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Syncretism
at
Valparaiso
University
Whereas,
Muslims, Jews and Christians prayed and worshipped together at
Valparaiso
University
on
September 11, 2002
; and
Whereas,
Concerned LCMS Pastors sent “A Call for the Faithful Confession of
Christ on Campus” to LCMS Congregations in response to this syncretistic
service at
Valparaiso
University
; therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 National Walther Conference commend the campus pastors
responsible for “A Call for the Faithful Confession of Christ on
Campus”; and be it
Resolved,
That this conference ask congregations all over the LCMS to ask Indiana
District President Timothy Sims to take proper disciplinary against those
on the LCMS clergy roster at
Valparaiso
University
who either participated or approved this syncretistic service.
Ordination
of Women
Whereas, The Bible opposes women serving as pastors (1Cor.
14:34
, 35; 1Tim.
2: 11
-14); and
Whereas,
The LCMS has officially said it is contrary for women to serve as pastors;
and
Whereas,
There are indications that a growing number of pastors in the LCMS
maintain that it is not contrary to the Bible for women to serve as
pastors or be ordained to the Holy Ministry; therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 National Walther Conference ask the Praesidium of the LCMS
to authorize a survey of all those on the LCMS roster to find out how many
maintain that the LCMS should allow women to serve as pastors; therefore
be it
Resolved,
That the Praesidium authorize a series of articles to appear in the serve
as pastors; and be it
Resolved,
That all those on the LCMS clergy roster who still promote the ordination
of women after proper evangelical admonition be disciplined.
Universalism
and Praying with Non-Christians
Whereas, Surveys reveal that the majority of church members
maintain that all religions worship the same true God; and
Whereas,
the Pope and liberal Protestant churchmen often pray with Muslims, Jews
and other non-Christians;
Whereas,
Jesus Christ has said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life, No on comes
to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6); and
Whereas,
The Athanasian Creed says: “Whosoever will be saved, before all things
it is necessary that he hold the catholic [i.e., universal Christian]
faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without
doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And
the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity
in Unity…” therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 National Walther Conference ask the Board of Directors of
the LCMS to request a series of articles in the LCMS’s Lutheran Witness
exposing the anti-scriptural universalism which has infiltrated that major
dominations and defend the fact that Christianity is the only saving and
divinely revealed faith.
Creation
and Evolution in LCMS Schools
Whereas,
At least some of the schools in the Concordia University System appear to
be hesitant to take a stand against evolution and for a six day creation;
(Note the response to a letter sent to all presidents and chairmen of
science departments at schools in the Concordia University System
published in the November 4 CN, p.2); therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 National Walther Conference meeting at Hope Lutheran Church,
St. Ann, Missouri, on November 4, 2002, ask the Praesidium of departments
of all LCMS schools in CUS; and be it
Resolved,
that the Praesidium publish the results of its survey; and be it
Resolved,
that the Praesidium take appropriate action if their survey shows that
there are professors at LCMS schools who do not affirm the scriptural
position of the LCMS on creation and evolution as confessed in The Brief
Statement and the LCMS’s 1973 “Statement of Scriptural and
Confessional Principles.”
Commend
Sims-Pray for Bretscher
Whereas,
The LCMS Indiana District President Timothy Sims has removed Dr. Paul
Bretscher of
Valparaiso
,
Indiana
, from the clergy roster of the LCMS for denying the deity of Jesus
Christ; and
Whereas,
Most major denominations, including the ELCA have become “anything
goes” denominations where clergymen are not disciplined for denying such
fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith as the virgin birth, deity
and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ; therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 Walther Conference commends Indiana District President
Timothy Sims; and be it
Resolved,
That members of the Walther conference ray that Dr. Bretscher will return
to the Christian faith once confessed.
Islam
and Commending Pfotenhauer
Whereas,
Many Americans believe Muslims worship the same God Christian Worship; and
Whereas,
Muslims do not accept the Holy Trinity as the only true God; and
Whereas,
Muslims maintain that a person gets to heaven by his own works and not
through faith in Jesus Christ; and
Whereas,
Pastor Thomas Pfotenhauer has translated into English for the first time
Confutatio Alcorani written by Riccoldo da Montecroce and wanted it widely
published;
Whereas,
Luther praised the publisher of this book on the Koran concludes “A
Message From the Publisher”:
Only one
sacred book has the message which saves in the hour of death.
By Professor M. Monier Williams, Bible Society Monthy Reporter,
June 1886. Christian News
Encyclopedia, p. 2528.
“In the discharge of my duties for 40 years as
professor of Sanskrit in the University of Oxford, I have devoted as much
time as any man living to the study of the Sacred Books of the East, and I
have found the one keynote, the one diapason, so to speak of all these
so-called sacred books, whether it be the Veda of the Brahmans, the
Zend-Avesta of the Parsees, the Tripitaka of the Buddhists – the
one refrain through all – salvation by works.
“They all say that salvation must be purchased,
must be bought with a price, and that the sole price, the sole purchase
money, must be our own works and deserving.
Our own holy bible, our Sacred Book of the East, is from
beginning to end a protest against this doctrine.
Good works are, indeed, enjoined upon us in that sacred book of the
East: Far more strongly than in any other sacred book of the East: But
they are only the outcome of a grateful heart – they are only a thank
offering, the fruits of our faith. They
are never the ransom money of the true disciples of Christ.
Let us not shut our eyes to what is excellent and true and of good
reports in these sacred books, but let us teach Hindus, Buddhists,
Mohammadans, that there is only one sacred Book of the East that can be
their mainstay in that awful hour when they pass all alone into the unseen
world. It is the sacred book
which contain that faithful saying, worthy to be received of all men,
women, and children, and not merely of us Christians – that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners”; therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 National Walther Conference commend Pastor Thomas
Pfotenhauer; and be it
Resolved,
That this conference ask the Lutheran
Witness of the
Lutheran
Church
– Missouri Synod, Forward of
the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Concordia
Journal, Affirm, the Concordia
Theological Quarterly, and Logia
to publish a review of Islam
in the Crucible – Can It Pass the Test.
Justification
by Faith Alone in Jesus Christ
Whereas,
“Poll: Most Christians’ Belief Out of Sync With Bible,” an article
in the July 2001 Report of the LCMS (reproduced in the July 23, 2001,
Christian News) said, “When it comes to salvation, just 30 percent of
all Americans embrace the belief that good works do not earn salvation,
but that it is a gift of God through the atoning death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. People attending
Assemblies of God (64%), Pentecostals (62%) and Protestant
nondenominational churches (60%) are most likely to share this view:
While Catholics are least likely (9%).
Lutherans are below the national average, at 27 percent”; and
Whereas,
Other surveys have revealed somewhat similar results; therefore be it
Resolved,
That the 2002 National Walther Conference meeting at
Hope
Lutheran
Church
,
St.
Ann, Missouri, on November 1 and 2, 2002, request the Praesidium of the
LCMS to authorize a poll of only members of the LCMS congregation and plan
a program to deal with this serious matter.
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