
Submitted by Rick Snyder, Lay Delegate, Indiana District
To Reaffirm the Synod’s Positions on Men and Women in the Church AMENDMENT TO RESOLUTION 5-08A Resolution 5-08A (TB, 2B:292–93) To insert, at TB 2B:292, after line 37, the additional whereas: WHEREAS, Holy Scripture and the apostle Paul very clearly state that women are not to teach or hold any positions of authority over men in the church (1 Tim. 2:12) ; the apostle refers to the order of creation regarding the roles of men and women in the church (1 Tim. 2:13– 15), making this a permanent and lasting mandate (1 Cor. 14:33b); and the apostle plainly intends to communicate that restrictions on the role of women are broader than simply not serving as a pastor or performing duties related to the office of pastor; and To insert, at TB 2B:293, after line 10, the additional resolved: Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the presidents of both seminaries to each form a committee from their respected faculty to evaluate the roles of women in our congregations, especially the service of women as elders and as president/chair or vice president/vice-chair (cf. 2004 Res. 3-08A, “To Affirm the Conclusions of the 1994 CTCR Report: The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices” [Proc. 132–33]) and each offer a report to the 2029 Synod convention; and be it further Rick Snyder Lay Delegate, Indiana District
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