# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S540
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

540 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

655) ae. . . :
£655] Affiliate with National Lutheran Council
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke, Chicago, Ill, in
.regular meeting assembled on March 16, 1950, after prayerful and
lengthy consideration decided to forward the following resolution
to the convention of our beloved Synod:

N. L. C. Membership

Wuereas, In the history of the Church, -zeal for the truth
repeatedly has led to a perfectionism and purism which has ended
in the development. of conventicles and sects, against which the
Church has had to guard itself; and

Wuereas, In the development of denominations de iure humano
an area of Lutheranism should be recognized, determined by pro-
fessed adherence to the Confessional Writings of the Lutheran
Church; and

Wuereas, Within the area of Lutheranism aberrations may
arise within congregations and synods due to human weakness,
some of which may reach such proportions as to call for partial
separation (2 Thess. 3:6-15), in order to implement evangelical
dealing in such situations; and

Wuereas, Such separation may include refusal of pulpit and
altar fellowship; and

Wuereas, Nevertheless, a measure of brotherhood should be
continued; and

Whereas, Experience has demonstrated, even under such cir-
cumstances, that in many vital areas co-operation is important and
has been blessed; and

Wuereas, The National Lutheran Council has been established
for just such co-operation, clearly recognizing the lack of complete
unity and making provisions for co-operation and withholding co-
operation, as principle may demand; and )

Waereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod has found
it important to co-operate in the past in the fields of Relief for
Orphaned Missions in Africa and the Orient, of the Armed Services
Commission, of the Emergency Planning Council, of the Prisoner
of War work, of the Wartime Housing Projects, of Public Relations,
of the Lutheran Council of Great Britain, of the Bad Boll Con-
ferences, and in other areas; and

- Wuereas, Such areas of co-operation undoubtedly will continue

to multiply under the present troubled world conditions; and

Wuereas, Even in other areas a measure of co-operation would
prove beneficial and be blessed as in the past; and

Wuereas, The fear of being an irritant is unworthy of our