# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S210
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

210 -- Constitutional Matters

Changing Name of Synod. Report of Committee

a ", (Memorial 512)

At the thirty-eighth regular convention of Synod at Fort
Wayne in June, 1941, the second report of Committee 6 recom-
mended "

1. That the name of Synod be changed;

2, That the name. be “The Evangelical Lutheran Church.”

The motion to accept the recommendation of the Committee to
change the name of Synod failed of the necessary two-thirds
majority (172 and 210). It was then resolved that the President :
appoint a committee to consider the matter, difficulties and all, and
report at the next convention. —

This Committee, consisting of the undersigned, has earnestly
considered the whole matter in various. meetings and herewith
submits its report.

We have sounded out the sentiments of the pastors, teachers,
and laity of Synod by two announcements in the official publications
of our Synod, in which we asked for expressions as to the advisa-
bility and feasibility of changing the name of Synod and for definite
suggestions of anew name. The response was not large enough to
enable the committee to sense a rather general desire for changing
the name, but about 90 per cent of our correspondence indicated
a preference in favor of a change in the name, and the number and
variety of suggested names was surprisingly large. At least
40 variations of names were proposed. By a careful process of
elimination. the Committee finally narrowed its attention to five
Suggestions, most prominently made. The six names, published in
the Lutheran Witness under date of May 25, 1943, were the fol-
lowing: “The Evangelical Lutheran Church”; “The Evangelical
Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod”, or “(Missouri Synod)”; “The
Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod,” or “(Missouri Synod)”; “The
. Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church”; “The International Lu-

theran Church”; and “The National Lutheran Church,”

. The Committee, weighing the difficulties that would be: en-
countered, including the legal angles, nevertheless finally decided
to recommend to Synod that our name be changed,

1. Because our present name is long and cumbersome.

; 2. Because our members, calling for a change in name in-
dicated by the 90-per-cent preference noted above, should be given .
an opportunity to vote on this important matter. :

The Committee herewith recommends to Synod to adopt’
the name , -

THE LUTHERAN CHURCH, MISSOURI SYNOD