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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 68

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

68 THEOLOGICAL MATTERS

* numerical size of churches;

* geographical distribution by continents and coun-
tries;

* adequate representation of the younger churches
and the minority churches.

10. The minimal financial responsibility of member
churches of the LWF is an assessed share of the central
administration budget. This assessment, which is termed
a “membership fee,” is figured on the basis of a church’s
size, its economic situation, and other circumstantial
factors. The following data are based on the current
(1969) budget for the LWF:

Central administration budget is $413,155.

* U.S.A. member churches together are assessed
slightly more than 42 percent (or about $175,150)
of this amount.

* The LCA share for 1969 is about $98,300.
* The ALC share for 1969 is about $76,900.

11. Beyond the membership fee each church con-
tributes toward specific program activities of the LWF
according to its own interests and resources. An an-
nual statement of needs is sent to each member church,
from which it may choose any projects, or none at all,
for support. Projects and activities for which support
is invited are organized chiefly under the following
major commissions and departments: Education; Stew-
ardship and Evangelism; Worship and Spiritual Life:
Theology: Latin America; World Mission; World Ser-
vice. In the U.S.A. during 1968 the LCA and ALC to-
gether contributed a total of $2,821,000 to LWF (and
LWF-related) programs. Most of this amount was al-
located as follows:

* World Mission | 2.0... 0000... _ ..... $1,604,000
* World Service 000.0. 0. 920,000
* Latin America 0000 0... a 171,000
* Theology 000000000 cee 46,000
* Fifth Assembly (1970) 0.0... ... 20,000
* Interconfessional Research .. _ 17,000

12. In a variety of ways the LCMS is at present not
only benefiting from but also contributing to a number
of LWF (and LWF-related) program activities. The
Synod’s total contributions for 1969 (apart from cooper-
ation in charitable efforts such as those administered
through the LWF Department of World Service and the
U.S.A. agency, Lutheran World Relief) will be about
$44,000. This amount includes direct cash donations as
well as salaries of LCMS personnel who have been
seconded for full- or part-time service to LWF agencies.
Among these agencies are the following:

* Scholarship Program of the Department of Theol-
ogy

* Lutheran Foundation for Inter-Confessional Re-
search

Department of World Mission

* LWF Broadcasting Service and the Radio Voice
of the Gospel

* Commission on Education
* Committee on Latin America

13. Our sister churches around the world exhibit
various attitudes toward the LWF; these range from
regarding membership in the federation as a violation
of their fellowship principles to actual application for
membership. Some are presently in fellowship with
certain member churches, and some contemplate the
possibility of future membership under specified condi-
tions. All are agreed, however, that every Lutheran
church bears a responsibility for world Lutheranism
as a whole. For the LCMS this means that —

* having taken full account of the views and con-
victions of all our sister churches we must now
reach our own conclusion and make our own de-
cision in the fear of God and resolute purpose to
do His will as by His Spirit He gives us grace
to see it.

* whatever our decision, we must remain heartily
committed both to the brethren whose fellowship
we long have cherished and to the vigorous pro-
motion and support of an increasingly united
Lutheranism with its unique Gospel-witness and
servant-work throughout the world.

APPENDIX E

Minority Report Regarding Membership
in the Lutheran World Federation

We the undersigned members of the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations believe that the Synod
at this time should not join the Lutheran World Federa-
tion. As reasons for this belief we cite the following:

1. The Lutheran World Federation permits confiict-
ing views regarding the authority, inspiration, and in-
errancy of the Scriptures in the various member
churches. It also allows member churches to interpret
the Lutheran Confessions in different ways and thus
permits differing and often conflicting theologies to
stand side by side. In some cases the claim is made that
the Scriptures and Confessions must be understood not
as objective truth but as documents which are not in
every respect correct, because they are subjective ex-
pressions of the faith of the church. As an example we
cite Dr. Lauri Haikola, professor of theology at Helsinki
University: “Present day Lutheran theologians belong
to many different schools of theology. ... These differ-
ent schools were well represented at Helsinki. There is
Barthian theology, existentialistic, Lutheran-Confes-
sional, pietistic, liberalistic, high church theology, etc.”
(Teol. Aikak. 1964, p. 4, 12)

2. The Lutheran World Federation is intimately as-
sociated with the World Council of Churches, which,
though it may have a Christological and Trinitarian
basis, has no position on the sacraments and other dis-
tinctively Lutheran principles. Because of this intimate
association we believe that the Lutheran World Federa-
tion is really only the Lutheran wing of the ecumenical
movement. The Lutheran World Federation represents