To Affirm Need for Open Churches during Times of Plague, Pestilence, and Pandemic

WHEREAS, God has commanded us to set aside a day to gather together (Ex. 20:8–11; Deut. 5:12–15; Psalm 149:1; Col. 3:16; Heb. 10:19–25) to “hear and use [His] Word, and then to praise [Him], to sing and to pray” (Large Catechism [LC] I 84); and

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted His Supper for the forgiveness of sins, refreshment, comfort, and strength (Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:15–20; 1 Cor. 11:23–26; LC V 72); and

WHEREAS, The Divine Service (Mass) was retained at the time of the Reformation, for the purpose of hearing God’s Word, receiving the Lord’s Supper, and returning to Him our sacrifices of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving (Augsburg Confession [AC] XXIV 1); and

WHEREAS, Asour Lord was physically present with His disciples at His institution of His Supper and personally administered the elements to them, He calls His under shepherds, namely the men whom He has called to the Office of the Holy/Public Ministry, to administer His Supper in person to His people (John 20:22–23; AC V; AC VII 1; AC XXIV 30); and

WHEREAS, Jesus, through whom all was created and being one with the Father (John 1:3, 10:30; Nicene Creed, 2nd Article), at the time He instituted His Supper, understood the complexities of microbiology and anticipated forthcoming plagues, yet did not call for the suspension of in-person gatherings around His Word and Sacraments during such times; and

WHEREAS, We must therefore, “never think of the Sacrament as something harmful from which we had better flee, but as a pure, wholesome, comforting remedy that grants salvation and comfort” (LC V 68); and

WHEREAS, The evil one, having been cast from heaven, is continually at war with God’s people, and in times of plague, uses fear to pull them apart from each other and from the receipt of His gifts (Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:10, 17; LC V 26); and

WHEREAS, When we gather together in person to receive God’s gifts, we are able to withstand the attacks of the evil one(Eph. 6:10– 18; LC V 80–82); and

WHEREAS, Historically the Church has thus recognized herself as essential during times of plague, notable examples including the 1527 plague at Wittenberg and the 1597–98 plague at Unna: Mark A.Preus,“Teach Usto Bear Your Blessed Cross:An Essay on Philipp Nicolai’s Joy in the Face of Death,” Ross Edward Johnson and John T. Pless, eds. The Mercy of God in the Cross of Christ: Essays on Mercy in honor of Glenn Merritt (St. Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 2016), 299–307. Martin Luther, “Whether One May Flee from A Deadly Plague,” Luther’s Works, Vol. 43: Devotional Writings II, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 119–38. and

WHEREAS, Historically, even in times of plague, pastors have brought Absolution, God’s Word and Sacrament to the sick and shut-ins when they were unable to be present at church and were near death; and

WHEREAS, The current global outbreak of the highly contagious SARS-Co V-2 (COVID-19), with the attendant risks of morbidity and mortality, has generated tremendous fear, moving governments around the world to lockdowns and shuttering of nonessential businesses; and

WHEREAS, Many state governors and provincial premiers have declared the Church to be nonessential, shuttering congregations, even for outdoor gatherings, while declaring some businesses, such as abortion facilities and casinos, to be essential and keeping them open, is a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment (See Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York v. Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York, 592 U.S. (Nov. 25, 2020) (supreme court.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a87_4g15.pdf); and

WHEREAS, Due to concerns of disease spread and lack of personal protective equipment, pastors and churches have been threatened, fined, attacked, and forbidden to visit those who are hospitalized and in long-term residential care facilities; and

WHEREAS, Where congregations have been allowed to remain open, pastors have tried to dictate practices regarding the administration of the Lord’s Supper that are at variance with Christ’s institution; and

WHEREAS, We are to be subject to the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1), yet where the authorities contradict God’s Word, we are to obey Him rather than men (Acts 5:29); therefore be it

Resolved, That the English District call on the Synod to affirm that weekly in-person gathering is essential for the health and well- being of God’speople;be more legally active in protecting churches and pastors; and be it further

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to affirm that where a man ordained to the Office of the Holy Ministry is present and available, congregations should continue the in-person administration of the Lord’s Supper, even during times of plague;

and be it further

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to affirm that congregations, using God’s gifts of science and reason, may take steps to lessen fear and risk, while not interfering with the administration of the Lord’s Supper as He instituted it; and be it further

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to affirm that the bringing of Absolution, Word and Sacrament to the sick and shut- in is essential to his or her well-being, and protective equipment should be available for the pastor as it is for the health care worker;

and be it further

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to affirm that in Christian freedom (Gal. 5:1) and based on local realities, some congregations may need to temporarily and briefly suspend public gatherings, but that the deliverance of Absolution, Word and Sacrament must continue; and be it finally

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to affirm that, while respecting God’s vocational calls to local political leaders and public health authorities, they strongly condemn the forced closings of congregations in times of plague, as well as the banning of contact with those hospitalized or in long-term care facilities, as a contradiction of His Word and thus outside the divinely-ordained bounds of their offices in His kingdom of the left.