TENSIONS BETWEEN CONGREGATIONS AND CHURCH WORKERS

A Statement from The Office of the President
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63122
United States of America

The topic of the ministry and the subject of the relationship between church workers and their congregations continues to be an important one for our Synod. Our Synod's Council of Presidents often discuss this issue, sharing concerns and challenges that they run across in their work as supervisors of the doctrine and life of the church workers and congregations of our Synod.

Our pastors and other church workers face tremendous pressure to compromise their theology and confession. Congregations have been known to mistreat their called workers, demanding things of them that they are unable to do as faithful Lutheran pastors and teachers. For example, when a congregation expects its pastor to violate Scriptural and Confessional principles of church fellowship, this is not something they can or should do. If a congregation demands an undue amount of time and energy from its church workers and does not adequately provide for their family and recreation time, this too is a very serious problem that must be faced and overcome. No doubt there are any number of other examples that could be cited that illustrate less-than-good situations in our congregations, when it comes to the proper respect that must be given to the church workers of our Synod.

Sadly, there are times when factions of lay members in the congregation seem to take special delight in attacking faithful pastors and church workers, even removing a person from office without either proper cause or due process. This sort of behavior is not to be tolerated or condoned in a synod that wishes to be and remain a genuinely Lutheran synod. Our district presidents face significant challenges when dealing with congregations that exhibit these less-than-good attitudes and actions toward our church workers. Our district presidents have the duty to defend and protect church workers who find themselves being mistreated in these ways. We need to support and encourage them in their difficult work of dealing with congregations that have mistreated their called workers, or are refusing to accept their Biblical and Confessional ministry among them.

On the other side of the coin, we find situations where church workers, for a variety of reasons, are tempted to assert their personal opinion on matters in a congregation, as if it is part of God's revealed Word. Sometimes personal frustrations or other causes can lead our pastors and teachers to exhibit less-than-loving attitudes and actions toward their people. It tears at my pastoral heart when I see this sort of thing happening. Instead of the servant model that our Lord provides to us, there is sometimes a problem with church workers "lording it over" their congregations and demanding and expecting certain things from the congregation that are not part of our Scriptural and Confessional commitments.

As church workers face tremendous pressures in their callings, sometimes they develop "defense mechanisms" that skew a proper understanding of the office of the pastor, or the duties of other church workers. Defending the truth of the Word is one thing. Defending one's own pet theories and private opinions is quite another. What is more, there is never an excuse for ill-mannered or offensive behaviors on the part of either our church workers or our congregations! Even as we must oppose and resist inappropriate actions of congregations toward their church workers, so must we speak a word of warning toward church workers who are not conducting their ministries as the Lord would expect. Here too, our district presidents face significant challenges. It is their duty to supervise the doctrine and life of the church workers within their district. Needless to say, this is perhaps one of the most difficult and trying aspects of their work, for which they need our encouragement and support.

Hopefully, as we review together once again sound Biblical and Confessional understandings of the doctrine of Church and Ministry, we will be reminded of the tremendous blessing that God gives to His church as He calls men into the office of the holy ministry, the pastoral office, and devoted men and women into the other church offices in our Synod: the offices of teacher, deaconess, director of Christian education, lay minister, director of Christian outreach and so forth.

Together as a Synod, we need to review the duties and responsibilities of our church workers, underscoring the loving attitude and action that must characterize their ministry. We need to review again the duties and responsibilities of congregations that wish to be and remain truly Lutheran congregations. This commitment will be reflected in the way they receive the ministry of their church workers and the way they demonstrate their encouragement and support for the ministry of their called workers.

I am confident that our Synod can and will make up for any ground we have lost in regard to proper understandings of the doctrine of the ministry, the church and the priesthood of all believers. To that end, may God bless richly!