# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_FEBRUARY 28 1961_S9 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) COPY OF COMMUNICATION Exhibit "'c" March 30, 1961 The Rev. Dan R. Ludwig, Secretary The English District 10503 Valleyview Road Northfield, Ohio Dear Brother Ludwig: Your letter of July 16, 1960, in which you informed the Committee on Consti- tutional Matters that the Convention of the English District in June, 1960 had adopted a resolution which questioned the constitutionality of Resolution Num- ber 9 of Committee Number 3 adopted by The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod at its 1959 Convention in San Francisco, has been the subject of consid- eration by the Committee on Constitutional Matters at three meetings. The two pertinent resolutions as adopted by your District have the following - wording: Resolution lL. “WHEREAS, Article II of the Constitution of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod sets forth the confessional standard of Synod as follows: ‘Synod and every member of Synod accepts without reservation: 1. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and practice; 2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit, the three Ecumenical Creeds (The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, the Large Catechism of Luther the Small Catechism of Luther, and the Formula of Concord;' and "WHEREAS, Resolution 9, Committee 3, of the 1959 Synodical Convention would in effect give confessional status to articles never accorded such confessional weight in Synod's Constitution, by binding Synod's pastors, teachers, and professors to teach in harmony with articles passed by simple majority vote at Synodical Conventions; and “WHEREAS, Resolution 9 would thus in effect amend Article II of Synod's Constitution without following proper procedures as outlined in Article XIV, 'Changes in and Amendments to, the Constitution, ' and Bylaws to the Constitution 2. 113b, which states: