LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 74

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74 ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALC

cially approved a proposal for discussions with The
American Lutheran Church.

The discussions were held. They reached consensus
about the meaning of the Gospel as expounded in the
Lutheran Confessions. The discussions were concluded
with the adoption of a Joint Statement and Declaration.
This has been approved by our respective church con-
ventions in 1967 and in 1968.

Recently, The American Lutheran Church has be-
come aware of much talk about hypocrisy in The ALC.
This allegation is in connection with the article on Con-
fession in The ALC Constitution. It is said that the
word inerrant in Article 400 has no meaning for The
ALC. Indeed, the theological use of the word inerrant
is difficult. But if it means what Professor Robert Preus
has explained in an article in the Concordia Quarterly
for June 1967, it is virtually a paraphrase of what The
American Lutheran Church states in its United Testi-
mony when it says: “We acknowledge with humble
gratitude the condescending love of God in speaking to
men through the agency of human language. We re-
ject all rationalizing processes which would explain
away either the divine or the human factor in the
Bible.”

We are in a Xairos moment of history. Our Omaha
convention voted to declare altar and pulpit fellowship
with The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. Our 18
district conventions have ratified the Omaha conven-

tion’s action. Out of 10 issues before our districts for
ratification this spring, the one concerning fellowship
with the LCMS received the largest number of votes,
94.7 percent.

If you accept our proffered hand, we shall regard it

as a gift of God’s Holy Spirit. If you do not find it in’

your hearts to do this, many of our people will ask the
question whether God’s Spirit may be pointing us to
new directions. Most of our people will have an ache in
the heart, the same ache that you have carried since the
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Synod withdrew their hand of fellow-
ship from you.

I like the Swedish translation of the Hebrew text of
the third clause in the Aaronitic benediction, which
makes it read: “The Lord turn His face toward you.”
Brethren, may the Lord turn His face toward you, and
toward this convention throughout your sessions.

On behalf of The American Lutheran Church, I ex-
tend congratulations to your newly elected President,
Dr. Preus. In doing this, I pray that he may be given
a large measure of the spirit that dwells so fully in the
mind and life of his predecessor, Dr. Oliver Harms, the
spirit of faithfulness to the Confessions; the spirit of
honesty and integrity; the spirit of openness and con-
cern for the issues of the day; the spirit of persevering

love. Dr. FREDRIK A. ScHIotz

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