Why the Voters’ Assembly Should be Supreme
by Rev. Jack Cascione

 

Luther Quest has received much criticism from LCMS pastors who object to the supremacy of the Voters’ Assembly. Your reply to this article is also welcomed on www.lutherquest.org. CAT41 has also published some negative comments about the supremacy of Voters’ Assemblies on their mailing list. As we are witnessing the collapse of the Missouri Synod one should expect relentless attacks against Missouri’s congregational structure. The most efficient way to break up the LCMS is to dismantle its Voters’ Assemblies.

The attacks come from two directions. First, those suffering from the Church Growth disease believe they can call a "crowd" a congregation and lead it with a board of directors and a CEO from the top down according to the rubrics of General Motors and the Harvard School of Business. They forget what people do with the remote when they get tired of the entertainment.

Second, those suffering from Hyper-Euro-Lutheran disease believe God meant the church to be ruled by pastors and that Walther mistakenly mixed American civil liberties with the priesthood of all believers. They follow the rubrics of the Vatican and believe that the congregation is an extension of the pastoral office. They forget that this is America and 18th century European hierarchy doesn’t belong in the priesthood of all believers any more than in the US Constitution. They forget what people do with their feet when they don’t want to be pushed around in the name of the Lord. It is hard to tell if Hyper-Euro-Lutheran-Pastors really like people. Both of the above groups fear voters and Walther.


The following is one of the kinder, gentler pastoral objections to the supremacy of LCMS Voters’ Assemblies.

Dear Pastor Cascione:

You write on your web site that your goal is to preserve:

  • the 3 Ecumenical Creeds
  • the Doctrine of Justification
  • Lutheran hymnbooks
  • Luther's Small Catechism
  • the Lutheran Agenda
  • use of the name "Lutheran" on all LCMS Congregations
  • the supremacy of the Voters' Assembly

Oh brother. "The Supremacy of the Voters’ Assembly?" And you think this is Walther?

Jack, for Walther the supremacy is the word of God. You know the quote by him where pastors are not ruled by the congregation or the congregation by the pastors, but both are ruled by the word of God.

I don't know what could bring you to make such a statement. Perhaps it was just a mistake. At any rate I hope you correct it.

Pastor XXXX


Pastor Cascione’s Response (The Bible passages quoted in this article are reproduced at the end of this article.)

Dear Pastor XXXX:

Thank you for your response. The "supremacy of the congregation" is not the same as the supremacy of the Word. Christ rules His church through His Word. I think Walther makes this quite clear in his first speech of 1848 published on our website, www.reclaimingwalther.org. The supremacy of the congregation is about church governance.

I know there is a great deal of resistance to the traditional LCMS Voters’ Assembly from LCMS pastors. A large number oppose the traditional structure of LCMS Voters’ Assemblies because they are following the Church Growth Movement. They want to operate the church more efficiently with modern business principles like a corporation with a Board of Directors. Under such a plan, the Voters meet once or twice a year to hear reports from the Board of Directors who expect the congregation to rubber-stamp without discussion their reports . The pastor also acts as the CEO running the church.

Another smaller group of pastors oppose the Voters’ Assembly because they claim Walther, the Synod’s founder, was in error; there were no Voters’ Assemblies in Europe; there is no Biblical or Confessional support for Voter’s Assemblies; such assemblies usurp the authority of the pastor and the Word of God; and they believe that pastors and the pastor’s interpretation of the Bible rule the congregation.

Walther shows these positions are incorrect in his Speech of 1848 published on our website, www.reclaimingwalther.org.

In my own estimation less than 10% of the LCMS congregations still operate with a Voter’s Assembly as described and taught in the quotations from following sources.

Our Redeemer Lutheran Congregational Constitution of 1921 on these issues reads as follows.

ARTICLE VII: AUTHORITY OF THE CONGREGATION

A. In general, the Voters Assembly as a body, shall have supreme power to administer and manage all its external and internal affairs.

