LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — MAY 7 AND 8, 1963, Page 1

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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL

MATTERS, MAY 7 AND 8, 1963
Chicago, Illinois

67, The Meeting was opened with prayer by Pastor Berner.

68, The Minutes of the Meeting of January 7 and 8, 1963, were read and

approved,

69; The Secretary reported somewhat in detail on developments in con-
nection with the situation precipitated by the inclusion of a ‘Woman's Suffrage
Paragraph" in the Constitution of Redeemer Lutheran Congregation in Sidney,
Ohio; A meeting had been held with District President Krueger and with two
members of the Committee which had presented a report on Woman's Suf-
frage to the San Francisco Convention; these two brethren were Dr, Walter H.
Wente of Fort Wayne and Rev. B. G. Mueller of Warsaw, Indiana. No clear-
cut decision had been reached at this meeting; it had become apparent again
that the question of Woman's Suffrage in the Church continues to be an issue
on which there are varying opinions; certainly this matter cannot be settled
in a legalistic manner. - The Secretary had indicated to Pastor Paul Scheidt,
who is serving the Sidney Congregation, that the Committee on Constitutional
Matters would be ready to consult with the Congregation; Pastor Scheidt had
stated that before such a consultation would take place another effort would
be made by him to persuade the Congregation not to press the issue, A later
communication from Pastor Scheidt had carried the information that the

Congregation had agreed to drop the matter at this time,

70. A rather extended discussion followed this report and terminated in

the decision to refer the entire matter to the Commission ‘on Theology and Church

Relations.