Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 396
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 396

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

396 SOCIAL ACTION AND WELFARE

lishing corporate positions on similar secular (i.e.,
social, economic, and political) issues past, present, or
future; and

That the Synod express itself against joining (while
not cutting off dialog with) any other body, denomina-
tion, council, or group which has a different doctrinal
basis or which is expressly associated with official posi-
tions on secular affairs; and

That the Synod reaffirm its long-he'd conviction that
its individual members — and the fellowship of all Chris-
tians — be urged to individually take active part in the
social, economic, and political issues of our day: and

That the Synod proclaim anew that its singleminded
task is to win souls for Christ; and

That the Synod reaffirm its confident belief that
more Christians, armed with the Law and the saving
Gospel, will surely, with God's help, influence the sec-
ular world in unfathomable, significant, and beneficial

ways. LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR

Cincinnati, Ohio
Frep BANDEL, President

(9-18)
To Apply Law and Gospel to

Needs of World

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
has adopted resolutions at its conventions in 1965 and
1967 that seek to establish corporate positions of the
church and many of its organizational boards and
bodies in the areas of open housing, fair business and
employment practices, and poverty programs; and

Wuereas, We, communicant members of Grace Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod, Cincinnati, Ohio, are
concerned about programs, projects, and agencies that
our beloved Synod is endorsing or may endorse and use
to carry out the intent of the 1965 and 1967 resolutions;
and

Wuereas, We are convinced that distortion of the
true mission of the church of Jesus Christ in the thrust
to solve the political, social, and economic problems of
the world will bring tragic results (e.g., at a recent
meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, one official —a Protestant
—of the World Council of Churches, when asked why
the church was so involved in the areas of economic and
social concerns, replied that Protestantism formerly
overemphasized faith and regeneration, and he then
added: “Remember, we will be judged by our works,
not by our faith!” At a poll taken at the December
1966 convention of the National Council of Churches,
when asked, “What is absolutely necessary for salva-
tion?” the delegates, composed of two-thirds clergymen
and one-third laymen, put love of neighbor first and
belief in Jesus Christ as Savior second); and

Wuereas, We, collectively and individually, over a
period of time have searched the Scriptures for God’s
guidance and have studied various published views
relative to church involvement in political, social, and
economic areas; and

Wuereas, Through these studies we are convinced

that the Law and Gospel message of the Word answers
both the spiritual and the physical needs of all men —
the affluent and the poor, the powerful and the power-
less, the influential and the nonentity, the privileged
and the underprivileged, the healthy and the sick; and

Wuereas, The Word is clear that the truly redeemed
child of God should show forth love for his neighbor
in all his needs (James 2:26); and

Wuereas, The Word of God does not prescribe the
form that a government should take; nor does it pre-
scribe the type of economic system to use; nor does it
prescribe the methods to be employed in the various
areas of social concern; Christians can differ greatly
on the methods and philosophies of political, social, and
economic activities; and

Wuereas, The Word of God does not indicate that
physical suffering in this world will cease when a per-
son has accepted Christ; nor did Christ or His apostles
hold forth the kingdom of God as a panacea for politi-
cal, social, and economic problems; and in fact Christ
and His apostles preached that suffering and physical
discomfort would continue to exist; and

Wuereas, It would be a delusion for the church to
say, or even to imply or to infer, that it can cure the
physical and materialistic problems of this world; and

Wuereas, We know that the message of the Gospel
is the only one that is relevant to all the needs of this
world: therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod reaffirm its position that the Law and Gospel is
the only message that can be relevant to all the needs
of the world; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod reaffirm its preaching and teaching ministry,
based on the inerrant Word of God, so that all who
hear the true Word of God will be led to seek daily
forgiveness and repentance and thus regenerated will
have a full measure of the Spirit with which to give a
Christian witness and bring Christian love and princi-
ples to the best of his individual ability into whatever
walk of life God has placed him; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod withdraw corporate positions and resolutions
previously taken on open housing, fair business and
employment practices, poverty programs, and civil dis-
obedience; and be it finally

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod refrain from maintaining, establishing, or ad-
vocating corporate positions on similar secular political,
social, or economic issues. Grace LUTHERAN CHURCH
Cincinnati, Ohio
Eucene GEIst, Secretary
(9-19)

To Assist Young People with Respect

to Selective Service

Wuereas, Many of our young people are being con-
fronted with the requirements of Selective Service; and