# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S17
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

PRESIDENT’S TRIENNIAL REPORT 15

the topic “Fellowship Among Lutherans.” In this address, emphasis
was placed upon the fact that pulpit, prayer, and altar fellowship
is possible only on the basis of doctrinal unity. Mere co-operation
in externals cannot be made the basis of Lutheran fellowship and
Lutheran union. At the request of the College of Presidents the
address was printed and mailed to all Lutheran pastors in America.
; The convention at Saginaw decided that we were not to join
the National Lutheran Council. However, it instructed the Prae-
sidium and the Committee on Doctrinal Unity to study the Con-
stitution of the National Lutheran Council as it was being revised
at the time and later adopted, and also to gather further informa-
tion as to the scope of the co-operative endeavors contemplated.
These instructions were carried out. Both groups feel that in such
matters as do not involve a violation of conscience nor a denial
of truth we should be willing to co-operate. However, both groups
were convinced that there are very few projects of which this
is true, while, on the other hand, there is a great number of aims
-and objectives in which we could not participate without violation
of Scriptural principles. A full report will be presented by the
Committee on Lutheran Unity and Doctrinal Matters.

When it became known that there would be a meeting of the
Lutheran World Federation in Lund, Sweden, your President
inquired of Bishop Erling Eidem, the chairman of the convention,
whether it would be permissible for our Synod to send some men
as visitors to the meeting. When assurance was given that this
could be done, Dr. F. E. Mayer and Dr. M. Graebner, who had been
‘sent to Europe to continue our work, Dr. Wm. Arndt, who was in
Europe on his return trip from Palestine, and Dr. W. A. Maier, who
‘was in Europe at the request of the military government, were
requested to visit the convention. Chaplain E. M. Kirschenmann,
stationed in Stuttgart, also attended the convention.

During the past triennium several meetings were conducted
with members of the Executive Committee of the American Section
of the Lutheran World Convention. These meetings dealt with
the matter of the survey of church conditions in Europe, with
work among the Prisoners of War, and other possible areas of
co-operation in external matters without any violation of our
‘principles.

With reference to meetings between the Committee on Doc-
trinal Unity and the Commission of the Honorable American
Lutheran Church, the convention has been given a special report
in the Book of Memorials. ;

_ ‘The past triennium brought with it some internal difficulties.
Among others there were those which resulted from the issuance