Doctrine

PREAMBLE

1.In obedience to the Word of God (Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10), a number of our original members withdrew from the Missouri Synod [LCMS] in the year 1951 for the following reasons:

a. Because of that Synod’s progressive deterioration in doctrine and practice during the two preceding decades, in spite of much patient admonition to the contrary on the part of many pastors and congregations in its midst. (Compare: Book of Reports and Memorials and the Proceedings, Missouri Synod, 1950).

b. More specifically because of:

1) Its unionistic character evinced chiefly by the unretracted A Statement, Chicago, 1945, and the unscriptural, compromising Common Confession of 1950.

2) Its tyrannical procedures against its own protesting pastors and congregations, in defiance of God’s Word, Matthew 23:8-12; Mark 10:42-45; and contrary to its own constitution, Article VII.

2. In the fall of 1951, the Orthodox Lutheran Conference was formed with the purpose of preserving and carrying forward the true Lutheran position held by the Missouri Synod; and the hand of fellowship was extended at the time to the Wisconsin Synod [WELS] and Norwegian Synods [ELS], constituent synods of the Synodical Conference, which at that time had declared themselves to be in a truly protesting position over against the Missouri Synod. Neither of these two synods, however, gave official recognition of this offer but, to the contrary, continued and increased fraternal negotiations as well as cooperative work with the Missouri Synod.

3. The formers of the Concordia Lutheran Conference were continuously bonafide members and officers of the Orthodox Lutheran Conference. Recognizing, however, a break in the fellowship in January, 1956, made by a faction which espoused unionistic and arbitrary principles and then, when corrected, openly declared and/or demonstrated that we were not their brethren in the faith; recognizing also the practical problem that resulted from this break, namely, that the erring group continued to use the name “Orthodox Lutheran Conference” and recognizing further that these and other offenses brought upon this name were not serving the glory of Christ our Savior, and His Word of Truth; therefore we, the bonafide orthodox Lutherans, resolved to reorganize ourselves under this present constitution. (Compare: The Orthodox Lutheran, February, 1956; The Concordia Lutheran, January, 1957.)

4. A further reason for which we are joined together in this Conference is our Lord’s will that the diversities of gifts in His Church on earth should be for the common profit, I Corinthians 12:4-31.