# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S497
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 497

Wuereas, Present God-pleasing and mutually beneficial en-
deavors with the Wisconsin Synod (institutional chaplains, old-
folks’ homes, hospitals, mission work, etc.) would be disrupted
and grave problems arise should relations with the Wisconsin
Synod be severed; and

Waereas, Our maintenance of the Common Confession appar-
ently will bring no future benefit to us or the church at large,
but may rather only give the enemies of Christ and His church
opportunity for ridicule should our synods sever relations; and

Wuereas, A resolution of the Missouri Synod, informing the
Wisconsin Synod that the Missouri Synod will no longer use the
Common Confession as a doctrinal statement for union with other
church bodies, will reveal still further to the Wisconsin Synod
our sincere desire to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace; therefore be it

Resolved, That we, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,
shall no longer use the Common Confession as a doctrinal state-
ment for the purpose of union and fellowship with other church
bodies, and the Wisconsin Synod shall be informed of this resolve
with the hope of continued fellowship with them.

THe Ev. LurHeran Caurcy or Our Saviour
OF THE UNALTERED AUGSBURG CONFESSION
Sr. Paut, Mrnn.
Joun Hanson, President JoHN Pocauz, Secretary

To Reject the Common Confession and Reinstate

the Brief Statement as a Basis for Lutheran Unity
(Memorial 610)

With respect to The Common Confession, Parts I and II, Trinity
Congregation requests that the following factors which bear on
Synod’s disposition of these documents be noted:

1. Some members of Synod have made the unqualified state-
ment that the American Lutheran Church accepted the Brief
Statement. However, the ALC’s resolutions in 1938 include these
limiting declarations: “We believe that the Brief Statement, viewed
in the light of our Declaration, is not in contradiction to the
Minneapolis Theses,” and, “We are firmly convinced that it is
neither necessary nor possible to agree in all nonfundamental doc-
trines.” The ALC’s unity commissioners further stated that “their
assertion of agreement with the Brief Statement did not imply
endorsement in every case of the exegetical and other lines of