The Voters Assembly of Christ Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, SD, adopted the following overture at its regular meeting of January 13, 2013. The overture was submitted to the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for adoption at the convention being held July 20-25 in St. Louis. The overture is printed on pages 178 and 179 of the 2013 Convention Workbook.

To Memorialize the Synod to Reaffirm the Doctrine of the Office of the Holy Ministry and Rescind 1989 Res. 3-05B

Whereas, Our Lord Jesus Christ has granted to His church the gift of the office of the holy ministry (John 20:21-23, Eph. 4:11, Matt. 28:19-20); and

Whereas, Christ has declared to those who have been placed into this office by Him, “He who hears you hears Me” (Luke 10:16); and

Whereas, our Lutheran Confessions make it abundantly clear that those who have been placed into this office stand in the stead and by the command of Christ so that as it is Christ Himself Who through the office pronounces absolution to His people, baptizes them, distributes His body and blood to them in the Holy Supper and preaches to and teaches them through the voice of the called minister (SC V 27, AC V; XIV; XXV; Ap XIII 12; VII 28; XIV 1; XII 39-41; AC XXVIII 8-9; Ap. XXVIII 19); and

Whereas, the 1989 Synod in convention (Res. 3-05B) at Wichita, Kansas, allowed for lay people to preach and administer Sacraments publicly in LCMS congregations at worship, though this is contrary to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, as stated above; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm the doctrine of the office of the holy ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm the confessions’ position that, according to ecclesiastical order and its functions, “no one should publicly teach in the church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called” (AC XIV). In upholding this position, we guard against confusion the uniqueness of this office its functions with the identity and responsibilities of the priesthood of all believers; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod through her district Presidents, district Vice Presidents, and circuit counselors assist the congregations of the Synod in upholding this doctrine of Christ; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod promote and instruct her congregations, educational institutions and agencies in this essential confessional doctrine concerning the office of the holy ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod rescind 1989 resolution 3-05B; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm 1995 resolution 3-07A (Rescinded at the 2001 convention); and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod no longer authorize its districts to place into the ministry of the word and sacrament men who are not regularly called according to AC XIV.

Pastor Matthew Nix has accepted the call to the dual parish of Christ-Trinity Deaf of Sioux Falls. He was installed on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at 3:00 pm. Guest preacher was Secretary of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and former SD District President, Pr. Raymond Hartwig. (Sermons)

UPDATE: The Voters Assembly, at its meeting of Jan 22, 2017, adopted its 2017 budget, and voted to continue as a member of the Issues, Etc. 300, for the 7th year.

The Voters Assembly at its regular meeting of January 9, 2011, adopted its 2011 budget. As part of its Missions budget is a line item for Issues, Etc. (via Lutheran Public Radio) and has become a member of the Issues, Etc. 300.

Listen to Issues, Etc. 24/7

TAP HERE to listen on your iPhone or iPad.

The Voters Assemblies of both Christ Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran of the Deaf adopted the proposed Joint Parish Agreement on September 12, 2010, and officially became a Dual Parish.

Rev. Dale Sattgast, President of the South Dakota District (LCMS), presented a joint parish proposal (two pages, pdf , ~47.56 kb) to the officers of Christ Lutheran Church on February 10, 2010, and answered a number of questions from the congregation on March 7, 2010.

The Voters Assembly, at its regular meeting on April 11, 2010, voted to enter into a Joint Parish Agreement with Trinity of the Deaf.

At their Oct. 1, 2009, meeting, the Board of Elders of Christ Lutheran Church reinstated the use of a Membership Application for potential and new members. The Application had fallen into disuse over the past few years. The Application contains "The Faith We Confess" and "My Life at Christ Lutheran Church" which are both Scriptural and Confessional.

For Members of Christ Lutheran, Sioux Falls:

To join the Prayer Chain, contact:

(Phone side) Pastor or one of the elders

(Email side) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To adopt “Worship in Our Congregation” as the correct understanding of worship and to encourage sister congregations to adopt it and put it into practice

Whereas, there exists in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, including the South Dakota District and the Sioux Falls Circuit, a diversity of worship practices,

and

Whereas, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod at its 2001 convention adopted Resolution 2–05A, “To Continue to Foster Discussion on Worship,” that stated:

That congregations and their pastors, musicians, and other worship planners be reminded that worship practices in their local setting have broader implications which affect other congregations throughout the Synod and the church-at-large.

and

Whereas, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod at its 1998 convention adopted Resolution 2–10, “To Build Consensus in Worship,” that stated:

That we remind one another of the promise we have made to use “doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms,” both to preserve the truth and for the sake of good order.

