Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 15

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 15

and by approaching them in a humble and prayerful spirit. They
were concerned about one thing and one thing only, the upbuilding
of the kingdom of God. And that and that alone must also be our
concern.

It took Walther and his colaborers some sixteen years to
establish the Synodical Conference. Certainly it is not contrary
to the Scriptures nor to the spirit of the fathers if we devote
a number of years to the endeavor of preserving this organization.

May I submit two proposals which under God may prove
helpful in re-establishing a fraternal and cordial relationship.
It seems to me that one failure on our part in the past was that
we made no continuous and consistent attempt to grow together.
This could be achieved, in part, if the theological faculties, including
the faculty at Greensboro, would meet at regular intervals. Faculty
members would attend these sessions not so much as represent-
atives of their own synod, but as members of the Synodical Con-
ference. Programs could be prepared which would have wholesome
results for the Synodical Conference, for World Lutheranism, and
for Protestantism in general.

Another proposal which I would submit is the establishing of
a Board of Arbitration. In the past the so-called Intersynodical
Relations Committee dealt with numerous items that were causing
disturbances. It seems to me that this Committee is unwieldy and
not properly constituted to deal with the matters at hand with dis-
patch. A Board of Arbitration, composed not of officials but of
laymen and pastors, to my mind, could deal much more effectively
with “incidents” that are contrary to the constitution of the Synod-
ical Conference and which cause offense.

I recommend these two thoughts for your serious consideration.

May Almighty God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
grant the grace of His Holy Spirit, that we all may be one in Him
and constantly abide in the Christian unity, which is well-pleasing
to Him. Amen.

The Honorable Evangelical Joint Synod of Wisconsin and
Other States, at a special convention held at Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
October 8 and 9, 1953, passed the following resolutions with ref-
erence to its relation with The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod:

1. That we declare that The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod

a) by reaffirming its acceptance of the Common Confession
as a “settlement of past differences which in fact are not
settled,” (Wis. Proc. 1951, p. 146,) and

b) by its persistent adherence to its unionistic practices (the
Common Confession, joint prayer, scouting, chaplaincy,
communion agreement with the National Lutheran Coun-
cil, cooperation with unorthodox church bodies in matters
clearly not in the field of externals; negotiating with
lodges and Boy Scouts of America with the plea that this
gives opportunity to bear witness, under the same plea
taking part in unionistic religious programs and in the
activities of unionistic church federations; negotiating
for purposes of union with a church body whose official
position it is that it is neither possible nor necessary to
agree in all matters of doctrine and which ‘contends for
an allowable and wholesome latitude of theological
opinion on the basis of the teachings of the Word of God)