Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 181
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 181

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

CHURCH RELATIONS 181

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to whole-
some words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
to the doctrine which is according to godliness . . . from
such withdraw thyself. (1 Tim. 6:3-5)

If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine,
receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-
speed; for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of
his evil deeds. (2 John 10-11)

Cp. also 2 Tim. 2:16-10, Gal. 1:8-9: and

Wuereas, The proposed “Declaration of Pulpit and
Altar Fellowship” with The American Lutheran Church
by the Missouri Synod is predicated on the assumption
of agreement in all necessary articles of doctrine:

For it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian

church that the Gospel be preached in conformity with

a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be

administered in accordance with the divine Word. (The
Augsburg Confession, Art. VII)

The Scriptures as the Word of God are the sole authority
in the church (Par.6). Any teaching that is contrary to
the Gospel impairs the true unity of the church. Like-
wise, practices in the church that militate against the
Gospel impair the true unity of the church (Par.7).
Where people disagree concerning the doctrine of the
Gospel, they cannot make common cause in their witness
to the Gospel (Par.10). When churches establish pulpit
and altar fellowship, they acknowledge their oneness of
faith and their agreement in the doctrine of the Gospel
(Par.11). (‘Joint Statement and Declaration of the Rep-
resentatives of The American Lutheran Church, The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod, and the Synod of Evan-
gelical Lutheran Churches to Their Respective Church
Bodies”)

The Scriptural and confessional basis for altar and pulpit
fellowship between The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod and The American Lutheran Church exists (reso-
lution of 47th reeular convention of the Missouri Synod,
Proceedings, p. 103);

but

WuereEas, It is patently demonstrable that such unity
of faith in all necessary articles of doctrine does not
in very fact exist (consult appended documentation,
e.g. publications of The ALC Board of Parish Educa-
tion and Board of Publications; The Bible: Book of
Faith; God’s Word and My Faith — Teachers Guide;
“The Church's Confessional Stand Relative to the Scrip-
tures,” by Dr. F. A. Schiotz, ALC President, June 9,
1966, Tacoma, Wash.: The Bethel Bible Series: et al.
Cp. the Missouri Synod’s Brief Statement); and

Wuereas, The difference between the two synods in
articles of doctrine do not represent on the part of The
ALC “casual intrusions of errors . . . combated and
eventually removed by means of doctrinal discipline”
but are “the doctrine which is actually taught in its
pulpits, in its theological seminaries, and in its publica-
tions” (Brief Statement, Par. 29). That the Missouri
Synod harbors purveyors of unscriptural teaching we
must unhappily acknowledge: but it must also be recog-
nized that fellowshiping a church body that officially
promotes error will neither strengthen orthodoxy nor
encourage prospect of discipline in our own Synod (Gal.
5:9; 2 Tim. 2:16-18); and

Wuereas, Not only the doctrine but also the practice
of a church body is a Scripturally significant factor in
determining its orthodoxy and its qualifications for
fellowship:

Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter

into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
My Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 7:21)

And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things
which I say? (Luke 6:46)

Likewise practices in the church that militate against the
Gospel impair the true unity of the church (Par.7, “Joint
Statement”);

and

Wuereas, The ALC, on principle, admits adherents
of idolatrous, Christ-denying lodges into its member-
ship, while acknowledging that such lodge membership
is contrary to Christ and Scripture; and

WHEREAS, Such lodge practice of The ALC proceeds
not merely from weakness but from principle, is thus
“a reigning practice contrary to the confession” (CTCR
Theology of Fellowship), and is therefore not simply
an evangelical problem of casuistry but a clear dis-
obedience to God and His Word: “Thou shalt worship
the Lord Thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve”
(Matt. 4:10): “Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing, and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:17);
see also James 4:17; and

Wuereas, Fellowship with a body exercising such
unscriptural practice will compromise, undermine, and
vitiate our own Scriptural practice by condoning the
contrary practice of a sister church (Shall we commune
lodge members of The ALC while refusing to commune
a Missouri Synod lodge member? How shall we sanc-
tion the ALC acceptance of lodge adherents to whom
we have, on Scriptural grounds, refused membership?) ;
and

Wuereas, The ALC as a body condones and practices,
moreover, Scripturally unwarranted fellowship (union-
ism) through its pulpit and altar fellowship with the
Lutheran Church in America and full memberships in
the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council
of Churches, and proposes joining the National Council
of Churches (none of which ecclesiastical organizations
‘all speak the same thing” nor are “perfectly joined to-
gether in the same mind and in the same judgment”
[1 Cor. 1:10], yet function as churches) and tolerates the
practice of unionism with heterodox pastors and con-
gregations by its own pastors and people; and

Wuereas, By declaring altar and pulpit fellowship
with The ALC under current circumstances, the LCMS
would be acting hypocritically by assuming agreement
in doctrine when it does not in fact exist, would
strengthen The ALC in its aberrations from God’s Word
by sanctioning them, would by the same token weaken
its own orthodoxy by compromising its Scriptural doc-
trine and practice, would be disobeying God’s Word, and
would become “partaker of other men’s sins” (1 Tim.
5:22), “for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker
of his evil deeds” (2 John 11); therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod be and is hereby memorialized to abstain from
declaring or establishing pulpit and altar fellowship with
The American Lutheran Church until such time as there
is full agreement with the Missouri Synod in articles