Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 193
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 193

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

CHURCH RELATIONS 193

a superchurch, but as a free association of Lutheran
churches is designed to serve as their agent or instru-
ment in such matters as they assign to it.’ And: “The
LWF is not a substitute for world Lutheran fellowship.”
And: “The LWF is in fact what its constitution declares
it to be, namely. “a free association” of Lutheran
churches”; and

Wuereas, There is no agreement within the Lutheran
World Federation itself on whether or not it is a church
or functions as a church, as men who are within the
Lutheran World Federation have written in the Lu-
theran World Federation's official theological journal,
Lutheran World:

Once we have determined that the Lutheran World
Federation is not merely a grouping to achieve purposes
that have no bearing whatsoever on doctrine, but that it
is concerned with churchly tasks which do project into
the field of confession and doctrine. we have arrived at
a decisive point. For the first time we have encountered
a characteristic feature which can be used to argue that
the Federation IS a church. For this reason we must ask
whether this churchly activity does not of necessity make
the Federation a church. If this were the case. all the
declamations by the Constitution that the Federation is
but a free association of Lutheran churches would be of
little weight.

It has thus been shown that the Lutheran World Fed-
eration is a church in every sense of the word. It pos-
sesses a confession and fulfills churchly tasks. It is en-
trusted with direct proclamations of the word. The
proper administration of the sacraments according to Au-
gustana VII is accomplished in its member churches.

and

Wuereas, This same thought has been expressed by
Peter Brunner, a member of the Lutheran World Feder-
ation’s Commission on Theology: “The essential tasks
which the world federation has set for itself by their
very nature demand the action of a church’; and

Wuereas, Dr. Clifford Nelson of The American Lu-
theran Church has very recently written in the Lu-
theran World Federation's journal, Lutheran World,
the statement that the Lutheran World Federation
simply declares itself to be the Lutheran Church on
an international level: therefore be it

Resolved, That since the Lutheran World Federa-
tion in its official journal makes such statements about
its own nature. membership in the Lutheran World
Federation not be sought by The Lutheran Church —

Missouri Synod at this time. Rev. Waiter D. OTTEN

Brookfield, Ill.

(3-255)

To Decline Membership in LWF

Wuereas, The objectives before listed against the
Lutheran World Federation by our own church, which
in 1963 kept us from affiliating with this body, have
not keen changed, and for us to join would involve
us in unionism; therefore be it

Resolved, That we petition The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod to decline membership in the Lutheran

World Federation until such sinful teachings and prac-
tices have been corrected.
Goop SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
Evansville, Ind.
Marvin C. Kno it, President
Rosert Hicpon, Secretary
WALTER FEHRMANN, Pastor
(3-256)
To Remain Outside the LWF

Wuereas. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
in its 1967 convention postponed action on the matter
of affiliation with the Lutheran World Federation until
1969: and

Wuereas, The affiliation of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod with the Lutheran World Federation
depends to a large degree on whether or not the Lu-
theran World Federation functions and acts as “church”:
and

Wuereas, In spite of the name “Federation,” the Con-
stitution of the Lutheran World Federation states that
its nature, function, and scope is to “further a united
witness ... to the Gospel of Jesus Christ”: and

Wuereas, A study of its budget reveals that it does
the work of the church: in its own publication, “The
Lutheran World Federation, Composite Budget and
Project List 1965" it states that of the somewhat more
than $5 million budget. $4.5 million was used for “mis-
sion work.” in the same way that synodical mission
funds are used: and

Wuereas, The Lutheran World Federation includes
churches in which men such as Rudolf Bultmann, who
denies the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, teach
(how can a united “witness” be given with men of this
opinion?): therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, as in the past, remain outside the Lutheran
World Federation but continue to send observers to the
meetings of the federation.

St. Paut’s LUTHERAN CHURCH

Brookfield, Il.

TERENCE E. Cove, Secretary
(3-257)

To Decline to Join the Lutheran World
Federation

Wuereas. The constitution of the LWF negates its
claim to adherence te the Lutheran Confessions by spe-
cifically declaring that this does not bind member
churches to these Confessions: and

Whereas. The Lutheran State Church of Finland, in
membership with the LWF. changed its confessional
paragraph already in 1870 in such a way that it no
longer even officially confesses the Lutheran doctrine;
and

Wuereas, The Church of Sweden, which practices
intercommunion with the Church of England, and the
Church of Denmark, which practices intercommunion
with the Church of Scotland, and the Church of Holland,