LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Page 63

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MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION 63

Committee 6 — Constitutional Matters

The committee withdrew Resclution 18 (TB 487).
The convention declined to change the Handbook para-
graphs on the self-government of congregations (TB
529,19) and to change the name of Synod (TB 531,21).
It did change the following Handbook paragraphs: 16.01,
changes in the bylaws (TB 530,20); 3.01 and 3.02 on the
relationship of Districts to Synod (TB 531,22); 3.21,
District Presidents and Vice-Presidents (TB 553,29);
1.59, Foreign Missionaries at synodical conventions (TB
553,30, corrected); 2.134, 2.135, 2.137, the election of
synodical Vice-Presidents (TB 574a,31); and 8.155,
Armed Services Commission (TB 574b,33). It added
Paragraph 2.32, Acting President (TB 532,23) and de-
leted 8.29 a—n (TB 551,26). It took steps to study the
realignment of Districts and circuits and referred the
question of regional Vice-Presidents to the College of
Presidents (TB 550,24 and 25). It declined Memo-
rials 628 (TB 552,27) and 626 (TB 552,28). The conven-
tion voted down a resolution declining to limit the terms
of office (T'B 574a,32).

Appeals Case

Referring to a point of order raised on the first day
of the convention, President Behnken stated that the
appointment of an Appeals Case Review Committee
would not be necessary.

Committee 11— Finances and Stewardship

Resolution 16 was placed once again before the con-
vention. The assembly permitted a substitute motion
to be placed before it. The chair asked that it be sub-
mitted to the delegates in print before being discussed
further. Somewhat later in the session a request for
a recount on the question of entertaining the substitute
motion showed 339 for and 196 against. The convention
accepted the report of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod Foundation (TB 432,14), declined Memorials 824
(TB 432,14), declined Memorials 824 (TB 432,15), 825
(TB 544,17a replacing TB 435,17), 826 (TB 549,26), and
827 (TB 549,27). It commended the Council of Lutheran
Agencies (TB 467,18), encouraged Districts to set up
a fund-raising function (TB 545,19), referred Recom-
mendation VII of the Stewardship Department to the
Survey Commission (TB 546,20), adopted Recommenda-
tion I of the 1961 Fiscal Conference in revised form (TB
546,21), left the allocation of synodical appropriations in
the hands of the Fiscal Conference (TB 547,22), adopted
Memorial 820 (TB 548,23), urged economy in arranging
synodical meetings (TB 548,24), and accepted the
Stewardship Board regulations in revised form (TB
548,25).

Committee 4— Parish Education

With Vice-President Nitz taking the chair, the as-
sembly authorized the Board of Parish Education to
decide which Bible translation to use in the new cate-
chisms (TB 436,27), encouraged our membership to be-
come thoroughly acquainted with the dangers of present
anti-Christian ideologies (TB 458,28, corrected), and

created the position of Director of Family Life Educa-
tion (TB 459,29). This completed the work of Commit-
tee 4.

Committee 12 — Public Relations and Mass Media

The convention accepted the report of KFUO (TB
534,17), revised the Handbook provisions for KFUO
(TB 534,18), and declined Memorial 718b (TB 535,19).
This concluded the work of Committee 12.

Committee 3— Doctrinal and Intersynodical Matters

The convention decided to take no further action
on Memorial 312 (TB 525,24), and to strive to reestab-
lish fellowship with other synods in the Synodical Con-
ference (TB 424,12, corrected).

The substitute motion regarding finances was read
once again after distribution. The Secretary announced
that a delegate had requested that his vote on the
Scharlemann resolution be changed from negative to
affirmative.

The meeting adjourned with a brief devotion.

Session 16
June 28, Morning

In the opening devotions, led by President L. Frer-
king of the Southeastern District, Prof. Fred Kramer
gave a historical review of our Synod’s lodge practice
from the first reference to the subject in Der Lutheraner,
June 26, 1849, to the adoption in 1929 of resolutions
which still form the heart of the Handbook provisions.

The minutes of the previous evening were adopted
as read. The chair referred to Committee 13 the question
of publishing the convention essays. Since Dr. Behnken
had been invited to address The Lutheran Church in
America, now being organized, he was authorized to
extend greetings and to speak words of encouragement
toward sound Lutheranism. Another delegate changed
his vote on the Scharlemann resolution from negative
to affirmative.

Committee 1—Colleges and Seminaries

It was decided to have all delegates read the pro-
posed Handbook changes (TB 137,5) so that these could
be considered as a unit. The Synod decided to establish
a junior college in the Southern California area with
September 1965 as the target date for opening (TB
202,22) and to endorse the purchase of a site in the
Southeast for a junior college (TB 205,24). It adopted
an omnibus resolution regarding the expansion of the
Synod’s schools in the Western area (TB 204,23).

Committee 11— Finance and Stewardship

It was moved and seconded to adopt the substitute
motion offered on the previous evening in place of
Resolution 16 (TB 433). An amendment was offered to
attach a final Resolved: “That in the event a 20-percent
increase in the ‘Venture of Faith’ is not forthcoming by
January 31, 1964, the Synod immediately adopt in toto
and be bound by the original Resolution 16 as pre-
pared by Committee 11, page 433.” The amendment