LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1932, Page 123

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

172 Proceedings of Thirty-Fifth Regular Convention,

longer actively participates in their idolatrous practises, but still
upholds his membership in the lodge, then his pastor shall deal with
him according to Matt.18 in a truly evangelical spirit; but in the
mean time he shall be suspended from Holy Communion until he has
severed also his outward connection with the lodge, 2 Cor. 6, 14—18.
2 Thess. 3, 6. 14. 15. ,

“Reasons: First, because indirectly he still has fellowship with
the idolatry of the lodge, 2 John 7—11;

“Secondly, because his lodge-membership is a matter which his
fellow-Christians have against him, Matt. 5, 23;

“Thirdly, because admitting him to Communion would constitute
an offense to the lodge-member himself and to his fellow-Chri
1 Cor. 10,32; Rom. 14,13; Matt. 18, 7.

“ce. If a lodge-member, after due admonition, renounces the false
teachings and the idolatrous practises of his lodge and definitely
promises to withdraw and sever also his external connection with his
lodge, he may be admitted to Holy Communion although his with-
drawal has not yet been ‘formally announced to the lodge’ (Theol.
Quarterly, TX, p.123). For while such a one is indeed technically
still a lodge-member, he virtually has ceased to be one.
offense, the case must be explained to the congregation.

“d. We do not deny that a conscientious pastor may in cases of
imminent death give the Sacrament to a person who, though still
outwardly connected with a lodge, is able and willing to examine him-
self, sincerely repents of his sins, and confesses faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ as his Savior. Therefore be it further

“2, Resolved, That Synod, in agreement with the resolutions of
1926, instruct its officers to exercise vigilant care and urge all pastors
and congregations to admonish such congregations and pastors as.
permit the ‘lodge evil’ to exist in their churches without counter-
testimony and decisive action. If after due investigation it becomes
evident that such congregations and pastors refuse to remove the
offense, they are to be suspended and eventually expelled from synod-
ical connection.

“3. Resolved, That Synod hereby declare that the practise out-
lined above is Scriptural and truly evangelical.”

Respectfully submitted in the name of the majority of the
Northern Illinois District Pastoral Conference.
E. W. A. Korner.
Cart ABEL.

stians,

To avoid

Ernest Lams.
Orto C. A. Borctenr..

The undersigned officers of above-named conference hereby testify
that the conference resolved to submit this memorial to Synod as
an expression and petition of the majority.

R. PigHLER, Chairman. A. H. Laner, Secretary.

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1932. 173

Questions Respecting the Lodge Problem.
(Memorial 406.)

Wuereas, Synod in 1929 at River Forest passed resolutions re-
garding the lodge problem the interpretation and application of which
are disturbing consciences and therefore the peace and welfare of
Synod; and

Wuereas, Time and circumstance seem to make impossible a full
discussion thereof on the floor of Synod; and

Wuenreas, The lodge problem, will never be solved until the entire

‘matter has been carefully studied by the individual congregations;

therefore we, the undersigned,

Respectfully petition Synod to refer the following questions to the
congregations of Synod, with the request that the replies be returned
for tabulation prior to the convention in 1935: —

Question 1: Do the resolutions of 1929, published in the Pro-
ceedings of the Thirty-fourth Regular Convention, pp. 113 ff., depart
from the constantly reaffirmed position of Synod? For instance: —

A) In the Elfter Synodalbericht der Allgemeinen Deutschen Ev.-
Luth. Synode von Missouri, Ohio u. a. Staaten vom Jahre 1868, p. 60 £.
(Allgemeiner Praeses: C.F. W. Walther), we read of a long and lively
discussion which was aroused by an overture from the Eastern Dis-
trict asking whether a congregation in which one-third of the members
were lodge-members could be received into Synod. Some answered
yes, others answered no.

We quote the conclusion: “All these speeches and the argu-
ments ... clearly showed that it was impossible to bring about any
agreement in this matter. Therefore it was finally unanimously re-
solved to report this to the Synod of the Eastern District as the an-
swer to its inquiry. To this resolution, however, the following ex-
planatory statement was added: We should not permit ourselves to
be discouraged too much because we could not come to any agreement
in this matter. For the matter in question is not a point of doctrine;
we are in full agreement in doctrine on this particular article; but we
are dealing with a specific case in casuistry, that is, a difficult case for
official action and the conscience. The Church never has been able to
reach a full agreement on each and every case of that kind; for often
one theological faculty rendered a decision that was altogether dif-
ferent from that given by another. Since this also is happening to

us now in this case, this should not cause us to be despondent, but to
be humble.” |

B) We quote another sentence from the same Proceedings: “It is
understood among us as a self-evident matter that members of secret
societies whom we find in our congregations or who attend our
churches are to be borne with great love and patience, also not to be