# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1192
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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680 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

and in the fullest knowledge and keen awareness that the Lord
has made our Church what it is and showered overwhelming
blessings upon us not because of any merit or worthiness in

but only because of His boundless grace and love. Soli Deo gloria!

What Would We GIVE?

To answer the question whether or not to join the Nationa}
Lutheran Council purely on the basis of what we could gain
would be selfish. It is better to give than to receive. That applies
also to the question of membership in the National Lutheran
Council. What could the Missouri Synod give to the Nationa]
Lutheran Council? We frankly believe that at the present time
our membership in the National Lutheran Council would be a
continuous irritant. Our conscientious convictions would compel
us to label as unionistic so much of the program of the National
Lutheran Council that there would be few meetings at which
the Missouri Synod commissioners would not be in conscience
bound to raise official objections. We refer to only one phase of
work. The largest item in the budget of the National Lutheran
Council is that for Student Service. It amounts to $175,000 a year.
Visualize the following situation: In the eyes of the world and
world Lutheranism we would be members of the National Lu-
theran Council. At a certain university the National Lutheran
Council has a full-time student pastor, serving all students of the
constituent members of the National Lutheran Council. The Mis-
souri Synod also has a congregation and pastor there. However,
‘our Synod could not. turn the spiritual care of its students over
to‘the pastor representing the National Lutheran Council, because
we are not in pulpit and altar fellowship with him. What an
anomalous situation that would be! This same situation would
obtain in the field of American missions — Jewish Missions, Negro
Missions, Institutional Missions, ete. In view of the fact that the
National Lutheran Council is in reality functioning as a Church
in so many phases of its work, it is our opinion that there would
be little opportunity for the Missouri Synod to make any worth-
while contribution to it. The Committee is confident that the
National Lutheran Council would not welcome the Missouri Synod
as a member if it were to join the National Lutheran Council
merely “to bear witness to the Council” and “to make our
influence felt from within rather than from without.”

Effect on the Membership in Our Own Synod
and the Synodical Conference
Your Committee believes that joining the National Lutheran
Council would be an occasion of severe offense to many. It would
cause strife. within our own midst. We believe this to be true

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 681

not only with reference to a few who may take a negative position
“ an.the question. A limited cross-section survey made by your

Committee through interviews and consultations with laity and

‘“elergy persuades us to believe that the majority of our pastors

and laity are at the present time not in favor of joining the
National Lutheran Council. And while some of those who are
not in favor would not raise serious objections to joining, the
majority, we feel, would not be happy about such action on the
part of the synodical convention.

‘Joining the National Lutheran Council would have serious
repercussions in other constituent bodies of the Synodical Con-
ference. Most assuredly, we do not want to take any action which
would disturb the fraternal relationships with our brethren in the
Synodical Conference. Furthermore, joining the National Lutheran
Council would not be understood by our Free Church brethren
in Europe. By many now in pulpit and altar fellowship with us
such action would be interpreted as a capitulation in matters of

doctrine. Effect on Other Lutherans in America

If the Missouri Synod were to become a member of the
National Lutheran Council, many Lutherans outside the Synodical

. Conference would, no doubt, interpret such action as a loosening

of the doctrinal cords and a weakening of the stakes of orthodoxy,
for which the Missouri Synod is known the world over. As a
result endless misunderstanding and confusion would arise.

Resolutions

Wuereas, The Constitution of the National Lutheran Council
in theory would permit us to join without doing violence to our
convictions; but

Waereas, So much of the program of the National Lutheran
Council is to us of a unionistic nature; and

Wuereas, In practice and in fact the field of participation would
be very limited as compared with the over-all program of the
National Lutheran Council; and

Wuereas, The overwhelming majority of all boards and com-
missions in the Missouri Synod are not in favor of participation
in the work of the National Lutheran Council as far as their
specific fields of labor are concerned; and

Wuereas, Joining the National Lutheran Council would be
of little advantage to the Missouri Synod as an organization, but
would multiply its problems; and

Wuereas, Our membership would be an irritant rather than
a help to the National Lutheran Council; and