Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 87

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 87

went swimming on the beach at Benghazi, planes would come over
and try to see whether they could make the bathers duck under
water.

At any rate, 100 planes, with ten men in each, left on the morn-
ing of August 1. That evening 30 came back. Most of them knew
in advance that they probably would not return. They realized that
the explosions from the bombs they were to drop would take place
before their planes had a chance to get away from the blasts.

The night before the raid, on July 31, 1943, I had a Com-
munion service just outside Benghazi for Lutheran men. Never
did the Lord’s Supper mean more to these men and to me than
under such conditions. Some of the men who did not come back
were Lutherans who were present at this service. Three of them
were members of the Wisconsin Synod, as I recall. These persons
are now part of that “cloud of witnesses” referred to in Hebrews,
chapter 12. From their present vantage point, beyond the realm
of our differences down here, as they stand in the very presence
of God and of the Lamb, these men must find it very strange indeed
that someone should ever have raised the question of my right to
be in Benghazi, Lybia, as a military chaplain on the evening of
July 31, 1943, with the means of grace to comfort men who knew
that they would shortly leave this vale of tears to be with the
saints of all ages in the presence of their Redeemer.

Other Issues:
Causing Tensions Between Wisconsin and Missouri
ARNOLD Grumo, D. D.

In its resolution adopted at the October 8 and 9, 1953, con-
vention in Milwaukee, Wis., our sister Synod of Wisconsin lists
besides the Common Confession, Scouting, and the chaplaincy as
examples of “persistent adherence to its unionistic practices’ on
the part of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod:

1. Joint Prayer;

2. Communion Agreement with the National Lutheran Council;

3. Co-operation with unorthodox church bodies in matters

clearly not in the field of externals;

4. Negotiating with lodges and Boy Scouts of America with the

plea that this gives opportunity to witness;

5. Under the same plea taking part in unionistic religious pro-

grams and in the activities of unionistic church federations;

6. 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.

The purpose of this essay is to touch on these issues and to
show that they are not examples of “persistent adherence to union-
istic practices” on the part of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod; that therefore the judgment passed by the Joint Synod
of Wisconsin in its October, 1953, meeting is not valid on this score.
The judgment reads: “We declare that The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod (a)... . (b) by its persistent adherence to its