Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1930, Page 33

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der Ev.⸗Luth. Synodalkonferenz von Nordamerika. 1930. 33

helm III., durch deſſen Aufruf vom 27. September 1817 die Kirche der
Union entſtanden iſt, wodurch unſägliche Gewiſſenstyrannei angerichtet
wurde. Waren es doch die Folgen dieſes Dekrets, die die Sachſen, die
Preußen, die Wenden und andere aus ihrer Heimat in Deutſchland ver⸗
trieben haben, ſo daß dann durch Gottes gnädige Fügung hier in Amerika
eine lutheriſche Kirche des reinen Bekenntniſſes entſtand.

Aber die unglückſeligen, unheilbringenden Unionsverſuche werden
immer wieder gemacht, und man tritt dabei immer dreiſter auf. Die
Föderation, die als Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in
America bekannt iſt, die Deißmann (Die ökumeniſche Erweckung, 19)
und Athearn (Ten Reasons for Federation) ſo hoch loben, drängt ſich
frech vor als die Repräſentantin der proteſtantiſchen Kirche in Amerika.
Die United Church of Canada, im Jahre 1925 aus Methodiſten, Pres⸗
byterianern und Kongregationaliſten zuſammengeſchweißt, iſt ein Mon⸗
ſtrum, das kaum noch von einer Bekenntnisbaſis reden kann. Ebenſo
ſteht es aber mit der Vereinigung der ſchottiſchen Staatskirche und der
United Free Church of Scotland im Oktober 1929, mit der Union der
Evangeliſchen Synode von Nordamerika, der Reformierten Kirche in den
Vereinigten Staaten und der Vereinigten Brüder in Chriſto (United
Brethren in Christ) und mit der vorausſichtlichen Vereinigung der
Northern Presbyterian Church, der United Presbyterian Church und
der Reformed Church of America, anderer ähnlichen Verſuche gar nicht
zu gedenken.

Und wie ſteht es im lutheriſchen Lager? Das National Lutheran
Council beſteht ſeit 1918. Eine eigentliche Konfeſſionsbaſis hat es
nicht, ſondern der Name „lutheriſch“ genügt, um die Zugehörigkeit zu
erlangen. Aber es hat ſich in hervorragender Weiſe an großzügigen
Unionsverſuchen betätigt. Die lutheriſchen Weltkonvente von Eiſenach
(1923) und von Kopenhagen (1929) ſind zum großen Teil Werk des
National Lutheran Council. Ein Wechſelblatt faßt das Reſultat ſo
zuſammen: “The first step toward reunion [nämlich der getrennten
lutheriſchen Körperſchaften] was taken at the First Lutheran World
Convention, held at Eisenach, Germany, in 1923. The sessions, sig-
nificantly enough, were held in the Wartburg Castle, where Martin
Luther four hundred years ago translated the Bible [ſollte heißen “the
New Testament”] into the language of the common people. . . . The
movement progressed until at a meeting of the National Lutheran
Council in New York the actual organization was effected, and
Dr. John A. Morehead, who had resigned as executive director of the
National Lutheran Council, was made president of the Lutheran
World Convention. The only Lutheran body not represented is the
Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri [ſollte heißen Synodalkon⸗
ferenz], which, we are told, declined to cooperate.”

Mittlerweile ſind aber die Unionsverſuche trotz mancher, auch offen
ausgeſprochener Bedenken mit Rieſenſchritten weiter gegangen. Die
Norwegian Lutheran Church of America ging im Juni 1917 aus der
Norwegian Lutheran Synod of America (der Majorität nach), der
United Norwegian Lutheran Church und der Haugeſynode hervor.
Im November 1918 folgte die United Lutheran Church of America,
eine Vereinigung der Generalſynode, des General Council und der
United Synod of the Ev. Luth. Church in the South. In den nächſten
Tagen (11. und 12. Auguſt 1930) bildet ſich die American Lutheran
Church, die ſich zuſammenſetzt aus der Ohio⸗, der Iowa⸗ und der
Buffaloſynode. Die hierin vertretenen Körper gedenken dann einem
noch größeren Bund von lutheriſchen Synoden beizutreten, nämlich der

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1930. 33

helm III, through whose proclamation of 27 September 1817 the Church of the Union came into being, whereby unspeakable tyranny over consciences was perpetrated. It was indeed the consequences of this decree that drove the Saxons, the Prussians, the Wends and others from their homeland in Germany, so that then, by God's gracious providence, a Lutheran church of pure confession arose here in America.

But the unhappy, calamitous attempts at union are made again and again, and one comes forward ever more boldly in doing so. The federation known as the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, which Deissmann (*Die ökumenische Erweckung* [The Ecumenical Awakening], 19) and Athearn (*Ten Reasons for Federation*) praise so highly, pushes itself brazenly forward as the representative of the Protestant Church in America. The United Church of Canada, welded together in 1925 out of Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, is a monstrosity that can scarcely still speak of a confessional basis. It is the same, however, with the merger of the Scottish state church and the United Free Church of Scotland in October 1929, with the union of the Evangelical Synod of North America, the Reformed Church in the United States and the United Brethren in Christ, and with the prospective merger of the Northern Presbyterian Church, the United Presbyterian Church and the Reformed Church of America, not to mention other similar attempts.

And how does it stand in the Lutheran camp? The National Lutheran Council has existed since 1918. It has no real confessional basis, but the name "Lutheran" suffices to obtain membership. But it has been active in a prominent way in far-reaching attempts at union. The Lutheran World Conventions of Eisenach (1923) and of Copenhagen (1929) are to a great extent the work of the National Lutheran Council. An exchange paper summarizes the result thus: [Printed in English.] "The first step toward reunion [namely of the separated Lutheran bodies] was taken at the First Lutheran World Convention, held at Eisenach, Germany, in 1923. The sessions, significantly enough, were held in the Wartburg Castle, where Martin Luther four hundred years ago translated the Bible [should read "the New Testament"] into the language of the common people. . . . The movement progressed until at a meeting of the National Lutheran Council in New York the actual organization was effected, and Dr. John A. Morehead, who had resigned as executive director of the National Lutheran Council, was made president of the Lutheran World Convention. The only Lutheran body not represented is the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri [should read *Synodalkonferenz* (Synodical Conference)], which, we are told, declined to cooperate."

In the meantime, however, the attempts at union have, despite many misgivings, some of them openly expressed, gone further with giant strides. The Norwegian Lutheran Church of America arose in June 1917 out of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod of America (by majority), the United Norwegian Lutheran Church and the Hauge Synod. In November 1918 followed the United Lutheran Church of America, a union of the General Synod, the General Council and the United Synod of the Ev. Luth. Church in the South. In the next few days (11 and 12 August 1930) the American Lutheran Church is being formed, which is composed of the Ohio, the Iowa and the Buffalo Synods. The bodies represented in it then intend to join a still larger federation of Lutheran synods, namely the