# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1125
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS . 553

Resolved, That we urge all calling boards and agencies to
genuinely seek lay leaders and administrators where this is feasible;
and be it further

Resolved, That we encourage our Lutheran university, our
colleges, and high schools to keep this need for lay administrators
and leaders in mind in setting up their curricula.

On Communing Lodge Members
(Memorial 542)

Wuereas, Synod in 1947 declined to define procrastinating in
dealing with lodge members, stating that “it would be legalistic to
set a time limit when final action must be taken”; and

Wuereas, It admonished brethren in the ministry to follow
Matthew 18 when they feel that a brother is procrastinating; and

Wuereas, In cases which the Cleveland Pastoral Conference
had in mind Scriptural. admonition had been applied ever since
1930; and

Wuereas, This did not result in removal of the lodge evil, the
communing of lodge members being continued; and

Wuereas, This remained true even after cases were taken to
the highest officials of the District in which offending brethren are
members; and

Waereas, Officials of the District declined to take further action
in these cases; and

Wuereas, Synod has said: “Where there is a plain refusal to
stamp out the lodge evil, the matter must be brought before Synod,
and church fellowship must be denied the persistent offender. We
can no longer fellowship with such an offending congregation”
(Report of Special Committee of Synod to define the position of the
Church toward the communing of members of secret societies,
Aug. 10, 1927); and

Wuereas, The undersigned are in doubt whether Synod still
subscribes to the above principle and wishes such cases to be
brought to its attention for correction; and

Wuereas, Synod’s refusal to define procrastinating in any way,
though it had used this word itself in its 1929 resolutions, has
created doubt in our minds as-to how to proceed after due ad-
monition of brethren who to us appear guilty of procrastinating;
now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That we, the undersigned, petition Synod in con-
vention assembled to declare:

1. It was never the intention of Synod to give its consent to
the communing of lodge members except, as it stated in 1929, “in