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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 94

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

94 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

would be cheered mightily by a decision of the LCMS un-
equivocally and decisively to reject any and all involve-
ments with the antichristian and modernistic NCC; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS, in convention assembled in
New Orleans, declare itself completely out of harmony with
and in Biblical opposition to the radical element of the NCC;
and be it further

Resolved, That we register the seriousness of our pro-
test by withdrawing any, all, and sundry commitments we
may have in official and or unofficial association with the

NCC. as now constituted. MessiauH Ev. LutHeran CuHurcH
Sterling, III.
Harold Nelson, Secretary
Eldor Mueller, Pastor

2-161

To Sever All Ties with National Council
of Churches

Wuereas, The National Council of Churches has ad-
mitted into full membership the Church of the New Jeru-
salem; and

Wuereas, The Church of the New Jerusalem is a Sweden-
borgian cult which teaches that Jesus is not God: and

WuHerEAS, Many leaders of the NCC have denied basic
doctrines of the Christian faith; therefore be it

Resolved, That we ask The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod to sever all ties with the NCC and its divisions.

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
New Haven, Mo.
Larry Scheer, Secretary

2-162

To Deny Petitions for Membership
in World Council of Churches

Wuereas, The petition for The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod to join the World Council of Churches has been
heard repeatedly from certain quarters of our church, and
memorials fostering such identification have been presented
again and again at synodical conventions; and

WHEREAS, The ALC is already an active member in the
WCC and obviously involves the LCMS in additional en-
tangling alliances with the WCC since we have mistakenly
accepted her offer of fellowship: and

Wuereas, The WCC has been following a line of political
and social concern, rather than identification with the pur-
pose for which God established the church (Matt. 28: 19-20)
(Dr. Hedegard, Swedish theologian, calls the Uppsala As-
sembly of 1968 “a political gathering — no Christian meet-
ing"): and

WuerEas, The WCC political and social gospel pro-
nouncements and activities have often been anti-American
(4th Assembly at Uppsala) and pro-revolutionary (Castro's
Cuba, Carmichael’s Black Power, Red China, the North
Vietnamese Communist regime) (see the Clergymen's Com-
mittee on China full-page ad in the N. Y. Times 11-18-68 for
details of the protests from clergymen of all faiths from all
over America): and

WHEREAS, The ecumenical involvements of the WCC target
organic union on a massive ecclesiastical seale. including
also Rome and her heresies, and LCMS identification with
this would involve her in violation of the Scriptural in-
junctions against unionism, compromising the Word of God
(1 Tim. 6:3-5:; Matt. 7:15: 1 Tim. 1:3; Rom. 16:17; Amos 3:3);
and

WHEREAS, Strong movements of conservative concern in
many of the Protestant denominations are even now calling
for their respective denominations to withdraw from the
WCC for the above-named and other reasons, and our
tragic entry into the WCC could only help the cause of
liberalism and further distress those who are seeking to
defend the truth of God's Word: and

Wuereas, The WCC has publicly advocated and financially
supported civil disobedience contrary to the will of God (Ex,
20, Rom. 13); therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,
in convention assembled in New Orleans, unreservedly re-
ject any and all overtures to identify with the World Goun-
cil of Churches as now constituted.

MessiaH Ev. LUTHERAN CHURCH
Sterling, I.

Harold Nelson, Secretary
Eldor Mueller, Pastor

2-163

To Stay Out of World Council of Churches

Wuereas, The World Council of Churches allows its
members to deny historic Christianity; and

Wuereas, The WCC admitted into membership the Hick-
site Quakers, a unitarian body: therefore be it

Resolved, That we petition The Lutheran Church — Mis-
sourl Synod to remain out of the WCC.

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
New Haven, Mo.
Larry Scheer, Secretary

OTHER FELLOWSHIP MATTERS
2-164

To Acknowledge Blessings on Lutheran-
Roman Catholic Dialogs

Wuereas, Since July 6, 1965, fruitful dialog has been
taking place between Lutherans and Roman Catholics at the
national level; and

Wuereas, The Holy Spirit has been richly blessing the
dialogs, so that

1) the representatives of the churches in dialog have
affirmed their adherence to the Nicene Creed as dogma of
the church (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue, I, 32):

2) the representatives of the two churches have found
basic agreement on the nature and effect of the sacrament
of baptism (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue, II, 80):

3) The representatives found that both churches affirm
regarding the Lord's Supper:

a) the unrepeatable character of Christ's sacrifice on the
cross for the sins of the world (Lutherans and Catholics in
Dialogue. II, 189);

b) the real presence of Jesus Christ in His body and
blood under the signs of bread and wine throughout the
eucharistic action (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue, III,
192, 193): and

c) the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper as not
coming about “through the faith of the believer, or through
any human power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit
through the word” which Christ spoke when he instituted
the sacrament (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue, II,
183): and

4) the representatives of the two churches acknowledge
that each church has a valid eucharistic ministry (Lutherans
and Catholics in Dialogue. IV, 22, 32): therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod acknowledge with thanksgiving
to God the agreements reached thus far: and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod encourage pastors and lay peo-
ple to study and discuss the Lutheran-Roman Catholic
dialogs in Bible classes, pastoral conferences, and in free
conferences of Lutherans and Roman Catholics: and be it
finally

Resolved, That the Synod pray for the continued out-
pouring of the Holy Spirit on all future Lutheran-Roman

Catholic dialogs. REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH

Grand Forks, N. Dak.
Michael Polovitz, President
Eugene De Lorme, Secreta ry