Not only politics, but also theology makes strange bedfellows. The LC-MS
Hyper-Euro-Lutheran movement is warming up to the Wisconsin Synod's doctrine
of Church and Ministry for reasons that Wisconsin would never have thought
possible. There are enough ironic twists here to write a Shakespearian play.
Those in Missouri (who want to return to pre-Waltherian, European Lutheran
hierarchy in place of Missouri's Congregational Voter Supremacy polity) now
find Wisconsin's position a favorable middle ground.
Since 1847, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has stated that the local
congregations are "church" according to Matthew 18:17-20 but the
Synod itself is a human organization and is not a "church." In other
words, the authority to issue calls, make pastors, baptize, serve the Lord's
Supper, excommunicate, and absolve sins is only found in the congregation, not
the Synodical Headquarters, District Offices, or Circuits.
The Wisconsin Synod's position on this issue, at least for the last
century, has been that local congregations, Synod, District, and Circuit are
all "church." In fact, they teach that not only wherever two or
three laypeople are gathered together is "church" but the same is
also true wherever two or three clergy are gathered together.
Now the LC-MS's top theologian, Professor Kurt Marquart, with broad support
from many pastors and professors in the LC-MS, has publicly defended,
"Synod is Church."
In response to Missourians wanting to adopt the Wisconsin position on this
issue, an overture has been sent to the 2001 LC-MS Convention stating,
"Synod is Not Church." This overture, following an outstanding paper
on the subject, also titled "Synod is Not Church" by Rev. William
Bischoff, can be found here.
The ironic twists are numerous. Marquart actually favors the position that
the congregation confers the office of the ministry on the pastor, which makes
Marquart a "moderate" on Walther's understanding of the call.
However, the Hyper-Euro-Lutherans are convinced that the congregation
confers nothing and the pastor receives the administration of Word and
Sacrament at his ordination. The congregation's "call" only becomes
valid when ordination takes place and God "makes" the pastor.
Another irony is that the Wisconsin Synod, though claiming, "Synod is
Church" actually practices a staunch congregational polity with nearly
every WELS congregation structured around Voter Supremacy. Hence, Wisconsin in
practice, is more Missouri than many Missouri Congregations that are being
encouraged to give up Voter Supremacy and have in fact, given up Voter
Supremacy.
The proponents of Church Growth and Leadership Training in the LC-MS, such
as the "Pastoral Leadership Institute" run by Doctor Norbert Oesch,
prefer a corporate style administration by Board of Directors in the
congregations for the sake of efficiency. At the Rockwell Meeting Dec. 29,
2000, Oesch called Voter Supremacy "inflammatory language." In
addition, the Synod's Council of District Presidents, Church Extension Fund,
and Foundation have all financed Oesch's effort to blot out Voter Supremacy.
Meanwhile, the Hyper-Euro-Lutherans prefer that the administration of the
congregation be under the ordained pastor, because, God said so!
As the battle to maintain Voter Supremacy foments in the LC-MS, Wisconsin's
position of "Synod as Church" instead of "Pastors as
Church" is seen as the middle ground between the voters and the pastors.
How can Wisconsin deny fellowship to LC-MS pastors who want to agree with
their polity for the wrong reason? Can Wisconsin say, "Well, yes, 'Synod
is Church,' but that doesn't mean, 'Synod is Church.'" Finally if
"Synod is Church" what about Voter Supremacy? Who is more church,
Synod or the Voters' Assembly? Many LC-MS pastors are rooting for the Synod.
Wisconsin says it's "both - and." Really?
Wisconsin Synod pastors could easily adopt the LC-MS Hyper-Euro-Lutheran
position. They wouldn't have to change a word of their doctrine, just change
their minds.
For those of us in the LC-MS who want to keep Voter Supremacy, we pray that
the 2001 LC-MS Convention affirms that the "Synod is not Church" and
that all LC-MS Congregations agree to practice Voter Supremacy. We also pray
that Wisconsin continues to practice congregational polity even though its
official position, "Synod is Church," is tailor made for
Hyper-Euro-Lutherans. Wisconsin could become an advocate of pre-Waltherian
European Lutheran Hierarchy overnight.
If the 2001 LC-MS Convention does not address the issue, just the simple
tabling of the resolution that "Synod is Not Church" will signal
that Missouri is moving closer to the WELS position.
A respected WELS pastor and an expert on this issue repeatedly affirmed to
me on the phone on Saturday, February 10, 2001, that WELS congregations all
practice Voter Supremacy. I'll have to take him at his word, but from inside
Missouri they read more like a top-down clerical hierarchy.
We offer the following citation from Bischoff's paper "Synod is Not
Church" where he quotes former LC-MS President Franz Pieper:
"Synods must not claim divine authority over the congregations
connected with them, but carefully keep within the sphere of advisory
bodies. The local congregation is the highest divinely instituted tribunal
in the Church as is seen from Matt. xviii, 17. All jurisdiction exercised
over congregations by persons outside of the congregations is of human
ordinance only." (The Lutheran Publication Society, 1893, pp. 119-166)
Bischoff writes: "In His instructions on the use of the Keys, Christ
commands: 'Tell it to the Church.' (Matt. 18:17) This DOES NOT MEAN the UNA
SANCTA (the universal Church) which no man's voice can reach, but rather both
the offended and the offender are directed to the local congregation. (I Cor.
5) Only the true believers have these rights. Not knowing WHO they are we can
only deal with them WHERE they are in the VISIBLE LOCAL CONGREGATION where we
find the marks of the Church, the Word and sacraments."
Bischoff quotes Walther as follows: "People told us, 'That (power)
really belongs to the holy Christian church, namely the entire church
throughout the world in its totality.' 'Tell it to the church,' and the whole
context of the passage shows that absolutely nothing else can be meant but the
local congregation. For if 'the church in the whole world,' 'the church in its
totality' were meant, when and where could it meet (and) how could a person
'tell it to the church,' as Christ commands? 'The church of the whole world'
has never and nowhere been gathered at one place. In that case Christ would
have commanded something impossible, indeed nonsensical. No, Christ obviously
means the congregation to which those who sinned have come and where those are
who have condemned the sinners." (Walther, C.F.W. (1) Essays for the
Church, St. Louis - Concordia Publishing House - 1992, Vol. II, p. 27
"Essay to the Iowa District of the Missouri Synod in 1879")