# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S333
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

450 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

Holy Scriptures are too few and altogether too brief to do justice
to this doctrine in view of the conditions now existing in this
matter in Germany (Bad Boll), in some Lutheran bodies of Amer.
ica, and in Protestant circles in general. Under these circums

it is a solemn and a sacred duty of trust, obligation, and service to
set down at length in specific statements the various truths con_
cerning Holy Scriptures, as these truths are in debate or under
attack at the present time.

The method and procedure which were followed for the writ.

“ing of the Formula of Concord take time and patience and love

for the truth, in order to settle and stabilize matters of con.
troversy; as it did by and through the writing of the comprehensive
and lengthy Formula of Concord. The document This Common
Confession of Faith through its brevity and wording leaves mat-
ters of controversy in doubt and uncertainty, such as concerning
“The Inspiration of Holy Scriptures,” “The Church,” “The Eternal
Election,” “The Antichrist,” “The Observance of Sunday.”

The document This Common Confession of Faith is inadequate
and cannot be regarded or accepted as a basis for establishing
pulpit or altar fellowship between the two church bodies The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and The American Lutheran
Church. Therefore the document This Common Confession of Faith
must be declined, and instead a resolution should be adopted re-
questing full coverage of all necessary items, so that such a
thorough declaration may result in a document which in itself ex-
hibits positive evidence and induces full confidence and engenders
wholehearted thanksgiving and rejoicing that true unity of doctrine
indeed unites the two church bodies.

As a suggestion for such a document, there should be included
paragraphs on Higher Criticism and an understanding should be
reached in the matter of Membership in Certain Organizations,
Societies, or Lodges.

“May Almighty God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
grant the grace of His Holy Ghost that we all may be one in Him
and constantly abide in this Christian unity, which is well pleasing
to Him. Amen.” Triglotta: Page 837, 23. ;

J. R. Suepparp, Pastor
Emmaus Luth. Church, Tripp, S. Dak.

ArtHur W. Meyer Px MUELLER
G. H. Sterren  H.H. KurEsn

March 10, 1950

March 21, 1950

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 451

[66] Objections to Statement of Doctrinal Unity

The Southwest Minnesota Pastoral Conference submits the fol-
lowing for consideration: We the pastors of the Southwest Minne-
sota Conference, in session March 6, 1950, at Luverne, Minn., object
to the “Unity Statement” prepared by members of the Missouri
Synod and American Lutheran Church Committees, on the grounds
that the “Statement” does not clearly state the Antithesis,

We recommend that the “Statement” of the Unity Committee
be considered a document for further study rather than a matter
of confession.

We, therefore, offer the following resolution: “Be it resolved,
that The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod consider the “State-
ment of Unity” drawn up by the committees on Union of both
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and The American Lu-
theran Church as a document for further study rather than a mat-
ter of confession.” We urge adoption.

SoutHwest MINNESOTA PASTORAL CONFERENCE

Rev. J. G. STennmMeyer, Chairman
Rev. G. L. Karu, Secretary

[607]
Re The Confessional Basis for Church Union
and Fellowship

Wuereas, The first objective of The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod is “the conservation and promotion of the unity of
the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10) and a united defense
against schism and sectarianism (Rom. 16:17)” (Constitution,
Art. III); and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, assembled
in convention in Chicago in 1947, reaffirmed its loyalty to the doc-
trinal position of the Brief Statement, thereby asserting that
1. Christians are “to have church fellowship only with orthodox
church bodies”; 2. “We repudiate unionism, that is, church fellow-
ship with the adherents of false doctrine . . . as causing divisions
in the Church, Rom. 16:17”; 3. “The orthodox character of a church
is established . . . by the doctrine which is actually taught in its
pulpits, in its theological seminaries, and in its publications” (Brief
Statement, Par. 28 and 29); in accordance with the above, «~

We, the members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Westville, Ind.,
and the members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Otis, Ind., hereby
declare our unswerving and uncompromising loyalty to these
truths and all other truths set forth in the following: 1. The