# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S533
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

EES I EEE EES

. INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 588

There is probably no member of the Missouri Synod who will
ee to all of the above objectives for our Church as we enter
cond century.

ais However, the question that presents itself to every member
jof:the Missouri Synod is: “Can these objectives be attained either
part or wholly by joining the National Lutheran Council?”
concomitant question is: “Can the Missouri Synod join the

Vational Lutheran Council and remain true to its principles?”
If we are to answer these queries solely on the basis of the
tional Lutheran Council constitution, then we believe the answer
gto be in the affirmative. Even though there might be this or that
expression in the National Lutheran Council constitution with
which we are not in full agreement, we do not believe that there
is‘ anything in this constitution which would prohibit the Missouri
.. Synod from becoming a participating body in the National Lu-
_theran Council on the ground that it is contrary to the Word of God.
_ The provision in the constitution that any participating body may
sf choose those fields of activity in which it elects to participate
permits participation in such things only as are in harmony with

However, ‘the National Lutheran Council constitution in theory
d the National Lutheran Council as a functioning agency are
‘two different things.
‘The National Lutheran Council is not merely an “agency,”
* but is actually functioning as a Church in certain phases of its work.
The concrete example is student welfare work. The con-
“'stituent bodies of the National Lutheran Council no longer do
student welfare work on their own. The spiritual ministry of the
university students from these bodies has been turned over to
the National Lutheran Council. Its commission for student welfare
. work selects a pastor from any of the constituent bodies to serve
the students and to minister to them at any one given institution.
Such a student pastor, appointed by the National Lutheran Council
for spiritual work at the university, may be a man who is in full
doctrinal agreement with the Missouri Synod. However, # the oppo-
site may also be true.

According to the National Lutheran Council constitution we
need not participate in student welfare work, but a compilation
of the various projects undertaken and being planned in the name
of the constituent bodies of the National Lutheran Council adds up
to an over-all picture of activities in the National Lutheran Coun-
cil, the major portion of which constitutes such joint spiritual
work, which would involve unionistic practices if carried out to
their logical conclusions.