# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S510
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

510

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

remnant of those who wished to remain faithful to the Word of
God and the Lutheran confessions clung steadfastly to their
brethren in the Missouri Synod. From this time forth the asso-
ciation necessarily became that of the “big brother” and the “little
brother.” The few pastors who re-organized our Norwegian Synod
had little or nothing in the way of congregations or property. But,
as always before, they found their Missouri brethren to be faithful
and true friends. Loyally the Missourians lent their encourage-
ment and strength. Generously they opened up their schools for
the training of Norwegian Synod pastors and teachers. In every
way they continued to hold out a strong hand of love and fel-
lowship.

In the face of such a long and treasured fellowship, therefore
—one which has continued unbroken through testings and trials
for almost 100 years—-it is with the deepest and most heartfelt
sadness that we consider the events of the past 20 years. For it is
to the year 1935 that we must turn back as the time when the
first noticeable rift appeared in our peaceful fraternal relations with
the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. At that time the Missouri
Synod first adopted an independent course by opening negotiations
with the unionistic American Lutheran Church, whereas our Nor-
wegian Synod declined this invitation, later stating their position
with regard to such negotiations in the pamphlet, “Unity, Union
and Unionism.” The rest of the story is history —a tragic history
to those of us in the Norwegian Synod who had grown to respect
the Missouri Synod as a real bulwark of orthodox Lutheranism*
and to love our brethren in the Missouri Synod as deeply as our
own. brethren.

First it was the 1938 St. Louis Articles of Union, which were
drawn up and accepted as the doctrinal basis for union with the
A.L.C. When this document was delivered to us for approval,
however, it was found to contain the old error of the Iowa and
Ohio synods on the central doctrine of justification, as well as
certain unscriptural principles on church fellowship held by the
A.L.C. The result was that neither our Norwegian Synod nor the
Wisconsin Synod could give approval to such a doctrinal state-
ment, and the Missouri Synod was petitioned to revoke these
1938 St. Louis Articles (Proceedings of the Norwegian Synod, 1943,
insert between pp. 68—69: cf. also Proceedings of the 39th Regular
Convention of the Missouri Synod, 1944, p. 241), inasmuch as they
contained false doctrine (i.e. the statement on justification in the
Declaration: “to this end He also purposes to justify those who
have come to faith.” Cf. Proceedings of the 37th Regular Con-
vention of the Missouri Synod, 1938, p. 222). Our pleas, however,