# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S529
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

‘530 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

The evolution of the -Council has been very interesting and ‘sig-
nificant. It was intended at the beginning to provide a method
whereby bodies which were not in pulpit and altar fellowship could
co-operate in certain limited activities without implication of
fellowship. With the passage of the years it was time and again
discovered that actual Practices outstripped official declarations in
the march toward co-operation and unity. Again and again Lu-
theran bodies were compelled to alter their official declarations to
correspond with. their practices. _Today we are in the position of
having very carefully defined our -National Lutheran Council: as
merely a co-operative agency, and yet we are actually functioning
as a federation of Lutheran church bodies.* .

“In addition to the extensive co-operative program already
realized, there are virtually unlimited opportunities for enlarge-
ment of the united work of the member bodies under the present
constitution of the National Lutheran Council. In fact, we already
Possess organizational machinery which can, if we wish, lead into
associations -barely: short of organic union. Without any change
whatever in organization, we can as readily merge our home mis-
sions’ departments as we have already merged welfare and child
placement. We can as readily consolidate the administration of
“our foreign missions as we have already consolidated our Jewish
missions. We can merge our youth work and our program of ele-
mentary Christian education as readily as we have merged our
Student Service.” : . ,
Similar expressions by leaders in the National Lutheran Coun-
cil could be quoted. And they do describe the actual status of the
National Lutheran Council at work not merely as an agency “in
certain limited activities without implication of fellowship,” but
“actually functioning as a federation of Lutheran church hodies.”
..» The National Lutheran Council is actually functioning as
a Church when it carries on joint spiritual work among all Lu-
theran university students outside those in the Synodical Con-
ference, This is only one of various other projeets carried on by
the National Lutheran Council in which the Missouri Synod cannot
.take part because to do so would violate its doctrinal position on
pulpit, altar,:and prayer fellowship.

‘Our Synod’s Position on Pulpit, Altar, and Prayer Fellowship:
In the Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri
Synod the Missouri Synod has stated as its principle that it cannot
join forces in spiritual work with any Christian church body with

* Italics ours,