# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S147
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

ADMINISTRATION 147

Fraternal Discussion” for consideration by the Board of Control
and the former faculty:

The Board of Directors recognizes that serious problems
have developed which have disrupted the normal activities at
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and which can be resolved only
through a process of reconciliation of God’s redeemed people.
Since all parties have indicated a desire for reconciliation,
the board has recommended that fraternal discussions be held
with a fervent prayer for the forgiving love of our God through
the redemption we have through Jesus Christ, our Savior, and
for the guidance and wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit to the end that
peace and unity may be attained.

A mutually agreed-upon mediator will convene an initial
meeting for the purpose of discussing objectives and procedures
for these fraternal discussions. The following have been invited
to participate in this initial meeting: the Executive Committee
of the Board of Directors and its chairman, J. A. O. Preus,
representatives of the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis, and representatives of the faculty and student body
of the Joint Project for Theological Education.

The mediator shall have full authority to carry out the
fraternal discussions. He shall determine the persons or groups
to be involved from time to time in the mediation process.

May God lend His blessing to this effort.

May 4

The President’s representative to the Board for Missions
meeting on May 2 and 3 reported to the Executive Committee
on that meeting. He reported that Missions board and staff
both expressed apologies to one another for events of the past
and the apologies were accepted. A conciliatory statement was
adopted by board and staff and released to North America and
overseas. The Executive Committee expressed its concerns
about the unrest in missions throughout the world and suggested
that an overseas trip by the President was almost mandatory
at this time to meet with both the heads of the sister churches
and the workers in the field.

It was also reported that the initial reaction of the former
faculty to the latest revised guidelines for fraternal discussions
was negative.

May 15

The Executive Committee met to select several alternate
members for the Mission Study Commission since several of
the initial candidates were unable to serve.

It was also reported that the former faculty members and
students had adopted their own document for the mediation
process and that they had not considered nor presented to the
full faculty the latest guidelines for fraternal discussions sub-
mitted by the Executive Committee. (The former faculty’s
proposal had been developed by faculty members during the
course of the May 2 meeting and had been shared with several
members of the Executive Committee, who in turn communi-
cated it to the Executive Committee for its consideration.) The
committee decided to submit its latest guidelines to the Board
of Control for consideration at its May 20 meeting.

May 19-20

The Executive Committee met to further explore how fra-
ternal discussions could be held between the Board of Control
and former faculty to bring about the resumption of normal
activities at Concordia Seminary, so that more students can
be trained for the holy ministry, as the Synod expects, and so
that the mission of the church may be carried forward. The
committee was pleased that the BHE had requested the Boards
of Control of St. Louis and Springfield to consider former
faculty members in filling vacant positions. It also concurred
with the Council of Presidents request that the Board of Control
address itself to the concerns of the former students as quickly
as possible: these concerns include the status of the former
Concordia Seminary faculty.

The committee also invited the Executive Committee of the
Board for Missions and the Executive Committee of the Council
for Christian Medical Work to meet with it in the near future
to discuss the resignation of Dr. Bulle in the hope that he would
reconsider such resignation.

May 30

The Board of Directors considered the response of the Board
of Control relative to fraternal discussions. The response asked
that such discussions proposed by the Executive Committee be
held in abeyance in view of recommendations of the Board for
Higher Education and the Council of Presidents and that
another method be tried whereby representatives of the Board
of Control would meet with members of the former faculty in
order to try to settle their differences and bring about reconcilia-
tion. The Board of Directors concurred with this request and
encouraged both the Board of Control and the former faculty
to proceed.

May 31

The Executive Committee met with the Executive Commit-
tees of the Board for Missions and the Council for Christian
Medical Work regarding the future of the Synod’s medical
mission efforts. The meeting resolved “that representatives
of the Board of Directors, Board for Missions, Council for Chris-
tian Medical Work and Lutheran Medical Mission Association
together with Dr. Bulle define what must be done to meet the
healing ministry and medical missions opportunities of the
Synod and determine how these can best be accomplished.”
Representatives of the Executive Committees of the Board of
Directors and the Council for Christian Medical Work were
requested to meet with Dr. Bulle immediately to solicit his
cooperation and to urge that he withdraw his resignation. Dr.
Bulle asked for time to consider the proposal.

June 1

The Executive Committee met to reassess the synodical
situation and determine its continued involvement. The three
simultaneous goals of the Synod’s President were discussed:
(1) stay faithful to God’s Word, (2) stay together as a Synod,
and (3) move forward in God’s mission. The committee cautioned
one another to remember that many activities are taking place,
a lot of good things are happening, and the Synod is going
forward. The positive should be accentuated. The committee
agreed to take no further action on the seminary situation or
the mission situation at this time but to stay abreast of the
efforts of the Board of Control in meeting with the former faculty
and the work of the Mission Study Commission and to stand
ready to involve itself as necessary.

The Executive Committee had its initial meeting with the
Mission Study Commission.

Highlights of Reconciliation Efforts
June 1—Jan. 15
Seminary Matters

A committee of the Board of Control has met several times
with a committee of former faculty representatives to try to
implement the May 20 resolution of the Board of Control, which
asked that the fraternal discussions proposed by the Executive
Committee be held in abeyance and that another method be
tried whereby representatives of the Board of Control would
meet with members of the former faculty. In the Sept. 11 meeting
the respective committees reached agreement on the structure
and topic for future meetings subject to the approval of the
respective constituencies. The Executive Committee under-
stands others will be reporting on these meetings.

Medical Missions

After a series of meetings in June between representatives
of the Board of Directors, Board for Missions, Council for
Christian Medical Work, and Lutheran Medical Missions
Association and Dr. Bulle, it was concluded that the medical
missions efforts of the Synod would for the time being be most
effective if the Lutheran Medical Mission Association had a
staff that would provide services which other organizations
could purchase under contractual agreements. Accordingly,
it was agreed that Dr. Bulle and his associate Dorris Lamb no
longer be a part of the Missions Department but instead become
the staff of Lutheran Medical Missions Association. Both the
Board for Missions and the Board of Directors approved these
arrangements on an interim basis.