Church and Ministry in the LCMS - Resolution 7-17A
What does this mean?
Issue #5 - Calling, Call, Divine Call
May 28, 2002
My Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary [1983 edition] lists 34 definitions for the word "call" and 5 for the word "calling." Only three of the "call" and two of the "calling" definitions are of interest here:
"call, v.t. 6. to select or appoint for a specific office, duty, or employment.""call, n. 8. religious duty or vocation regarded as divinely inspired. 9. a formal invitation to a minister to accept a pastorate."
"calling, n. 2. divine summons; state of being divinely called; call. 3. a vocation; profession; trade; occupation."
One need sit for only a moment contemplating these 5 definitions to get a feel for why this word causes so much trouble for the Missouri Synod. Most of them have multiple usages.The Holy Spirit callsus by the Gospel. A pastor has a special call.Some claim parochial school teachers, professors of theology, district presidents and a multitude of other employees of Synod also have a special call.A congregation callsa pastor. All Christians are said to have a Christian calling.We refer to our vocation as one to which we have been calledbut also as our calling.We could go on and on but if we did we would find that there is one use of the word that Webster's just doesn't get, namely, divine call,the use the Missouri Synod makes of the word in its official position on the church and the ministry. Even "call, n. 8 and 9" and "calling, n. 2" don't quite make the grade.
"The ministry, or the pastoral office, is not a human ordinance, but an office established by God Himself. (It) is not an arbitrary office, but its character is such that the Church has been commanded to establish it and is ordinarily bound to it till the end of days. (It) has the authority to preach the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments and the authority of a spiritual tribunal. (It)is conferred by God through the congregation, as holder of all church power, or of the keys, and by its call, as prescribed by God. The holy ministry is the authority conferred by God through the congregation, as holder of the priesthood and of all church power, to administer in public office the common rights of the spiritual priesthood in behalf of all. (It) is the highest office in the Church, from which, as its stem, all other offices of the Church issue." (Dr. C. F. W. Walther. Church and Ministry,the official position of the Missouri Synod. Ministry: theses 2, 3, 5 - 8)
"In 1898 Dr. Pieper ['from 1878 to 1931 the foremost instructor of Biblical Dogmatics at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, from 1887 to 1911 the president of the (Missouri Synod).' What is Christianity.Forward] was requested to answer some questions regarding the call to the ministry. He did this in Lehre und Wehre,1898, pages 339 to 341. The.... question is: What is the relationship between the call for temporary assistance and the so-called temporary call?..........
"'The essence of the temporary call does not consist in this that a call is limited as to time, but in this that human beings arbitrarily limit a call as to time, that is, that they want to determine how long a pastor is to be active at a certain place. This is indeed contrary to the divinity of the call to the ministry.......Dr. Walther says: "Neither is a congregation authorized to issue such a call, nor has a pastor the right to accept it." Such a call is contrary to the divinity of a proper call to a pastorate in the Church as it is plainly taught in the Bible.
"'But the call for temporary help.......has nothing in common with this temporary call. The factor of human arbitrariness is not present. Sickness, weakness, being overburdened with business, necessary temporary absence are sent by God, and the congregation which provides for temporary help for a presumably temporary need is not going its own way, but is going the very way which God is leading it. The congregation issuing such a call is acting altogether correctly, and the person called in such a manner is also acting correctly when he accepts such a call....." (The Abiding Word.Vol. I, pg. 379-382)
According to the Missouri Synod's official position on the church and the ministry only those have a divine call upon whom a local congregation confers the public office of the ministry of Word and sacrament instituted by Jesus when He called the apostles. All other offices, from deacon to trustee to school teacher to Synodical official to professor of theology to various and sundry other employees of Synod, are offices of human institution established without a command from God and are merely auxiliaries of the one office instituted by Him. The words of Dr. Pieper quoted above are applicable to none of them. Those who teach or act otherwise do so in opposition to Scriptures, the Confessions and the official position of the Missouri Synod.