Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 94
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 94

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

3. CHURCH RELATIONS

(3-01)

Recommendation of President and Council
of Presidents on ALC Fellowship

Preamble

At its 1969 convention The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod comes to a significant juncture in its quest
for Lutheran unity. We as a synod have come to this
place along a course established by our fathers. Like
them, we have pursued this quest in obedience to the
will of God and in conformity with our position as
evangelical Lutherans. We have attempted to proceed
in concert, conducting our affairs in a churchly and re-
sponsible way. Our purpose has remained unchanged,
for we have sought unity in doctrine in order that we
might live together in fellowship.

In our quest for Lutheran unity we have been en-
gaged in serious conversations with The American Lu-
theran Church. Our prolonged study and discussion has
produced the conviction that we agree in the preaching
of the Gospel “in conformity with the pure understand-
ing of it” and in the administration of the sacraments
“according to the divine Word.” Our discussions have
led us to the conviction that we are in the tradition of
true Lutherans who are committed to the Holy Scrip-
tures and who subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions.
We are persuaded that we share a mutual desire to
strengthen a united evangelical proclamation and to
develop a consistently evangelical practice.

We believe that the Lord of the church in His grace
has brought us to the time when we should give official
and public recognition to the unity which exists be-
tween our Synod and The American Lutheran Church.
It is time that we honor by public declaration and
practice the recognition of another church body as
a sister Lutheran church. It is time that we give witness
to the blessed unifying power which the Gospel of
grace in Christ Jesus has had among us. It is time that
we sanction and bless the desire of many brethren to
strengthen through altar and pulpit fellowship the one-
ness they have been led to discover. It is time that we
accept joyfully and earnestly a greater responsibility to
help one another as brethren.

These appropriate recommendations have been pre-
pared under a directive of the Synod and after fervent
prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It should
be noted that these recommendations are not designed
to create unity by persuasion or reason. Only God in
His grace creates unity. By His Spirit He alone leads
men to sense and live in fellowship. These recommen-
dations seek to reflect our perception of God’s unifying
work among us and propose how we respond in a prac-
tical way for the edification and increase of the body
of Christ.

Therefore we herewith respectfully recommend the
following resolution to the honorable convention of The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod assembled in Den-
ver. Colo., July 11—19, 1969.

Resolution

WuereaS, The Synod declared in 1967 that the Scrip-
tural and confessional basis for altar and pulpit fellow-
ship exists between The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod and The American Lutheran Church, this conclu-
sion being based on a study of the churches’ official
doctrinal statements and on consultations held between
duly chosen representatives of the churches: and

Wuereas, In 1967 the Synod asked that meetings be
held for promoting a wider mutual recognition of this
doctrinal consensus and its implications for church
fellowship, and these meetings of congregations, pastors,
and officials generally confirmed the conclusion that the
Scriptural and confessional basis for church fellowship
exists; and

WHEREAS, It is incumbent on Christians who share
consensus in their understanding and proclamation of
the Gospel to confess their Lord with one mind and one
voice and to live together in unity and mutual assis-
tance: and

WueErEAS, The Synod recognizes that some diversities
continue to exist, and efforts to work toward a unified
evangelical position and practice on the basis of the
Word of God have been fruitful; and

Wueneas, It is the Synod’s conviction that these di-
versities are not divisive of fellowship and that they
are a matter primarily of pastoral care; and

Wuereas, Churches are held to do all things decently
and in good order, in this way giving a good account
to the Lord of the church, to Christendom, and to the
world; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod express gratitude to God
for creating this unity among us and for leading us to
discover it; the Synod pledges to continue earnestly both
to recognize and to strengthen this unity further; and
be it further

Resolved, That the Synod herewith formally declare
itself to be in altar and pulpit fellowship with The
American Lutheran Church: that this declaration serve
to encourage those congregations and pastors of the
synods who have discovered consensus which makes
for a proper practice of fellowship to assurne the oppor-
tunities and obligations of church fellowship; that this
declaration does not bind the consciences of those con-
gregations and pastors who believe there is insufficient
consensus to warrant their practice of altar and pulpit
fellowship at this time, but that it does obligate them
to continued study and discussion: and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reiterate the pledge made
in the “Joint Statement and Declaration” to seek a uni-
fied evangelical position and practice on the basis of our
commitment to the Gospel: that to this end the Synod
propose the creation of an intersynodical commission to
assist in the proper understanding and practice of fel-
lowship. to supply counsel and aid as a support to the