Proceedings of the Thirty-fourth Convention of the
Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States
Held at Dr. Martin Luther College
New Ulm, Minnesota, August 7-14, 1957
REPORT OF THE FLOOR COMMITTEE NO. 2
(Church Union)
Introductory Remarks by the Chairman of Floor Committee No. 2
Dear Delegates and Brethren in Christ:
Your Floor Committee No. 2 has been appointed to give a report on the Report of our Standing Committee on Matters of Church Union. Our Floor Committee was not present during the discussion of those committees which met in an endeavor to remove the offenses which have troubled and disrupted the unity of the Synodical Conference, but we have held open hearings and reviewed all memorials on this matter.
Your Floor Committee can merely report on the joint findings of our Standing Committee. Some members of our Standing committee have stated their reason for believing that the expressed attitude of the representatives of the Missouri Synod “still gives us some reason to hope for the eventual settlement of the differences.” Some members of our Floor committee take a similar view and are therefore not in full accord with the resolution presented by our Floor Committee, but they have agreed not to present a minority report, so that our convention is confronted with but one resolution. Other members of our Standing Committee on Matters of Union state, “that the major basis upon which we resolved to enter into further discussions with the Missouri Synod has been removed.”
Neither of these statements make light of the issues which divide us, but there is a different approach suggested in an effort to heal the breach. Your Floor Committee No. 2 can only summarize the findings of our Standing Committee, as the members of that committee have summarized them. The convention has received that summary, and excerpts of it are quoted in our report.
We must keep in mind that we are not speaking in terms of an excommunication which can only apply to individuals, but we are dealing with a corporate body whose policies and practices seriously hinder and disrupt our joint work in the Synodical Conference. Not all of our representatives at Saginaw were willing to go along with a delay in putting the Saginaw resolutions into effect and there may be an honest difference of opinion among us now in this respect. We must therefore concede the right to every member of our Synod to express his conscience in these matters, since it seems quite evident that we are unanimous concerning the seriousness of the issues which divide our synods.
We have therefore tried to clarify the situation between our synods by the report we offer to this convention, for it shows clearly that we consider the issues between us divisive of fellowship and would thereby give our Union Committee firmer ground to stand on in their further deliberations.
REPORT OF THE FLOOR COMMITTEE ON UNION MATTERS
Dear Brethren:
Lord, let Thy Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Order our steps in thy Word. Amen
Your Floor Committee on Union Matters presents the following report: In 1955 our Floor Committee No. 2 (Reports and Memorials, Saginaw, 1955, p. 84-85) reported:
“For years our Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States has patiently admonished the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the fear an love of God, seeking to win her from the path that leads to liberalism in doctrine and practice.“We of the Wisconsin Synod in our convention of 1953 with heavy hearts had to declare that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod by reaffirming its acceptance of the Common confession and by its persistent adherence to its unionistic practices 'has brought about the present break in relations that is now threatening the existence of the Synodical Conference and the continuance of our affiliation with the sister Synod.'”
This was unanimously adopted by our Synod in convention in 1955.
As a result our Floor Committee No. 2 at the 1955 convention of our Synod felt constrained to offer the following resolution to the convention:
“That whereas the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has created divisions and offenses by its official resolutions, policies, and practices not in accord with Scripture, we, in obedience to the command of our Lord in Romans 16:17-18, terminate our fellowship with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.” (1955 Proceedings, p. 86.)
Final action on this resolution was postponed to the recessed convenion of our Synod held at Watertown, Wisconsin, in August 1956, to give The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod opportunity to express itself at its convention at St. Paul in June 1956.
The recessed convention of our Synod at Watertown, Wisconsin, in August 1956, which followed the convention of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in June 1956, concurred in the suggestion of our Standing Committee in Matters of Church Union “to hold in abeyance the judgment of our Saginaw resolutions” until our 1957 convention.
Our Standing Committee on Matters of Church Union reports to us:
“...we cannot come to the conviction that the answers given by the Praesidium of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod do full justice to the spirit and intent of the pertinent St. Paul resolutions as they appeared to the majority of your observers...”
