Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 540

• such rationale shall be preserved as part of the record of the 
case and be available, as appropriate, to any authorized 
appeals body; 
and be it further 
Resolved, That any Synodwide or churchwide communication 
regarding such a reversal or significant disciplinary action be 
crafted in a manner that 
• avoids gossip, speculation, and violation of the Eighth 
Commandment; 
• acknowledges the prior conclusion that is being superseded; 
and 
• provides enough substantive explanation so that pastors and 
congregations are not left solely with unclear or formulaic 
phrases that fail to explain why the action was taken; 
and be it finally 
Resolved, That the Synod encourage all officers and church 
leaders, when making or communicating difficult decisions, to 
remember that clear, honest explanation — offered in as charitable 
and careful a way as possible—is a vital component of evangelical 
care for the whole Church. 
Our Savior, Arlington, VA; St. John’s, Alexandria, VA;  
Trinity, Lexington Park, MD;  
Circuit 8 (Washington, South), Southeastern District 
Ov. 10-09 
To Provide Pastoral Care for Congregations 
Affected by Major Disciplinary Actions 
WHEREAS, When one member of the body suffers, all suffer 
together (1 Cor. 12:26); and 
WHEREAS, When a pastor is removed from the roster, suspended, 
or publicly censured, the congregation he has been serving often 
experiences confusion, grief, division, and deep spiritual distress; 
and 
W
HEREAS, The primary concern of ecclesiastical discipline must 
always be the honor of Christ, the protection of the flock, and the 
restoration of sinners, not merely the resolution of an administrative 
case; and 
WHEREAS, Congregations whose pastors are the subject of 
disciplinary action often need intentional, structured pastoral care 
and guidance in order to navigate the aftermath faithfully and 
fruitfully; and 
WHEREAS, The Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod charge 
district presidents and other officers with the pastoral care of 
congregations and workers under their supervision; therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod recognize the special pastoral needs of 
congregations directly affected by major disciplinary actions 
involving their pastors; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Synod direct the Commission on Handbook, 
in consultation with the Council of Presidents, to propose b ylaw 
additions or official guidelines requiring that, in cases of: 
• removal from the roster; 
• long-term suspension; or 
• public censure of a pastor in relation to his conduct as pastor 
of a specific congregation, 
the supervising district shall work with the congregation’s elected 
leaders to develop a written pastoral care plan, addressing at least: 
• immediate spiritual care and communication to the 
congregation; 
• provision for Word  and Sacrament ministry (e.g., interim 
pastors, pulpit supply, pastoral visitation); 
• opportunities for congregational lament, healing, and 
reconciliation where appropriate; and 
• guidance for the congregation’s ongoing mission and 
witness in the community; 
 and be it further 
Resolved, That such pastoral care plans be tailored to the specific 
circumstances of each case and be implemented in a way that seeks 
to protect consciences, avoid needless scandal, and keep Christ and 
His Gospel at the center; and be it finally 
Resolved
, That districts be encouraged to provide resources, 
training, and, where possible, financial assistance to support such 
pastoral care for affected congregations, so that they may not be left 
to navigate these storms alone. 
Our Savior, Arlington, VA; St. John’s, Alexandria, VA; 
 
Trinity, Lexington Park, MD;  
Circuit 8 (Washington, South), Southeastern District 
Ov. 10-10 
To Study Ecclesiastical Supervision  
in Light of Lutheran Confessions 
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions, particularly Augsburg 
Confession VII, VIII, and XXVIII , and the Treatise on the Power 
and Primacy of the Pope, set forth a rich and careful doctrine of the 
Church, the ministry, and church authority; and 
W
HEREAS, These confessional writings emphasize that churchly 
authority is given for the sake of the Gospel, that human ordinances 
are not to burden consciences, and that bishops/superintendents are 
not to lord it over the church; and 
WHEREAS, The Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod, including 
those portions concerning congregations, d istrict presidents, the 
President of the Synod, ecclesiastical supervision, discipline, and 
expulsion, are intended to reflect and operationalize these 
confessional principles; and 
WHEREAS, In recent years, difficult and highly visible cases of 
discipline and supervision have raised questions among pastors and 
laypeople about whether our current structures and practices fully 
and transparently embody our confessional teaching; and 
WHEREAS, It is fitting and salutary for the Synod, from time to 
time, to reexamine its polity and practice in the light of Scripture 
and the Confessions, that we may repent where needed and 
strengthen what is good; therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod request the Commission on Theology 
and Church Relations (CTCR), in consultation with the Council of 
Presidents, legal/handbook experts, and representatives of 
congregations, to undertake a comprehensive study of ecclesiastical 
supervision and discipline in the Synod, addressing at least: 
• 
the biblical and confessional foundations for church 
authority, oversight, and discipline; 
• the relationship between congregations, districts, and the 
Synod; 
• the proper reach and limits of the president’s supervisory 
authority; 
2026 Convention Workbook
505ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION