LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 125

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 125

agreement and concord existing between that organization and
the Synod in 1969 by failing to remove hindrances to a Biblical
fellowship as understood by the LCMS, despite every overture
available to the Synod, and by persisting and intensifying promo-
tion of the basic differences, in their public teaching on the
authority of the Scriptures, the nature and basis of church
fellowship, and in their ecumenical and lodge practices, and
matters relating to the Sixth Commandment; and

WHEREAS, To these basic and fundamental differences have
been added both by independent official and public action and
by consort action with the LCA in their preexisting fellowship
with that body and with LCUSA, unaffected by commitments to
the LCMS, approving ordination of women into the pastoral
office, in spite of warnings that such a decision would be con-
sidered disruptive of fellowship with our Synod; and

WHEREAS, The ALC has further committed serious offense
against God and proceeded, also, contrary to pleadings of the
LCMS concerning the murderous extraction of a human fetus
from its mother’s womb at any point of gestation (abortion),
and especially with public acknowledgment that this fetus is
a human being in need of the Sacrament of Baptism (Radio
broadcast, Dr. David Preus, WCCO, Minneapolis, Oct. 29,
1974); and

WHEREAS, The ALC has by words and by actions contrary
to agreements, consensus, and understanding of the meaning
of fellowship and in favor of the insurrectionist forces within
the LCMS led by Seminex and ELIM injected itself into the
controversy alien to LCMS and inimical to achieving a unified
evangelical position with the LCMS in the fellowship established
in 1969; and

WHEREAS, Meetings, overtures, counsel, and admonition in
brotherly love to a now sister synod have not produced true
Christian concord and doctrinal unity, nor has such a position
been achieved, nor has the intent to achieve such position been
demonstrated; therefore be it

Resolved. That the LCMS, convened in Anaheim in 1975,
abrogate the action of the Denver convention, Resolution 3-15,
Proceedings. pp. 96—98; and be it further

Resolved. That Resolution 2-40 of the New Orleans conven-
tion be taken off the table for amendment by addition of whereas
clauses 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the first resolve of this resolution;
and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod as a body and each Christian
delegate be mindful of the divine command inherent in this
resolution as found in Lev. 19:17; 1 Cor. 1:10; Gal.5:1; and
Rom. 16:17, and entertain no resolution for fellowship until the
false theology, the unchristian practices and violations of Scrip-
tures, the unscriptural and unevangelical and un-Lutheran
ecumenism that hold sway have been corrected and conformed
to the Word of God: and be it finally

Resolved. That the Synod in humbleness before God and in
love to our neighbor beseech this group also identified as Lu-
theran to bow before the almighty God and His Word in repen-
tance and prayer to the end that they may “hear the Word
of the Lord” and ‘tremble at His Word” (Is. 65:5) and come
into full conformity with the verbally inspired, inerrant Word
of God.

St. James Lutheran Church
University City, Mo.

John Essen, President

Carl Meinecke, Secretary
Tom Baker, Pastor

3-2138A

To Terminate Fellowship with
American Lutheran Church

WHEREAS, The Holy Scriptures command us not only to
“mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to
the doctrine which ye have learned” but also to “avoid them”
(Rom. 16:17); and

WHEREAS, In keeping with the above paragraph, the Synod’s
CTCR recently quite properly and altogether correctly declared:

“Our affirmations are not intended to offer license for unionistic
relations with other denominations nor to tolerate teachings
and practices that are contrary to the clear teachings of Scrip-
ture... . Our intention is not to endorse an approach to mis-
sions which is unionistic in the sense that it tolerates among
church bodies a diversity of views regarding doctrines that are
clearly revealed in the Bible” (“The Mission of the Christian
Church in the World,” p. 6): and

WHEREAS. The American Lutheran Church has and retains
heretical teachings (e. g., ordination of women); and

WHEREAS, The ALC has made it very plain that it has no
intention to cease teaching its heresies but rather to continue
to teach them and to practice in keeping with them; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod’s official fellowship with the ALC is
God-forbidden, God-displeasing, and sinful; therefore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church~— Missouri Synod, in
convention assembled in Anaheim, declare that our fellowship
relations with The American Lutheran Church are terminated.

Trinity Lutheran Church
Scarsdale, N. Y.

George VanCleave, President
Robert Palmer-Smith, Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-213B to 3-213E

Holy Cross, Kearney, Nebr.
Christ, Coos Bay, Oreg.

St. Peters, Brownstown, Ind.
Messiah, Detroit, Mich.

Martin Hoyer
Herbert Schutte
J. V. Moyer
Carl Hoffmeyer

3-214A

To Suspend Denver ALC Fellowship
Resolution

WHEREAS, The ALC has violated the clear teachings of
Scripture by placing its stamp of approval on the practice of
abortion, thereby aligning itself with the liberal left, which
chooses to say, ‘Listen, Lord, Thy servant speaketh” (cf. the
CTCR study document “Abortion: Theological, Legal, and
Medical Aspects’’); and

WHEREAS, The ALC has become guilty of meddling in other
men’s matters by aligning itself in sympathy with and in support
of Seminex and its proponents of an intellectual theology at
variance with the firm Scriptural commitment of the LCMS,
an effort clearly intended to upset or defeat the practice of
essential church discipline within our fellowship; and

WHEREAS, The ALC (as well as the LCA) has formally ap-
proved the ordination of women to the ministry, thereby laying
aside the clear teachings of God’s Word in this matter in 1 Cor.
11; 1 Cor. 14; and 1 Tim. 2, thereby vitiating in yet another way
the unwarranted LCMS-ALC fellowship; and

WHEREAS, It is the experience and conviction of many
pastors and congregations that there are many other serious
differences in doctrine (e. g., the inerrant Word, Creation, the
invisible church, etc.) and in practice (e. g., lodgism, ecumenism,
close Communion) between pastors and congregations of the
LCMS and those of the ALC; and

WHEREAS, Fellowship with the ALC has drawn us into com-
munion with a weaker Lutheran body, which fellowship has
watered down the confessional steadfastness, Biblical loyalty,
and spiritual strength of the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, The ALC has offered the left hand of fellowship
to the ultraliberal LCA only months after the right hand of
fellowship was offered to the LCMS, the acceptance of which
has obviously involved the LCMS in pan-Lutheran fellowship,
to which we must take the strongest possible exception accord-
ing to 1 Cor. 1:10 and Rom. 16:17; and

WHEREAS, The ALC is a member of the Lutheran World
Federation and the World Council of Churches (with the pros-
pect of identification with the National Council of Churches