That everyone heed the advice of Dr. Martin Luther who, in writing to the Christians in Livonia, penned words that speak directly to our time and place:

I pray all of you, my dear sirs, let each one surrender his own opinions and get together in a friendly way and come to a common decision about these external matters, so that there will be one uniform practice throughout your district instead of disorder. (Luther’s Works, 53, 47)

and

Whereas, Dr. Martin Luther, in the above quoted letter to the Livonian Christians, also states:

Now when your people are confused and offended by your lack of uniform order, you cannot plead, “Externals are free. Here in my own place I am going to do as I please.” But you are bound to consider the effect of your attitude on others. By faith be free in your conscience toward God, but by love be bound to serve your neighbor’s edification, as also St. Paul says, Romans [15:2], “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him.” For we should not please ourselves, since Christ also pleased not Himself, but us all.

But at the same time a preacher must watch and diligently instruct the people lest they take such uniform practices as divinely appointed and absolutely binding laws. He must explain that this is done for their own good so that the unity of Christian people may also find expression in externals which in themselves are irrelevant. Since the ceremonies or rites are not needed for the conscience or for salvation and yet are useful and necessary to govern the people externally, one must not enforce or have them accepted for any other reason except to maintain peace and unity between men. For between God and men it is faith that procures peace and unity.

Nevertheless, both you and your preachers should diligently seek to promote unity and to hinder this work of the devil, because God appoints the devil to do this in order to give us occasion to prove our unity and in order to reveal those that have stood the test. For in spite of all our efforts, enough factions and disunity will remain. St. Paul also points this out when he says, 2 Timothy 2 [:20], that there are both noble and ignoble vessels in the same house, and immediately adds, “If a man purge himself of such people, he shall be a vessel sanctified for noble use, useful to his master and ready for every good work” [v. 21]. (Luther’s Works: Liturgy and Hymns, J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed., vol. 53, pp 47–50. Fortress Press: Philadelphia)

and

Whereas, our Synod’s first constitution stated:

Synod holds in accordance with the seventh article of the Augsburg Confession that uniformity in ceremonies is not essential; yet on the other hand Synod deems such a uniformity wholesome and useful, namely for the following reasons:

a. because a total difference in outward ceremonies would cause those who are weak in the unity of doctrine to stumble;

b. because in dropping heretofore preserved usages the Church is to avoid the appearance of and desire for innovations;

Furthermore, Synod deems it necessary for the purification of the Lutheran Church in America, that the emptiness and the poverty in the externals of the service be opposed, which, having been introduced here by the false spirit of the Reformed, is now rampant.

All pastors and congregations that wish to be recognized as orthodox by Synod are prohibited from adopting or retaining any ceremony which might weaken the confession of the truth or condone or strengthen a heresy, especially if heretics insist upon the continuation or the abolishing of such ceremonies. The desired uniformity in the ceremonies is to be brought about especially by the adoption of sound Lutheran agendas (church books).

and

Whereas, our congregation’s practices are, by God’s grace, faithful to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran confessions,

and

Whereas, our congregation has recently studied the theses contained in the document, “Worship in Our Congregation,”

and

Whereas, our congregation desires to give witness to the correct understanding of worship to fellow–members of our Circuit, District, and Synod,

therefore be it

Resolved, that Christ Lutheran Church adopts “Worship in Our Congregation” as the correct understanding of worship,

and be it further

Resolved, that copies of “Worship in Our Congregation” be made available for anyone who desires to read and study it,

and be it finally

Resolved, that congregations in the Sioux Falls Circuit, the South Dakota District and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod be encouraged to likewise study and adopt these theses and put them into practice so that peace and unity may again prevail in our midst, according to God’s mercy.

Adopted, with no dissenting votes cast, on September 8, 2002.