# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S81 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) ebegin this convention and go forward in His work remembrance of His blessings. President J. A. O. Preus, Ph.D., D.D. Appendix A Resolution of The American wi Lutheran Church Council Mesolution Regarding LCMS Fellowship A lopted by the ALC Church Council—June 24, 1981 merican Lutheran Church people in congrega- ag. offices, and agencies have rejoiced in the altar -pulpit fellowship between the ALC and The theran Church—Missouri Synod. The fellowship has visibly and positively experienced at many differ- tlevels, but especially between hundreds of congrega- s in American communities. This has been sanecially true in areas where Lutherans are a small minority of the total population. In these areas the total Eutheran witness has been strengthened by our willing- ‘ess to treat each other as partners in life and mission. : Therefore, it is a source of dismay in the ALC that the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations and the LCMS president have recommended to the 1981 vention that the formal fellowship with the ALC be The president of the LCMS in his statement recom- mending cessation of altar and pulpit fellowship plores the lack of progress, from his standpoint, made ‘by the Commission on Fellowship in resolving existing differences between the two churches. He feels the ALC uses the problem. The ALC members of the Commis- gion have been disappointed at the unwillingness ofthe _LCMS members of the Commission to deal with the " tnatter the ALC thinks to be the big disagreement. The ALC believes the Lutheran Confessions are documents of concord, that they were created for purposes of inclusiveness and not exclusiveness, that they embody a Gospel freedom that does not require uniformity in all matters. The ALC and the LCMS agree that fellowship should grow out of a common commitment to the Lutheran Confessions. We have that common commit- ment. The disagreements come in areas not directly addressed by the Confessions and which take on the character of added requirements imposed by LCMS. The ALC believes fellowship should be so defined by both of our churches that agreement on matters directly addressed in the common Confessional documents is sufficient to support altar and pulpit fellowship. ALC leadership reports the LCMS representatives have been unwilling to seriously consider such an approach as means of resolving the problems between our churches. It is apparent that the Commission on Fellowship has been too limited a forum for dealing with fellowship questions. There are too many fixed positions as a result of years of dealing with the questions involved. Discus- sions that determine recommendations on as important a matter as altar and pulpit fellowship deserve more direct participation from people in the congregations. PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS 81 There is only one parish pastor involved among the 12 Commission members, and no laity. It would be tragic if further distance should be put between the ALC and LCMS simply on the determination of conversation between 12 people. God has blessed the ALC and LCMS with a sufficient unity of faith, doctrine, and practice to make altar and pulpit fellowship a necessity. Recommendation: That the ALC Church Council invite the LCMS to join in encouraging widespread regional and local consultations regarding the continu- ance or noncontinuance of altar and pulpit fellowship between the two churches, such consultations to precede any action to terminate fellowship between our churches. Appendix B Response of J. A. O. Preus to David Preus & ALC Church Council June 19, 1981 Church Council The American Lutheran Church 422 South Fifth Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 Dear Brethren: Doctor David Preus has graciously sent to mea copy of his recommended resolution for your action at your June 22—26, 1981, meeting. In order that your action may be based on additional information, I am communicating to you the following. Under LCMS bylaws the President of the Synod “shall represent the Synod in official contacts with other churches and Synods.” Since there will be a new president after our July 3—10 convention, what I am saying may be countermanded by my successor, although both he and I must act under the resolutions and Constitution of the Synod. Further, what I say does not represent necessarily the thinking of our CTCR but is my own. This makes the situation somewhat tentative but I trust you will be understanding at this late date. At the outset, I want to say that the LCMS has repeatedly asked for multilevel discussions of doctrine with the membership of the ALC, and thus Doctor David Preus’ recommendation is most welcome to us. Regardless of the action at this convention regarding fellowship with the ALC, Iam sure that our people at all levels, including the congregations, will be happy to take part in such discussions. We welcome the opportun- ity to discuss church fellowship, its Biblical and confes- sional basis and the question of the exclusiveness or inclusiveness of our Lutheran Confessions. We rejoice in the official Biblical and confessional statements in the Constitution of the ALC. I deeply regret that the ALC commissioners have been disappointed at what they perceive to be an unwillingness on our part to discuss what “the ALC thinks to be the big disagree- ment.” We will be happy to discuss at all levels the question as to whether the confessions “embody a Gospel freedom that does not require uniformity in all matters.” Presumably the “all matters” refer to doctrine.