And
“...we must recognize the difficulty of the Joint Union Committees thus far to agree on an antithetical premise, and the problem presented by the fact that the Missouri Synod representatives were not ready to declare issues between us divisive.”
And
“... the controversial issues still remain wholly unresolved and continue to cause offense.”
And
“While we saw a hopeful sign in the excellent statement of Scriptural principles of church fellowship on which The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1956 declined membership in the Lutheran World Federation, this hope has been dimmed by the fact that on an official basis The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has since the 1956 convention in St. Paul involved itself in just such cooperative programs 'in actual church work, e.g., joint ... educational endeavors,' of which it said in its resolution that they would involve it 'in a union in spiritual matters with groups not in doctrinal agreement with us.'”
Since we now find that The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod still upholds resolutions and condones principles and practices which deny the Scriptural truth expressed in Article 28 of its own Brief Statement of Doctrine:
“Since God ordained that His Word only, without admixture of human doctrine, be taught and believed in the Christian Church, I Pet. 4:11, John 8:31,32, I Tim. 6:3,4, all Christians are required by God to discriminate between orthodox and heterodox church bodies, Matt. 7:15, to have church fellowship only with orthodox church bodies, and, in case they have strayed into heterodox church bodies, to leave them, Rom. 16:17. We repudiate unionism, that is, church fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine, as disobedience to God's command, as causing divisions in the Church, Rom. 16:17; II John 9, 10, and as involving the constant danger of losing the Word of God entirely, II Tim. 2:17-21.”
we feel conscience-bound to declare publicly, that these principles, policies, and practices create a division between our synods which The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod alone can remove. Until these offenses have been removed, we cannot fellowship together with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as one body, lest our own Wisconsin Synod be affected by the same unionistic spirit which finally weakens and destroys all true doctrine and leads to indifference and liberalism concerning Scriptural truth; therefore be it
Resolved, that we now suspend church fellowship with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on the basis of Romans 16:17,18, until the principles, policies, and practices in controversy between us have resolved in a thoroughly Scriptural and mutually acceptable manner; and be it further
Resolved, that we declare ourselves ready to continue discussion with representatives of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with the aim and hope of reestablishing unity of doctrine and practice.
We want it to be known that we do not hereby consider members of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as heathen and publicans, but that we are dealing with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as a corporate body.
We will continue to support the joint projects of the Synodical Conference until arrangements made necessary by the foregoing resolution can be completed.
We are grateful to the Lord of the Church for the unity which existed between our Wisconsin Synod and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for so many years, and we pray that He will grant a complete return to the unity of doctrine and practice formerly existed between us.
Be it finally
Resolved, that the president of our Synod send copies of the report as adopted by this convention to the president of the Synodical Conference and to the presidents of the constituent synods of the Synodical Conference.
Walter Pankow, Chairman
Action by the Convention:
The motion to adopt the report of Floor Committee No. 2 failed to carry by a standing vote of 61 to 77. Eight delegates abstained from voting.
The following resolutions pertaining to matters of Church Union were adopted by the Convention:
WHEREAS, our Synod, after long and patient debate, voted not to suspend fellowship with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod at this time, therefore be it
Resolved, that we continue our vigorously protesting fellowship over against The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod because of the continuation of the offenses with which we have charged the sister synod, Romans 16:17,18, and be it further
Resolved, that we continue our doctrinal discussions with the union committees of the synods of the Synodical Conference in an effort to restore full unity on the basis of the Word of God, and be it finally
Resolved, that we continue our doctrinal discussions with the union committees of the synods of the Synodical Conference in an effort to restore full unity on the basis of the Word of God, and be it finally
Resolved, that we ask our Standing Committee on Matters of Church Union to keep the membership of our Synod informed concerning the progress of these discussions.
(Note: Our protesting fellowship is to be carried on in accordance with the Scriptural injunction in II Thessalonians 3:14 and 15, as the Synod resolved in August 1956. See Proceedings, Recessed Session, Thirty-third Convention, Watertown, Wisconsin, August 21-23, 1956 Report of Floor Committee No. 2, Part II. The reference to Romans 16:17 and 18, was made, not to define our fellowship, but only to explain the use of the word “offenses.” O. J. Naumann.)
