# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S793
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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CONVENTION MINUTES 791

course of her public appearances she had endeavored to repre-
sent our church as we would wish to have it represented.

Three representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
were welcomed as visitors. Thereupon the president of the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church, Rev. Fredrik A. Schiotz, brought greet-
ings to our body. He remarked that “the church is the fellowship

' of faith created by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of men. Although

we have not reached the understanding that gives us the right to
declare pulpit and altar fellowship among our respective bodies,
yet we are members of the Holy Christian Church. Hence we
extended to your President an invitation to greet our convention
and thank him for his visit. And we are present in response to an
invitation extended to us to greet your body. We pray with you
that the work you do may abound to the glory of the Triune God.
We recognize that by reason of the close relations existing between
the Norwegian Synod and the Missouri Synod the Evangelical
Lutheran Church has been helped and is thus conditioned to a spirit
of friendliness. Our church body has voted to enter into a union
with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church and with the Ameri-
can Lutheran Church, with whom you have been carrying on doc-
trinal discussions to further church union. We hope these union
discussions may be continued. A personal regard for your body
has been cultivated in me because in childhood I attended Missouri
Synod services when our church had no services and was edified
thereby. My wife is a graduate of one of your elementary schools,
and my children have attended one of your schools. On your
action declining the invitation to take membership in the Lutheran
World Federation I have no comment. What we do must be done
in faith, Each must do what he believes is right before God.
I welcome you, however, to send official visitors. May He who
has begun the good work you do bring it to fruition so it will have
fruit for time and eternity.”

Greetings were received also from Rev. J. E. Nopola of the
National Evangelical Lutheran Church (our Finnish brethren).
He pointed out that “our bodies have been in fellowship since 1923.
A committee of the National Evangelical Lutheran Church is con-
sidering amalgamation into the Missouri Synod, and the time is
not too far distant when we shall be an organic part of the Missouri
Synod. Gratefully our body acknowledges the services of the Mis-
souri Synod in strengthening our confessional stand by training our
pastors in your seminaries.” Dr. Dorn announced that Volume I of
projected Lesson Studies in the Epistles would be dedicated to
Dr. Behnken in commemoration of his 50 years in the ministry.

The session was closed with the Apostolic Benediction.