# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S386
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

386 Miscellaneous Matters

Government Relations
The times in which we live are fraught with much dange
to the Church. It is of the utmost importance that the Church’
keep in touch with what is happening in the State.
" Here again the Lord has opened doors to our Church which |
have turned out to the advantake of the preaching of the Gospe
Soon after the organization of the Office of Civilian Defense th
executive director of our Council was asked to serve in an ad-"
visory capacity on the OCD. In this capacity many opportunities
presented themselves to bear witness to a keener line of demarca-:
tion between Church and State. We were suc
Christian cessful in keeping every meeting which we at
Citizenship tended a purely civic meeting. We were further
more instrumental in bringing about a policy on.
the part of the housing directors in large defense areas which:
would give all church bodies the same rights and privileges in’
the use of existing Government facilities in those communities..
We believe that many Government officials today have a clearer
understanding of why we Lutherans cannot and will not join.
hands with the Federal Council of Churches. At one of these.
meetings where this was discussed in detail and we insisted on °
_ the right to. close Communion because it was a matter of con
science with us, and where we were vehemently opposed by*
some members of other protestant bodies, a Government official
closed the discussion with the words “That’s one of the things
we are fighting for” — that is, the right to worship God according :
to the dictates of our conscience.
The secretary of our Council, at the invitation of the Gov
ernment, is also an advisory member of the United Nations
Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, the Government Youth
Committee of the OCD, and the General Religious ‘Advisory
‘Committee of the Government. 2
The Council also wishes to express ‘its appreciation to the -
Rev. E. T. Bernthal, who was appointed by Dr. J. W. Behnken as
associate government representative with™
Rev. E. T. Bernthal . Dr. F. Wenchel in Washington, D.C., :
for the emergency. Rev. Bernthal has:
rendered valuable service to the church at large in presenting our:
Church to the Government as loyal American: citizens. He has
rendered a-special service to our Council by helping to secure
building priorities for very necessary church buildings, espe-
cially in defense areas. :