Our post last night of an address by Pr. Gallup refers to this resolution, as found in the NID convention “Today’s Business” found here.
RESOLUTION 1-05 To Call to Repentance and Reform All Who Publicly Teach Contrary to the Well-Established Positions of Scripture and the Confessions in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Referencing Late Overture 1-10
WHEREAS The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) has, in many past convention actions as well as in clearly expressed opinions by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, consistent positions on the issues of women’s ordination, homosexuality, creation and evolution, the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture, and proper methods for Biblical interpretation, and
WHEREAS all pastors in the LCMS pledge when they are ordained and installed their unconditional subscription to the Holy Scriptures and to the Lutheran Confessions as a correct exposition of Holy Scriptures and a correct exhibition of the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and
WHEREAS events in the LCMS have made it evident that there are some that teach and advocate publicly against the established positions of the LCMS and in violation of their ordination vows, specifically and recently the case of Rev. Dr. Matthew Becker, currently an Associate Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University, and
WHEREAS the LCMS has established procedures for those who wish to express dissent, as well as for calling to repentance those who teach or advocate publicly against these positions or for expulsion of those who refuse to repent and reform their actions, and
WHEREAS there is frustration that some are ignoring the established procedures for dissent and correction of those in error, or refusing to abide by the outcome of such procedures, and therefore be it,
RESOLVED that the NID in convention reaffirm the consistent positions on the issues of women’s ordination, homosexuality, creation and evolution, the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture, and proper methods for Biblical interpretation that the LCMS has held, and be it further
RESOLVED that all who teach or publicly advocate for positions contrary to the well-established positions of the LCMS be called to repentance and to reform their actions immediately, and be it further
RESOLVED that those who wish to express dissent on these positions or deal with specific individuals who are publicly teaching or advocating contrary to them be encouraged to use only the procedures for dissent, admonition, or removal that our Synod has previously agreed to use in such situations, and be it finally
RESOLVED that, the LCMS Commission on Handbook be requested by the Northern Illinois District in convention to review the existing procedures for allowing dissent to be properly expressed and bringing false teachers to repentance and for removing those who refuse to repent or who refuse to call others to repentance, to determine if any changes are needed to these procedures and if they are to recommend changes to the 2016 LCMS Convention.
The Northern Illinois District of
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
March 6-7, 2015
Our information is that the following paragraph from the original overture was included with this resolution, then it overwhelmingly passed the convention. I’m not sure exactly where this was inserted into the resolution. You can view the entire overture on pages 32 to 36 here.
RESOLVED That in faithfulness to God’s Word and in Christian love the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS call the Rev. Dr. Matthew Becker to repentance of his false and divisive doctrines and that this be communicated to him by the Northern Illinois District President by sending him this resolution, and let it be further