# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S123 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) SEMINARY ISSUES 123 3-28 To Resist Any Addition to Article II Wuereas, Article 2 of Synod’s Constitution states the con- fessional basis for our Synod and its constituents; and Wuereas, Attempts to add to that confessional basis have, in the past, been declared unconstitutional; and Wuenreas, The President of Synod has indicated that his Statement is not intended to be a “new standard of ortho- doxy”; and Wuereas, Widely differing conclusions have been reached among us by Districts, pastoral conferences, and individuals on the value of the Statement: therefore be it Resolved, That Synod declare its continued acceptance of Article 2 of its Constitution as its doctrinal basis and resist any efforts to add to that basis the Statement or any other documents, no matter how “orthodox.” BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH Minnetonka, Minn. Harold W. Marquardt, Chairman Esther Asmus, Secretary 3-29A To Reaffirm Confessional Commitment of Article II of Synod’s Constitution Wuereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod was founded upon the sole confessional base of the Holy Serip- tures “as being the only rule and norm of faith and practice, and the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of that Word of God”; and Wuereas, This platform is the confessional Article of the Constitution of our Synod to which each pastor and congre- gation has pledged his support; and WuereaS, Synod in the past has refused to alter that base through the addition of new documents, or by giving such documents “confessional” status; and Wuereas, The “doctrinal purity” of men within our Synod today is being examined and judged on the basis of docu- ments or resolutions other than that of the Scriptures and the Confessions; therefore be it Resolved. That we, the pastors of the Golden Gate Pas- toral Conference of the California and Nevada District con- firm our loyalty to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions (Book of Concord); and be it further Resolved, That we deplore any efforts to judge men’s confessional loyalty by documents other than those listed under Article II of Synod’s Constitution as it presently stands; and be it finally Resolved, That we memorialize Synod in convention in New Orleans, 1973, to reaffirm this stance for all pastors and congregations of Synod. Go.peN GATE PASTORAL CONFERENCE CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA DIstTRICT Louis C. Marting, Secretary Similar: 3-29B Sierra-Nevada Pastoral Conference, California and Ne- vada District, Oren Geiger, Chairman: James A. Kabel, Sec- retary. 3-30 Not to Adopt “A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles” Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in convention reject any overture that would seek to make A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles a doctrinal statement of the church. Reasons: 1. Res. 5-24 of the Milwaukee convention discussed the status of synodically adopted doctrinal statements. 2. Res. 5-24 said: “That the Synod distinguish between resolutions concerning doctrine formulated and adopted at a convention and more formal statements of belief which are produced by officially authorized groups, and which are then presented to the congregations and clergy of the Synod for study and discussion and whieh are subsequently adopted by a synodical convention.” 3. The implication of this part of Res. 5-24 is that a doc- ument to be adopted as one of Synod’s statements on doc- trine be submitted to clergy and congregations with clear indication that it will later be presented to the convention for a vote. 4. A Statement of Seriptural and Confessional Principles was not submitted to the clergy and congregations with an indication that it would later be presented to the conven- tion for a formal adoption as a doctrinal statement of the Synod. 5. A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles, while containing many fine passages, contains forms of ex- pression and lines of reasoning which need careful and de- liberate study in an unhurried atmosphere. 6. Neither the clergy nor the congregations of Synod have had time to submit all concerns on A Statement to the Com- mission on Theology and Church Relations or prepare their presentations on the document as an official statement of the Synod. IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH Amherst, Massachusetts Charles Cole, President Mrs. James Terrill, Secretary 3-31 To Take Action on “Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles” Resolved, That we, the Atlantic District of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, ask the President of the Synod to repudiate, immediately and publicly, any attempt by anyone anywhere to use the Statement of Scriptural and Confes- sional Principles as a new standard of orthodoxy; and be it further Resolved, To petition Synod to encourage academic free- dom in its truest sense, within the framework of the Scrip- tures and of the Lutheran Confessions, at its schools, col- leges, and seminaries: and be it finally Resolved. To commend all pastors, laymen, and com- mittees to give these matters further study so that each cir- cuit present statements to the Floor Committee of the syn- odical convention in New Orleans. Reasons: 1. President Preus issued A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles on March 3, 1972. 2. The St. Louis faculty issued a response on April 4, 1972. 3. These documents have created great controversy with- in the Synod. The Committee on Synodical Matters of the Atlantic District feels these documents must be dealt with by the Atlantic District. 4. While we appreciate the statements in the Statement of Scriptural and Confession Principles, particularly those ar- ticles about “Christ as Savior and Lord” and about “Law and Gospel,” we are deeply concerned about the possible pur- poses which the Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles can be made to serve in our Synod. AtTuantTic DISTRICT Arlin Mass, Secretary 3-32A To Use “A Statement” Only for Study WuereaS, There are some in the Synod who are promot- ing President Preus’ A Statement of Scriptural and Con- fessional Principles for synodical endorsement and enforce~