# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S328
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

440 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS.

bodies some other matters will have to be considered and adjusted,
which are mentioned in the following. : ee

. Since the Constitution of the Synodical Conference Provides
that fellowship with another church body cannot be established
any one of its constituent synods without the consent of every
synod in the Synodical Conference (“Without the consent of all
the synods of the Synodical Conference of North America, none
of its constituent synods can be permitted to enter into actual
fellowship with any other church body”), and since the American
Lutheran Church already in 1938 in its Sandusky Resolutions
declared itself ready to place the agreement. reached with the
Missouri Synod before its sister synods for approval and accept.
ance: your Committee recommends that after favorable action has
been taken by the American Lutheran Church ‘and The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod on the confession of faith here submitted,
this course, pertaining to sister synods on both sides, be followed,

Since the practice of the Church must agree with its doctrine,
your Committee recommends that matters of church practice, espe-
cially the attitude of Lutheran congregations toward lodgery and
unionism and similar issues be carefully studied and that for this
purpose the President, the Vice-Presidents, and the District Presi-
dents of our Church endeavor to hold conferences with the
President, the Vice-Presidents, and the District Presidents of the
honorable American Lutheran Church to survey the problems in
this field and to see how uniformity in church practice can be
brought about.

Finally, your Committee recommends that a Committee on
Doctrinal Unity be again appointed, in the manner prescribed by
the regulations of Synod, to serve as a steering committee and
clearinghouse. It is hoped that the honorable American Lutheran
Church likewise will continue a Fellowship Committee for the

same purpose.
ame Purp THe Committee on Doctrinat Unrry

_ OF Tae Luraeran Caurca — Missourr Synop
Dr. W: Arnot, Chairman Pasror Greorce J. MeEvER

Dr. Jonn H.C. Frrrz.. | Pastor W. H. Jurcens, Secretary:

Dr. F. H: Bronn Mr. Hersert W. Knopp

Pror. WALTER BAEPLER

{NTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 444

[602] Accept “Common Confession”

Wuereas, It has pleased Almighty God to lead the Committee
on Doctrinal Unity of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and
the Committee on Fellowship of the American Lutheran Church
to a complete meeting of mind and spirit in the “Common Con-
fession of Faith,” dated December 6, 1949; and

Wuersas, We believe that this “Common Confession” is in full
accord with the teachings of Holy Scripture as expounded in the
canonical books of the Old and New Testaments and the Confes-
sional works of the Lutheran Church embodied in the Book of
Concord of 1580; and

Wuereas, We believe that the said “Common Confession” meets
every point that has been historically in controversy between The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and the constituent synods
of the American Lutheran Church on a Scripturally sound
basis; and

Wuereas, This “Common Confession” meets with the instruc-
tions of the 40th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod given in Parts 2 and 3 of the resolution on doc-
trinal unity (Proceedings, 1947, p.510); and

Wuereas, It has at all times been the expressed intention of
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod to come to a God-pleasing
unity with its fellow Lutherans based on a truly doctrinal unity;
therefore be it

Resolved, That. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 199th
Street and Valentine Avenue in the City of New York, does hereby
petition our honorable Synod to accept the afore-mentioned “Com-
mon Confession of Faith,” dated December 6, 1949, as being Scrip-
turally sound and in accord with the traditional teachings of the
Lutheran Church; and be it further _

Resolved, That.we further petition Synod that it shall pass
appropriate resolutions suggesting that all members of Synod shall
pray that the American Lutheran Church may be led to also accept
this “Common Confession” as its own expression of faith and that
in God’s own time He may lead all Lutherans in America to accept
it as their confession of faith; and be it further

Resolved, That we further petition Synod that it shall continue
the Committee on Doctrinal Unity, with instructions that the said
committee shall: initiate discussions with alike group in the
American Lutheran Church looking toward the establishment. of
fellowship based on the said Confession; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of these resolutions, duly certified by the