Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1916, Page 66

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66 Verhandlungen der ſechsundzwanzigſten Verſammlung

father's condition be brought to the attention of the Synodical Con-
ference, that the proper allowance could be made for our inability to
meet before the convention at Toledo.”

So ſteht die Sache jetzt: der Auftrag, welchen die Ehrw. Synodal⸗
konferenz auf ihren Verſammlungen zu Saginaw und Milwaukee Ihrem
Komitee erteilte, iſt noch unausgeführt, aber die letzten Nachrichten von
dem norwegiſchen Komitee enthalten den Wunſch, daß eine Beſprechung
mit dem Komitee der Ehrw. Synodalkonferenz ſtattfinde. Es entſteht
nun die Frage, ob die Ehrw. Synodalkonferenz den Verſuch, wegen der
anſtößigen Punkte in den „Madiſoner Theſen“ mit der Norwegiſchen
Synode zu verhandeln, fortſetzen oder das mit dieſer Sache betraute
Komitee aufheben ſollte.

Um der Ehrw. Synodalkonferenz eine Beurteilung der gegen⸗
wärtigen Sachlage in der Norwegiſchen Synode zu ermöglichen, erlaubt
ſich Ihr Komitee, folgendes mitzuteilen, was eigentlich nicht zur Bericht⸗
erſtattung über die Ihrem Komitee aufgetragene Angelegenheit gehört.

1. Gleich beim Erſcheinen der „Madiſoner Theſen“ machte ſich
innerhalb der Norwegiſchen Synode ſelber Unzufriedenheit mit dem
Lehrinhalt dieſer Theſen bemerkbar. Es bildete ſich eine ſogenannte
Minoritätspartei innerhalb der Norwegiſchen Synode, welche unter
anderm auch alle die Punkte in den „Madiſoner Theſen“ anſtößig fand,
die der Ehrw. Synodalkonferenz bedenklich erſchienen. Obwohl ſich
dieſe Minoritätspartei durch die Stellung, welche die Ehrw. Synodal⸗
konferenz in Saginaw zu den „Madiſoner Theſen“ nahm, ohne Zweifel
in ihrer eigenen Stellung beſtärkt fühlte, hat ſie doch unabhängig von
der Synodalkonferenz und Ihrem Komitee in Wort und Schrift ihr
Zeugnis in der Norwegiſchen Synode abgelegt. Auf dieſe Tatſache
ſollte Rückſicht genommen werden bei irgendwelchen Beſchlüſſen, durch
welche die Ehrw. Synodalkonferenz ihr Verhältnis zur Norwegiſchen
Synode beſtimmen möchte.

2. Während ihrer Verſammlung zu Minneapolis im Mai dieſes
Jahres faßte die Norwegiſche Synode Beſchlüſſe von weittragender Be⸗
deutung. Wir geben dieſelben hier wieder nach dem Bericht in dem
engliſchen Organ der Norwegiſchen Synode, dem Lutheran Herald vom
1. Juni.

“Judge Grindeland moved the adoption of the first motion per-
taining to the question of church union. The motion was as fol-
lows: —

“‘Whereas the Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America, the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of
America, and the Hauge Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod of
America have for several years negotiated about consolidation into
one church-body;

“‘Whereas the said church-bodies at their respective annual
meetings in 1912 adopted a report called “Opgjoer,” prepared by

66 Proceedings of the twenty-sixth convention

father's condition be brought to the attention of the Synodical Conference, that the proper allowance could be made for our inability to meet before the convention at Toledo." [Printed in English.]

This is how the matter stands now: the commission which the Honorable Synodical Conference (*Synodalkonferenz*) gave your committee at its conventions at Saginaw and Milwaukee is still unfulfilled, but the latest communications from the Norwegian committee contain the wish that a conference with the committee of the Honorable Synodical Conference take place. The question now arises whether the Honorable Synodical Conference should continue the attempt to negotiate with the Norwegian Synod about the offensive points in the "Madison Theses," or should dissolve the committee entrusted with this matter.

In order to enable the Honorable Synodical Conference to form a judgment of the present state of affairs in the Norwegian Synod, your committee takes the liberty of reporting the following, which properly does not belong to the report on the matter entrusted to your committee.

1. Immediately upon the appearance of the "Madison Theses" dissatisfaction with the doctrinal content of these theses made itself noticeable within the Norwegian Synod itself. A so-called minority party formed within the Norwegian Synod, which among other things found offensive all the points in the "Madison Theses" which seemed questionable to the Honorable Synodical Conference. Although this minority party undoubtedly felt itself strengthened in its own position by the stand which the Honorable Synodical Conference took at Saginaw on the "Madison Theses," it has nevertheless borne its testimony in the Norwegian Synod in word and writing independently of the Synodical Conference and your committee. This fact ought to be taken into consideration in any resolutions by which the Honorable Synodical Conference may wish to determine its relation to the Norwegian Synod.

2. During its convention at Minneapolis in May of this year the Norwegian Synod passed resolutions of far-reaching significance. We give them here according to the report in the English organ of the Norwegian Synod, the Lutheran Herald of June 1.

[Printed in English.]

"Judge Grindeland moved the adoption of the first motion pertaining to the question of church union. The motion was as follows: —

"'Whereas the Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, and the Hauge Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod of America have for several years negotiated about consolidation into one church-body;

"'Whereas the said church-bodies at their respective annual meetings in 1912 adopted a report called "Opgjoer," prepared by