Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 258
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 258

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

258 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

Our Savior Lutheran Church
Pinole, Calif.

Douglas McCay, President
Franklin Runkle, Secretary

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Kernville, Calif.
Arthur T. Lewis, Pastor

Lutheran Church of Our Savior
San Jose, Calif.

A. L. Alfeld, President

Dennis Trexel, Secretary

St. Luke Lutheran Church
Santa Rosa, Calif.

Richard C. Lystra, Chairman
Miles T. Wyth, Secretary
Charles W. Keturakat, Pastor

3-137A

To Investigate Activities of
District Presidents

WHEREAS, Reports have been circulated in the Synod that
some District Presidents have condoned or promoted certain
activities in their respective Districts that are not in keeping
with synodical resolutions, particularly in regard to the autho-
rization of the ordination and installation of candidates who
are not properly declared qualified according to the Bylaws of
the Synod (Art. XII 9 c: Bylaw 4.15): therefore be it

Resolved. That the synodical President appoint a committee
to investigate the activities of District Presidents with regard
to ordination and installation of improperly certified pastoral
candidates.

Peace Lutheran Church
Waverly, Nebr.

Dick Mohlman, President
Gerald Haertel, Secretary
Justin J. Burns, Pastor

Identical or similar:

3-137B

St. Peter's, Elk Creek, Nebr. Harold Stelzer

3-138

To Investigate Activities of Certain
District Presidents

WHEREAS, The District Presidents have not only a responsi-
bility to their own conscience but also a responsibility to their
Synod to which they have committed themselves at their in-
stallation as President: and

WHEREAS, The District Presidents have no right under their
oath of office to work counter to the directions established by
our Synod in convention: and

WHEREAS. It is evident that this has been done in the past
‘i.e., the installation of uncertified graduates of unrecognized
and unauthorized institutions as pastors, and working together
and speaking in behalf of those whose evident purpose is to
undermine the authority of our Synod which has spoken in
convention): therefore be it

Resolved, That the synodical President appoint a committee
to investigate such activities of the District Presidents—not in
a furtive way but confronting each District President as to his
personal conscience, goals, and purposes: and be it further

Resolved, That if it is clear that the District President is un-
willing to work as an officer of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, the convention request his resignation or his immediate
apology and promise to sever all such relationships: and be it
further

Resolved. That if the District President in question will
accept neither of the above alternatives, he be removed from
office by the President of the Synod and an interim District

President be appointed until the District in convention elects
a new President or confirms such nomination.

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
Brownstown, Ind.

John Stuckwisch, Chairman
Lynn Hinnefeld, Secretary
J. V. Moyer, Pastor

3-139A

To Review Actions of District Presidents

WHEREAS, A District President serves as an officer of The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in a given District (Art. XII
of the Synod's Constitution, particularly Section 6): and

WHEREAS, A given District President in his oath of office
(The Lutheran Agenda. pp. 195—96) promises to fulfill the duties
of his office to the best of his ability in accordance with the
Constitution of the Synod, with the Bylaws of the Synod, and
with the resolutions of the Synod: and

WHEREAS, In recent months a number of District Presidents
by their actions would appear to be acting in a manner that
does not fulfill their oath of office as taken by them when they
accepted election to their respective District presidencies, and
neither do their actions appear to fulfill either the letter or the
spirit of the Constitution of the Synod ‘Art. XII 9 a, ¢, d), the
Bylaws of the Synod (4.01, 4.15 a 1—6), or the resolutions of the
Synod as noted by the President of the Synod in a synodical
news release issued on 9/20;74 by the Department of Public
Relations. The President of the Synod stated:

However well-intended the authorization of uncertified men is,

whatever appeals are made to a “higher law of love,” the fact re-

mains that this action of eight District Presidents has brought The

Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod ‘to a very grave hour in her his-

tory. Not only has the corporate integrity of the Council of Presidents

been virtually destroyed, so that any future resolutions of that body
will have little credibility, but the very life of our church body is
threatened by the deliberate violation of constitutional authority.

The ordination of these young men who have refused to be inter-

viewed by Concordia Seminary is null and void in our Synod, and the

District Presidents who have authorized these ordinations have

violated their office (pp. 4—5, 9 20;74, News Release, Department of

Public Relations): therefore be it

Resolved, That we, the members of Grace Lutheran Church,
Strasburg, Ill., call upon the President of the Synod to appoint
a special convention committee to review the actions of our
District Presidents in order to determine what discipline and
correction is needed: and be it further

Resolved, That this special committee of the convention
bring the results of their study and their recommendations
concerning the actions of District Presidents before the entire
body of the convention delegates no later than 24 hours before
the closing session of the 1975 synodical convention: and be it
finally

Resolved. That the President of the Synod be instructed to
carry out the adopted action of the delegate body of the con-
vention within one month after the close of the 1975 synodical
convention.

Grace Lutheran Church
Strasburg, II.
Floyd D. Storm, Secretary

Identical or similar:

3-139B to 5-139E

Emmaus, Ridgewood, N. Y.
Trinity, Scarsdale, N. Y.

St. Paul, Lowell Twp., Nebr.
Hope, Chicago, III.

Elwood Mather
Merlin Meyer
David Caspersen
H. T. Wians

5-140

To Seek Unanimity Between
Council and President

WHEREAS, The President of the Synod is charged with the
overall supervision of the doctrine and practice of the Synod:
and