# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S177
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

14th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1914. 177

Inquiries Regarding Our Synod's Practice

with respect to the temporary admission to Holy Communion of those who
have not yet dissolved every connection with the lodge.

———

Committee 2 gave the Synod the following report on the matter, which was
adopted:

Regarding the above matter, your committee had before it a written
petition to the Reverend Synod, signed by Pastor F. W. Loose on behalf of
the General Pastoral Conference of the South Dakota District, and by
Prof. E. A. W. Krauss as secretary of the theological faculty of the
seminary at St. Louis.

For fuller information, your committee was also handed a lengthy
correspondence between the aforesaid conference and the faculty.

Your committee not only examined the petition together with the
correspondence and discussed it thoroughly among itself, but also
negotiated with interested persons present at the Synod. After these
negotiations we advised both sides to discuss the matter among themselves
through representatives from their own number, in the hope that a
complete understanding might thereby be reached.

Such negotiations have taken place between the parties named, through
which several points of disagreement were also removed; yet full
understanding has not yet been reached.

In view of this state of affairs, we now recommend the following to the
Reverend Synod:

Whereas 1. the questions submitted do not touch our Synod's doctrinal
position on the lodge question — for on that point, of course, both sides
are entirely agreed that the whole lodge system is an abomination
contrary to God — but rather concern a point of practice;

2. answering the historically framed inquiries would require the careful
review and examination of many publications on this subject, e.g., the
report of the General Synod of the year 1863, the synodical report of the
Eastern District of the year 1873, the synodical report of the Synodical
Conference of the year 1904, an article in "Lehre und Wehre" [Doctrine
and Defense] of the year 1913, and others besides:

be it therefore resolved:

1. that the Synod appoint a committee of three pastors, living as close
together as possible, and refer the matter to this committee for further
deliberation;

2. that this committee communicate its findings to both sides in writing;

3. that this committee, if the matter is not settled by its decision,
proceed further under the advice of the General Presidium

[Signature at the foot of the page: "12" — a printer's sheet signature, not a folio.]