LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 92

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92 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-95A
To Rescind Resolutions 2-12 and 3-01

WHEREAS. The confessional basis which all members of The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod are bound to accept without
reservation is set forth in Article II of its Constitution, which
prescribes the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions
as such a basis: and

WHEREAS, Resolution 2-12 of the New Orleans convention
asserts the right of the Synod, in order to clarify its doctrinal
position, to adopt doctrinal statements that are binding on its
members; and

WHEREAS. The arguments of Resolution 2-12 apply to a large
extent to such doctrinal statements as explain the Synod’s con-
fessional position “over against aberrations of every sort” and
more specifically in order to apply the teachings of Scripture as
they apply to “issues of the day” not previously made explicit
in the Lutheran Confessions: and

WHEREAS. This in effect can and does change what the
Synod has clearly declared previously in its norms (Article IT)
and thus in effect amends the confessional basis of the Constitu-
tion of the Synod without following the procedures required by
Article XIV of the Constitution; and

WHEREAS. New Orleans Resolution 3-01 explicitly implements
Resolution 2-12 by the adoption of A State:xent of Scriptural and
Confessional Principles. which was originally designed to
address itself “to the doctrinal issues troubling the church
today” as a guide for discussion and now serves as a “formal and
comprehensive statement of belief’ that has become binding
on its members: and

WHEREAS. Such use has made A Statement a divisive instru-
ment and a cause for further disrupting our fellowship as
a community in Christ: and

WHEREAS. The congregations and clergy of the Synod were
not given sufficient time adequately to study and discuss A State-
ment, which was originally prepared for use by the Board of
Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, not for the purpose
of setting a new standard of orthodoxy but as a guide for dis-
cussion; and

WHEREAS. A Statement does not merely deal with doctrinal
matters but also with Biblical interpretation, making these also
binding on the Synod, and thus further broadens the confes-
sional basis, since A Statement was accepted “‘in all its parts”:
and

WHEREAS, The Synod historically, in the tradition of confes-
sional Lutheranism. never bound its members officially to a
specific Biblical interpretation, provided that alternate inter-
pretations advanced were not contrary to the analogy of faith:
therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod at its 1975 Anahiem convention
declare Resolutions 2-12 and 3-01 of the New Orleans convention
null and void.

Florida-Georgia District
Theodore W. Eisold, Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-95B and 3-95C

Messiah, Fairview Park. Ohio
Pilgrim, Indianapolis, Ind.

Bertwin Frey
Paul Schumacher

3-96

To Withdraw Resolutions 3-01 and 3-09

Adopted at New Orleans Convention

WHEREAS. Resolutions 3-01 and 3-09 formulated at the
New Orleans convention in 1973 were adopted by a bare
majority (55% and 56% respectively): and

WHEREAS, When such a bare majority adopts resolutions
whose major thrust is doctrinal (a new statement of doctrine and
a declaration that the faculty teaches doctrine not to be “toler-
ated in the church of God”), it creates unresolved and eroding
divisiveness in the church: and

WHEREAS. An imposing minority of dissident votes on a

doctrinal issue forces an honest church either into schism or
into church discipline with almost half of the elected delegates
gathered at the convention, together with their constituents: and

WHEREAS. Our Synod has previously withdrawn such divi-
sive and troublemaking resolutions (for example, the Cleveland
1962 convention in Resolution 6-01 withdrew Resolution 9 of
Committee 3 adopted by the San Francisco 1959 convention);
therefore be it

Resolved. That the church gathered in convention at Ana-
heim withdraw and declare null and void Resolutions 3-01 and
3-09 adopted at the New Orleans convention in 1973.

Trinity Lutheran Church
Pleasanton, Calif.
Mrs. Ralph Andrade, Secretary

3-97A
To Work for and Implement Lutheran
Unity

WHEREAS. The unity of the church is the work and gift of the
Holy Spirit as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the
whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ
in the one true faith; and

WHEREAS. It is incumbent upon God’s people to work for the
visible expression of our unity in the confession of Christ on the
basis of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as
the inspired revelation of God and the witness to the salvation
He has given us in Christ: and

WHEREAS. We regard the Confessions of the Lutheran
Church as contained in the Book of Concord of 1580 as a faithful
exposition of the doctrines of the Holy Bible and in our synodical
Constitution describe these Confessions as our complete basis
for Christian and synodical unity: and

WHEREAS. Divisive resolutions of our Synod’s 1973 conven-
tion at New Orleans, notably 2-12 and 3-01, have proved in
experience to be a hindrance to fellowship rather than the
implementation of it, resulting in restrictions of our mission
both at home and overseas. schismatic actions within the Synod
(e. g.. discouragement of tri-Lutheran campus and welfare
ministries, refusal of participation by our President in the ser-
vice of installation for the LCUSA general secretary, withdrawal
of our Springfield campus for use by an all-Lutheran professors’
conference, exclusion of Seminary-in-Exile students and faculty
from the use of the 801 library facility, which has been provided
by all of us), and divisive tragedies within congregations: and

WHEREAS. These divisive actions have not only impeded the
expression of our unity with our Lutheran brothers and sisters
in The American Lutheran Church and in the Lutheran Church
in America but have also torn the unity of our own Synod and
its pastors, laity, and congregations, therefore be it

Resolved. That the synod rescind New Orleans Resolutions
2-12 and 3-01. cease and desist in all boards, commissions, and
administrative positions from using these resolutions for a con-
fessional basis by which to force workers into conformity with
sectarian and unevangelical interpretations of individual Scrip-
ture passages: and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod rescind New Orleans Resolution
3-09, declare its actions based upon this resolution null and void.
and apologize to the offended faculty for the hurt inflicted upon
them: and be it further

Resolved. That we receive A Statement of Scriptural and
Confessional Principles as a study document and the current
use of it as an example of the causes that lead to Lutheran
division and the tragedies of legalism: and be it further

Resolved. That we move positively on every synodical level
to implement our existing fellowship with The American Lu-
theran Church: and be it finally

Resolved. That we affirm the fellowship already existing on
the local level among our pastors, laity. and congregations with
the Lutheran Church in America by declaring this fellowship
also on the synodical level.

Mount Olive Lutheran Church
Minneapolis, Minn

Stanton W. Holmberg, President
Marlyss Faith Wolf, Secretary