# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S149
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CHURCH RELATIONS 149

pulpit fellowship with The American Lutheran Church
at the 1969 convention of the Synod in Denver.

St. Joun LutHerRAN CHURCH

Ottertail, Minn.

Arcit Luebers, Secretary
(3-153)

To Proceed with Caution in Fellowship

Resolved, That Christ Lutheran Church of Highland,
Wis., with deep concern urge cautious procedure in the
establishment of altar and pulpit fellowship with The
American Lutheran Church and at present oppose such
fellowship, remaining unconvinced that a complete sub-
mission and adherence to Holy Scripture can be as-
sured within a year in matters not only of doctrine

but of practice as well. Curist LuTHERAN CHURCH

Highland, Wis.

Otto GumtTow, Chairman

Martin Poppe, Secretary
(3-154)

To Strive for Internal Unity Before Declaring
Fellowship with The ALC

Wuereas, True fellowship in any form (pulpit or
altar) can exist only where there is unity on the basis
of the Word of God; and

WueEreEaS, It is apparent that there is at the present
time a lack of unity on the basis of the Word in both
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and The Amer-
ican Lutheran Church; therefore be it

Resolved, That we not declare pulpit and altar fel-
lowship with The American Lutheran Church at this
time; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod confess its own faults in this matter before al-
mighty God and show its intention to attain unity by
an active program of Bible-based, soul-searching purifi-
cation of the clergy and the laity in faith and practice, so
that a truly God-pleasing fellowship among the saints
of God can be achieved.

ZION LUTHERAN CONGREGATION

Dexter, Iowa

Max L. Mount, Chairman

ANDREW VARLEY, Secretary

Norman M, Luecut, Pastor
(3-155)

To Discontinue Fellowship Efforts
Until Disunity Is Removed

WHEREAS, Such Scripture as 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Thess. 3:14:
Rom. 16:17; 2 Thess. 3:6; and 1Tim.6:3-5 clearly for-
bids syncretistic alliances: and

Wuereas, The American Lutheran Church as a body
practices religious unionism through its membership in
the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council
of Churches, neither of which organizations “all speak
the same thing” nor are they “perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment”; and

Wuereas, The Constitution of The Lutheran Church
— Missouri Synod was formulated on a Scriptural basis
for Scriptural purposes; and

Wuereas, The Constitution of The Lutheran Church
— Missouri Synod includes as a stated purpose, among
others, ‘The endeavor to bring about the largest pos-
sible uniformity in church practice, church customs and,
in general, in congregational affairs” (Art. III, 5); and

Wuereas, The proposed fellowship with The Ameri-
can Lutheran Church, if adopted under existing condi-
tions, would be a violation of both Scripture and the
Synod’s Constitution and would ignore the actual con-
ditions of unresolved doctrinal differences and widely
differing church practice in both The American Lu-
theran Church and The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod (admission that inconsistent practice exists within
the LCMS concerning lodgery, for example, is made in
Toward Fellowship, p. 20: “We must recognize that our
practice is not uniformly consistent and that some con-
gregations of our Synod do not always conform to this
recommended procedure”); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod reject the proposal for
fellowship with The American Lutheran Church at this
time; and be it further

Resolved, That all further fellowship efforts be dis-
continued until the disunity resulting from differing
doctrine and practice be removed from within The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod; and be it finally

Resolved, That future considerations for fellowship
or other alliances include a clear Scriptural determina-
tion of what the doctrine and practice actually is of a
given church body or organization and that a Scrip-
tural basis for fellowship or association with it is dem-
onstrated to be in existence.

St. JoHNn’s LUTHERAN CHURCH
Lovell, Wyo.

CHar_Les E. WAGNER, Chairman
Frep MILLER, Secretary

(3-156)

To Suspend All Fellowship Procedures
Until Purity of Doctrine Is Restored

Wuereas, The confidence of God's people lies in
God's Word alone and not on the wisdom of men (Prov.
3:5): and

Whereas, The strength of the church lies in its faith-
fulness to Holy Scripture and not in its size or popu-
larity (Eph. 4:13-14); and

Whereas, Present negotiations toward fellowship are
not being based on humble submission to the clear Word
of God (Is. 66:2, James 1:21); and

Wuereas, Much of the public teaching of The Amer-
ican Lutheran Church is not in accord with Holy Scrip-
ture (John 8:31-32); and

Whereas, Fellowship with those whose position on

Scripture is weak does not strengthen loyalty to Scrip-
ture (Matt. 16:6, 12; 2 Tim. 2:14-17); therefore be it