# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S145
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CHURCH RELATIONS 145

sional unity must precede altar and pulpit fellowship:
therefore be it

Resolved, That because of this most regrettable situ-
ation, Trinity Lutheran Church, Billings, Mont., does
not favor the proposed establishment of altar and pulpit
fellowship with The American Lutheran Church at this
time; and be it further

Resolved, That for reasons stated above, we humbly
petition The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod as-
sembled at Denver in 1969 most regretfully to declare
itself unable at this time to enter into the altar and
pulpit fellowship so hopefully envisioned by the 1967
New York convention in Resolution 3-23; and be it
further

Resolved, That both bodies pray and work for a truly
God-pleasing, Scripture-directed unity in doctrine and
practice, ever mindful that “the Church militant has
indeed the duty to strive after absolute unity and faith
and doctrine as the goal, but it never attains a higher
degree of unity than a unity in fundamentals’; and be
it finally

Resolved, That we earnestly plead with all members
of the body of Christ to continue fervently praying for
and conscientiously working toward a Spirit-motivated,
Gospel-centered, Bible-based doctrinal unity which,
God willing, also shall eventuate in complete altar and

pulpit fellowship. Trinity LUTHERAN CHURCH

Billings, Mont.
Lee Mauner, President
R. H. Jowpan, Secretary

(3-138)

To Declare that Conditions for God-Pleasing
Fellowship Do Not Exist at Present

Wuereas, The New York convention of the Synod
in 1967 declared that “the Scriptural and confessional
basis for altar and pulpit fellowship between The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod and The American
Lutheran Church exists” and further resolved that “the
President of the Synod in conjunction with the Council
of Presidents make the appropriate recommendations
to the 1969 convention”; and

Wuereas, It is clear from current public teachings
of The American Lutheran Church that doctrines con-
trary to Holy Scripture are being taught: and

Wuereas, Local discussion meetings between ALC
and LCMS pastors have emphatically borne out the
facts in the above paragraph: and

Wuereas, It is evident that the widespread practice
of accepting into communicant membership members
of Christ-denying organizations continues to exist in
The ALC; and

Wuereas, The American Lutheran Church is affili-
ated with the World Council of Churches and the
Lutheran World Federation, both organizations being
unionistic; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod in convention assembled declare that conditions
for a God-pleasing pulpit and altar fellowship between
The American Lutheran Church and The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod do not presently exist.

St. STEPHEN’s LUTHERAN CHURCH
Watertown, Wis.

Harotp Maas, Secretary

J. B. Brown, Pastor

(3-139)

Not to Make Fellowship Declaration
at This Time

Whereas, It is the will of our Lord Jesus Christ that
there be true unity in His church and that this unity
is founded only on the basis of the Holy Scriptures: and

WuHerEAS, The current search for altar and pulpit
fellowship between The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod and The American Lutheran Church is a God-
pleasing effort for Christ and the Gospel; and

Wuereas, The realization of such fellowship can
bring numerous blessings into the life of the participat-
ing bodies; and

Wuereas, The present situation reveals that there is
not full consensus between our respective synods con-
cerning the inerrancy and infallibility of the inspired
Word of God; and

Whereas, There still remain the disturbing diver-
Sities in practice regarding anti-Christian lodges, union-
ism, and membership in the Lutheran World Federation
and World Council of Churches which have not been
resolved; and

WuereEAS, It is most apparent that more time should
be devoted to discussions of doctrine and practice, espe-
cially between members of local congregations of both
synods; therefore be it

Resolved, That we respectfully request The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod in convention assembled in
Denver, Colo., not to declare fellowship with The Amer-
ican Lutheran Church at this time: and be it further

Resolved, That we faithfully continue our discussions
with members of The American Lutheran Church in an
effort to arrive at a Spirit-wrought doctrinal consensus
and a God-pleasing practice between us; and be it
further

Resolved, That future commissions on church fellow-
ship prepare guidelines based on Biblical directives
which deal specifically with those issues in which there
is disagreement in doctrine and practice; and be it finally

Resolved, That we earnestly implore the Holy Spirit
to bless all future deliberations on all levels and grant
us that Christ-honoring unity which is based upon the
Holy Scriptures and the historic Lutheran Confessions.

St. MatrHew's LUTHERAN CHURCH
Houston, Tex.

JOHN D. Lotrman, President

H. Lee Mitter, Secretary