# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S194
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

1094 CHURCH RELATIONS

which admits both Lutherans and Reformed to Holy
Communion at the same altar, are additional examples
of LWF members who are not truly Lutheran in con-
fession and practice; and

Wuereas, The LWF at Helsinki in 1963 clearly dem-
onstrated that agreement could not be reached among
the member LWF churches even on the fundamental
Scriptural and Lutheran doctrine of justification by
faith alone, thereby rendering LWF subscription to the
Lutheran Confessions essentially null and void; and

Wuereas, Dr. J. W. Behnken, well versed in LWF
affairs and long conversant with confessional conflicts
within the LWF, warned our Synod as late as 1967 that
additional problems exist in the areas of Holy Com-
munion, ordination of women, the lodge problem, re-
ligious unionism, the doctrine of the church, the prob-
lem of ecumenism, etc.; and

WuerEAS, Membership in the LWF would involve us
in violations of such specific directions from God as
1 John 2:19; 2 Cor. 6:14-15; 1 Cor. 1:10; Rom. 16:17;
and

Wuereas, Membership in the LWF would involve us
in church fellowship situations which would be “a stone
of stumbling and a rock of offense” (Is. 8:14) to con-
cerned Christians and communions both without and
within the Lutheran Church; and

Wuereas, Membership in the LWF would lay upon
the confessional concern of many of our member con-
gregations a burden too heavy to be borne; and

Wuereas, The LCMS would lose its distinctive and
effective confessional Biblical witness from without by
identification with the LWF, which often gives anything
but a true Lutheran witness to God’s Word and God’s
work; therefore be it

Resolved, That we petition The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod, in convention assembled in Denver, to
decline the overtures to join the Lutheran World Fed-

eration. Messtan LUTHERAN CHURCH

Sterling, Ill.
Haro.tp Netson, Secretary
ExLpor MUELLER, Pastor

(3-258)

This overture was also received from Trinity Lu-
theran Church, Rock Springs, Wyo., Gerald L. Rohde,
Chairman.

(3-259)

To Reject All Proposals to Join
the Lutheran World Federation

Wuereas, The constitution of the LWF negates its
claim to adherence to the Lutheran Confessions by spe-
cifically declaring that this does not bind member
churches to these Confessions; and

Wuereas, The Lutheran State Church of Finland, in
membership with the LWF, changed its confessional

paragraph already in 1870 in such a way that it no
longer officially confesses the Lutheran doctrine; and
WuereEas, The LWF at Helsinki in 1963 clearly dem-
onstrated that agreement could not be reached among
the member LWF churches even on the fundamental
Scriptural and Lutheran doctrine of justification by
faith alone, thereby rendering LWF subscription to the
Lutheran Confessions essentially null and void; and
Wuereas, Dr. J. W. Behnken, well versed in LWF
affairs and its confessional aberrations, warned our
Synod as late as 1967 that additional problems exist in
the areas of Holy Communion, ordination of women,
lodgery, unionism, apostolic succession, the authority of
Scripture, views of the church and the ministry; and
WHEREAS, The revisions and amendments of the LWF
Constitution (1963) did not prevent the Evangelische
Kirche in Deutschland from issuing a Grundordnung
which officially orders all its pastors to admit non-
Lutheran people to Holy Communion, and did not
restrain the LWF from exercising churchly functions
and tending toward declaring itself a Lutheran church
on an international scale; and
Wuereas, Our beloved Synod, The Lutheran Church
— Missouri Synod, has gladly and willingly participated
and cooperated with other churches, especially also with
the LWF, in nonconfessional and so-called external
matters; and

WHEREAS, Our present unity with the Lutheran free
churches of Europe and other sound confessional
churches with which we have been in fellowship for
many years would be jeopardized and the cause of true
Lutheranism hindered; and

WHEREAS, Membership in the LWF would involve us
in violations of such specific directions from God as
1 John 2:19; 2 Cor. 6:14-15; 1 Cor. 1:10; Rom. 16:17; and

Whereas, Membership in the LWF would lay upon
the confessional concern of many of our member con-
gregations a burden too heavy to be borne; and

Whereas, The LCMS would lose its distinctive and
effective confessional Biblical witness from without by
identification with the LWF, which often gives any-
thing but a true Lutheran witness to God’s Word and
God’s work; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, in convention assembled in Denver, unreservedly
reject any and all overtures to join the Lutheran World

Federation. St. Paut’s First LuTHeran Cyurcu

North Hollywood, Calif.
J. Davip WALTHER, Secretary

(3-260)

To Decline Membership in LWF and to
Support Formation of International
Conference of All Loyal Lutherans

Resolved, That we respectfully request the 1969 con-
vention of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod to