# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1935_S228
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1935. 217

Correct Practise in Dealing with Lodge-Members.
(Memorial 413.)

By a unanimous vote the following memorial is being respectfully
submitted by the pastors of the Western Pastoral Conference of the
South Wisconsin District, who are deeply concerned over the deplor-
able variance existing in our Synod with respect to the practical deal-
ings with members of lodges and to whom it is a matter of conscience
that all our pastors and congregations be agreed in steadfastly abiding
by the clear statements of God’s Word: —

Wuereas, Synod has repeatedly gone on record that lodge re-
ligion and Christianity are mutually exclusive; and

Wuersas, Synod has repeatedly resolved to admonish all pastors
to instruct their people on the sinfulness of lodgery and to take action
against all members who after thorough instruction refuse to leave
the lodge; and

Wuereas, Synod has repeatedly resolved to warn those pastors
and congregations that are lax in dealing with lodge-members that, if
they continue to make evangelical practise a cloak of license or allow
a very exceptional case of communing one who is still outwardly con-
nected with the lodge to justify a weak and spineless policy in dealing
with the lodge problem, they will be suspended and eventually ex-
pelled from synodical connection ; and

Wuereas, Synod has clearly stated that “anything short of a
sincere determination by God’s grace to stamp out the last vestige of
the lodge evil within our congregations and Synod, anything short of
an honest attempt to carry this determination into effect, is unfaith-
fulness, which makes us partakers of other men’s sins”; and

Wuereas, Tolerance of such cases of lax practise, whether few or
many, would give grave offense to Christians both within and with-
out the pale of Synod, compromise the entire attitude of our Church
to the lodge, and lead to a gradual undermining of our position; and

Wuerzas, It appears that in some localities of Synod brethren
hold that Synod in regard to the lodge problem has departed from its
original position and practise and become legalistic and that such
brethren are at variance with Synod in a matter so important to the
continuance of confessional Lutheranism in America; and

Wuereas, Respecting one another’s conviction and conscience
and bearing with one another as brethren in regard to correct position
and practise in a matter so clearly stated and decided by Scripture is
nothing but a mask of love and charity, is unfaithfulness, which must
lead to a gradual undermining of our position; therefore be it

Resolved, That Synod elect by ballot a committee of nine men