# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S130
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

130 CHURCH RELATIONS

American Lutheran Church be postponed until such
time as a consensus regarding lodge membership that
conforms to the Gospel of Christ is reached and imple-

mented.
BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH

River Grove, IIl.

WALTER WEITH, President
GERALD GARRETT, Secretary
MarTIN H. BEHLING, Pastor

(3-95)

To Postpone Fellowship Until Concerns
Have Been Removed

We respectfully request The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod, meeting in convention at Denver, Colo.,
July 11—19, 1969, to postpone action on fellowship with
The American Lutheran Church until the following
concerns have been satisfied:

1. While there apparently was a “consensus” among
the commissioners of the two church bodies in the area
of grace, Scripture, and the doctrine of the church, there
is evidence of a lack of “consensus” on the congrega-
tional level, particularly in the doctrine of the verbal in-
spiration of the Scriptures. We agree with the Brief
Statement of the Missouri Synod when it says: “The
orthodox character of a church is established not by its
mere name nor by its outward acceptance of, and sub-
scription to, an orthodox creed, but by the doctrine
which is actually taught in its pulpits, in its theological
seminaries, and in its publications.”

2. While both church bodies in their constitutions
take almost identical positions in their opposition to fra-
ternal organizations, there is a wide difference in their
methods of dealing with this problem, The American
Lutheran Church accepting lodge members into their
membership and then purportedly seeking to convince
them of the evils of lodge membership. This method, we
feel, would work havoc with our churches and would
greatly weaken and undermine our lodge position.

3. The recent decision of The American Lutheran
Church to enter into fellowship with the Lutheran
Church in America would also bring us into fellowship
with the Lutheran Church in America, should we de-
cide to enter into fellowship with The American Lu-
theran Church. This, we feel, would result in the gross-
est disunity instead of unity. There should be unity
in doctrine and in practice before we enter into fellow-
ship with other church bodies.

For these reasons we respectfully request the Synod
in convention in Denver to postpone fellowship with
The American Lutheran Church until these concerns
have been removed.

St. Joun’s LUTHERAN CHURCH
Beardstown, III.

Epwin J. TUECKE, Chairman
Dace F. Eckuorr, Secretary
Epwarp M. Lane, Pastor

(3-96)

To Postpone Declaring Fellowship

Wuereas, Members of the Synod have been asked to
study seriously the question of declaring fellowship
with The American Lutheran Church; and

Wuereas, We have studied various materials on this
important matter; and

Wuereas, We, through our pastor, have had the
benefit of studying with pastors of The American Lu-
theran Church; and

Wuereas, We believe that there is NO consensus,
neither in doctrine nor in practice; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention postpone de-
claring fellowship with The American Lutheran Church
until such time as doctrinal differences and practices
which militate against the pure Gospel have been re-
solved, as the Scriptures require.

First TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
Bloomfield, Nebr.
WALTER E. WEAVAL, Secretary

(3-97)

To Postpone Finalizing Fellowship

Wuereas, The question of altar and pulpit fellowship
between The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and
The American Lutheran Church is one of the most mo-
mentous issues ever to come before our beloved Mis-
souri Synod; and

Wuereas, There is so much confusion and uncertainty
surrounding the matter of doctrinal unity between The
American Lutheran Church and The Lutheran Church
— Missouri Synod; and

Wuereas, The American Lutheran Church practices
fellowship with the Lutheran Church in America, with
whom we are not in doctrinal unity, and is affiliated with
the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World
Federation, with whom we have refused the hand of
fellowship in preceding conventions, on Scriptural
grounds; and

Whereas, There is evidence in our own area that
The American Lutheran Church continues to receive
into communicant membership those who are members
of Christ-denying organizations, even taking into mem-
bership persons that our congregation has refused to
take into membership because they are members of
an organization which confesses and fosters a religion
whose principles and practices conflict with the Word
of God (2 Cor. 6:14-18; 2 John 9); therefore be it

Resolved, That we ask the Synod meeting at the next
general convention of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod at Denver, Colo., in 1969, to postpone finalizing
altar and pulpit fellowship with The American Lutheran

Church.
St. MATTHEW LUTHERAN CONGREGATION

North Tonawanda, N. Y.
Rosert D. KInDALL, President
Pau. F. Hoover, Secretary