# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S159
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CHURCH RELATIONS 159

Wuereas, Such consensus in doctrine and confes-
sional unity must precede pulpit and altar fellowship;
therefore be it

Resolved, That because of this most regrettable situ-
ation the Board of Directors of the Montana District of
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod does not favor
the proposed establishment of pulpit and altar fellow-
ship with The American Lutheran Church at this time;
and be it further

Resolved, That for the reasons stated above, the
Board of Directors of the Montana District of The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod plead and petition
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod assembled in
convention at Denver in 1969 most regretfully to declare
itself unable at this time to enter into the pulpit and
altar fellowship so hopefully envisioned by the New
York convention resolution 3-23; and be it further

Resolved, That both bodies pray and work for a
truly God-pleasing, Scripture-directed unity in their
doctrine and practice, ever mindful that “the Church
Militant has indeed the duty to strive after absolute
unity in faith and doctrine as the goal, but it never
attains a higher degree of unity than a unity in funda-
mentals”; 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 pulpit and
altar fellowship with The American Lutheran Church.

Boarp OF DIRECTORS

Montana DISTRICT

Virtus E. Youna, Secretary
(3-182)

Except for deletion of the 5th whereas, essentially
the same overture was forwarded by Rev. R. K. Thomas,
Miles City, Mont.

(3-183)

To Declare Inability on Doctrinal Grounds
to Enter into Fellowship

Wuereas, By the grace of God the Bible, the written

Word of God, with its message of salvation through

Christ alone, is the foundation on which The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod (LCMS) is built; and
Wuereas, The LCMS and The American Lutheran
Church (ALC) do not actually have a basic, funda-
mental agreement on the doctrine of Scripture; and
Wuereas, The ALC openly and widely permits
and/or promotes the theories of higher criticism which
are destructive to the Bible as the verbally inspired and
infallible Word of God; and
Wuereas, The LCMS and The ALC do not fully
agree on the doctrine of the grace of God; and
Wuereas, The LCMS and The ALC do not have a

common approach or understanding regarding the
problem of the lodge; and

Whereas, Pulpit and altar fellowship with The ALC
would involve the communing and acceptance into
membership of lodge members; and

Whereas, Pulpit and altar fellowship with The ALC
would automatically involve the LCMS in such fellow-
ship also with the LCA inasmuch as The ALC has de-
clared fellowship with the LCA; and

Wuereas, The Lutheran confessions state that for
union and unity there must be agreement on the doc-
trine of the Gospel, which includes all the body of doc-
trine within Scripture; and

WuerEAS, Such agreement cannot be shown to fully
or adequately exist between the LCMS and The ALC;
therefore be it

Resolved, That St. John’s Lutheran Congregation of
Watertown, Wis., indicate its opposition to the estab-
lishment of pulpit and altar fellowship with The ALC;
and be it further

Resolved, That we urge the LCMS in convention as-
sembled to declare itself unable on doctrinal grounds to
enter into pulpit and altar fellowship with The ALC.

St. JoHNn’s LUTHERAN CHURCH
Watertown, Wis.

Dr. C. L. BERGMANN, Chairman
MELVIN ScHEID, Secretary

Eucene P. Kaurre.p, Senior Pastor

(3-184)
To Declare Inability to Accept Fellowship

Wuereas, Recent discussions, evaluations, and sur-
veys have indicated that a wholehearted consensus with
The American Lutheran Church exists in regard to our
doctrinal statements but does not exist in regard to the
doctrine held by a considerable majority of the pastors
and theological professors of The American Lutheran
Church; and

Whereas, There is a serious difference of doctrine
on the matter of God’s Word in reference to such mat-
ters as authority, inspiration, and inerrancy, as docu-
mented in Dr. Robert Preus’s study entitled “To Join
or Not to Join”; and

Wuereas, Local studies and discussions have indi-
cated that an alarming number of pastors of The Amer-
ican Lutheran Church no longer hold to the doctrine
of original sin as found in the Book of Concord; and

WueErEAS, The American Lutheran Church’s practice
in dealing with the lodge question indicates more than
a difference in practice, but a doctrinal situation which
affects the very heart of the proclamation of the Gospel;
and

Wuereas, The American Lutheran Church has re-
cently declared altar and pulpit fellowship with the
Lutheran Church in America, creating a situation which
would bring The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
into de facto altar and pulpit fellowship with the Lu-