# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S122
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

122 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

LCUSA
3-201A

To End Membership in LCUSA

WHEREAS. The Lutheran Council in the U.S. A. has lobbied
for various political causes in Washington, D.C., without au-
thorization from member bodies of LCUSA: and

WHEREAS, LCUSA has left the door open for the ordination
of women to the ministry; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod supports LCUSA with well over
a half-million dollars annually; be it therefore

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
meeting in convention at Anaheim immediately end its member-
ship in LCUSA: and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod’s Board of Directors be authorized
to seek the return to the Synod of whatever equity the Synod
may have in LCUSA.

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
Edward L. Blessing, Chairman
John L. Welsh Jr., Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-201B to 3-201F

Trinity, Scarsdale, N. Y. Merlin Meyer
Trinity, Republic, Wash. Craig Smith
Trinity, New Haven, Mo. Orville Meyer
Zion, Auburn, Wash. John Werth
Holy Cross, La Puente, Calif. P. O. Rosnau

3-302A

To Withdraw from Membership
in LCUSA

WHEREAS. Participation of the LCMS in the Lutheran Coun-
cil in the U. S. A. has long been the subject of question and
criticism (Proceedings. LCMS Milwaukee convention, 1971,
Res. 3-18, p. 134, and Proceedings. LCMS New Orleans conven-
tion, 1973, Res, 2-39, p. 122): and

WHEREAS, The Milwaukee and New Orleans conventions of
the LCMS questioned the effectiveness of LCUSA in terms of
budgeting, planning, programing, and doctrinal differences
(Proceedings. LCMS Milwaukee convention, 1971, Res. 3-14,
3-16, 3-18, pp. 133-134, and LCMS New Orleans convention,
1978, Res. 2-39, p. 122); and

WHEREAS, In the publication of the Lutheran Council in the
U.S.A. entitled Who Can This Be? the clear Biblical picture of
Jesus is completely distorted (p. 17) with such heretical state-
ments about Jesus as:

So the Gospels clearly give us a picture of one who, like the rest

of us, was groping through each new situation to find some clear

indication of what the Father's will might be. . .. Perhaps it is a

mistake to say that Jesus possessed within himself any particular

capacity to respond to the Father that is not common to us. .. . Jesus
at that moment had no divine preview of the necessity of the cross.

He shrank from death as we shrink from death in all its lonely terror.

Likely he was even unaware of the resurrection that lay beyond the

criminal's death’; and

WHEREAS, The above statements obviously destroy the
effectiveness of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ: and

WHEREAS, The LCUSA guidelines governing home mission
expansion, specifically those which require “consensus” in
allocation of new mission fields, tend to retard the program of
opening new stations on the part of each participating body: and

WHEREAS, LCUSA has left the door open for the ordination
of women to the holy ministry: and

WHEREAS. LCUSA costs the LCMS more than one-half
million dollars each year: therefore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod de-

clare that membership in the Lutheran Council in the U.S. A.
represents a misuse and poor investment of funds contributed
by the congregations of the Synod; and be it further

Resolved. That the LCMS terminate its membership in
LCUSA effective as of Jan. 1, 1976.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Oconomowoc, Wis.

Dean Richardson, Chairman
Olof Lindquist, Secretary
David P. Wallschlaeger, Pastor

Identical or similar:

3-302B to 3-302L

St. John's, North Prairie, Wis. Lester Dumer

Christ, Yuma, Ariz. Joseph Hu
St. John’s, Brule, Nebr. F. K. Kwirant
Our Redeemer, North Platte, Nebr. H. Harnapp

St. Paul, Brookfield, III.
Zion, Lincoln, Il.

Walter Otten
A. J. Goldberger

Mount Hope, Casper, Wyo. J. B. Brown
St. James, University City, Mo. Tom Baker
Calvary, Seattle, Wash. John Falk
Messiah, Detroit, Mich. Carl Hoffmeyer
Divine Redeemer, Hartland, Wis. John A. Davis

3-203

To Withdraw Reluctantly from LCUSA

WHEREAS, LCUSA is responsible for various theological
documents which attack such Christian doctrines as the vicar-
ious satisfaction of Christ, the deity of Christ, and the inerrancy
of the Bible; and

WHEREAS. LCUSA is an _ ultraliberal organization which
repeatedly backs all sorts of left-wing political and theological
views: and

WHEREAS, LCUSA is responsible for the document favoring
the ordination of women to the ministry; and

WHEREAS, LCUSA has been critical of LCMS's administra-
tion’s efforts to carry out the resolutions of the Milwaukee 1971
and the New Orleans 1973 conventions: and

WHEREAS, LCUSA has received almost $5,000,000 in contribu-
tions by LCMS and has not provided a factual and complete
report on the financial structure; therefore be it

Resolved, That Concordia Lutheran Church, Azusa, Calif.,
recommends that the LCMS should reluctantly withdraw from
LCUSA.

Concordia Lutheran Church
Azusa, Calif.
Robert Eppard, Chairman

3-204A

To Sever Connection with LCUSA

WHEREAS, “The conservation and promotion of the unity of
the true faith .. . and a united defense against schism and
sectarianism” (Art. II], 1) is the first objective spelled out in
our synodical Constitution: and

WHEREAS, The “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of
every description” (Art. VI, 2) is additionally a condition for
membership in the Synod as defined in her Constitution: and

WHEREAS, The fervent hope of Dr. J. W. Behnken and others
that involvement in the Lutheran Council in the U.S. A. would
be the instrument through which basic, fundamental discussion
of doctrinal differences could be explored with the Lutheran
Church in America has been canceled by the patent unwilling-
ness of the LCA to do so: and

WHEREAS, Membership in LCUSA involves us in unionism
with the LCA through joint campus ministries, joint training of
missionaries, etc.: and