# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S140 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) RESOLUTIONS 139 John Tietjen, in their several responses [Fact Finding or Fault Finding? (Sept. 8, 1972); “Response of the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis” to Dr. Preus’ A Statement (April 4, 1972); Faithful To Our Calling, Faithful To Our Lord, Parts I & II (Dec. 1972); “Re- sponse of the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, to the ‘Report of the Synodical President’” (May 22, 4973) ], have refused to acknowledge as true any of the charges of false doctrine, thus any violation of Art. II of the Constitution; and Wuereas, Said documents provide written evidence of the deviations in doctrine as charged; and Wuerras, The synodical floor committee on semi- nary issues has met with Pres. Tietjen and his advisory faculty committee and ascertained that there has been no retraction or change relative to the faculty’s position; and Wuereas, The Board of Control of Concordia Semi- nary, St. Louis, has failed to recognize the validity of the charges contained in Pres. Preus’ Report (Sept. 1, 1972) as based on the Fact Finding Committee’s report; and Wuereas, It is in keeping with our Lutheran heritage, specifically our commitment to and under the Lutheran Confessions “that the opinion of the party in error can- not be tolerated in the church of God, much less be ex- cused and defended” (Formula of Concord, SD, Pre- face, 9); therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod assert its continuing con- cern for “the conservation and promotion of the unity of the true faith” in accord with Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod repudiate that attitude toward Holy Scripture, particularly as regards its au- thority and clarity, which reduces to theological opinion or exegetical questions matters which are in fact clearly taught in Scripture (e.g., facticity of miracle accounts and their details; historicity of Adam and Eve as real persons; the fall of Adam and Eve into sin as a real event, to which original sin and its imputation upon all succeeding generations of mankind must be traced; the historicity of every detail in the life of Jesus as recorded by the evangelists; predictive prophecies in the Old Testament which are in fact Messianic; the doctrine of angels; the Jonah account, etc.); and be it further Resolved, That the Synod recognize that the matters referred to in the second resolved are in fact false doc- trine running counter to the Holy Scriptures, the Lu- theran Confessions, and the synodical stance and for that reason “cannot be tolerated in the church of God, much less be excused and defended” (FC, SD, Preface, 9); and be it finally Resolved, That these matters be turned over to the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Action: Adopted as amended (13). (Originally the resolution had contained only three re- solveds, with the third reading: “That the Synod recognize that the theological position defended by the faculty ma- jority of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., is in fact false doctrine... .” After the resolution had been discussed in Sessions 11 and 12, the floor committee offered an amend- ment rewording the third resolved as finally adopted and adding the fourth resolved. Special rules introduced from the floor and developed by a group including the chairman of the floor committee and the president of the seminary were followed. A motion to remove Resolution 3-09 from consideration was defeated in Session 11, as was an amend- ment in Session 12 “that these matters be decided by Sep- tember 1, 1973.” After debate on the amendment proposed by the floor committee had been concluded the amendment was adopted, 646 to 366. The question on the resolveds as now amended was called by a standing vote of 678 to 311. After the preamble and whereases had been discussed the question was called for and delegates agreed to close debate, 671 to 321. The entire resolution as amended was then adopted, 574 to 451. Legal counsel for the Synod read a statement into the record in view of a protest which had been filed. For an extended report see Minutes for Sessions 11, 12, and 13.) To Deal with the St. Louis Board of Control RESOLUTION 3-10 Overtures 3-11A—C, 3-82, 3-141—3-150B (CW, pp. 150—153) Wuereas, The Constitution of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod provides as the first object of the Synod “the conservation and promotion of the unity of the true faith” and as the third object of the Synod “the training of ministers and teachers for service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church”; and Wuereas, The third object of the Synod must be carried out in the light of the first object; and Wuereas, The Board of Control has defined “com- mending” as “the equivalent of stating that the pro- fessor was not guilty of false doctrine but was teaching in accord with the Scriptures and the Confessions”; and has defined “to correct” as “the equivalent of saying that the professor was not teaching in accord with Scrip- tures and the Confessions and was therefore open to the charge of false doctrine”; and Wuereas, The Board of Control has failed to carry out its responsibilities in protecting the doctrinal posi- tion of the Synod as is evident from its “commending” the entire faculty; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod express its grave concern for the failure of the Board of Control to carry out its responsibilities; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod call upon those board members who have supported President Tietjen and the faculty majority to repent; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod call on those board mem- bers who cannot in good conscience carry out their responsibilities under the synodical Handbook or who are unwilling to do so to resign. Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to the Board of Directors.