LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 156

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156 RESOLUTIONS

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in convention assembled instruct its program
boards, particularly the Board for Youth Services, the
Board for Parish Services, and the Board for Social
Ministry Services to prepare materials for all age levels
in the church which present the Synod’s opposition on
the basis of the Scriptures to willful abortion; and be it
further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod encourage its auxiliary organizations—the
International Lutheran Laymen’s League, the Lutheran
Women’s Missionary: League, and Lutheran Youth
Fellowship—to lend support and witness to the efforts
of the church in this area of concern; and be it further

Resolved, That the Lutheran Hour be encouraged to
devote one ofits programs annually to the support of the
Pro-Life cause and also that “This Is the Life” be
encouraged to make this issue one of its programs; and
be it further

Resolved, That the Synod encourage its President to
ask the pastors of the LCMS for a clear witness and
wholehearted support of our church’s position on this
question; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod commend Lutherans for Life for its clear witness
in behalf of sanctity of life, also the unborn, while at the
same time urging Lutherans for Life to greater efforts
toward this end; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod urge its congregations to form new chapters of
Lutherans for Life as part of a common Lutheran
witness to the sanctity of life; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod set aside the third Sunday of January each year
as Pro-Life Sunday in order to give special consideraton
to the sanctity of life; and be it finally

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod encourage all of Lutheranism to develop a
common voice in opposition to abortion on demand and
to support a pro-life amendment to the United States
Constitution.

Action: Adopted as amended (5).

(Amendment: “and to support a pro-life amendment to the
United States Constitution.”)

To Prepare Guidelines
for Inter-Christian Relationships

RESOLUTION 3-03A
Report 3-01, I, B, VIII (CW, p. 154); Overtures
3-13A—3-15, 3-85—3-86C (CW, pp. 164, 185—186)
WHEREAS, Questions have been raised as to the
definition of unionism and concerns have been ex-

pressed concerning unionistic practices in the Synod;
and

WHEREAS, There have been overtures regarding
participation in ecumenical services; and

WHEREAS, The Commisson on Theology and Church
Relations has recommended that practical guidelines be «
prepared to assist the officials, pastors, teachers, *
congregations, and individuals in the Synod, in de
termining which practices and activities are appropriate:
to the various levels of inter-Lutheran and inter-Chrig
tian relationships in which the Synod is involved
therefore be it

Resolved, That the CTCR prepare such guidelin
giving attention to the concerns expressed in these
overtures (3-13A—3-15, 3-85—3-86C); and be it further:

Resolved, That all officials, pastors, teachers, con.
gregations, and individuals in the Synod be encourage
to study these guidelines in the light of Scripture and the
Lutheran Confessions and report their findings to
Commission on Theology and Church Relations; and be
it finally

Resolved, That in the meantime the Synod reques
that all abide by the decisions which the Synod hag
made in view of Article VI of the Constitution of th
Synod.

Action: Adopted (5).

(The delegates declined to consider a substitute motion
which asked the CTCR to prepare guidelines on unionism and
sectarianism. They also declined an amendment to remove the
final resolved.)

To Decline to Divide Altar
and Pulpit Fellowship

RESOLUTION 3-04
Overture 3-79 (CW, p. 184)

WHEREAS, Partaking of the Sacrament of the Lord
body and blood is never a purely private, individual a
but is a participation in altar fellowship (1 Cor. 10: 1
17); and

WHEREAS, Altar fellowship is in principle alwa
tied to the solemn, public confession and proclamatio
of the pure apostolic doctrine of Christ’s church (Ac
2:42; 1 Cor. 11:26; Eph. 2:20; Apology XXIV, 35) an
cannot therefore be separated from pulpit fellowshi
therefore be it

Resolved, That Overture 3-79 be declined.
Action: Adopted (5).

To Continue Membership in LCUSA:
RESOLUTION 3-05

Report 3-01, II, Rec. IV (CW, p. 154); Report 3-0:
(CW, p. 161); Overtures 3-91A—3-99 (CW, P
187—189)

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
associated with The American Lutheran Church,.
Lutheran Church in America, and the Association. 0%;
Evangelical] Lutheran Churches through membershi
in the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.; and