VOTERS’ ASSEMBLIES
WHY WE SHOULD KEEP THEM
By Pastor Jack R. Baumgarn

 

I. Why is the Voters’ Assembly being questioned today?

The following are some ideas, opinions and beliefs that I have heard and see that have caused some to question the purpose of Voters’ Assemblies:

  • Some in our church body actually believe that when they have hands placed on them at their ordination they have more power in many areas.
  • Pastors are being called as "administrators" and "C.E.O.s" and a Voters Assembly pulls down their effectiveness as a leader.
  • Pastors have no authority, even in theological matters, so the congregation is autonomous and a small group like a Board of Directors can control the congregation better.
  • No votes were taken in Biblical times so all suffrage is wrong or not needed.
  • We can no longer hold on to the belief that men are to be the spiritual leaders in the church and in the Synod so let’s just not have any suffrage, where no votes are taken.
  • If we have smaller numbers making decisions, we can get things done faster.
  • Growing churches in non-Lutheran churches do not have Voters Assemblies so that has to be the way to go for good growth.
  • (There are many other reasons also.)

All of those individuals remind me of the story of the Hollywood actress who was on a ship on a cruise. She noticed a man who was suffering from a bad cold. She asked if he was uncomfortable and he said that he was. She then said, "I’ll tell you just what to do for it. Go back in your stateroom and drink lots of orange juice. Take two aspirins. Cover yourself with all the blankets you can find. Sweat the cold out. I know just what I’m talking about. I’m from Hollywood." The man smiled warmly and introduced himself in return. He said, "Thanks. I’m Dr. Mayo of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Mn."

That’s the way I feel about all those who try to have their new ideas and new insights in our Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and hundreds of years of great theologians stand there with the truth but have to listen to this so called new stuff and new ideas.

II. The Biblical truths related to the issue of the Voters' Assembly

Jesus Christ, who lived, died and rose for us, is the Head of the Church as St. Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians and then adds, "the church is subject unto Christ." (Eph.5:24) The foundation for His Church is also clearly enunciated when he says it is "built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets." (Ehp. 2:20) We dare not add anything to the Biblical foundation for the Bible itself says, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (I Cor. 3:11) Christ, the head, paid a big price for the Church. Peter states in Holy Scriptures: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."(I P. 1:18,19)

Who makes up the Church? Believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior make up the Church of Christ. Yes, the Christian Church is composed of all those, and only those, in whom the Holy Spirit has worked faith in Jesus Christ as the atoning Savior from sin. Paul says, they "are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3:24)

In many places of Holy Scriptures, the Bible speaks of churches, local congregations which are confined to particular and definite localities on earth. (I Cor. 16:19; I Cor.1:2; Acts 8:1; Rom. 16:16, etc.) It was to congregations that certain functions were given: teaching and admonishing (Col.3:16,17); the practice of church discipline (I Cor. 5; Mt. 18:17); the supervision of the teaching and the teachers (Rom. 16,17; Col. 4:17); the proclamation of the Gospel( I P. 2:9); Christian conduct (I P.3:8-17). Dr. Francis Pieper defines a congregation in these simple terms: "A Congregation is the assembly of believers who congregate about Word and Sacrament at a particular place."1

So all Christians are then declared to be part of the royal priesthood, as Peter say: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God."(I P.2:9) That’s why Dr. Martin Luther said, "When we were made Christians through this Priest and His priesthood {namely, through Christ} and in Baptism were by faith incorporated in Him, we were also given the right and power to preach and profess the word we received from Him before everybody, everyone according to his station and calling. For, though we are not all in the public office and calling, still every Christian should and may teach, instruct, admonish, comfort, reprove his neighbor with God’s Word whenever and wherever he find someone in need of it."2

The voting process was used in Biblical times. Even in the Old Testament you see the people "chose" or picked out Saul as King (I Sam.8:18;12;13; II Sam. 16:18); all Israel called Jeroboam to the assembly and made him king over Israel (I Kings 12:20); and the men of war made David king over all Israel (I Ch. 12:38). How they decided is not stated but it sure points out that the people did make decisions.

When going to the New Testament, it is very clear to see that God’s people were called upon to make decisions within the church. A brother in Christ did a great exegetical study on this and I would like to quote his findings: "In Acts 14:23, Paul and Barnabas "appointed"(cheirotonesantes) elders in every church. In 2 Cor. 8:19, Titus was "appointed" (cheirotonetheies,), "hands stretched" by the churches to travel with Paul in his missionary activity. Now, who and how were these appointments made? The who was Paul and Barnabas, and the church. The how (method) was "having stretched the hand" (cheirotonesantes). In Acts 26:10, another method is mentioned. Here Paul speaks of the time when he was a Pharisee and put Christians in prison and to death, saying, "I cast my vote" (katenegka psephon), literally, "I brought my pebble against them." That was his personal decision, and he had authority to do it. Now, two methods of decision-making are used here. One was to raise or stretch the hand, and the other was to cast a pebble, a common way the ancients used to choose one for office or to make decisions. Siegbert Becker, in his commentary of the book of Revelation, comments, "We know that pebbles were used by juries in the ancient Greek law courts as voting ballots. In fact, the word translated "stone" (psephon) also means "vote in classical Greek. A white pebble was a vote for acquittal."3

Our Lutheran Confessions even refer to the process of the people having the right to elect and chose through an election. It says in the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope: "Finally, this is confirmed by the declaration of Peter,"You are a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9). These words apply to the true church which, since it alone possesses the priesthood, certainly has the right of electing and ordaining ministers." It then adds: "From all these facts it is evident that the church retains the right of electing and ordaining ministers."4

Among the priesthood of believers gathered together making up a congregation the Holy Scriptures indicate that the Holy Spirit calls a particular man into the office of the public ministry. Of the called pastors in the congregation of Ephesus it says: "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." (Acts 20:28) The qualifications of a pastor are that he be "an example to the flock" (I P. 5:3), be able to teach the truths to the congregation and to refute heretics (Tit. 1:9-11), "feed the church of God" (Acts 20:28), etc.

I heard a pastor say, "I know I was different when the hands were laid on me at my ordination." As he explained that to me, he was not speaking of God using him to proclaim the Word but that he now had extra powers and more dynamics now that he was ordained as a pastor. When I think back at my ordination, I sure hope nothing was transferred to me because, as I remember, there was a liberal there and a person who is now out of the ministry of the L.C. - M. S. because of his morals. But if one speaks of being different in that he now has more responsibilities and more expectations from the Lord as a pastor that is a different thing.

III. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod fathers, including Dr. C.F.W. Walther, on the issue of the Voters' Assembly

Many years ago an eighty-eight year old Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendel Holms was riding on a train. When the conductor came by, Justice Holmes couldn’t find his ticket, and he seemed to be really upset. He searched and searched in his pockets. Finally, the conductor said, "Don’t worry, Mr. Holmes, the Pennsylvania Railroad will be happy to trust you. After you reach your destination you’ll probably find the ticket and you can just mail it to us." But Mr. Holmes seemed to still be upset so he said, "My dear man, my problem is not ‘Where is my ticket?’ The problem is, ‘Where am I going?’"

I really believe that is happening in our church today. I believe many don’t have any idea where they are going in the church today. The opposite was true of our forefathers. They knew where they were going and we can learn from them, yes, even in this area of church government, and particularly, the Voters Assembly.

Dr. Martin Luther believed that lay people could be theologians and could make solid decisions. (He was speaking about I Peter 3:15 "Be ready always to give an answer to every man") :"St. Peter spoke these words to all Christians, pastors, laymen, men, women, young, old, and of whatever state they may be; hence every Christian should know the foundation and reason of his faith and be able to give his reason and, when called upon, to answer."5   Dr. Pieper reflected on Dr. Luther in this area when he quoted Luther in saying, "Take note how St. Peter here says to all of us that we should give answer and show the reason for our faith. When your last hour comes, I won’t be with you, neither the Pope; if then you don’t know the foundation of your hope and merely say: I believe what the councils, the Pope, and our fathers believed, the devil will answer: Yes, but what if they erred? Then he has won and will drag you into hell. Therefore we must ourselves know what we believe, namely, what God has said and not what the Pope or the councils decree or say. For you dare not trust in men, but must trust in the bare Word of God."6

