# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S338
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

838 Miscellaneous Matters

ganizations. Questions that now demand an answer are: Has the
order eliminated all religious features? Has it eliminated the
typical lodge ceremonial (oaths, prayers, chaplain, altar, éte.) while
still retaining objectionable religious sentiments? Do they dis-
tinguish between fraternal members (obligated on the ritual) and
a beneficiary class, which is not initiated? It is evident that, where
objectionable features remain, we cannot ignore membership in
such an order. A considerable portion of the correspondence now
deals with these special problems.

It is the impression of the undersigned that the synodical policy
as formulated in 1929 and 1932 is guiding the pastors and our con-
gregations in their dealing with lodge-members, whether within
or without the congregation. As a result there is a gradual elimi-
nation of the lodge evil from areas in which for a time it had taken
a foothold, and we are not aware of any new weakening of our
clergy in any part of our Synod or in any of its Districts.

A gradual shift has taken place in the function of our Bureau.
In its first years, inquiries for information were still received from
brethren in the holy office who had discovered the connection of
members with one or the other secret order. Today the requests
for information are, with an exception presently to be noted, en-
tirely in the field of prospects for church-membership. The letters
no longer begin: “J find that one of my members belongs to the,” etc.,
but rather: “A member of my adult class says that he belongs to
the,” ete. It has shifted from the field of congregational problems
to the field of missionary problems. In this field, however, there
is a notable increase in the amount of correspondence, propor-
tionate, it seems, to the growing number of adults who are con-
firmed or baptized in our Synod. This correspondence may be
divided roughly into three groups: 1. letters requesting informa-
tion as to the present status of some of the old-time orders;
2, requests for information regarding orders hitherto unknown to
the inquirer, who in most cases has nothing but the verbal state-
ment of the applicant for membership; 3. requests for suggestions
how to handle such cases as are not classifiable as to the definition
of the secret order in question.

As for the exception noted above, this refers to the junio
orders which have been inaugurated by the promoters of fraternal-
ism, and which are endeavoring. to gain their members particularl
among the better class of the community, which means particularl:
the members of the local churches, our own not excepted. A goo’
deal of investigation has been necessary to establish the particula
type of order represented by these junior jodges. The. followin
tabulation has proved of service in this field: