# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S152
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

152 SEMINARY ISSUES

3-147
To Appoint New Seminary Board of Control

WuerEas, The Board of Control of Concordia Seminary,
St.Louis (hereafter called the St.Louis Board), has been
empowered by the Bylaws of The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod, to supervise the faculty of Concordia Seminary,
especially in regard to the teaching of the pure Lutheran
doctrine, and

Whereas, This responsibility was confirmed by a special
mandate of the LCMS at its 1971 convention, Res. 2-28, which
called upon the St.Louis Board to engage in “commending
and correcting where necessary”; and

Wuereas, The St.Louis Board has shown insufficient
initiative in handling the situation of doctrinal concern that
many in the Synod have with the faculty of Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis: and

Wuereas, The St.Louis Board had to be prodded by a
special resolution into assuming its duties and functions
which it should have assumed on its own; and

Wuereas, The St. Louis Board has before it the individual
statements of faith made in connection with the investigation
by the President of the LCMS, both on tape as well as in
the form of transcripts of the actual interviews held by the
Fact Finding Committee and also has had before it. both
volumes of Faithful To Our Calling, Faithful To Our Lord
in which the faculty individually and collectively again
stated their position: and

Whereas, The St.Louis Board did interview on several
occasions the President and members of the faculty of Con-
cordia Seminary, St. Louis; and

Wuereas. The St.Louis Board also has had before it
during the last 4 years, and prior, articles published by the
faculty members in the faculty's official journal, and else-
where; and

Wuereas, The St. Louis Board, according to a decision of
its majority. has on several occasions (the last being Feb.
13) exonerated the faculty of Concordia Seminary; and

Wuereas, The St. Louis Board at its meeting in February
1973 found it impossible to come to a unanimous decision
on the doctrinal soundness of nearly all of the members of
the faculty; and

Wuereas, The St.Louis Board as now constituted, has
shown itself to be incompetent or unwilling to handle the
problem of the teaching of false doctrine and of the failure
to teach pure Biblical and Lutheran doctrine, espoused to
by the LCMS, as outlined in the constitution and reaffirmed
by synodical resolution; and

Wuereas, The LCMS has been more than patient and
loving in dealing with the St.Louis Board and its failures;
therefore be it

Resolved, That for the sake of the congregations who are
the members of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,
that the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
Mo., be immediately dismissed; and be it further

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
direct the President of the Synod to appoint an interim
Board of Control to be responsible directly to him for the
next 2 years: and be it finally

Resolved, That the President of the Synod make a report
to the next convention of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod on the progress at Concordia Seminary in removing
false doctrine and in assuring that the true doctrine is
being taught there once again.

Trinity LUTHERAN CHURCH
Indianapolis, Ind.
William Harding, Secretary

3-148

To Dismiss Board of Control at Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis
Wuereas, The current doctrinal conflict troubling our
Synod is rooted at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; and

Whereas, The conflict has been building up over the last
15 to 20 years; and

Wuereas, Synod in convention and its President have ad-
monished the Board to deal with these issues and no cor-
rections are in evidence; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Control be dismissed and
thanked for its service; and be it further

Resolved. That the Vice-Presidents of Synod immediately
replace the Board and act with all powers and duties until
a new Board can be staffed.

St. MarrHew LuTHERAN CHURCH

St. Louis, Mo.

Andrew T. Pickens, President
Herbert W. Schollmeyer, Secretary
William H. B. Fehl Jr., Pastor

3-149

To Call for Complete Report from St. Louis
Seminary Board of Control

Whereas, The Board of Control of Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis, through its Executive Officer, Dr. John Tietjen,
stated that the Board commends the members of the faculty
of Concordia Seminary: and

Wuereas, The Executive Officer defined this act of com-
mendation “as equivalent to stating that the professors were
not guilty of false doctrine”: and

WHEREAS, In matters of Christian doctrine, the church
and its boards, which act in the church's name, are to strive
for unanimity of decision and confession: and

Wuereas, The Board of Control of Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis, has in the matter of handling the accusations of
false doctrine at Concordia Seminary not even attained near
unanimity in the last 4 years: and

Wuereas, A significant minority on the Board of Control
has agreed with the President of the Synod and his Fact
Finding Committee that there is indeed false doctrine being
taught and permitted by the faculty of Concordia Seminary;
an

Wuereas, Such a confusing situation causes doubts among
the members of the LCMS, concerning what is the true
doctrine and what is false doctrine; and

Wuereas, The Board of Control has at this time not re-
leased the minutes or the record of its vote in regard to
the individual faculty members whom it has interviewed;
and

Wuereas, This is not a private matter, but a public matter
since the Board of Control has a responsibility not to itself
but to the congregations of the LCMS; therefore be it

Resolved, That because of incompetency in handling the
present situation of false doctrine at Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis. the Board of Control at the seminary be immedi-
ately dismissed; and be it further

Resolved, That for the sake of Christian love in main-
taining true doctrine for the eternal salvation of souls that
all past, present, and future deliberations in the matter of
the faculty taken by the Board of Control be made im-
mediately public and available to all members of The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod.

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
Indianapolis, Ind.
William H. Harding, Secretary

3-150A

To Abolish Board of Control of St. Louis
Seminary and Elect or Appoint New
Board of Control

Wuereas, The Board of Control of Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis, has failed to function according to the provision
of Handbook 6.39a: “The Board of Control shall make cer-
tain that the work of the institution entrusted to its care
is carried out effectively, in accordance with the theological
and academic standards of the Synod”; therefore be it

Resolved, That we ask Synod in convention assembled at