Res. 5-09 — To Address the Public Reading of Scripture

WHEREAS, The public reading of Scripture is an integral part of Christian worship services, as seen in the New Testament (Acts, 1 Timothy 4) and throughout Christian history; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) advised the following concerning the public reading of lessons in its 1985 report, Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice ([adopted 1985], 45): All Christians have access to the Scriptures. They do not require the church as an institution or another person to read and interpret them on their behalf. The reading of the Scriptures belongs to the priesthood of all believers, men and women. Moreover, there is no ceremonial law in the New Testament regarding the reading of Scripture in the context of public worship. Nor is there explicit apostolic prohibition of such reading by women. Nevertheless, it is the opinion of the CTCR that the reading of the Scriptures is most properly the function of the pastoral office and should therefore not ordinarily be delegated to a lay person, woman or man. Pastors and congregations should therefore exercise great care in making decisions permitting the lay reading of the Scriptures or any other activity in the formal liturgical services which might be perceived as an assumption of the pastoral role or a disregard for the Scriptural principles concerning the service of women in the church (e.g., 1 Cor. 11:3–18 16; 14:33b–35); and

WHEREAS, The CTCR also advised that certain distinctive functions of the pastoral office should ordinarily be carried out only by clergy of the Synod, including “preaching in the services of the congregation, leading the formal public services of worship, the public administration of the sacraments, [and] the public administration of the office of the keys ” (ibid., 42), though this was not an exhaustive list; the referenced 1981 report, The Ministry: Offices, Procedures, and Nomenclature, stated, “No specific ‘checklist’ of functions of the office of the public ministry is presented in the Scriptures (15); and

WHEREAS, The 1989 Synod convention cited these statements by the CTCR approvingly, yet did not endorse the opinion of the CTCR that “the reading of the Scriptures is most properly the function of the pastoral office and should therefore not ordinarily be delegated to a lay person, woman or man,” but instead advised that congregations “proceed with care and sensitivity in making decisions permitting the lay reading of the Scriptures, recognizing decisions in this regard lie in the area of Christian judgment ” (1989 Res. 3 -14, “To Address Appropriate Roles for Women and Men in Worship,” Proc., 118); and

WHEREAS, Considerable tensions have since arisen over the lay reading of Scripture lessons in public worship, especially by women, with some arguing that the pastoral reading of lessons is mandated by Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13) or that women reading the lessons contradicts the admonition of St. Paul that a woman ought not “to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet” (1 Tim. 2:12); and

WHEREAS, In response to these concerns, the CTCR has published numerous documents addressing the topic, including: Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice (1985), The Order of Creation: Theology, History, Definition (2022), and Unity in Doctrine, Uniformity and Variety in Practice (2025); and

WHEREAS, It must be acknowledged that one cannot clearly dissociate the public reading of Scripture lessons from the distinctive pastoral function of “leading the formal public services of worship”; and

WHEREAS, It must also be acknowledged that not all formal public worship services necessarily exclude laity from officiating or participation, especially the traditional prayer offices (Matins, Vespers, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer) and other non-communion services (or when a pastor is not available due to extraordinary circumstances); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod urge its congregations not to provoke or engage in needless controversy, but teach, reprove, correct, train, and ultimately persuade one another solely by the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16 –17); and be it further

Resolved, That, out of a desire for unity and in mutual love for fellow members of the Synod, the congregations of the Synod be encouraged to heed the counsel of the CTCR in 1985 and reserve the public reading of Scripture for pastors, especially in their observance of the settings of the Divine Service or other principle, weekly worship services at which the congregation customarily gathers and at which visitors most often attend (as potential for confusion with the pastoral office or public offense is greater there); and be it further

Resolved, That the above-mentioned documents of the CTCR be commended to the Synod for their instruction and guidance in discussing the matter of the lay reading of Scripture lessons in public worship; and be it further

Resolved, That the exegetical faculties of each seminary, as appointed by their seminary president, be asked to offer a theological opinion on 1 Tim. 4:13 and how that passage relates to the public reading of Scripture in congregational worship services and who should attend to those readings, and that these opinions be submitted to, studied, and evaluated by the Council of Presidents (COP) with input by the CTCR at its discretion; and be it further

Resolved, That the COP and seminary faculties discuss this topic in detail at their annual joint meeting; and be it further

Resolved, That the COP report on its discussion, evaluation, and conclusions at the next Synod convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That this encouragement not be understood as a denigration of the service of laity—men or women—in the church, but an expression of the desire to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3) and that “all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40) in Synod congregations, giving due sensitivity to the precedent of that congregation’s worship and the consciences of its members, and that changes to existing practice be made with care and catechetical patience.