# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S425
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MISSIONS 425

recommended the appointment of a Survey Committee to make
a study of this matter along with the whole question of the policy
and program of our church in Europe. When this three-man Sur-
vey Committee reported adversely on the matter under discussion
to the convention of Synod in Houston in 1953, the convention
overrode the recommendation of the Survey Committee and instead
adopted the following resolution:

“Committee 2 recommended, and Synod resolved: Resolu-
tion 36-—— Field Representative for European Missions —

“WueEREAS, Experience has shown that it is becoming increas-
ingly difficult to guide and administer the affairs of our European
missions; and

“WHEREAS, The appointment of a field representative, whose
duty it would be to work more closely and directly with these
several mission fields in Europe, would alleviate many of the
existing difficulties; therefore be it

“Resolved, That the Board for European Affairs in conjunction
with the Board of Directors of Synod appoint a field representative
for Europe as soon as conditions warrant it, and for as long a time
as is necessary.”

The Board for European Affairs saw its position vindicated
by the adoption of this resolution. “As soon as conditions war-
rant it” in our view was to be interpreted in the light of “many
of the existing difficulties” spoken of in the preamble of the reso-
lution. “For as long a time as is necessary” could under foresee-
able circumstances mean only a permanent office. However, our
Board sought in vain for a year and a half to get the Board of
Directors to implement this resolution of Synod by the creation
of a permanent and full-time office of executive secretary. When in
the meantime additional reasons for the creation of an office such
as contemplated had developed (to mention only a few: the possi-
bilities of a changing church-state relationship in Germany, the
developments in England, the opening of doors in Italy, contacts
behind the Iron Curtain), our Board rejected the partial solutions
offered by the Board of Directors. Because the means of effectively
and efficiently executing the task of Synod had failed, our Board
resolved in January 1955 to make a final appeal to the Board of
Directors, either to give our Board the means to carry out its
responsibility, or else to relieve it of an impossible burden. When
the Board of Directors had not acted on this matter in two or three
meetings, our Board felt in duty bound to lay down a task which
the Board of Directors made impossible to carry out effectively
and efficiently. In a meeting in New York on July 1, 1955,
Dr. Behnken verbally accepted the resignation of the Board, which
action was confirmed by letter later in the same month.