# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1954_S193
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 193

REPORT NO.1 OF THE FLOOR COMMITTEE
ON DOCTRINAL MATTERS

1. Preamble. We humbly bow before our God and Lord Jesus
Christ and sincerely confess our past sins in our intersynodical
life and seek His forgiveness.

We gratefully acknowledge that in spite of our weaknesses
and sins our Lord has bountifully blessed us with the unity we
have enjoyed these past eighty-two years.

2. WHEREAS, Further fellowship negotiations between the Amer-
ican Lutheran Church and The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
have been suspended because of the merger actions of the Amerj-
can Lutheran Church; and

3. WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the Synodical
Conference states: “Without the consent of all the synods of the
Synodical Conference of North America none of its constituent
synods shall be permitted to enter into actual church fellowship
with any other church body”; and

4, WHEREAS, Not all synods of the Synodical Conference had
a part in the negotiations between The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod and the American Lutheran Church, which resulted
in the drafting of the Common Confession; and

5. WHEREAS, The Wisconsin Synod and the Norwegian Synod
and other individuals within the Synodical Conference believe
that the Common Confession is unacceptable as a settlement of
past jlifferences with the American Lutheran Church; there-
fore be it

6. Resolved, That we request The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod not to use the Common Confession as a functioning

ference unit, in order that each committee can report back to its
church body on the development or progress, if any, of such dis-
cussions. (Syn. Conf, Const., Article IV): “Purpose. — The pur-
pose of the Synodical Conference of North America shall be: to

to remove whatever might threaten to disturb this unity; to co-
operate in matters of mutual interest; to strive for true unity
in doctrine and practice among Lutheran church bodies”; and
be it further

8. Resolved, That the Synodical Conference request the Presi-
dents of the constituent synods to appoint, as soon as feasible after
this convention, committees on doctrine and/or practice with equal