Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 158
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 158

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

158 CHURCH RELATIONS

Lutheran Church in America, which is known to be
very liberal; and

WHEREAS, Statements by high officials within The
American Lutheran Church, by professors teaching in
its higher schools, and in publications officially approved
by The American Lutheran Church are disparaging of
Holy Scripture; and

WHEREAS, Its practice toward those affiliating with
anti-Christian lodges is very questionable; and

WuerEAS, History shows that such unions disregard-
ing Holy Scripture have not served to strengthen but
rather to weaken the church; therefore be it

Resolved, That we petition The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod at its 1969 convention not to declare
altar and pulpit fellowship with The American Lutheran
Church but rather to seek by earnest admonition to
remove those things which would hinder a God-pleasing

union. Goop SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH

Evansville, Ind.

Marvin C. Knott, President
Rosert Hicpon, Secretary
WALTER FEHRMANN, Pastor

(3-180)

Not to Fellowship Until Divisive Elements
Are Resolved

Whereas, It appears that the delegates of The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod assembled in conven-
tion at Denver, Colo., July 11—19, 1969, will be re-
quested to vote on entering into fellowship with The
American Lutheran Church; and

Whereas, There is a wide difference in the two
Synods dealing with members who belong to the Ma-
sonic Order or other secret societies; the ALC not
submitting them to discipline and, according to our
conversation with ALC pastors in our area, seldom if
ever confronting them with the Christlessness of the
lodge and its teaching of salvation by works; and

WHEREAS, We could not with a clear conscience ac-
cept the transfer of a lodge member from an ALC con-
gregation, thus nullifying the fellowship; and

Wuereas, The ALC has extended the hand of fellow-
ship to the Lutheran Church in America, which would
also bring us into fellowship with the LCA, for if “A”
equals “B” and “B” equals “C,” then “A” also equals
“CC”: and

Wuereas, The ALC holds membership in the World
Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federa-
tion, both of which organizations are unionistic, the
WCC even being un-American and communistically
influenced; and

Wuereas, The Word of God is not considered in-
errant and inspired in all its parts, as taught by mem-
bers of the faculties in the ALC terminal schools, e. g.,
Dr. Warren Quanbeck: “There can be no absolute ex-
pression of truth in the language of theology, not even

in the language of Scripture,” taken from “The Bible”
in Theology in the Life of the Church; and

Wuereas, The ALC churches in our area are union-
istic, conducting Good Friday services, for example,
with churches of other denominations, not even Lu-
theran; and

Wuereas, We believe our strong witness for God's
Word and for Christ would be weakened, not strength-
ened, by this fellowship; therefore be it

Resolved, That we do not enter into fellowship with
The ALC until the divisive elements are resolved and
we can with a good conscience have a fellowship that is

true and genuine. REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH

Rockford, Il.

Roy HeErmpsrener, President
Dona.Lp SCHAEVE, Secretary
E. C. Beversporr, Pastor
W. F. Hiscuke, Pastor

(3-181)

To Regretfully Declare Inability to Enter
into Fellowship

Whereas, By the grace of God “the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testament as the written Word of God
and the only rule and norm of faith and practice” are
the sole source of Christian teaching and life for The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod; and

Wuereas, Within The American Lutheran Church
the claims of higher Biblical criticism, which are incon-
sistent with and contrary to the authority and inerrancy
of Holy Scripture, are widely promoted and endorsed:
and

WHEREAS, Most regrettably as a result of this, full
agreement and consensus on the doctrine of Holy Scrip-
ture as the inspired Word of God does not exist; and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
and The American Lutheran Church at this time do not
have a common understanding and practice regarding
religious unionism, membership in religious lodges, and
such practice involves the doctrine of the Gospel; and

Wuereas, At its 1968 Omaha convention The Amer-
ican Lutheran Church declared itself to be in pulpit
and altar fellowship with the Lutheran Church in
America, and our proposed pulpit and altar fellowship
with The American Lutheran Church would involve
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in at least “de
facto” fellowship with the Lutheran Church in America,
with which we do not have doctrinal consensus and
agreement; and

WuereaS, The Lutheran Confessions state that for
true unity in the church there must be agreement in
the preaching of the Gospel, which includes all the
fundamental articles of Scripture; and

WuerEAS, This necessary agreement cannot be shown
to fully or adequately exist between The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod and The American Lutheran
Church at the present time; and