Planned Giving Gift Summary - Lutheran Church-Canada

and make the suggested Handbook changes requested
by the previous Convention if the CTCR Study has
been completed. Otherwise, the CCMS will plan to
tackle this directive of the Convention in the next
triennium after the CTCR document regarding the
status of Deacons has been received.
In conclusion I would like to thank the members of the
CCMS both present and past for their dedicated service
E. 22
to our Lord and to Lutheran Church-Canada over the
years during which I was privileged to be a part of this
hard-working group.
To God be the glory!
REPORT 10: COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
For the past triennium members of the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations were Pastors William
Ney of Stony Plain, AB and Donald Schieman of St.
Thomas, ON; lay members Clifford Pyle of Regina, SK
and Allen Schellenberg of Richmond, BC; appointed
member the Rev. Warren Hamp of Kitchener, ON; and
seminary representatives the Rev. Dr. Thomas Winger
of St. Catharines, ON and the Rev. Dr. Edward Kettner
of Edmonton, AB. The Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee,
president of the Synod, is an advisory member and
serves as staff person for the commission. During this
triennium Rev. Dr. Edward Kettner served as chairman,
the Rev. Donald Schieman as vice-chairman, and Mr.
Allen Schellenberg as secretary. Rev. Schieman and
Mr. Schellenberg have served two full terms on the
commission, and are thus not eligible for re-election,
and Dr. Kettner has served the allotted three terms as an
appointee, and is not eligible for reappointment. The
commission thanks God for their faithful service.
The commission consists of two pastors elected by
convention, two laypersons elected by convention, one
representative from each of the seminaries elected by
their respective faculties, and one person appointed by
the president of the Synod in consultation with the
Council of Presidents.
The commission’s mandate from Synod is to assist the
president at his request in discharging his constitutional
responsibilities and to provide guidance to the Synod in
matters of theology and church relations (Bylaw 2.107).
During the past triennium the commission has worked
to fulfill its mandate as follows:
I Theology
The 2002 convention of Synod had asked the
commission for response and direction regarding the
question of pastoral responsibility for the public reading
of the word. This document was received by the 2008
convention for study and response. On the basis of
responses that have been received, the CTCR has
Rev. William R.A. Ney
Chairman
CCMS
prepared an addendum to the document, which has been
posted on the LCC website alongside of the document.
The 2005 synodical convention asked the commission
to study the nature of the call to a deacon for
submission to the Council of Presidents, to assist the
council in developing guidelines for such calls. This
document has been delivered to the CoP.
The 2006 convention of the Central District has asked
the commission to prepare a study document on the
issue of cremation. The commission has completed that
document, and it is included in the workbook, and also
placed on the LCC website for easy access.
The 2008 convention asked the CTCR to provide a
document dealing with the question of whether vicars
should preside at the Sacrament of the Altar. This
document has been prepared and is printed in the
workbook, and placed on the LCC website as well.
The workbook of the 2008 convention included a study
document entitled “Pastor and People in Christ’s
Church,” dealing with issues concerning the roles of
clergy and laity. Because this precipitated a discussion
on the place of C. F. W. Walther’s Church and Ministry
(Kirche und Amt), a document on the history of the
reception of this document in the Missouri Synod has
been prepared for the CTCR, and has been published in
this workbook.
Because confusion exists as to the status of CTCR
documents in the church, a statement on the subject has
been prepared for publication in The Canadian
Lutheran and for placement in the section of the
website that holds LCC’s theological documents.
II Church Relations
The commission at its meetings has received reports
from the president of Synod regarding events in world