Our Lutheran Confessions also state clearly:" (the true Church is) made up of men scattered throughout the world who agree on the Gospel and have the same Christ."7  Dr. Walther quoted Luther: "The Christian Church alone has the keys, no one else, although the bishop and the pope can use them, because they have been commanded by the congregation to do it. A pastor exercises the office of the keys, baptizes, preaches, administers the sacrament, and performs other duties, in order that he may serve the congregation, not for his own sake, but for the congregation’s sake."8

Then there is Dr. Walther himself who built his teaching on Scripture and Scripture alone. In the Book entitled C.F. W. Walther: The American Luther the author of the article on "Walther on Church and Ministry states: "Walther has so much to say about the church and ministry…He was always one to provide clear Biblical statements as the proof of what he was teaching…Walther’s teaching on church and ministry was both Biblical and Lutheran. It was Biblical in that he worked with the sola Scriptura principle…Walther’s teaching on church and ministry was Lutheran as he showed by the volume and relevances of his many quotes from Luther, the Lutheran confessions, and the writings of other theologians."9

Dr. Walther said at one time, "Rob the congregation of the right to judge doctrine, and you give them over into slavery."10  He also said, "We have no power but the power of the Word."11   He defined the office of the public ministry in this way, "the authority, committed {to the pastor} by God through the congregation, which possesses the priesthood and all church authority, to exercise the rights of the spiritual priesthood in public office on behalf of the fellowship."12

Dr. Walther in his essay for the Western District of the Missouri Synod, in 1862 stated how decisions are made in the congregation and gave Bible references to support his points. The matters to be considered and resolved in congregational meetings he listed as: Questions of doctrine, the filling of congregational offices, church discipline, public offenses, quarrels among church members, matters pertaining to good order and ceremonies, and the like.13

Dr. Walther in his thesis on Church and Ministry - Our Church’s Doctrine stated that the office of the public ministry was an office of service. Listen to his words, "The ministry of preaching is not a peculiar order, set up over and against the common estate of Christians, and holier than the latter, like the priesthood of the Levites, but it is an office of service."14   Note what he also said about the pastor in regards to the power of the congregation. "The ministry of preaching 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 ordination of those called, with the laying on of hands, is not by divine institution but is an apostolic church ordinance and merely a public, solemn confirmation of the call."15   I would like to read to you two other thesis that Dr. Walther stated about the congregation and the pastoral office. He stated: "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." Again he says, "Reverence and unconditional obedience is due to the ministry of preaching when the preacher is ministering the Word of God. However, the preacher may not dominate over the Church; he had, accordingly, no right to make new laws, to arrange indifferent matters and ceremonies arbitrarily, and to impose and execute excommunication alone, without a previous verdict of the entire congregation."16

Remember also in 1932 our Synod past the "Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod" which still stands today as our doctrinal stand. In it we state in regards to "Rights and Privileges": "Since the Christians are the Church, it is self-evident that they alone Originally possess the spiritual gifts and rights which Christ has gained for, and given to, His Church." We also state: "The officers of the Church publicly administer their offices only by virtue of delegated powers, conferred on them by the original possessors of such powers, and such administration remains under the supervision of the latter, Col.4:17. Naturally all Christians have also the right and the duty to judge and decide matters of doctrine, not according to their own notions, of course, but according to the Word of God, I John 4:1; I Pet.4:11."

IV. The Practical Importance of the Voters' Assembly in the parish

The right and power of calling a pastor is given to the congregation and not by District officials or another pastor who might want a certain person with his gifts or his theology. Discipline that is carried out in the congregation must be done ultimately by the congregation as is stated by Matthew 18. It very plainly states: "Tell it to the church."

I have found in a parish with a Voters Assembly that the voters entrust the people that they believe will carry out the task of the church and then those same voters hear in report form the progress of the work of the church. The voters also have the right to speak to the individuals that represent them with what they might like to be done and why.

I have as a parish pastor and as a District Vice President seen how a Voters Assembly deals with heretics and immoral pastors. I have also seen how a Voters Assembly supports a pastor who is faithful to the Scriptures in teaching and practice. Some people might say that they have seen the power of the Voters Assembly abused. Yes, there might have been some misuses of power and some things done not properly, but in the same manner dads and moms have not always done right so should we throw out the God-given roles of fathers and mothers. In the same way the Voter Assembly needs to be kept.

History has shown the importance of the rights and privileges of lay people making decisions for the congregation. We probably have all read of the abusive leadership of Pastor Stephen in the early days of our Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Dr. Carl Mundinger in his book "Government in the Missouri Synod" actually stated "Stephan had convinced his followers that he was their only means of grace. They believed that outside Stephan there was no salvation."17  Listen to what happened then, "The chaos that followed the removal of Stephan was also evident in the voters’ meetings of Trinity Congregation, St. Louis. Though this congregation was in many respects a model congregation, its business meetings were not opened with prayer during the entire first year of its existence." That was done after the Stephan mess. Do you know why? Listen: "The reason no prayer was said was that the pastor was not permitted to attend the meetings of the voters, because the congregation was childishly afraid that it might become a victim of priest rule if the pastor were tolerated in the voters’ meetings."18  The point of that illustration is not to eliminate the pastor from the voters assembly but to learn that the laymen should never give up their right to govern the church. The people of that day came to realize what was about to happen to them by a pastor. A pastor had taken away their authority so gradually that they did not know what was happening. Laymen, I am addressing you now! The very same thing is happening today. One or a few may give reasons for dropping the Voters Assembly - for growth purposes, for doing things faster, etc. But in the end your rights, your authority, your privileges are being taking away without you know that. Take a stand now and keep your Voters Assembly.

I know that we cannot put the Synod on the same level of a congregation because the Synod is a man made institution and the congregation is established by the Lord. But we can reflect on the 1960s and 1970s and see how we almost lost our church as we know it, but, I believe, it was the layman who held to the Bible turned our church around with the guidance of Bible believing pastors. Those laymen studied the issues and went to meetings after meetings to become well versed about the problem of the false doctrines. The same is true of congregations within our church body. Layman, please study the Word and hold to the truths of that Word and keep your governing responsibilities within your congregations.

V. Conclusions

It is plain from the Scriptures that all of us, pastors and laymen, are part of the priesthood of believers. In the midst of the Church the Lord has congregations where the believers in their midst call a pastor, and with that pastor hold on to the truths of God’s Word . It is also clear from the Holy Scriptures that people had the right and obligation in making decisions within the church. So the Voters Assembly is keeping with the Holy Scriptures.

Dr. A. L. Barry, our Synodical President stated it this way in his book "Church and Ministry" put out for our 150th Anniversary: "Walther and the Missouri Synod said that the Office of the Ministry has its origin in its divine institution by Jesus Christ with the call of the apostles. The keys that pastors administer as bearers of the Office are the same keys Christ first gave to His Church, and to all members of the church. Pastors employ these keys, by God’s command, as a matter of public responsibility. This remains the position of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and I submit that all of us within our Synod would do well to take this position to heart even after almost 150 years of history."19

Professor Thomas N. Lindsay, in his book History of the Reformation, states that Luther’s message and movement were, "...democratic in that they, (1) destroyed the aristocracy of the saints; (2) leveled the barriers between the layman and the priest; (3) taught the equality of all men before God, and (4) the right to every man of faith to stand in God’s presence whatever be his rank and condition of life." If that is true, why do we want to take away from the saints what Luther obtained for us through Holy Scriptures?

I believe that I have seen most of the forms of governments that people try to formulate, but I have not seen a better system for keeping the balance between the congregation and pastor than the Voters Assembly. I have also not seen a better system in carrying out the work of the Lord. Our congregation in St. Francis, Minnesota, has in its bulletin each Sunday our purpose based upon the Great Commission of the Lord: "Being Disciple - Making Disciples." As we hold to the Scriptures and use those Scriptures, God will provide the growth as He promised in Isaiah, chapter 55: "It (God’s Word) will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." As an example of the fulfillment of that promise, we in our congregation have experienced, by the grace of God, some of the largest numbers of adult converts in our District and have a huge number in Bible studies. Why would I want to take the Voters Assembly away and have the laymen miss out on the joys with the church and decision making process of an exciting church? Yes, I believe that we should keep the Voters Assembly!


A note about Endnotes

The endnotes used in this work are linked from the note number in the text to the endnote at the bottom of the page, and vice versa.  In addition, where a note uses "ibid." or "op. cit.", it is linked to the appropriate parent endnote information.
If you use this "ibid." or "op. cit." link, you will need to use the BACK button on your browser to return to the endnote you started with.  From there, you can click on the endnote number to go back to where you were in the text.

1.  Christian Dogmatics by Dr. F. Pieper, Vol.III, page 420.

2.  Ibid., page 441.

3.  Rev. Kenneth Kothe, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Burnsville, Mn. In his paper entitled "Male and Female in Christian and in Christ".

4.  The Book of Concord by Theodore G. Tappert in "Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope" (331,332.69,72).

5.  Op. cit., Pieper, page 429.

6.  Ibid., page 429.

7.  Op. cit., Tappert, "Apology" 170.10.

8.  The Congregation's Right to Choose Its Pastor by C.F.W.Walther, page 55.

9.  C.F.W.Walther: The American Luther Edited by Arthur H. Drevlow, page 80.

10.  Walther and the Church by Wm. Dallmann, page 45.

11.  Ibid., page 45.

12.  Op. cit., Drevlow, page 77.

13.  The Form of a Christian Congregation by C.F.W.Walther, page 54.

14.  Op. cit., Dallmann, page73.

15.  Ibid., page 74.

16.  Ibid., pages 76,79,80.

17.  Government in the Missouri Synod by Carl S. Mundinger, page 63.

18.  Ibid., page 107.

19.  Church and Ministry, Keynote address "Challenges in Church and Ministry in the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod" by A. L. Barry.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Convention, Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod, Concordia Publishing House, 1932

Fritz, John H.C. D.D. Pastoral Theology, Concordia Publishing House, 1945

Hodgin, Michael 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, Zondervan Publishing House, 1994

Kothe, Kenneth Male and Female in Creation and in Christ The Scope of 1 Timothy 2:12, Pastor Kenneth Kothe

Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretaion of St. Matthew’s Gospel,Augsburg Publishing, 1964

Mundinger, Carl, Government in the Missouri Synod, Concordia Publishing House, 1947

Office of the President The Lutheran Church, Church and Ministry, The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1998

Pieper, Francis D.D., Christian Dogmatics volume III, Concordia Publishing House, 1953

Tappert, Theodore The Book of Concord, Concordia Publishing House, 1959

Walther, C. F. W. Pastoral Theology, Lutheran News, 1906

Walther, C. F. W. The Congregation’s Right To Choose Its Pastor, Concordia Theological Seminary, 1987

Walther, C. F. W. The Form Of a Christian Congregation, Concordia Publishing House,1864

Walther, C. F. W. The True visible Church, Concordia Publishing House, 1866

Walther, C.F.W. The American Luther,Walther Press, 1987

Wm. Dallmann, W.H.T. Dau, and Th. Engelder, Walther and the Church, Concordia Publishing House, 1938


Rev. Jack R. Baumgarn was born and raised in southwestern Minnesota. After attending Mankato State College, he attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. His first call was to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Osceola, Iowa. While he was there, a new church was built and a new mission started twenty miles south in Leon, Iowa. He was then called to Faith Lutheran Church in Oakville, Missouri, and started a mission church off that congregation - Pastor Baumgarn has been at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Francis for 21 years.
In District and Synod work, he was Dean of a district high school camp for eight years, Chairman of Synod's Youth Board for ten years, and Vice-President of a district for six years. He received the Servus Ecclesiae Christi Award from the Fort Wayne Seminary in 1981 and presently serves on the Board of Regents at Concordia Theological Seminary at Fort Wayne.
Rev. Baumgarn has spoken at LLL and LWML gatherings and for other groups in the areas of evangelism, youth work, Satanism, etc. He recently served on the Synod’s "150th Anniversary Committee" and the "Church Growth Study Committee".
His family is made up of his wife, Carol, who teaches in Trinity’s Christian school, and their four boys, of which the oldest is married with two children and attending the seminary at Ft. Wayne, the second is married with four children and is the Associate Pastor at Trinity in St. Francis, the third son is the Art Director and layout person for Good News magazine, and the fourth son works in Minneapolis directing group homes.

November 5, 1999