LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — NOVEMBER 1, 1961, Page 3

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developed when Trinity Lutheran Congregation of New Haven, Missouri,
had been suspended by the President of the Western District because of

its insistence in calling a Candidate who had been declared ineligible.

12) The lengthy correspondence was now read verbatim - a letter
from the Secretary of Trinity Lutheran Congregation of New Haven, Missouri,
Mr. August Rowald, addressed to our former Chairman, The Rev. W. H.
Meyer; the answer of our former Chairman, the Rev. W. H. Meyer; an
acknowledgment by the Secretary to Mr. August Rowald; a letter addressed
to the President of the Western District by the Secretary; the answer of
President Stelling; communications addressed to the Trinity Lutheran Cong-
regation of New Haven, Missouri, by the Praesidium of the Western District;
and a letter addressed by the Praesidium of the Western District to the Western

District Board of Appeals.

13) It was noted that the Candidate who had precipitated the embarrassing
situation, Mr. Herman Otten, had been involved in some difficulties while
at the Seminary because of certain accusations he had made publicly against
the doctrinal positions of one of the professors; when the professor stated
that Mr. Otten should have come to him privately and therefore demanded
an apology from Mr, Otten, the apology had not been forthcoming, In view of
this refusal on the part of Mr. Otten, he had been declared ineligible for a
Call; but Mr. Otten had taken his case to the Board of Appeals; the Board of
Appeals had spent many hours in reviewing the case and eventually had been
deadlocked when voting on the issue, -. Vice-President Nitz and District

President Mueller filled in many of the details.

14) The question seemed to be whether the President of the District
had acted correctly when suspending Trinity Lutheran Congregation in New

Haven, Missouri, under the circumstances that then existed.