LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 158

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158 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

opinion of the commission that since they are set forth in
Martin Luther’s Small Catechism it is necessary that they
appear in any translation of it.

The Small Catechism by Martin Luther
in Contemporary English

THE SECOND ARTICLE

And in Jesus Christ.

His only Son. our Lord:

who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

born of the Virgin Marv:

suffered under Pontius Pilate.

was crucified, dead, and buried:

He descended into hell:

the third day He rose again from the dead:

He ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

The 1943 Intersynodical Catechism
THE SECOND ARTICLE
Redemption

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son. our Lord. who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost. born of the Virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried:

He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the
dead: He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of
God the Father Almighty: from thence He shall come to judge the
quick and the dead.

The Small Catechism by Martin Luther
in Contemporary English

PART FIVE
The Sacrament of Holy Communion

1
Whatis Holy Communion?

Holy Communion is the body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ given with bread
and wine. instituted by Christ Himself

for us to eat and drink.

The 1943 Intersynodical Catechism

THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR

As the Head of the Family Should Teach It
in a Simple Way to His Household

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the
bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by
Chnist Himself.

B. Evaluation of Effectiveness Training for Lutherans

In response to 1979 Res. 4-22* requesting the CTCR to
prepare a ‘doctrinal review of the theological philosophy” of
the Effectiveness Training for Lutherans program, the CTCR
presents the following:

Effectiveness Training for Lutherans, as the original resolu-
tion before the Synod indicates, is ‘‘a project of the Board of
Parish Education.” Since the “theological philosophy” of the
Board of Parish Education is that of the Synod, the CTCR does
not believe that the thrust of the resolution to refer in any way
wanted to call into question the theological philosophy of the
Board of Parish Education. We assume that the decision to
refer was occasioned by concern over statements and tenets of
the parent program, ‘Parent Effectiveness Training,” and
particularly statements and tenets found in a book with that
title by Dr. Thomas Gordon.

What is Parent Effectiveness Training? It is described by
Dr. Gordon as “the tested new way to raise responsible
children.” It has many wholesome and useful techniques,
including active listening, “I” messages, the so-called ‘‘no lose
method” of training children, etc. These techniques, while not
new, can be used in a very helpful way when placed into the
setting of sound Christian doctrine.

However, the book in question also expresses positions
regarding authority, parental training, and morality which
contradict basic Scriptural principles for raising responsible
children who live in grace and stand under God's message of
Law and Gospel.

In adapting the Parent Effectiveness Training Program for
Lutherans in the form of Effectiveness Training for Lutherans,
the Board of Parish Education has made available a very
helpful volume, titled You Can Have a Family Where Every-
body Wins, authored by Dr. Earl Gaulke. This volume
approaches the whole area of parent-child relationships from a
Christian perspective and makes use of Scripture as the final
authority in determining those relationships.

In view of the fact that certain elements of the parent
program are in effect inimical to the Christian faith, the CTCR
believes that the BPE, in future implementation of the ETL
program, should alert all those participating in the project to
the theological aberrations of the parent program.

*WHEREAS, The Synod has supported the ETL program as a
project of the Board of Parish Education: and

WHEREAS, Though this has been accomplished with the generous
support of Aid Association for Lutherans in the amount of $492,000
granted through December 1979, this direct funding will not be
available in 1980: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod in convention thank the Aid Associa-
tion for Lutherans for their generous support, enabling this project
to have a very successful beginning; and be it further

Resolved, That the future funding needs for ETL be considered by
the Board of Parish Education so that this project may be part of the
synodical work program. [ Proceedings. page 131]

C. Report of Social Concerns Committee

The Social Concerns Committee (SCC) has functioned as an
auxiliary committee of the CTCR since its merger with that
commission in 1973. Appointed by the CTCR, the SCC’s
purpose is to assist the CTCR in its assigned task of “sugges-
ting and outlining studies of contemporary issues... as they
affect the church, and as the church may affect such social
issues” (Bylaw 2.109 b 1 dd).

The committee is made up of nine members, all serving
two-year appointments. Members serving on the SCC during
this biennium were Dr. Eugene Linse (chairman), Dr. V. Jean
Garton (secretary), Dr. Richard Bardolph (CTCR liaison), Dr.
Henry Eggold, Rev. Eugene Gruell, Dr. Frederick Hofmeister,
Dr. Gilbert Meilaender, Dr. Martin Scharlemann, and Mrs.
Mable Warnke. Staff services to the committee are supplied by
Dr. Samuel Nafzger and Rev. Jerald Joersz. While the commit-
tee normally meets four times a year, the SCC met only six
times during this past biennium, in order to conserve funds.

The “Report on Euthanasia with Guiding Principles”’ pre-
pared by the SCC was adopted by the CTCR in the spring of
1979 and mailed to all pastors, teachers, and congregations of
the Synod in the fall of 1979. Excerpts from this report were
printed in the November 1979 issue of the Lutheran Witness.
The document was given extensive coverage by George Cornell
of the Associated Press in midsummer 1980, resulting in
requests from doctors, hospitals, and others connected with the
medical profession. The SCC has been informed that numerous
requests were also received from pastors in other Lutheran
synods.

Two documents, previously prepared by the SCC, the 1976
‘Report on Capital Punishment” and the 1976 ‘‘Report on the
Equal Rights Amendment,” have been reissued by the CTCR
and published in brochure form by Concordia Publishing
House. These reports had been published previously in the
Lutheran Witness.

Because of extensive changes in law and society since the
publication of the CTCR’s 1971 report “Abortion: Theological,
Legal, and Medical Aspects” and the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision
legalizing abortion, the SCC is developing a new document on
abortion. It will incorporate some of the concerns of the church
resulting from widely legalized abortion and will reflect the
position of the LCMS as expressed in 1979 Res. 3-02A, “To
State Position on Abortion.” In the interest of encouraging the
members of the Synod to continue and increase their protest
against abortion on demand and their witness to the sanctity
of all human life, the SCC has recommended to the Synod a