# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S175
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 17.

Res. 3-15 ‘To Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with The
American Lutheran Church.”

St. Peter Lutheran Church
Hilbert. Wis.
Gene R. Kangas. Pastor
Ralph Koffamus, President
Dean Bergelin. Secretary
Identical or similar:

3-51B to 3-51L

Trinity, Sturgis, Mich.
Grace, Franklin, Nebr.
Augustana, Hickory, N.C.
Mount Hope, Boulder, Colo.
Holy Cross, La Puente, Calif.
Redeemer, Grand Rapids, Mich.
St. Paul’s, Lusk, Wyo.

First, Knoxville, Tenn.
Trinity, Hoyleton, II.
Immanuel, Courtland, Minn.
Zion, Lincoln, Ill.

Erwin A. Ruhlig
Jay Currie
Connor L. Corkran, Jr.
Harold Reiss
Leslie R. Evans
Allen Maleske
W. T. Bredthauer
John P. Schulz
Peter Kurowski
B. A. Buck

A. J. Goldberger

3-52A
To Sever Fellowship with ALC

WHEREAS, Denver Res. 3-15 declaring altar and pulpit
fellowship with The American Lutheran Church was passed
with only 522 votes for and 438 against; and

WHEREAS, That same resolution has a minority report (Res.
3-15A) appended to it; and

WHEREAS, The ensuing years since Denver (1969) have
given clear evidence that the basis for such declaration was not
as firm as was thought or hoped; and

WHEREAS, The Synod verbalized its concerns by passing
Dallas Res. 3-02A, declaring The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod to be in “fellowship in protest”; and

WHEREAS, St. Louis Res. 3-03 resolved that The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod remain in “fellowship in protest”;
and

WHEREAS, The “Concluding Observations” of our repre-
sentatives on the Commission on Fellowship have reported
serious and grave differences to be existing between the two
church bodies (see p. 192 of the 1979 Convention Proceedings);
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in
solemn convention in St. Louis in 1981 regretfully acknowledge
that the past 12 years have not seen a strengthening of altar
and pulpit fellowship with The American Lutheran Church,
but a deteriorating of the same; and be it further

Resolved, That we acknowledge definite doctrinal disagree-
ments between The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and
The American Lutheran Church in the areas of—

a) inspiration, inerrancy, and the authority of Scripture;

b) the ordination of women into the pastoral office;

c) the nature and basis of fellowship;

d) membership and participation in ecumenical organiza-
tions (unionism); and be it fruther

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
recognizes its responsibilities to testify to these doctrinal
disagreements; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention in 1981 declare that
the circumstances that called forth the protest in 1977 have not
been corrected in due time and that pulpit and altar fellowship
with The American Lutheran Church be severed; and be it
finally

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
continue to explore ways to establish true doctrinal unity with
all Lutheran churches on the basis of the Holy Scripture and
the Lutheran Confessions.

Christ Lutheran Church
Platte Woods, Mo.

Herbert Ketelsen, President
Herbert Steffens, Secretary
R. R. Krueger, Pastor

or

Identical or similar:

3-52B to 3-52F
King of Kings, Kansas City, Mo. John Anderson
Peace, Kansas City, Mo. Howard Tieman
St Paul’s and St. John’s, St. Thomas and Crystal, N. Dak.
Erno Szedlak
Herman Glienke
Herman Christiansen

Faith, Hialeah, Fla.
Gethsemane, Rochester, Mich.

3-53A

To Terminate Altar
and Pulpit Fellowship with ALC

WHEREAS. Altar and pulpit fellowship with The American
Lutheran Church was established in 1969 at the Denver
convention: and

WHEREAS, Certain disagreements in doctrine and practice
had at that time not been completely resolved; and

WHEREAS, Disagreements in doctrine and practice still
exist, and have become evident particularly in the matters of—

a) the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of the
Scriptures;

b) the ordination of women to the pastoral office:

c) the nature and basis of fellowship

d) membership and participation in ecumenical organiza-
tions (unionism); and

WHEREAS, It is neither God-pleasing nor honest to remain in
fellowship or in “fellowship in protest” with a church body
with which there is so much lack of agreement; and

WHEREAS, It isin disharmoney with our own Constitution to
remain in fellowship or in ‘‘fellowship in protest” with such a
church body (Art. III, 1; Art. VI, 2); therefore be it

Resolved, That the fellowship approved by our Synod in
1969 with The American Lutheran Church, and the “fellowship
in protest” approved by our Synod in 1977, be terminated,
regretfully; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod continue official efforts to achieve
doctrinal agreement with The American Lutheran Church,
with the prayer that in due time altar and pulpit fellowship
may be established, but on soundly Biblical and orthodox

Lutheran principles.
Faith Lutheran Church,
Harahan, La.
John Saacks, Secretary
Louis E. Nelsen, Jr., Pastor

Identical or similar:

3-53B to 3-53F

Immanuel, Orange, Calif.

St. Paul’s, Fairmont, Minn.
Trinity, Scarsdale, N.Y.

St. Marks, Youngstown, Ohio
Wyoming District

Ronald Whitney
Vernon Harley
M. C. Meyer
Ronald P. Theis
Robert Eckelman

3-54A

To Rescind Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
and Fellowship in Protest with ALC

WHEREAS, Christians are to be united in what they believe
and teach as they work and worship together (1 Cor. 1:10; Acts
2:42); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS entered into pulpit and altar fellow-
ship with the ALC in 1969 with the understanding that
“fellowship between church bodies is based on acommon and
mutual acceptance, understanding and practice of the Gospel
and the sacraments” (Denver Res. 3-15, Proceedings, pp. 96—
99: and

WHEREAS, The ALC is in fellowship (doctrinal agreement)
with the LCA. However, the LCMS is notin fellowship with the
LCA due to serious doctrinal differences; and

WHEREAS, The ALC has declared fellowship with the AELC,