# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1959_S8
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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8 PRESIDENT’S TRIENNIAL REPORT

June 29, 1958. It was a truly joyful festival, giving all glory to God.
Practically every one of the Finnish brethren received his theo-
logical training at one of our seminaries.

The Lutheran World Federation had invited fifteen men of
our Synod to attend its assembly in Minneapolis, Minn., August
15—20, 1957. We accepted this invitation. Since a confessional
statement was to be prepared presenting the Lutheran position,
on the basis of Holy Writ and the Lutheran Confessions, on a num-
ber of issues under the general topic “Christ Frees and Unites,”
our men, assigned to various sectional meetings, had opportunity
to speak and to bear witness. The final statement was not adopted,
but it was decided to present it to the churches and congregations
for study. Your Committee on Doctrinal Unity and the Praesidium
prepared a guideline for all pastors, teachers, and conferences.
Unfortunately an endorsement was impossible. The theses which
were prepared do not present clear-cut Scriptural statements on
such important issues as the Word, the Lord’s Supper, the total
depravity of man, etc. We may well expect sharp controversies
on these important issues. Scriptural doctrine must be set forth
in unmistakable and uncompromising language. This is true espe-
cially of official documents.

When the officials of the Lutheran World Federation invited
representatives of our Synod to a meeting of its Commission on
Theology for the purpose of discussing “the points in question”
re our nonmembership, your President and the Committee on
Doctrinal Unity, in accord with Synod’s resolution, requested Drs.
Paul M. Bretscher and Alfred O. Fuerbringer to represent us at
Oslo, Norway, in August 1958. Dr. Matthias Schulz was asked to
represent our sister churches in Europe. These men were given
every opportunity to take an active part in the discussions. Their
report is summarized in our book of Reports and Memorials. For
1959 we have no invitation to send representatives to a meeting
of the Commission on Theology, but it is likely that we shall be
asked to send representatives to the 1960 meeting of said com-
mission.

Our Convention Committee No.3, the Committee on Inter~
synodical and Doctrinal Matters, has been in session since Friday,
June 12, to give thorough and prayerful study to this matter as
well as to all the doctrinal issues presented in our book of Reports
and Memorials.

The National Lutheran Council, in the process of reorganiza-
tion, invited us to an exploratory meeting. After much discussion
we declined the invitation. In his letter your President made the
mistake of writing that the various Lutheran bodies now in the
process of uniting into two large bodies were doctrinally in a state

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