LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 216

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216 STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION

5-13

To Receive Our Savior Congregation,
Walnut, lowa

WHEREAS, After only four months of work, Our Savior
Lutheran Church, Walnut, Iowa, has been blessed with more
than 60 souls in its membership; and

WHEREAS, The congregation has resolved to seek member-
ship in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, The congregation has been duly incorporated
under the laws of the state of lowa; and

WHEREAS, The constitution and bylaws of the congregation
have been approved by the Committee on Constitutions of the
Iowa District West of The Lutheran Church—Missiouri Synod;
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
assembled in its 55th Regular Convention, receive Our Savior
Lutheran Church, Walnut, Iowa, into its fellowship.

Our Savior Lutheran Church
Walnut, Iowa

Neal R. Smith, President

Teressa Akers, Secretary

R. G. Dohrmann, Pastor Emeritus

5-14

To Accept Faith Lutheran Church,
Roosevelt, Utah, into Membership

WHEREAS. Faith Lutheran Church, Roosevelt, Utah, is a
newly organized congregation; and

WHEREAS, The Constitutions Committee of the Colorado
District has reviewed the constitution of the congregation and
found it to be acceptable and in agreement with the con-
fessional position of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod;
and

WHEREAS. This congregation has passed a formal resolution
requesting membership in The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
receive Faith Luthern Church. Roosevelt, Utah, into member-
ship in the Synod.

Board of Directors
Colorado District
Ralph A. Phipps, President

5-15

To Accept Our Savior’s Lutheran Church,
Pueblo West, Colo., into Membership

WHEREAS. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Pueblo West,
Colo., is a newly organized congregation; and

WHEREAS, The Constitutions Committee of the Colorado
District has reviewed the constitution of the congregation and
found it to be acceptable and in agreement with the con-
fessional position of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod;
and

WHEREAS, This congregation has passed a forma] resolution
requesting membership in The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod; therefore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
receive Our Savior'’s Lutheran Church, Pueblo West, Colo., into
membership in the Synod.

Board of Directors
Colorado District
Ralph A. Phipps, President

5-16

To Accept
Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church,
Garrison, Minn., as a Member of the LCMS

WHEREAS, We, a congregation of Lutherans in and around
Garrison, Minnesota, in accord with I Corinthians 14:40
calling for all things to be done in the Christian church
decently and in order, have adopted a constitution and bylaws
for such work; and

WHEREAS, This same constitution and bylaws have been
reviewed and approved by the Minnesota North District of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Committee on Consti-
tutions and by the Minnesota North District Board of Direc-
tors; therefore be it

Resolved, That Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church,
Garrison, Minnesota, be accepted into the fellowship of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, with all rights and privi-
leges thereof.

Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church
Garrison, Minn.

Carl E. Johnson, President

Norman Rynard, Treasurer

Emanuel Blomquist, Pastor

(The above resolution was approved and endorsed by
Minnesota North District Board of Directors, Jan. 31, 1983.)

5-17

To Provide for the Formation
of an Autonomous Partner Church
in Canada
Preamble

Lutheran Church—Canada was organized in 1959 as a
federation of the three Canadian Districts of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod with participation by Canadian
congregations of U.S. based Districts. Its stated objectives
included “To study the matter of the formation of an independ-
ent Lutheran Church—Canada to be affiliated with The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod” (Article IIT, 4).

In the early 1960s two separate referenda on autonomy
failed to win the necessary support. In the 1970s energies were
redirected toward a three-way merger with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Canada and the Lutheran Church in
America—Canada Section. When these efforts collapsed in
1977 (over the issues of Scripture and the ordination of women),
Lutheran Church—Canada again addressed the goal of an
autonomous partner church, while the other two Lutheran
bodies proceeded with plans for a merger of their own.

For autonomy to be acceptable to all Districts, certain
conditions were deemed essential. These included assurance of
financial viability and clarification of the seminary issue. By
God's grace, all three Districts are now self-supporting and are
allocating over $1,500,000 in support of a vigorous home
missions program. In 1981 Lutheran Church—Canada, acting
by the authority of the Synod, decided on a two-seminary
program, with institutions at St. Catharines, Ont., and
Edmonton, Alta. A draft constitution for a proposed autono-
mous church is presently receiving responses from the field. In
addition, a very successful participation in Forward in
Remembrance has helped give Lutheran Church—Canada a
new awareness of God’s blessing and a new sense of maturity.

Through all these events the Lord of the church has been
directing the Canadian Districts and their congregations to
the point where more serious decisions now need to be made
with respect to autonomy for Lutheran Church—Canada. To
that end, the following overture is respectfully submitted:

Wuereas, God has blessed Lutheran Church—Canada with
spiritual and numerical growth and instilled in it a desire to be
an autonomous church in order to carry out Christ’s mission in
Canada and throughout the world more effectively; and

Wuereas, Lutheran Church—Canada, even if it were