LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 67

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Council. I would be the first to state that there are
_ certainly some weaknesses in the Council, that not

everything that it has done has been perfect. However,
jnter-Lutheran activities are going to take place,
whether there is a Lutheran Council or not. They will
multiply all over the place like mushrooms. It is far
better to have an agency like the Lutheran Council
which can moniter activities and in which the officials
- ofthe churches can be directly represented or be present,
- yather than have it going on all over the place without

- anyone knowing really what is going on. Until a better
proposal for the structuring of the Lutheran Council
comes forward, I think we ought to retain membership
“> in it and continue to support it to the extent that we
- eonsider feasible and in keeping with the principles of
"good stewardship and good theology.

4, Administration

.. The most controversial issue facing the Committee
on Administration is the 25 overtures which call for
‘increased retirement benefits. Some of these come from
Districts, Distict Boards of Directors, and District
pastoral conferences.

The committee will certainly want to consult with all
responsible parties on this matter and try to determine
if there is some possible way to help out our beloved
pensioners who have served so faithfully and who often
receive so little.
“> Thereport of the Black Centennial Committee with a
long list of Black students attending our seminaries is
“. most encouraging. This should give great joy to all of us
oa _to know that so many Black men are preparing for the
ministry of our Synod. This is the finest fruit of our
“Black Centennial program.
With reference to Overture 4-36, “To Decline to
Support Valparaiso University,” while it is true that not
“everything done at Valparaiso University has been
entirely supportive of the Synod, and while statements
havecome from various individuals connected with this
.-iniversity which are certainly at variance with the
osition of our Synod, I believe that much more study
“ought to be made of the statement, “The theology being
taught at Valparaiso University is in opposition to both
Holy Scriptures and the orthodox theology of The
sutheran Church— Missouri Synod,” before the passage
: of a resolution such as this. We should exercise great
- patience with Valparaiso, as we have and continue to do
“with our own institutions.
+ -The university has had a long history of association
with the Synod, and most of this association has been
beneficial to both. There are thousands of Valparaiso
University graduates in our congregations who are
‘loyal members of the Synod, and I believe it would be far
better that dialogs and conversations be established
between the university and the officials of the Synod
eading to a solution to any problems that may exist,
-Yather than taking action which would in an arbitrary
atid perhaps ill-considered way, sever what has been a
valuable and useful relationship.

PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS 67

With reference to Overture 4-37, while I totally agree
with the sentiments of the overture that ELIM go out of
business and likewise Missouri in Perspective, I add
this to my previous remarks and suggest that discus-
sions take place which would lead to phasing out of all
of these unofficial publications which so often are
biased, unfair, and do not obey the first rule of journal-
ism, namely, ascertain the facts. Let’s take care of all of
them at the same time.

5. Constitutional Matters

Committee No. 5 will have the report of the Commit-
tee on Constitutional Matters as part of its assignment.

It is always a pleasure to welcome new congregations
into the Synod, and we are pleased to several applica-
tions. These are not controversial matters.

It also has the matter of dual memberships. Herewith
J am submitting the most up-to-date statistics on the
matter of dual memberships which has been supplied to
my office by District Presidents in which this situation
still exists. The present situation is that 63 pastors,
including 18 who are serving LCMS congregations and
24 retired, 8 congregations, and 12 teachers still claim
membership in both The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod and the AELC.

Resolution 5-11 deals with a very difficult problem,
namely, the removal of persons holding dual member-
ship from the rosters of Synod. It probably also should
be expanded to include congregations holding dual
membership. You may recall that at the Dallas conven-
tion Resolution 5-01 dealt with this matter and estab-
lished a grace period for congregations, pastors, and
teachers who hold or at that time held dual membership
in the Missouri Synod and the AELC. It indicated they
should prayerfully and earnestly consider this question,
and receive the ministrations of their District Presidents
and ultimately make up their minds in which church
body they were to hold membership.

It was my personal opinion at the time this matter
arose that we should continue to regard the AELC,
which did not even call itself a church but rather the
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, a move-
ment rather than dignify it by giving it the designation
as a church. In this contention I was overruled by the
Commission on Constitutional Matters, the Board of
Directors, the convention of the Synod, The American
Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, the
Lutheran Council in the USA, and the Lutheran World
Federation. Confronted with a defeat of that magnitude,

- IT held my peace and proceeded to try to carry out the

resolutions of the Synod, as the Constitution directs the
President to do. I asked the District Presidents to be
evangelical and patient in dealing with these people,
and over the past four years considerable amount of
progress has been made. In most instances (but by no
means all) those individuals holding dual membership
and those congregations, when confronted with a choice
have chosen to join the AELC and leave our beloved
Synod.

It is the policy of The American Lutheran Church,