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FCname  Routes to Ministry
Resolution  13-02
Title  To Regularize Status of Licensed Lay Deacons Involved in Word and Sacrament Ministry
Key Action  Cleaning up the mess from allowing licensed lay deacons
History:
Jul 12   Passed 809 - 277
Jul 10   Replaced with version A TB2-2
Read Resolution:13-02A  
Click here (wait for it to load)
Overture/Link(s):13-01-50   13-50  
Similar to    5-13   6-02   13-01   13-03
Likelihood of adoption  3
Strenghtens Doctrine & Practice  2
Strenghtens Walking in Fellowship  3
Synod Priority  3
Executable  1
SCORE  2.4   (2.4)
resText 


Comments and opinions of others

Opinion Summary from 2 people ranging from Damaging to Very Important with an average of Don't care

Opinion  comment  Date 
 Damaging Fortunately, the recently adopted Resolution 12-07A states that all members of the Synod are required to publicly teach in accordance with the Synod's "established doctrinal position."

The Wichita resolution, accepting licensed lay deacons, was implicitly a doctrinal resolution - i.e. in the sense that its view of commissioning deacons was congruent with the teaching of Lutheran Confessions.

The German version of the Augsburg Confession (XIII, 12) after granting that ordination can be considered a sacrament (i.e. in the broad sense) states:

"...die Kirche hat Gottes Befehl, dass sie soll Prediger und daikonos bestellen."

This can be translated as:

"...the Church has God's command, that she ought to appoint both preachers and deacons."

In the early church, the office of deacon was considered as assisting the local overseer/bishop (Apostolic Constitutions, Book II, pp. 29-32).

It was not limited to an educational function. The 4th century reflection of St Hippolytus in his "Apostolic Tradition" is that deacons are ordained "not to the priesthood, but to the ministry" – a distinction which is immensely significant.

St. Ignatius of Antioch also mentions deacons as a distinct office in his many writings. And he implicitly allows for their sacramental service if a local bishop appoints them to officiate over the Lord's Supper.

Though this resolution is poorly written, as it stands, it need not conflict with how the 1580 Book of Concord states:

“From this it is clear that the Church retains the right to elect and ordain ministers. Therefore, when the bishops are heretics or refuse to administer ordination, the churches are by divine right compelled to ordain pastors and ministers for themselves by having their pastors do it (Latin: adhibitis sui pastoribus).” (Melanchthon's Tractate on the Power and Primacy of the Pope 72)

If Disrict Presidents refuse to license or ordain deacons, than there will inevitably be a whole lot of pastors with their churches that are going to feel compelled to ordain their once "licensed" deacons who are already serving as “ministers” in their context.

Stoping churches from having deacons is going to massively clog up the Synod adjudication process and will invariably result in lots of behind the scenes litigation. Of course, the common people will probably never find out because this will be hidden through arbitration resulting in gag orders.

This poorly written and potentially schismaticly understood resolution is a recipe for disaster!

Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. Instead of eliminating the office, it is better to have renegade deacons be more accountable to pastoral oversight.
07/14 08:07pm
  The ridiculous euphemistic title, "To Regularize Status of Licensed Lay Deacons Involved in Word and Sacrament Ministry," should be changed to a more honest title, "To Correct the Missouri Synod's Violation of AC.XIV, Which a Previous Convention Authorized Decades Ago, But Phrased in a Way to Look Like the Synod Didn't Screw Up." And you better check those eighteen spin-doctoring Whereas sections and thirteen tap-dancing Resolved sections to see what is actually being said and proposed.

Better still, bring back Overture 13-48 to the floor as a resolution and vote on it first before considering this monstrosity of a resolution.

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The phrase, "those deacons currently licensed" in the Resolved would most sensibly apply to all currently licensed lay deacons as of January 1, 2018, when the licensing ended.

However, as the anti-AC.XIV person threatened on this webpage to "massively clog up the Synod adjudication process", every nuance will no doubt be exploited for that purpose.

Other LLD proponent tactics would include stretching the colloquy process (as specified in one Resolved out for years, during which time the lay deacon may continue to play pastor. Another Resolved allows continuation of lay deacons playing pastor indefinitely in cases of "extraordinary need."
07/13 09:45am
 Very Important Resolved, ====== That until January 1, 2018, district presidents may license new deacons to preach publicly and to administer the Sacraments. In exceptional cases, the appropriate district president may grant a license beyond that date with the consent of the plenary of the Council of Presidents and the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry; and be it further

Resolved, ====== That those deacons currently licensed for and serving in Word and Sacrament Ministry shall have until July 1, 2018, to:

(1) apply to one of our seminaries for admission into an alternate route program,
(2) apply for entrance into an SMP program, or
(3) apply to the regional colloquy committee for admission to the SMP roster,

=================
Did I miss something? Or does this resolve that only current Deacons must apply to 1,2,3 but any who are newly licensed here forward do not? Seems like there's a hole in this, to quote the previous commenter, "monstrosity of a resolution."


I hear *REPENTANCE* used a lot.....perhaps it just has a different meaning in the LCMS.

To Correct the Missouri Synod's Violation of AC.XIV, Which a Previous Convention Authorized Decades Ago, But Phrased in a Way to Look Like the Synod Didn't Screw Up.



And that wasn't the only thing they screwed up in Wichita.
07/12 02:58pm


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