# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S171
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CHURCH RELATIONS 171

(3-204)

To Decline Fellowship but to Declare
Readiness to Discuss Doctrine and Practice

Wuereas, The brochure Toward Fellowship acknowl-
edges a diversity in practice between The American
Lutheran Church and The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod in the matter of the lodge: Although The ALC,
as does our Synod, agrees in its official position that
lodges or societies of an unchristian or anti-Christian
character are sinful and that “the church of Christ and
its congregations can have no fellowship with them,” yet
it does not require renunciation and dropping of mem-
bership in such societies before the partaking of Holy
Communion is granted; and

Wuereas, This diversity does involve a divisive point
(see “Theses for Discussion,” Lutheran Witness, Feb-
ruary 1969, especially Theses I, I, IV, VII, VIII, XI);
and

Whereas, It has become clear through discussion
that consensus at the local level does not truly exist
between The ALC and The LCMS on the doctrine of
the Word (inspiration, inerrancy, authority): Although
as a church body The ALC “accepts all the canonical
books of the Old and New Testaments as a whole and in
all their parts as the divinely inspired, revealed, and
inerrant Word of God, and submits to this as the only
infallible authority in all matters of faith and life,” it
permits without correction leading members of its body
to make and issue statements that weaken and even
contradict the above official acceptance, or attach mean-
ings to the key portions of it, or give interpretations to
such portions of it that are different or contrary to
meanings or interpretations given to these portions by
our Synod also subscribing to the above acceptance (see
the Lutheran Layman, January 1969, p.8, under “The
ALC and Scriptures,” by Dr. R. Preus); and

Wuereas, The ALC has seen fit to declare fellowship
also with the Lutheran Church in America, with whom
we are neither in fellowship nor have had discussions:
Such an alignment would involve our Synod in “invol-
untary fellowship” with LCA, a fellowship based on
nothing whatever in the way of doctrinal discussions or
agreements between our Synod and the LCA; and

WHEREAS, It is not historically exact to say that dis-
cussions have been carried on since as early as 1916:
The present ALC is a recently constituted church body;
LCMS did not have systematic discussions with ELC,
UELC, and LFC: we had discussions on a regular basis
only with the old ALC: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod in convention assembled at Denver, Colo., July
1969, decline to declare fellowship with The American
Lutheran Church at this time: and be it further

Resolved, That Resolution 3-23 of the New York
convention (1967) be rescinded because of its am-
biguity; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS again declare its readiness

to meet with any and all Lutheran synods — both at
synodical and at the local level —to discuss doctrine
and matters of practice on the basis of Scripture and
the Lutheran Confessions in order that the obstacles to
Lutheran union be removed; and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS thank God for His bless-
ings on the discussions held in the past and bespeak
His blessings on future meetings.

St. Paut Lutueran CHurRCH
Bay City, Mich.

SAMUEL Britton, Chairman
ELpor Appotp, Secretary
H. C. MueE ter, Pastor

(3-205)

To Decline Entry into Fellowship
with The ALC

Wuereas, The July 1969 convention of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod is being asked to declare
altar and pulpit fellowship with The American Lutheran
Church; and

Wuereas, Altar and pulpit fellowship means that —
1) congregations of the synods may hold joint worship

services;

2) pastors of one synod may preach from the pulpits
of congregations in the other synod;

3) members in good standing in one synod may com-
mune as guests at the altar of congregations in the
other synod;

4) members may transfer their membership from con-
gregations of one synod to congregations of the other
synod;

5) congregations of one synod may call as their pastors
those who are on the clergy roster of the other synod:

6) students may prepare for the holy ministry in the
seminaries of either synod;

7) Professors on the clergy roster of one synod could
be called to teach in the seminaries and colleges of
the other synod; and
Whereas, Christians should not practice altar and

pulpit fellowship with those who teach contrary to Holy

Scripture; and
Wuereas, Christians cannot enter into altar and pul-

pit fellowship with a church body that claims to be

orthodox simply because the correct Scriptural doc-
trine is stated in its official confessions; and

Whereas, The Bible, the Lutheran Confessions, and
all orthodox Christians teach that the Bible is the
verbally inspired, inerrant Word of Ged; and

WHEREAS, A good number of officials, pastors, and
professors within The ALC reject the Scriptural doc-
trine of the real inerrancy of the Bible (some of these
ALC clergymen were elected to prominent positions
within The ALC by general conventions of The ALC
after it was a matter of public knowledge that they
denied the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Bible); and