LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1965, Page 257

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5. CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS AND MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS 257

Wuereas, The above-cited officers were also instru-
mental and largely responsible for the splitting of three
parishes within the Minnesota North District, to wit:
McGrath-Giese; Hill City-Remer; and Hinckley-Sand-
stone; and

Wuereas, The above-cited President of the Minne-
sota North District appeared in civil court against one
of the pastors and the Missouri Synod members siding
with him, before and without making use of the proper
channels provided for such cases by the Synod in its
Handbook, namely, the various boards of appeals; and

Whereas, Action is pending before the Minnesota
North District Board of Appeals against these officers,
and preparations are being made to appeal at least one
other case before the synodical Board of Appeals; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That said members of the doctrinal com-
mittee be removed from the committee in order to
avoid offenses and further schisms and divisions within
our Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That these men be replaced by persons
whose doctrinal, theological, and moral integrity is be-
yond shadow of doubt or question and against whom
no action is presently pending before any District or
synodical Board of appeals.

Gorpon GRUETT

LAWRENCE GUSTAFSON

ARTHUR PEARSON

WitiraM E. Barnick

S. G. SKAALAND

K. T. Brest

S. JAMKR

Rawpu Boyer, Pastor

TRINITY LUTHERAN CONGREGATION
Sandstone, Minn.

[5-47 MJ
To Forbid the Synod’s Officers
and Members to Go to Civil Court
with Fellow Members, etc.

Wuereas, Members of various Missouri Synod con-
gregations have gone in civil courts against their Mis-
souri Synod pastors and fellow members; and

Wuereas, Circuit Counselors and District officials in-
volved had recommended such an action and publicly
stated that they were and are in agreement with such
an action; and

Wuereas, District and synodical officials of various
degrees, from Circuit Counselor to District President,
have appeared in civil courts to testify in behalf of
some and against other members of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod, before and without going
through the appropriate channels provided by the Synod
in its Handbook, to wit: the various boards of appeals;
and

Wuereas, Going to civil courts in such cases is ruled
out by God’s Word in 1 Cor.6 and therefore sinful; and

Wuereas, Such action has resulted in the ousting of
two pastors from the parsonages to which they are en-
titled by virtue of their pastorate; and

Wuereas, Such action has also resulted in the split
of three parishes, all within the Minnesota North Dis-
trict, and all within a 15-month period; and

Wuereas, The pastors involved were strong protes-
tors of false teachings within the Synod; and

Wuereas, Such legal action seems to be a move to
purge the faithful, upright, God-fearing pastors from
the ranks of the Missouri Synod, while false teachers
are given free reign, thus giving support to the unani-
mous decision of the Texas District Board of Appeals
in the Praesidium of the Texas District vs. Rev. Francis
Machina case, to wit: “We believe there is a situation
in the Synod similar to that which prevailed to and even
during the Reformation period, when the Roman Cath-
olic Church excommunicated men such as Luther for
being too catholic (Christian), while it retained in its
fellowship the skeptics and scoffers, since they did not
attack nor defy authority”; and

Wuereas, Certain of these officials have repeatedly
met with a number of dissatisfied members of each con-
gregation involved, secretly and behind the back of
their God-given pastors, thus breaking into the office
of bishop of the respective pastors; and

Whereas, Certain of these officials have gone so far
as to call meetings of various congregations without the
knowledge or approval of the respective pastors, church
councils, or voters assemblies, thus clearly usurping
powers which do not belong to them and establishing
a hierarchy within the District and the Synod; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the honorable Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod, assembled for its 46th regular conven-
tion at Detroit, Mich., expressly forbid — since God’s
Word does so — its officers and members to go to civil
court with fellow members; and be it further.

Resolved, That the Synod petition the offending offi-
cers and members to repent of their grievous sins and
make amends, that they be dismissed from their respec-
tive offices by the appropriate proceedings, and that the
congregations to which these members and/or officers
belong be petitioned to deal with them in accordance

with God’s Word. Gorvon GRuEr?

LAWRENCE GUSTAFSON

ARTHUR PEARSON

WILLIAM E. Barnick

S. G. SKAALAND

K. T. Bresu

S. JAMKR

RacpH Bover, Pastor

Trinity LUTHERAN CONGREGATION
Sandstone, Minn.