# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S59 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGICAL MATTERS 59 projects. The commission has therefore moved to co- ordinate these various studies before issuing materials to the Synod. H. Questions Regarding Ecumenism In response to information from the synodical Presi- dent that many inquiries concerning involvement in interchurch and ecumenical events have been addressed to his office by members of the Synod, the commission recommended appointment of a committee to develop guidelines for participation in ecumenical activities. The President appointed the following men to this special committee: Dr. Herbert Bouman, Dr. Carl Gaertner, Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, Prof. Eugene Klug, and Dr. Ar- thur Carl Piepkorn. The committee has a tentative draft of its report under consideration and expects to submit it to the commission this fall. I. Charismatic Movement At the request of individuals and with the concur- rence of President Harms, the commission is endeavor- ing to understand and evaluate the various phenomena (e. g., baptism of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, proph- ecy) associated with the charismatic movement. As part of this endeavor, Dr. Ralph Bohlmann attended a 3-day conference in Minneapolis in the fall of 1968. The com- mission’s report is currently in the drafting stage. J. Woman Suffrage The 1967 synodical convention directed the commis- sion to complete its study on woman suffrage and to provide guidance in the matter of the membership of women on synodical boards, commissions, and commit- tees (Resolutions 2-05 and 2-06, 1967 Proceedings, p. 89). The commission has finished this assignment and distributed the resulting document to the church (cf. Worksook Appendix). The commission recommends: 7. That the position paper entitled Woman Suffrage be received by the Synod and commended to its mem- bers as expressing the Synod’s understanding of the rights of women to vote and hold office in congregations and on synodical boards, commissions, and committees. The commission has requested the Commission on Constitutional Matters to draft appropriate sample paragraphs for the constitutions of congregations de- ciding to make the changes permitted by the document. II. CHURCH RELATIONS A. Sister Churches India Evangelical Lutheran Church Our sister church in India has taken action in church fellowship matters in accord with Resolution 3-04 of the 1965 synodical convention (1965 Proceedings, pp. 104—105), which recognized the freedom and indepen- dence of younger overseas churches in fellowship nego- tiations and decisions. In the 1968 convention of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church, the hand of fellow- ship was extended to two other Lutheran churches, fel- lowship discussions with the Lutheran Church of Aus- tralia were authorized, and a decision was reached to apply for membership in the Lutheran World Federa- tion. After considering these actions of our sister church, the commission asked President Harms to con- vey the following message to the India Evangelical Lu- theran Church: a. We thank the IELC for sharing with us the resolu- tion of the Sixth Convention of the IELC, April 25—27, 1968, whereby the hand of fellowship was extended to the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church and to the Arcot Lutheran Church as well as the resolution to begin dis- cussion with the Lutheran Church of Australia for the purpose of establishing official fellowship relations. b. We express our full confidence that the IELC has discovered a proper confessional basis for fellowship with the Tamil Lutheran Church and with the Arcot Lutheran Church as stated also in the resolution. c. We rejoice with our sister church in India in such extension of her fellowship relations and wish these churches in altar and pulpit fellowship God's blessings as they serve jointly in this area of the Lord’s vineyard and also wish them success in their fraternal endeavors with the Lutheran Church of Australia. d. We also take note of IELC convention action to ap- ply for membership in the LWF. In accord with the find- ings and recommendations of the CTCR regarding the LWF, we implore the blessings of the Lord of the Church on such affiliation. Fellowship Relations with Overseas Mission Churches The commission has met with a committee of the Board for Missions in an effort to develop a proper pro- cedure for recognizing or establishing formal fellowship relationships with autonomous churches in the overseas mission. This matter is currently before us with regard to a request of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines to enter into a sister church relationship with us, and it will very likely face us again with regard to our churches in Ghana, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan. In an effort to clarify its own responsibility in this matter. the commission has adopted the following resolution and submitted it to the Board for Missions: Resolved, that the CTCR carry out its responsibility in fostering fellowship between the LC-MS and a church established through the Synod’s mission endeavors, as follows: a. By encouraging the Board for Missions and its var- ious representatives to assume the initiative in creating the conditions for formal church fellowship. b. By encouraging the Board for Missions and its var- ious representatives to arrange for the necessary dis- cussions by chosen representatives of the churches in question; to wit, by way of an exchange of delegates to the respective conventions of the church bodies involved for the purpose of considering items of mutual concern, such as respect for confessional standards and provisions for carrying out their common mission in the world. c. By suggesting to the Board for Missions and its various representatives, that, in consultation with the President of the Synod, they arrange to include in any exchange of persons such individuals as relate to the concerns of the church’s theology (e. g., CTCR members), missions, and administration. d. By encouraging the Board for Missions to arrange for formal declaration of fellowship status by the assem- bled convention of each church and then requesting the president of each of the churches involved formally to designate persons to be responsible for carrying on fur- ther liaison work between the churches concerned.