# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S515
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 515

synods. shall ‘be permitted to enter into actual church fellowship
with any other church body”; and
4. Wuereas, Not all synods of the Synodical Conference had
a part in the negotiations between The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod and the American Lutheran Church, which resulted
in the drafting of the Common Confession; and
5, Wuereas, The Wisconsin Synod and the Norwegian Synod
and other individuals within the Synodical Conference believe
that the Common Confession is unacceptable as a settlement of
past differences with the American Lutheran Church; therefore
be it
6. Resolved, That we request The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod not to use the Common Confession as a functioning
union document, without, however, passing judgment pro or con
on the doctrinal content of the Common Confession by this con-
vention; and be it further
1. Resolved, That we respectfully petition the four constituent
synods to agree to act in unison in any possible future discussions
with other church bodies, and that we to this end petition each
individual body of the Synodical Conference to appoint or elect

a standing Unity or Doctrinal Committee and to instruct these

committees to participate in such discussions as 2 Synodical Con-
can report back to its

ference unit, in order that each committee

church body on the development or progress, if any, of such dis-
cussions. (Syn. Conf. Const., Article IV): “Purpose.— The pur-
pose of the Synodical Conference of North America shall be: to
give outward expression to the unity of spirit existing among the
constituent synods; to encourage and strengthen one another in
faith and confession; to further unity in doctrine and practice and

to remove whatever might threaten to disturb this unity; to co-
operate in matters of mutual interest; to strive for true unity
in doctrine and practice among Lutheran church bodies”; and be

it further

8. Resolved, That the Synodical Conference request the Presi-
dents of the constituent synods to appoint, as soon as feasible after
this convention, committees on doctrine and/or practice with equal
representation from each constituent synod. To these committees
they shall assign for study such areas of doctrine and/or practice
as need clarification and settlement among us. These areas are to
be determined by the Presidents of the constituent synods and the
President, Secretary, and three Vice-Presidents of the Synodical
Conference. These committees shall report to the President and
Vice-Presidents of the Synodical Conference, who shall make their
reports available to the constituent bodies; and be it further