Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 127
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 127

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

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 127

WHEREAS, The American Lutheran Church and the Playboy
Foundation of Chicago are both helping to support the same
anti-Christian sex program (the Associated Press and The Na-
tional Observer. quoted in Oct.7, 1974, Christian News): and

WHEREAS, The Playboy Foundation rejects Christian stan-
dards of morality and does not believe in supporting any sex
program that condemns extramarital and premarital sexual
intercourse; and

WHEREAS, The ALC is a member of the World Council of
Churches, which allows members to deny the deity of Christ
and supports Communist-backed terrorist groups in Africa: and

WHEREAS, The ALC is in altar and pulpit fellowship with the
Lutheran Church in America, which allows its clergymen to
teach that Jesus Christ is not God (A Christian Handbook.
p. 691); therefore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
rescind its declaration of altar and pulpit fellowship with the
ALC.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Meyer, Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-217B to 3-217D

St. Paul, Brookfield, Ill.
St. Paul, Williamsburg, lowa
Zion, Lincoln, Ill.

Walter Otten
L. H. Aurich
A. J. Goldberger

3-218A

To Withdraw from Fellowship with
American Lutheran Church

WHEREAS, The entrance of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod into altar and pulpit fellowship with The American
Lutheran Church, at the Denver convention in 1969, was a
contested act that contributed to the painful division in spirit
now evident in our beloved Synod: and

WHEREAS, Altar and pulpit fellowship with The American
Lutheran Church can be carried out in a God-pleasing manner
only if and when there is agreement in doctrine and practice:
and

WHEREAS, Already at Denver it was evident that there was
much valid concern that a God-pleasing agreement in doctrine
and practice did not yet exist; and

WHEREAS, The American Lutheran Church has chosen to
ordain women to the pastoral office and has failed to heed the
subsequent admonition of The Lutheran Church - Missouri
Synod regarding this practice: and

WuerEaS, In the recent controversy within The Lutheran
Church— Missouri Synod The American Lutheran Church has
not supported the official position of the LCMS, nor has it sup-
ported the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis;
and

WHEREAS, Various leaders in The American Lutheran
Church, in particular faculty members of its colleges and
seminaries, have supported the theological position of Seminex:
and

WHEREAS, It is clear The American Lutheran Church does
not identify with the theological position of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, Fellowship in these circumstances is a vain act
that does not exist in truth and in fact; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod in
convention assembled at Anaheim regretfully sever the fellow-
ship with The American Lutheran Church: and be it further

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
declare a moratorium on attempts to promote fellowship with
any groups until it has resolved its own internal difficulties.

Concordia Lutheran Church
Hammond, Ind.

Clifford C. Watts, President
John A. Freyek, Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-218B

Concordia, Azusa, Calif. Wm. C. Schnute

3-219

To Act in Love

WHEREAS, The members of Grace Lutheran Church, LCMS,
Moses Lake, Wash., endorse and support the Synod in congrega-
tional-synodical matters; and

WHEREAS. Christ’s death on the cross has redeemed us by
God's loving grace; therefore be it

Resolved. That we use our Christian conscience first in all
congregational-synodical matters, based on our faith: and be
it further

Resolved. That out of love we act: that we set aside the
personality conflicts, the human ego, and the selfish personal
feelings: and be it finally

Resolved. That we evaluate our position of fellowship with
ALC, LCA, and LCUSA, and that if conflicts occur which indi-
cate a compromise and an erosion of our doctrinal position,
we terminate further involvement.

Grace Lutheran Church
Moses Lake, Wash.

Carl Thompson, President
James Reimann, Secretary
Vincent S. Larson Jr., Pastor

3-220

To Continue ALC-LCMS Altar-Pulpit
Fellowship

WHEREAS. Our congregation owes its existence to the desire
on the part of the LCMS to establish a campus ministry in our
community: and

WHEREAS. Joint Lutheran ministries have facilitated campus
ministry programs; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod continue its altar-pulpit fellowship
with The American Lutheran Church and explore further areas
of cooperation between LCMS and ALC.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Marshall, Minn.
Michael F. Dahlke, President

3-221A

To Encourage All Synod Members to
Implement Rather than Hinder
Lutheran Fellowship

WHEREAS, The Mission Affirmations of 1965 encouraged
every possible cooperation and fellowship with other Lutherans:
and

WHEREAS. The Word of God urges us to express unity with
the whole body of Christ: and

WHEREAS, Many well-publicized incidents in the last year
have shown more hindrance to fellowship than implementation
of it (for example: discouragement of tri-Lutheran campus and
welfare ministries, restriction of overseas sister churches in
their efforts to find wider fellowship, refusal of our Synod’s
President to serve as liturgist at the installation of the new
LCUSA executive, withdrawal of use of Springfield campus for
an all-Lutheran professors’ meeting): therefore be it

Resolved. That all Synod leaders and congregations be en-