# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S323
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

430 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL’ MATTERS

VI. INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL
MATTERS ae
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Report of the Committee on Doctrinal Unity .

' The triennium since the Chicago Centennial Convention has
seen increasingly zéalous activity in the field of Lutheran Union
by practically all Lutheran bodies in America, characterized by
a strong determination to remove, if possible, the ‘present disunity,
There is manifestly a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the present
situation. It will be helpful that we here briefly sketch the more
significant steps taken to accelerate the labors required to unite the
Lutheran Church. -° ~

In September, 1948, the meeting of the National Lutheran
Editors Association passed a resolution calling upon the Lutheran
synods to meet in free conferences. The editors recommended to
the Lutheran church bodies to work toward the establishment of an
all-Lutheran federation and suggested the holding of free fraternal
conferences to further, by frank and open discussion, the union of
all Lutheran churches in America.

The American Lutheran Church, at its convention in Fremont,
Ohio, in October, 1948, passed several significant resolutions on
Lutheran unity. One of these read “that in the next biennium our
pastoral conferences and district meetings busy themselves with
a thorough study of the problems of the future of Lutheranism in
America; that we continue. a Committee on Fellowship to be
appointed by the President of the Church to negotiate with a Com-
mittee on Doctrinal. Unity of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, toward the establishment of pulpit and altar fellowship or
of fellowship commensurate with the existing degree of unity; that
we empower: this Committee, together with the Executive Com-
mittee of the Church, to discuss with any and all Lutheran church
bodies possible approaches and methods to attain fuller unity and
closer affiliation.”, ot

' The American Lutheran Conference met at Detroit in Novem-
ber, 1948. It adopted some resolutions on Lutheran unity. Point
two is pertinent for our purpose: “We recommend that the con-
stituent bodies of the American Lutheran Conference petition the
National Lutheran Council to call an all-Lutheran Free Conference,
to be held under the auspices of the Council, with a view to the
permanent organization of such a conference.”

On January 4, 1949, a meeting of Lutheran leaders was held
in Minneapolis. There were 34 church leaders present, from the
United Lutheran Church in America, the Evangelical Lutheran

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 431

Chimeh,- the American Lutheran Church, the Augustana Lutheran
Church, the Lutheran Free Church, the United Evangelical Lu-
theran Church, the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the
Suomi Synod — eight bodies in all. At the first day’s meeting it
was ‘resolved that it is the sense of this group that a closer
organizational affiliation of the participating bodies in the National
Lutheran Council is desirable and should be sought by all proper
means.” _The adoption of.this resolution led to the appointment of
a committee of 15, authorized to prepare a structural plan for the

- On January 5, 1949, a meeting was held, also. in. Minneapolis,
confined to the representatives of the five general bodies consti-
tuting the American Lutheran Conference. This meeting. adopted
the following resolution: “Resolved, That. in view of the action
proposing a closer organizational affiliation of the Churches par-
ticipating in the National Lutheran Council as it was voted on
January 4, 1949, it is the sense of this meeting that every effort
should be'made to bring about the consummation of this plan, but
that no objection should be made to lesser approaches to unity
within the framework of the American Lutheran’ Conference.”

The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
(Norwegian) met in Minneapolis on February 21, 1949, It ap-
pointed a Union Committee to begin unity negotiations “with the
United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) and with such other
constituent bodies of the American Lutheran Conference. as may
officially express desire for such approach.” The. Church Council
at this meeting also expressed regret “that at present there appear
to be no plans under way for the calling of an all-Lutheran confer-
ence as proposed by the American Lutheran Conference, and ex-
pressed the hope that the proposal for this more inclusive. con-
ference may be realized.” -.

The Executive Committee of the American Lutheran Con-
ference next held a meeting in Chicago on March 30, 1949, and went
on record in favor of the calling of an all-Lutheran free conference
for the purpose of “widening the scope of present approaches to
Lutheran unity.” 2 ;

A sequel to the meeting of January 4, 1949, mentioned above,
was we meeting’ of 15 Lutheran leaders in Chicago, on April 26
on 7, 1949, from the general bodies participating in the National

utheran Council. This:‘meeting made the following report to its
constituents: “In the deep conviction that. our definite objective
should be the organic ‘union of all American Lutherans “in ‘one
Lutheran Church, we recommend: * a :

“I. That the Committee’ of Thirty-Four take action. to: place

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