# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S184 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 184 ADMINISTRATION soliciting financial support in the United States. Money given for synodical operations shall not be used. 2. Stimulate proposals by alerting mission fields and sister churches to the possibilities of economic activity for profit by programs of various kinds such as seminars. 3. Determine the feasibility of each proposal submitted by establishing good screening procedures including field visita- tion where warranted. 4. Start only those projects where capable local leadership is available, potential leadership is willing to be trained. and the local church is willing to become actively involved and re- sponsible. 5. Maintain the highest standards of Christian business ethics in all operations and dealings. 6. Pay all taxes normally applied to profit-making enter- prises, and do not seek exceptions because of religious affiliation. 7. Keep the size of each enterprise within reasonable limits. 8. Utilize distributable profits for church programs in that national church or mission field where the business enterprise is in operation. 9. Establish the objective of transferring full ownership and operation of the enterprise to the sister church. Ad Hoc Committee to Study Supplemental Funding Erwin L. Paul, Chairman Paul F. Bente Jr. Gerhardt W. Hyatt Richard H. Mever Ralph Petering Walter Rugland Jay Pfotenhauer A, Lorenz Grumm 4-14 Report re Lutheran Church— Canada This report is being written immediately following the 16th regular convention of Lutheran Church — Canada. Since our last report to the Synod traced the background and development of LC—C (New Orleans, Workbook. pp. 180— 82), it hardly seems necessary to review that history again. Instead we shall proceed immediately to highlight the various activities of LC—C’'s activity and note a number of significant actions arising out of our convention. I. Consultation and Coordination: LCIC Lutheran Council in Canada was organized in 1966 as a co- operative agency of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Can- ada, Lutheran Church in America~Canada Section, and Lutheran Church - Canada. One of the most obvious reasons for forming a cooperative agency is to provide a forum for consultation and coordination. Lutheran Council serves that function well, especially through the regional structures that are constituted under its various divisions of service. Not only are we avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort, manpower, and money: we are also buying expertise in the five men who serve us as executive staff. That does not mean that we should approach Council with the ex- pectation that this is a cheaper way of doing things. Rather we should feel assured that wherever joint planning and coordina- tion is possible, we are exercising responsible stewardship and doing more with the limited resources we have. And resources are limited! Council's operation, especially in the past few years, has been severely handicapped by recurring financial restrictions imposed by shortages in the Synod's grants to LC-—C for our pro-rata share of LCIC's budget. Under normal circumstances this can serve a whole- some purpose in that it forces us to evaluate the work of the various divisions as well as the overall structures in the interest of more efficient ways of carrying out the tasks we have agreed to do together. Several years ago a thorough study resulted in a rather extensive overhaul of Council's operation. More recently another subcommittee examined our philosophy of social ministry and effected the reordering of some priorities in that division. And again at the last annual meeting the Execu- tive Committee was instructed to find ways of operating under a budget reduced even further by the serious shortfall in the Synod’s 1975 grant to LC—C for our partnership in Council. All of which prompted the delegates at our April 1—3, 1975, convention of LC-C to pass the following motion (2-04): WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod has al- ways encouraged the development of Lutheranism in Canada: and WHEREAS, Lutheran Church — Canada recognizes the impor- tance of the work of Lutheran Council in Canada and its divi- sions: and WHEREAS, This work is severely handicapped to the extent that some divisions cannot even exist or function because of the lack of financial support: therefore be it Resolved. That Lutheran Church—Canada petition the Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod to give special consideration to the work of Lutheran Council in Canada: and be it further Resolved. That Lutheran Church—Canada petition the Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, if at all possible, to honour the amount of money requested by Lutheran Church—Canada for participation in the work of Lutheran Council in Canada. II. Strengthening the Ties: Fellowship with the ELCC In his official greetings to our LC—C convention Dr. S. T. Jacobson, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, expressed appreciation and gratitude for the fellow- ship his church enjoys with The Lutheran Church-— Missouri Synod (Denver, 3-16). This, he said. has created a new climate of trust, making possible the realignment of parishes, shared ministries, and other joint endeavours. Our own leaders agree that fellowship between our churches, especially in western Canada, has been a blessing to the overall mission of the church. We therefore share Dr. Jacobson’s hope that our relationships will continue to grow and that our many contacts will be mutually strengthening. III. Toward Full Fellowship and One Canadian Lutheran Church: JCILR The Joint Commission on Inter-Lutheran Relationships is the committee constituted by the unity committees of the three Lutheran churches in Canada to pursue the quest for consensus, fellowship, and merger. The JCILR is the result of a long history of discussions that began in the late ‘50s as “exploratory conver- sations” and gradually assumed more official status throughout the 60s as discussions focused on altar and pulpit fellowship. As of 1973 thse discussions have turned in the direction of negotiations aimed at merger into one independent Lutheran Church in Canada. Both Lutheran Chureh—Canada and the Lutheran Church in America—Canada Section have accepted the invitation of the ELCC to enter negotiations toward eventual merger. Simultaneous with these merger discussions is the quest for altar and pulpit fellowship between LCA—CS and Lutheran Church —Canada. A ‘Plan of Action” has been adopted setting forth the step-by-step procedures required in the pursuit of fellowship and merger. A Theological Committee has been hard at work preparing Theses on the Scriptures, statements on Con- fessional Subscription, the Mission of the Church, and Theses on Inter-Church Relations. Still to come are studies on the Role of Women in the Church, Anti-Christian Ideologies, Unionism and Ecumenical Relations. Another committee on Function and Form has been charged with the task of translating the mission of the church into shape and structure. That will be followed at a later date by a Committee on Constitutions. Two other sub- committees have been appointed, the one to study seminary training and theological education, the other to give attention to other church-related colleges and institutes. At last year’s conventions of the respective jurisdictional units of all three churches (Districts and Synods) forums on Lutheran unity were held, followed by an opinion poll dis- tributed to the delegates. The findings of that poll make it clear that while there is an awareness of certain issues requiring fur- ther attention, the membership of our churches is strongly in favour of a united Canadian Lutheran church. The mandate is clear, and it calls for our most earnest endeavours as we strive