# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S877
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

390 Miscellaneous

of God’s word; but to redeem the soul from sin, God had to die
on the cross.

The writer then closes with the request for a coordinating com-
mittee to work along the lines presented in the memorial.

Report of Committee 11

We agree that the financial stability of Synod depends upon
the financial strength and stability of the local congregation and -
that this stability can be threatened by overenthusiastic programs
of local expansion necessitating the borrowing of large sums of .
money, which entail interest payments.

We therefore bring to the attention of congregations that there
are agencies in every District to which they may apply for counsel.
and advice and that the Lutheran Laymen’s League also has a
committee which is ready to give congregations advice in planning .
a long-range financial program.

We furthermore recommend that Synod express its confidence
in the continued efforts on the part of the Board of Directors to...
coordinate the work of the various departments of Synod and state ;
it as our opinion that no further action on the plan proposed in
this memorial is necessary.

Action of Synod: This report with its recommendation was
adopted.

IX. MISCELLANEOUS

Report of the Bureau of Information Regarding
Secret Orders
(Memorial 901)

Appointed in 1929, this Bureau, consisting of the undersigned,
has now rounded out twelve years of activity. This activity
consists in furnishing our pastors with information regarding the
various secret orders, particularly with reference to the religious
element which characterizes their ceremonies. The various publi-
cations of the secret orders and literature written about them, from
which this information is obtained, are the personal property of
the two members constituting the Bureau. It was reported in
1938 that this material has now been indexed and catalogued. It is
made available to all our pastors, and copies have been made of
significant detail regarding some of the more important orders.

The problem of the border-line society which has eliminated
the typical lodge ceremonial while still retaining objectionable
religious sentiments or has made obligation on the ritual entirely
optional for those who desire to be entered as insurance members