LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 43

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MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION 43

session, leading the delegates in prayer, including a
prayer for the Rev. Edwin H. Dubberke, a delegate who
had been hospitalized.

Session 13
July 10, Evening
Opening
After the delegates had joined in singing “My Faith
Looks Up to Thee” and praying Psalm 23, President

Preus declared the evening session open in the name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Orders of the Day

It was announced that the session would be devoted to
considering matters presented by the floor committees on
Administration and Higher Education.

Administration

Dr. Elwood Zimmermann, chairman of the floor com-
mittee on Administration, introduced Dr. Milton Carpen-
ter, Treasurer of the Synod, who was present to answer
questions which had been raised earlier relating to the
sale of the Commerce Building and other matters. After
expressing his thanks to the delegates for their prayers
for his wife, whose illness had prevented him from being
present earlier, Dr. Carpenter provided detailed answers
to a number of questions which were posed.

During the discussion the delegates declined a motion
asking the President of the Synod, in consultation with
the Vice-Presidents of the Synod, to appoint a committee
to investigate the financial loss involved in the sale of
the Commerce Building and to present a detailed report
on this matter to the 1977 convention. They also received
a statement from the floor committee on Administration
which deplored the attacks which had been made on the
Treasurer of the Synod. The convention expressed its
appreciation for the work and report of the Treasurer
with its applause.

After the words “the Task Force on Organization. (cf.
Res. 5-01A)” had been inserted after the words “referred
to” in line 24 (TB 213), Res. 4-24A was placed before the
convention for consideration. This resolution urged the
Southern California District, in . ~sultation with the
synodical Board for Missions, to cai! a director of Mis-
sion Development to explore the possibilities for mission
work in the state of Arizona. After inserting the words
“with the English District and” between the words “the”
and “synodical” in the first resolved (TB 213), the resolu-
tion was adopted (Res. 4-24A, TB 213). Before introduc-
ing Res. 4-15 (TB 83) the floor committee on Administra-
tion added the words “and the Commission on World
Hunger” after the name of the Rev. Martin C. Poch in
line 65 (TB 83) and added the words “at the end of this
fiscal year” at the end of the second resolved, line 68 (7'B
83). After a brief discussion the delegates adopted Res. 4-
15 (TB 83) and agreed to terminate the Commission on
World Hunger and transfer its work to the Bue«d of
Social Ministry and World Relief.

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Point of Privilege

Because it was necessary for one of the delegates to
leave this session of the convention for the wedding of
his son, he was granted the privilege of speaking to Res.
6-08A (TB 248), which was to be considered later in the
session.

Theology and Church Relations

Since it was necessary for Dr. George Harkins, Gen-
eral Secretary of the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A., to
leave, the floor committee on Theology and Church Rela-
tions was granted permission to introduce Res. 3-12 (TB
57) relating to the continuing evaluation of the Synod’s
membership and participation in LCUSA. After declin-
ing to change the word “selected” to “full” in line 27 (TB
57) and after agreeing to termination of debate on the
issue, the convention adopted the resolution as presented
(Res. 3-12, TB 57).

Higher Education

Dr. Ellis Nieting, chairman of the floor committee on
Higher Education, reintroduced Res. 6-08A (TB 248) and
in response to a question from the floor indicated that the
convention was to vote on the first resolved and all others
seriatim. Mr. Norman Sell, speaking for the Task. Force
on Higher Education, pointed to the differences between
the recommendations of the task force and the recom-
mendations of the floor committee on Higher Education.
He stated that the delegates had only three choices: (1) to
adopt the task force report; (2) to accept the recommen-
dations of the floor committee on Higher Education; and
(3) referral of the matter with action to be taken on the
basis of principles outlined in Res. 6-07A (TB 247), which
had been adopted previously. The convention declined to
consider the resolveds of the task force found in the
Convention Workbook, pages 295—302, as a substitute
motion. They also declined to terminate debate after 30
minutes had expired. In response to a question from the
floor, the chairman of the floor committee stated that
Resolved 1, a (TB 248) did not allow the establishment of
a fifth 4-year teacher training institute at Ann Arbor
without specific action by the Synod. Responding to a
request from the floor, Dr. Arthur Ahlschwede, Execu-
tive Secretary of the Board for Higher Education, spoke
briefly and suggested that the assembly might be willing
to allow the Board for Higher Education, an elected
board of the Synod, to implement any or all of the
resolutions of 6-08A. A substitute motion calling for
referral of the matter to the task force with the directive
to make its proposals directly to the next synodical
convention after firming up questions relating to the
upper-level theological program, its costs, and educa-
tional results, was declined for consideration by a vote of
434543. The delegates then agreed to close this session
of the convention.

Orders of the Day

After agreeing to reconsider the orders of the day, the
convention determined to begin its business sessions
after the devotion at 8:00 a.m. the next day and to reach