Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 96
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 96

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

96 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

WHEREAS, This same strife is a scandal to those outside our
fellowship and both works against and contradicts our invita-
tions to share in the fellowship of Christian love: and

WHEREAS, This strife is like a sword piercing our hearts,
with the shame of it discouraging our witness to others: and

WHEREAS, The resolutions of the convention in New Orleans,
2-12 (To Understand Article II of the Synod's Constitution as
Requiring the Formulation and Adoption of Synodical Doctrinal
Statements) and 3-01 (To Adopt “A Statement of Scriptural and
Confessional Principles’ by Dr. Jacob A. O. Preus) have only
added to the sense of division among us: and

WHEREAS, The Synod grew and prospered for 125 years with-
out these resolutions: therefore be it

Resolved. That Resolutions 2-12 and 3-01 be rescinded: and
be it further

Resolved. That the whole matter of the status of synodically
adopted doctrinal statements be turned over to the Council of
Presidents and the Advisory Committee on Doctrine and
Conciliation for study and recommendation to the next conven-
tion.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Springfield, N. J.
Joel Yoss, Pastor

3-112A

To Require Referendum for Synodically
Adopted Doctrinal Resolutions
That Are Made Binding on All

Members of Synod

WHEREAS. Delegate conventions of the Synod are usually
attended by approximately 1,000 delegates or less; and

WHEREAS, Such a delegation totals less than 10 percent of
the voting members of the Synod (5,410 pastors, 5,882 congrega-
tions as of 1973); and

WHEREAS, The political activity now generally recognized to
be a possibility in the election of delegates makes for instructed
representatives rather than the uninstructed delegates the
Synod asks for; and

WHEREAS, The Synod has now declared that it can at any
convention and even without adequate consideration or dis-
cussion of the issues involved (because of the lack of conven-
tion time) declare any doctrinal statement to be not only binding
on all its members but a tool to be used as a new measuring
device to determine the doctrinal loyalty of its called workers:
and

WHEREAS, Such doctrinal decisions create a situation in
which a very small minority determines the doctrinal loyalty of
the majority without giving the latter even so much as an
opportunity to agree that the doctrine may indeed be binding
on the 90 percent of the members who had no vote: therefore
be it

Resolved, That all doctrinal resolutions adopted at this or any
future convention of the Synod which are declared to be binding
on any or all members of the Synod either by the convention or
by any administrative body in the Synod shall automatically
be submitted to the members of the Synod for a referendum;
and be it further

Resolved. That such resolutions become final only after being
approved by 67 percent (two thirds) of the members of the
Synod: and be it finally

Resolved. That if after 6 months members have not responded
to the referendum, their silence shall constitute a vote of ap-
proval for the said resolution.

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

Identical or similar:
3-112B

Concordia, Kirkwood, Mo. Walter Schoedel

3-113A

To Adopt Procedures for Adoption
of Doctrinal Statements and Articles

WHEREAS, The Confessions to which we have subscribed
were thoroughly studied by theologians and churches over a
period of at least 2 years: and

WHEREAS. The Confessions were adopted by the personal
signatures of civil and church leaders (including “about 8,000
pastors and teachers, embracing about two-thirds of the Lu-
theran territories of Germany”): therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod shall follow the procedure of the
historic Lutheran Church in the adoption of any additional
confessional and doctrinal statements, in the following manner:

That confessional and doctrinal statements shall be sub-
mitted to a convention of the Synod, and it shall decide by
majority vote whether such proposed confessional and doctrinal
statements shall be referred to all the congregations of the
Synod; and

That if the majority of delegates votes in favor of such a refer-
endum to congregations, the President of the Synod shall inform
all congregations of the Synod of such a resolution within 30
days after the convention; and

That the President shall further inform all congregations of
the Synod that they shall study the proposed statements together
with study helps (pro and con) that the President shall make
available to them: and

That congregations shall submit their vote for or against the
adoption of said statements not later than 3 months prior to the
next convention of the Synod: and

That the votes of the congregations shall be counted by a
professional counting agency, and the results shall be an-
nounced to all congregations at least 2 months before the
Synod’s next convention: a two-thirds majority vote of congre-
gations shall be required.

The President of the Synod shall provide exact copies of the
adopted statements to all congregations and advise them that
they are official doctrines of The Lutheran Church ~ Missouri
Synod.

The President of the Synod shall counsel with dissenting
congregations in a pastoral manner.

Glendale Lutheran Church
Glendale, Mo.

Herbert M. Shildmyer, President
Elmer E. Maschoff, Pastor

Identical or similar:

3-113B and 3-113C

Pastoral Conference, Oklahoma District
Ohio District

F. Schumacher
Arthur Ziegler

3-114

To Affirm Concept of “Norma pro
Tempore”

WHEREAS. The Holy Scriptures are the final source and crite-
rion of all sound doctrine (the “norma normans”); and

WHEREAS, The ecumenical creeds and subsequent doctrinal
formulations were occasioned by issues that required the
restatement of Scripture truth in terms that were meaningful
in new situations: and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Symbols were formulated to
address specific issues which were so precisely identified in
history and so broad in scope that they have acquired for us a
timeless quality and have been adopted as additional criteria
by which modern formulations are to be judged (the ‘norma
normata’’); and

WHEREAS, Still more recent issues and more ephemeral prob-
lems have occasioned many dozens of doctrinal resolutions by
which Scriptural truths were accurately applied for the guidance
of any who might be confused and for the maximum degree of
God-pleasing unity in doctrine and uniformity in practice: and