Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 97

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 97

Lutheran Men in America

In papers delivered at the Presidents’ Conference, in the Wis-
consin Synod Tract 8, and in articles appearing in official organs,
our Synod has been faulted for permitting the Lutheran Men in
America of Wisconsin to be sponsored by Missouri Synod congrega-
tions and leaders. A detailed answer to this charge is given on
pp. 70—74 in Another Fraternal Endeavor. Read it carefully before
passing judgment on Missouri Synod as persisting in unionistic
practices on this score. It is easy to pass resolutions and condemn.
Read how our conferences and pastors and congregations did more
than that. They met with the men involved and sought to help -
them find their way out of difficulties, They clearly set forth
Scriptural principles and sought to get the men to conform to them.
They explained matters to laymen who had never received an
adequate explanation. They arranged meetings with men from our
Synod who are members of the Board of Directors of the L. M.A.
of Wisconsin and found these men willing to co-operate after they
understood the resolution concerning L. M. A. unanimously passed
by the Synodical Conference in 1952. They are working at trying
». to bring their organization into line with that resolution. That is
_- the evangelical way to deal with such matters. That is the way
we deal with members of our congregations. You cannot call this
sort of dealing with them persistent adherence to unionistic prac-
tices! So, hadn’t we better in all brotherly fairness drop this
charge?

National Lutheran Editors’ and Managers’ Association

This is strictly a professional group of Publishing House Man-
agers and Editors of Lutheran periodicals. Strictly professional
matters are being discussed also in the editors’ section, such as
how to develop reader interest, gathering men, a well-rounded
church paper, district supplements, the place of apologetics and
polemics, etc. ... The program of such a meeting printed in the
Lutheran Standard of October 17, 1953, submitted by a Wisconsin
Synod brother, proves that this is “a professional association” and
that the question of church fellowship and unionism can hardly
enter as far as the association is concerned.

Our Work in England

The case is made from a quotation taken from the news report
in the Lutheran Witness of 1949 that N.L.C. and Missouri “have
joined efforts to provide spiritual service to the exiled Lutherans
in Great Britain.” This quote was from the report of the overseas
representative of the Council. Read the story of our work in
England in the Proceedings of Synod, 1953, pp. 410—412. That
report shows that the work done jointly was for physical relief,

Missouri starting, N. L. C. coming in later, having had contact with

-the refugee groups from Poland and the Baltic provinces through

the Lutheran World Federation. It then developed that our two

‘congregations and their pastor made plans to try to bring about

-unity in doctrine and practice among Lutherans in Britain with

--the hope of eventual unification of the Lutherans there into one

body. This necessitated doctrinal discussions with Lutheran pas-