# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1935_S229
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

216 Proceedings of Thirty-Sixth Regular Convention,

and more apparent. They are still powerful with their thirty million
members, but their day of prosperity, ‘especially of the insurance
orders, is definitely past. It is difficult to get young blood: Our
pastoral problem is only in rare cases the dealing with our own men
and women who have joined the lodge; it is almost entirely a mis-
sionary problem. The prospect of gaining a lodge man is better now
than it was in the past. A unified practise, the determined stand of
conferences, more ample information regarding the individual orders,
and a weakened hold of the lodges upon their members, all work to-
gether to make this problem less menacing than it was in the past.
To weaken in our policy at such a time would be wicked folly.

THeEoporE GrarBner. O. F. ENGELBRECHT.

This memorial had been referred to Committee 16, which brought
in the following report; — ‘

Your Committee calls attention to the extensive detailed work
of the Bureau on Lodge Information and tothe following state-
ments contained in their report: “It may be said in general that
during the forty years so far reviewed ‘the expression of our Church
was unanimously against the: lodge and against all toleration of
lodge-members, but also against a legalistic, mechanical operation
with lodge resolutions, paragraphs, and principles. Our present
policy, as formulated in 1929 and 1982, is in agreement with the
early attitude of our Synod.” And again: “The prospect of gaining
a lodge man is better now than it was in-the past. A unified practise,
the determined stand of conferences, more ample information re-
garding the individual orders, and a weakened hold of the lodges
upon their members, all work together to make this problem less
* menacing than it was in the past. To weaken in our policy at such
a:time would be wicked folly.”

We respectfully recommend: — .

1. That Synod be encouraged to continue this Bureau of In-
formation on the secret orders in its present scope;

2. That Synod continue to supply the Bureau with the required
clerical help; oo

3. That a vote of thanks and appreciation be given the members
of the Bureau for their painstaking labors and also Prof. R. Heintze
of the St. Louis Seminary for his valuable assistance;

4. That Synod bestow a vote of commendation on all “congre-
gations and pastors that have with a charitable, yet resolute spirit
attacked this problem.” OS ,
; Action of Synod,

The recommendations of Committee-16 were adopted,