To Affirm That Functions of Pastoral Office Belong to That Office

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions state that no one should publicly teach, preach, or administer the Sacraments without a rightly ordered public call (AC XIV); and

WHEREAS, The regular services of the Church publicly gathered are the primary forum for that public teaching, preaching, and administering of the Sacraments; and

WHEREAS, Rare emergency situations, which at times may in a sinful and fallen world necessitate that an exception be made, are not justification for the alteration or revocation of biblical and confessional doctrine or practice; and

WHEREAS, It has become normalized among us even in the Church to justify the altering of theology and practice by appealing to emergency, perceived present reality, or other non-biblical, non- confessional bases; therefore be it

Resolved, That Synod in convention condemn the use of those not rightly called into the Office of the Public Ministry to perform the principal duties of that office in our congregations, recognizing that the assistance of laymen in congregational services is not hereby excluded when such occurs under the direction of the pastor(s) called to that particular altar (e.g., an elder assisting the pastor in the distribution of Holy Communion, the use of acolytes in the service, and the like) and under the personally present direction of the pastor(s) in the case of the Chief Divine Service;

and be it further

Resolved, That circuit visitors and district presidents give special attention to this matter in their advisory and disciplinary roles.