The following are some quotations that support the above position in the Redeemer Lutheran Church Constitution on the supremacy of the Voters' Assembly:

"Finally the congregation is represented as the supreme tribunal, Matt. 18:15-18: "‘Moreover, if thy brother.....’" (The Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W. Walther, (1866) Concordia Publishing House (CPH) 1989, page 24)

"Though the constitution made the congregation the possessor of all church power and the highest tribunal, it did safeguard the ministry in various ways. The tenure of office was made permanent. No calls to pastors providing for a time limit were tolerated in the Missouri Synod." (Government in the Missouri Synod by Carl Mundinger, 1947, CPH, page 196)

"The Congregation, Not the Pastor, Has Supreme and Final Jurisdiction.--In according with the Scriptures (see texts quoted in previous paragraph) [These passages are printed at the end of this article after the *.] Our Confessions say:--"Christ gives supreme and final jurisdiction to the church when he says: "Tell it unto the church'" (Smalcald Articles, Of the Power and Primacy of the Pope. Trigl.,p.511.) (Pastoral Theology, John Fritz, CPH 1932, page 314)

"It also belongs in the constitution that the congregation in its own circle is the final and highest court according to Matt. 18:17. Therefore all its officers are responsible to it and may be removed from office in Christian order. But also all decisions and resolutions of the congregation which are contrary to God's Word or the [congregation's] confession are to be declared in advance null and void." (Pastoral Theology, C.F.W. Walther, Fifth Edition 1906, CN, 1995, page 47)

"For the Lord Christ teaches in Matthew 18:17 that the ban should be put on those who will not obey the church or his congregation." Thus the church truly teaches nothing else than God’s Word. (Luther's Works, LW 34:33)

"Therefore, every Christian should hold the view that neither St. Peter nor the apostles have in these passages been given power to rule or be on top." (LW 39:90)

"Let this passage be your sure foundation, [1Cor.14:31] because it gives such an overwhelming power to the Christian congregations to preach, to permit preaching, and to call. Especially if there is a need, it [this passage] calls everyone with a special call-without a call for men-so that we should have no doubt that the congregation which has the gospel may and should elect and call from among its members someone to teach the word in its place." (LW 39:311)

"The Church of God has authority to appoint rites and customs in regard to festivals, food, fasting, prayers, vigils, etc., but not for others, only for itself; neither has it ever done, nor will it ever do otherwise. A church is a group or assembly of baptized and believers and under one shepherd, whether of one city, or of an entire country, or of the whole world. This pastor or prelate has nothing to ordain, because he is not the Church, unless it be that his church empowers him." (Pieper quotes Luther in Christian Dogmatics Vol. III page 431)

'Thus writes St. Paul (1 Cor. 3:21-23): ‘Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come-all are yours. And you are Christ's and Christ is God's.' From this [passage] we learn that all things that even Paul and Peter had were only treasures from the jewel room of the believing Christians or of the church." (Church and Ministry C.F.W. Walther, 1851, CPH 1982, page 50)

"However, this equality of believers is abrogated and the church is changed into a secular organization if a minister demands obedience not only to the Word of Christ, his one Lord and Head and that of all Christians, but also to what his own insight and experience regard as good and suitable. As soon, therefore, as adiaphora or things indifferent, that is things that are neither commanded nor forbidden in God's Word, come in question in the church, a minister may never demand absolute obedience to what merely appears to him to be best" (Church and Ministry C.F.W. Walther, 1851, CPH 1982, page 312)

"It follows from these statements of Scripture that the congregation of believers enjoys a sovereignty under Christ which are not to be restricted or limited in any way. Christians may not be made subject to a minister or a priest, because they are all ministers and priests in their own right who have the privilege of approaching God directly. " (The Abiding Word, Alfred von Rohr Sauer, Volume III, CPH 1947 page 306)

"As such they (congregations) possessed all the gifts and rights of the Church which Christ has bestowed upon it. Specifically, the function of the Christian congregation is to administer the means of grace in its midst and to serve in this world for the conversion of the sinner to God. This is nothing else than the administration of the keys of the Kingdom. (Matt. 18:17-20; "Tell it to the church"; Matt. 16:19, John 20:22-23, "Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.")....The church, therefore functions as the administrator of the office of the keys of the Kingdom." (The Abiding Word, Richard Klan, Volume III, CPH 1947 page 383)


Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mat 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.

John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.

Act 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples [unto them], and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Act 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, [and said], Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and [of] the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

Act 15:30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

Act 21:17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the [day] following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20 And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise [their] children, neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, but being examples to the flock.

1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

2Co 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

2Co 2:1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

[Back to Pastor Cascione's Response]


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

June 29, 1999