LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1932, Page 122

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170 Proceedings of Thirty-Fifth Regular Convention,

ing their present status. Our records show that such inquiry would
have been of material benefit, since important data concerning the
changes which have taken place in certain lodges only reached us
a considerable time after the changes had been made effective. It ig
the suggestion of your Bureau that a general study of the va
secret orders from this standpoint be instituted.

The Bureau notes with gratification an improvement in the
handling of the lodge problem by our congregations. One and all,
our inquirers are definite in their statement that they uphold the
resolutions of 1929; a vigorous, yet evangelical policy is being main.
tained. It is being recognized with no dissenting voice that an evan-
gelical discipline must be based upon accurate knowledge concerning
the nature of the particular lodge with which we have to deal; that
only by staying within actual facts may we deal successfully with the
brother whom we must convince of his error. In many cases the
success of such negotiations have been reported to us by our pastors.

The situation has undergone a favorable change from a direction
which no one could foresee three years ago. The lodges appear to have
passed their culmination point a few years after the war. While
they still number some thirty million members in this country, they
are on the decline. It is hard to get the members together for the
meetings of the locals. The childishness of the attempts at display
and full-sounding titles is beginning to strike the present generation.
The ritual no longer has drawing power. Most lodges complain
bitterly of the lack of attendance. While it would be folly to deny
that the lodge is still a power for evil, we may at least believe that
the hardest conflict is passed.

The following orders have entirely dropped their lodge character:

The Mystic Workers, now the Fidelity Life Association.

The Anti-Horse Thief Association, now the Anti-Thief Asso-
ciation.

The Fraternal Reserve Association and the Equitable Fraternal
Union, now the Equitable Reserve Association.

The Order of Beavers, now The National Mutual Benefit.

These orders have discarded all religion and other objectionable
features from their ritual. They requested and received advice from
pastoral conferences in Wisconsin and Illinois, and their revisions
were checked by the Bureau of Information. Also the Yeomen Lodge,
early in 1932, voted to discontinue its lodge character.

A large number of cases have come under our observation in
which lodges conduct their insurance business distinctly from the
order, requiring no obligation, dues, ete. Changes are occurring con-
tinually, and for this reason alone we are not ready to recommend the
publication of a larger book describing the various orders.

Your Bureau has remained within its limits as a dispenser of

rious

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1932. i71

reliable and up-to-date facts regarding the various lodges. It has not
given opinions on matters of practise or in cases of casuistry. Its
collection of facts is available without charge to any member of our

Synod. O. F. Encersrecut. THrEopore GRaEBNER.
Revision of Resolution Three Concerning the
Communing of Lodge-Members.
(Memorial 405.) °

The majority of the Northern Illinois District Pastoral Con-
ference respectfully and urgently requests Synod to reconsider the
third point of the resolutions of Synod concerning the communing
of lodge-members. We find these resolutions on page 118 of the
Proceedings of the 34th Regular Convention of the Ev. Luth. Synod
of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, assembled at River Forest, IIl.,
June 19—29, 1929.

Point Three of these resolutions reads as follows: —

“Resolved, That we do not deny that a conscientious pastor may
under certain conditions (‘In cases which present unusual features,
rendering their classification difficult’; Memorial 407, lines 95.96)
administer Holy Communion to a person who is still outwardly con-
nected with a lodge. But in such a case the pastor shall earnestly
beware of procrastinating and giving offense, and to this end he shall
freely and conscientiously consult with his vestry and congregation,
his brethren in the ministry, and the officials of Synod, as the case
may require.”

Since the River Forest convention Point Three has been deplored
by many friends and greeted by many enemies of our Synod as a con-
cession to, and compromise with, lodgism.

The phraseology of this paragraph: “under certain conditions,”
“in cases which present unusual features, rendering classification
difficult,” is too vague, too pliable, too general, and therefore mis-
leading, inviting abuse and wrong practise. Hence we hold that ‘this
Point Three should be eliminated or be stated more definitely.

Permit us to submit the following modification of Synod’s
resolutions, which we believe to be correct and safe: —

“1, Resolved, That Synod hereby declare that it is, and shall be,
the practise of our Synod not to administer Holy Communion to
members of lodges.

“a. If any one is personally active in behalf of his lodge or
directly participating in its idolatrous worship, then his pastor shall
deal with him according to Matt. 18 in a truly evangelical spirit; but
in the mean time such a lodge-member shall be suspended from Holy
Communion because the Bible says: ‘Ye cannot be partakers of the
Lord’s Table and of the table of devils,’ 1 Cor. 10, 21.

“b. If any one no longer attends lodge-meetings and thus no