# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1171
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

WE

?

o>
Perera

644 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

Concerning Statements in “Lutheran Witness”
(Memorial 640)

Wuereas, The Lutheran Witness in the

7 past decade i
again has published statements which are not in harmony vith at
clear Word of God and the official doctrinal position of our Chur
(the most flagrant examples being found Lutheran Witness ‘1949
P. 275; 1944, p. 51; 1945, p. 277 £5 1947, p. 29, p. 59; 1948, p. 414); ang

WHEREAS, “Synod is responsible for every doctrinal state
ment made in its official organs” (Proceedings, 1947, p. 559); and

WHEREAS, Under the present circumstances a correction of th,
aberrations of the Lutheran Witness is not obtainable from the
responsible editors; now therefore be it °

Resolved, That the President of S i ecial

; ’ ynod shall appoint i

committee of seven members (two from the Springfield faculty

' and-five from the active ministry) which shall carefully examine

every statement made in the Lutheran Witness during the last
decade and shall publicly correct every statement which is not
in harmony with the Word of God, the Lutheran Confessions and

the Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod

Trintry Ev. LUTHERAN Cuurcu, Crete, Int,
A. T. Kretzmann, Pastor
W. J. Brase, Chairman
R. E. Prepensrinx, Secretary

The same memorial was submitted by .
(Signed) (Dr.) P. E. Krerzmann, Cuba, Mo.
(Rev.) H. D. Mensinc, Tinley Park, Ill.
(Rev.) W. F. Rotr, St. James, Minn.

Signatures attested by (Rev.) H. D. Mensinc
Tinley Park, IL, April 5, 1950

‘The Terms “Prayer Fellowship” and “Joint Prayer” |
| (Memorial 641)

Wuereas, Our Synod in its proceedings and official publica-
tions uses the expressions “prayer fellowship” and “joint prayer”
synonymously, or simply uses the general expression ‘joining in
prayer” (e.g., Proceedings, Oklahoma District, 1937: “We must
conclude,: then, that where people lead a life of sin and refuse
to heed admonition, a barrier to prayer fellowship is being erected,

and before there can be joint prayer with them, this sinning has
to cease.” In explanation of Thesis XXIV, which states that
“persistent adherence to false teaching or to a sinful life form

~ a enmummmmmnnemenet iene enetameneneeneen tent .

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 645

parrier against joint prayer,” the essay declares: “That we are
going too far when we say that adherence to false doctrine is
barrier to prayer fellowship is evident etc.” -[Our emphasis.]
‘Ico in Homiletic Magazine, 44,231: “Joint prayers presume Chris-

“gen fellowship.” Proceedings, Southern District, 1895, p. 97: “People
“who join in prayer must be of one mind, one faith, one hope, for

joint prayer is an expression of common faith. For that reason
Christians cannot join in prayer with the heterodox.” Lutheran

" Witness, 1940: “Leaders in the A. L. C. believe that prayer is under

some circumstances permissible with those agreeing with us in
the essentials of Christianity, though not throughout in confessional
harmony. From this view we dissent.” Proceedings, Delegate
Synod, 1881, p. 31: “We tell everyone who champions a different
doctrine among us, although he alleges his adherence to the
Confessions of the Lutheran Church, openly and honestly: ‘We do
not belong together and hence have come to the parting of the
‘ways... . We can no longer walk together. Hence we can no
longer pray together.’”); and

Wuereas, Some within Synod have contended that there is
a difference between “prayer fellowship” and “joint prayer” and
that joint prayer is not prayer fellowship, without offering a Scrip=
tural basis for such a claim; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That Synod declare that it has not changed its posi-
tion regarding these expressions and that it holds that joint prayer
is prayer fellowship; and be it furthermore

Resolved, That Synod reaffirm its Scriptural position that we
cannot join in prayer with the heterodox, since joint prayer is an
expression of common faith.

(Signed) Zion Ev. LUTHERAN Cuurca, Carcaco, Itt.
Cart G. Kruss, Pastor

Signature attested by (Rev.). H. D. MEnsine
Tinley Park, Il., April 5, 1950

Prayer Fellowship and Joint Prayer _
(Memorial 642) ;

Wnuereas, Our Synod in its proceedings and official documents
has used the expressions “prayer fellowship” and “joint prayer”
synonymously (cf., e.g., Proceedings, Oklahoma District, 19387,
Thesis XXIV); and

Wuereas, The majority report of the synodical committee “On
the Question of Synod’s Becoming a Participating Body .in the
National Lutheran Council” insists that there is a distinction
between “prayer fellowship” and “joint prayer”; and