Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 136
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 136

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

136 CHURCH RELATIONS

Wuereas, Nothing, to our knowledge in recent years,
has done more to shake and upset this cherished “unity”
and “bond” among us than the proposed pulpit and altar
fellowship with The American Lutheran Church: and

Wuereas, This condition stems primarily not from
the ramifications of fellowship involvement with The
American Lutheran Church but from the fact that fel-
lowship negotiations have uncovered an apparent serious
fracture within our own fellowship regarding our his-
toric position on the authority of Sacred Scripture:

Position 1. Divine authority of Scripture in all its
parts: and

Position 2. Divine authority of Scripture in areas
where God deals with His people and speaks to them
in order to redeem them, but not in many other matters
where we find difficulty of interpretation: and

Wuereas, Position 2, though held by some in the Mis-
souri Synod’s highest positions of leadership, is contrary
to what the majority in the Missouri Synod have al-
ways believed and been taught: and

Wuereas, Nothing has ever been more basic to us
historically in establishing our position on fellowship or
any like matter than where we stand on the divine
authority of Scripture: therefore be it

Resolved, That declaration of pulpit and altar fellow-
ship with The American Lutheran Church be deferred
for at least 2 more years: and be it further

Resolved, That the President of the Missouri Synod
immediately appoint a committee of those supporting
aforementioned Position 2 to prepare for mailing to
every pastor and congregation of the Missouri Synod a
study in clear layman's language on those basic portions
of Scripture to which they cannot ascribe divine au-
thority, setting forth clearly by whose authority or by
what method these conclusions have been reached: and
be it finally

Resolved, That after all have had reasonable time to
consider this study, there be a Missouri Synod-wide
congregational and pastoral survey to determine whether
the majority in the Missouri Synod will in conscience
be bound to Position 1 or to Position 2.

Mr. Ovive LUTHERAN CHURCH
Metairie, La.

Henry L. E. Vix. President
Emory STEFFENHAGEN, Secretary
Epwarp G. Tippin, Pastor

The same overture was submitted by the following,
with changes as noted:
(3-111)

Grace Lutheran Church, Vero Beach, Fla., Loren H.
Haethke, President; L. C. Gerbhardt, Pastor, with omis-
sion of several phrases in third and fourth whereases.

(3-112)

Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Gulfport, Miss..
Gottfried Press, Pastor; Richard O. Shane, Elder. with

target dates in second and third resolveds given as Jan.
31, 1970, and Feb. 28, 1971.

(3-113)

Rev. L. James Rongstad, Gretna, La., with addition
of a final whereas:

Wuereas, No uniformity of practice has been agreed
upon between The ALC and our Synod regarding lodges
and anti-Christian organizations, thus causing many to
feel that this matter will be lost in the name of fellow-
ship: and a final resolved:

Resolved, That the President of the Synod urge the
President of The ALC to appoint a committee from
within his synod to work together with our Commission
on Fraternal Organizations in recommending the prac-
tices to be followed in both synods in dealing with lodge
members and other anti-Christian societies which will
be presented at the 1971 synodical convention.

(3-114)

To Defer Action on Fellowship Question
Until 1971 but to Intensify
and Broaden Discussions

Wueneas, The 1967 convention of the Missouri Synod
stated that the basis existed for altar and pulpit fellow-
ship between The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
and The American Lutheran Church: and

Whereas, This declaration was made as a result of
extensive doctrinal discussions between representatives
of the Missouri Synod and The ALC: and

Wuereas, No statement of this nature was made with
reference to the Lutheran Church in America; and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church in America has de-
clined invitations to discuss doctrine and practice with
a view toward establishing altar and pulpit fellowship:
and

Wuereas, The American Lutheran Church voted in
Omaha in October 1968 to establish altar and pulpit
fellowship with the Lutheran Church in America as
well as with The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
and the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches; and

WuerEAS, Such a triangle puts a new light upon the
question of altar and pulpit fellowship between the Mis-
souri Synod and The ALC: and

Whereas, There still is a lack of uniformity in the
practice of dealing with the lodge problem; and

Wuereas, We believe that the lack of uniformity in
the practice of dealing with the lodge problem will tend
to weaken our Synod's practice with regard to this
problem; therefore be it

Resolved, That we memorialize the Synod to —

1. Defer action on the question of altar and pulpit
fellowship with The American Lutheran Church until
a God-pleasing solution can be reached on the two
problems mentioned above: