LCMS Structure & Governance

I returned last night from three days of theological convocation in St. Louis, MO under the title, "Carrying Out God's Mission in the 21st Century: The Relationship Between Theology and Polity." I was appointed by the District President of the Ohio District of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and was honored to serve.

I can only offer some preliminary thoughts here on the discussion and proposals, but I'll begin by paraphrasing a question I posed to a panel on day two of the convocation:

We are now into our second day of this convocation, and it seems to me that we have highly exalted the priesthood of All Believers (1 Peter 2), and rightly so; however, we have almost completely ignored Romans 10 (How can they hear [The Gospel] unless a preacher is sent?). Historically, I believe that the Missouri Synod has wonderfully upheld BOTH the Office of the Royal Priesthood (all Christians) and the Office of the Holy Ministry (pastors). How is it that a conference on structure, again now in its second day, can almost completely ignore talking about the pastoral office?

The centrality of the Gospel and the need to structure ourselves around Christ's Gospel-mission was the heart and soul of the convocation, and we had earlier in the day had a Methodist (Leonard Sweet) remind us of the Biblical paradoxes that Luther steadfastly upheld (eg., Christ as fully God AND fully man.). How is it that some of the best minds in the Missouri Synod failed to mention the Bible's most basic "structural arrangement": God's people, with their pastor, gathered around Word and Sacrament?

I have to start packing for my family's trip to Guatemala, where we will finally pick up the little man who will make us "Six O'Donnells।" I will not be around for a couple weeks to discuss the issues of this convocation with my friends, so I'll close with a couple quotations and some brief comment.

For my non-Lutheran readers, the "chief" confessional statement of the Lutheran Church is what is called "The Augsburg Confession" (AC). The brief Fourth Article of the AC (on "Justification") has come to be known among Lutherans as "the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls"; that is, the hub of the wheel, the one without which everything else is messed up. Here is AC 4:

1 Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. 2 People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. 3 God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5]. (Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions, Edited by Paul Timothy McCain (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005, 33.)

Here, we Lutherans have just summarized what constitutes saving faith. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING Article 4, then, is Article 5, which is about HOW saving faith comes to us:

1 So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. 2 Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given [John 20:22]. He works faith, when and where it pleases God [John 3:8], in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. 3 This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.

4 Our churches condemn the Anabaptists and others who think that through their own preparations and works the Holy Spirit comes to them without the external Word. (Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions, Edited by Paul Timothy McCain (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005, 33.)

At the heart of the Christian faith is the Gospel of God’s free gift of forgiveness in and through the Eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ (John 3). One is “grafted” (Rom 11) or “adopted” (Gal 4) into Christ’s family through faith in the person and work of Christ (Eph 2, Apostles’ Creed), and this faith comes through hearing the forgiving Word of Christ (Rom 10, 1 Pet 3, Mt 26). All Christians are called to give answer for the hope that is in them (1 Pet 3), but Christ in His mercy has established the Pastoral office to herald the Good News "full time," if you will. Or, as St. Paul puts it, "How can they hear unless a preacher is sent?" (Rom 10).

Word and Sacrament, pastor and people: inseparable. ANY discussion of the Church’s structure must center in this Biblical reality. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod from its founding understood that true Biblical mission proceeds from this basic structure; that is, Christ’s mission proceeds from the beating heart of a Christian congregation. Whether it is a businessman speaking the Gospel to a coworker in need or a Pastor communing a "shut-in," it begins with God gathering us to hear and receive His Word.

It is unfortunate that a key member of this basic structure was at best ASSUMED by the recent convocation, but the process is just beginning. We can do better, and I am confident that we will.

Of course, there is also a lot of jockeying around for control of the Synod’s structures. So it was in the beginning, and so it will be until Christ returns. Differences, St. Paul tells us, are necessary (1 Cor 11). Many people see the structure proposals as an opportunity help the Synod and her congregations refocus on first things, and many people see the structure proposals as an surreptitious attempt to introduce an alien theological agenda into the life of the LCMS. The fact is that there are probably as many motivations as there are people involved. Even if many have impure motivations (there are always those) I am confident, in spite of this, that all this discussion about “reorganization” is providing us another opportunity to hear the Word of God and reaffirm who we are and why we are here. I welcome that discussion, and I believe that it may very well bear good fruit.

So, friends, that’s my opening entry. It’s a bit more didactic than I might otherwise post, but it’s a start. When I get back I will ponder some of the draft proposal’s specifics. (If you want to see those, by the way, visit

www.lcms.org/lcmsfuture.) Until next month, then, I am Yours in Christ, LAO_+