# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S131
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CHURCH RELATIONS 131

(3-98)

To Postpone Indefinitely Synodical Action
on Fellowship

Wuereas, The present American Lutheran Church
has now been in existence for only 8 years and The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod has been involved
in negotiations toward fellowship with the present ALC
for only 5 years; and

Wuereas, Our Synod was unable to find a suitable
doctrinal basis for pulpit and altar fellowship with the
previous ALC and its predecessors during a period of
time which extends to well before the turn of the last
century; and

Wuereas, In June of 1968 the Commission on Theol-
ogy and Church Relations had first approved a set of
objectives for a committee to work with ALC repre-
sentatives “toward a unified evangelical position and
practice in areas of church life where disturbing diver-
sities still exist’ (Resolution 3-23); and

Wnereas, The findings of this committee can hardly
be said to have been adequately digested by the mem-
bership of the LCMS; and

Wuereas, When quick judgments are made in politi-
cal and ecclesiastical affairs without lengthy examina-
tion of the ramifications of a proposed change of position
and policy, such changes most often succeed in being
rashly made and later regretted: and

Wuereas, Although the present ALC has an admir-
able position in its constitution regarding religious
societies which are avowedly unchristian and declares
them to be anti-Christian. it has thus far been unable
and perhaps unwilling to agree on any effective method
of dealing with its own members who are associated
with such anti-Christian societies: and

Wuereas. The ALC holds membership in the Lu-
theran World Federation and the World Council of
Churches and is firmly committed to future membership
in the National Council of Churches and is thus thor-
oughly dedicated to full participation in the ecumenical
movement: and

Wuereas, The LCMS has previously expressed its
unwillingness to be associated with these bodies, has
stood firm against unionism, and has therefore ques-
tioned full participation in the ecumenical movement:
and

Wuereas, The ALC has expressed its desire to con-
firm its unofficial pulpit and altar fellowship with the
Lutheran Church in America and to establish full fel-
lowship with that body: and

Wuereas, The LCMS does not contemplate any im-
mediate fellowship with the LCA, because of its doc-
trinal stand: and

Wuereas, The ALC has thus far failed to repudiate
the teaching that man participates or cooperates in
his conversion and the teaching that unconverted man
has a free will; and

Wnrereas, The ALC has failed to accentuate and
reaffirm a sound Lutheran stance regarding the author-
ity, infallibility, inerrancy, and verbal inspiration of the
text of the Holy Scripture, but has permitted its presi-
dent to state that the reliability of Scripture refers only
to the truths therein expressed: and

Wuereas, Fellowship must be established on the basis
of Scripture as well as the Confessions; and

Wereas, The oneness we are encouraged to seek
must be on the basis of doctrines found in God’s written
Hord and not on the basis of social and public pressure
and emotional appeal: and

Wuereas, Because of our God-given responsibility to
witness the truth of God's love in Christ to the world,
we dare not convey to the world the idea that we are
unwilling to accept God's words as binding on us; and

Wuereas, There is little evidence that to declare fel-
lowship with the ALC would succeed in promoting the
cause of bringing lost sinners to a knowledge of their
Savior when the Word of God which clearly tells of
God's love and man’s salvation is thereby diluted; and

Wuereas, To declare such fellowship would un-
doubtedly cause further dissension and even greater
financial difficulty within our beloved LCMS and its
congregations; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod in convention assembled reiterate its desire to
establish a God-pleasing pulpit and altar fellowship
with all Scriptural, confessional Lutheran bodies; and
be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS humbly admit that condi-
tions for such God-pleasing pulpit and altar fellowship
between The American Lutheran Church and the LCMS
do not exist at present: and be it further

Resolved, That such fellowship be respectfully de-
clined at the present time; and be it finally

Resolved, That synodical action regarding such fel-
lowship with the ALC be indefinitely postponed until
the above impediments to fellowship with the ALC have

been removed.
Rev. THEODORE E. GUNDLACH

Watertown, Wis.
(3-99)

To Postpone Indefinitely
Enactment of Fellowship

Wuereas, The interim between our New York and
this Denver convention was, by resolution of the Synod,
to be utilized as a period in which our constituent con-
gregations would conscientiously review and assess the
Synod's resolve that “the Scriptural and confessional
basis for altar and pulpit fellowship between The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod and The American
Lutheran Church exists” (Resolution 3-23); and

Wuereas, After prayerful deliberation of the issues
at stake (as listed hereunder) we find these to be of
paramount importance and sadly militating against our
fervent desire for the God-pleasing unity we should like